Michael

If you can keep your head when all around you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, then the world is yours and all that’s in it. – Rudyard Kipling

I’m being looked at for a potential opportunity where I will have to deal with some very difficult people, day in and day out. I’ve dealt with people like this many times before. One of my skill sets is being able to handle this kind of behavior without losing my temper or my mind. It would be a very challenging and difficult position, but that doesn’t really bother me.

I’m very thankful to have had the chance to work with these difficult people. Because of them, I rarely meet someone that I can’t deal with. It’s great.

I have my own way of handling them.

1. I don’t take any of it personal, even when it is.
2. I don’t get emotional about the situation.
3. I say no when it is appropriate to say no.
4. I stick to the facts.
5. I always tell the truth.

This five-fold technique has worked brilliantly for me. Except for #5, it did take me breaking each one of these rules to figure them out. I may not be taking this position, but it would be because of other, more personal reasons than the fact that they may be candidates for the most difficult people in the world.

Michael

Be not afraid of going slowly; be afraid only of standing still. – Chinese Proverb

To me, standing still means stagnation, no change, no fun, a sort of death. I have to keep moving, growing, becoming, experiencing and enjoying things for me to feel alive. I don’t like to sit and not grow. Life is about movement, about changing positions and experiencing new things.

I’m a very curious person so I’m never at a loss for something interesting to explore or learn. I ask so many questions that many years ago my nickname for a period of time was “Question Mark.” I took it as a compliment because I was learning at lightning speed while everyone else was sitting around in utter stagnation.

The great thing about life is that you can continue learning, expanding, and experiencing new things until you die. There aren’t really any limits because no matter what your situation, something can always help you be a little bit more.

Life can be just as exciting as we want to make it or it can be stale and distasteful.

I choose exciting.

Michael

You all have powers you never dreamed of. You can do things you never thought you could do. There are no limitations in what you can do except the limitations in your own mind as to what you cannot do. Don’t think you cannot. Think you can. – Darwin P. Kingsley

Our limitations exist solely in our own mind. If you don’t think you can do something, then you have already failed. It’s amazing, but I’ve seen it time and time again with a variety of people and also with myself. From physical endeavors to complex mental activities, thinking you can’t do something will prevent you from succeeding. But, when you change your thoughts and your mental patterns to think you can or believe you can, miracles seem to become commonplace.

It’s quite extraordinary and it seems to work every time.  Our thoughts are more powerful than we have been taught. Athletes have known this for years. You can usually see a great athlete visualizing their routine in their mind. Studies have shown that the mental exercise of visualizing their routine perfectly does as much good as their actual physical practice.

We hear of people overcoming tremendous adversity by only changing their attitude and hence their beliefs.

You are more powerful than you may have previously believed. And you if change your beliefs to believe my previous statement, you will start to make some serious headway into opening yourself up to a higher potential.

Have a great day!

Michael

Don’t have that conversation with yourself where you say, “He’s got more talent than I do,” or “She’s faster than I am.” Success depends on what’s in your mind…Success is about your spirit. – George Foreman

Your self confidence can take a huge hit when you compare yourself to others. In fact, comparison to others will completely shut yourself down from doing things that you enjoy. What quickly follows is a tremendous drop in your level of happiness.

The majority of my life was rife with comparison to others. It was not a very pleasant time; low self-confidence, fleeting moments of true happiness and no avenue to get out of this negative spiral.

Finally, about 10 years ago, I was able to figure out how to get out of the comparison game. Here were my thoughts about comparison that helped me bridge the gap from my negative place to where I am now:

Take any field or subject. There is one person on the planet that is the worst and there is one person on the planet that is the best. Everyone else falls in between. Not a few of us, but every other person falls in the middle. Now, if you are the worst then you have two choices; continue practicing, performing and etc. because you love it or if you hate what you are doing, then do something else. If you are the best, then congratulations!

Everyone in the middle has the same choice as the worst. We can continue in our field or subject because we really love doing it or stop and do something else.

The only reason to do anything is because of the enjoyment we get from doing it. Two of my favorite activities are photography and playing music. It would be easy to compare my photography to Ansel Adams and the like. But, frankly that would be counterproductive. I take photographs for the sheer enjoyment of it. My guitar playing is not rock star quality either, but you know what? I love playing music.

So, we can relax and have fun with our activities, pastimes, hobbies and etc. or we can be miserable because we aren’t the best. Which sounds better to you?

Michael

Life is not that serious. We think it is as we go through our day performing our responsibilities, driving from here to there, making phone calls, working and etc. All this activity and the importance of it pales to the importance of how we feel.

If you don’t feel good doing something, then you should stop and either find out why, change your attitude or go do something else. Life can be fun and is meant to be. The choice is always ours. I mean that to cover all activities including mundane things like washing dishes. Those type of activities can be fun automatically, you could make it fun or you could simply not do it.

I try to consciously make choices by whether it will be fun or not. Of course, there are times, like at work, where I don’t have a choice. But, I always have a choice on how I will react or respond internally. I can make it fun. I can change my attitude to something better. I’m the one in control of how I feel. No one else.

If you can take the edge off your life by not taking things so seriously, you’ll have almost immediate benefits. You may even smile more.

One final note: It doesn’t matter why you take things seriously. Most of us try to associate our negative feelings and experiences with things that happened in the past. But right now, the reasons are irrelevant. That’s because we have the power to change at any time. And there is no time like now to change.

Use your power to change and start to feel better.

Michael

I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. – Maya Angelou

Too many times we make decisions based on thinking we have to settle for one thing or another. Our true selves don’t accept this and we react by feeling bad about the decision, questioning why we are making the decision and have a general feeling of “giving up.” Life doesn’t have to be this way.

An open heart implies hope and a belief that everything will work out. Having an open heart when making a decision means that the best possible solutions will come your way. It means that you are ready to take new steps towards a better life.

An open heart means we are ready to try something new or learn a new skill. It means we have learned to forgive ourselves for past mistakes which are irrelevant in the present moment anyway. An open heart sees the world of infinite possibilities. An open heart implies love of self and others. Wisdom and patience come from open hearts.

The interesting thing is that every human being has the capability of having an open heart. It’s actually more natural than many believe.

Remember that it is never too late to start something new. It is never too late to make a positive change. It’s never too late to cultivate an open heart.

Nothing is stopping you except your own thoughts.

Michael

He who would go a hundred miles should consider ninety-nine as halfway. – Japanese Proverb

The last little bit of any endeavor can be challenging. When you move, the last few boxes of “stuff” seem to be the hardest. When you are taking a test, the last few questions are mentally tiring. When you are exercising, the last 5 minutes can be exhausting. When you are driving home from a long day at work, the last few miles can cause impatience. The moments before completing difficult tasks can feel like pushing through mud. Every step seems to be a struggle.

I get through these times by focusing on the task right in front of me. I don’t think about what I have left. I think about what I need to do right this very moment. If I start thinking about how much I have left and what needs to be done for completion, I start to slow down.

The best example for me is exercising. Even though I feel good when I have a regular exercise routine, I still find it hard to maintain. So, this year, I’m trying something new. And that is focusing on the one exercise I’m doing at the moment, not the 15 I have left. I’m finding by concentrating on the activity I’m performing in the moment, time seems to fly by and I do the exercise better. I only look ahead to make sure I’m on track, but I quickly refocus my attention on what I’m doing.

I know this is not a new way of thinking for many people, but it is for me. It seems to be working so far; 35 days of regular exercise. I’ve started another 30 day program.

The funny thing is that I typically applied this type of thinking to other areas of my life, but never exercise. Hmmmmm. I guess there is no time like now to change.

Michael

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. – Robert Frost

I think the road less traveled has to do with being true to yourself; being who you are, wherever you are. Apparently that’s hard for many of us. We tend to be what others want us to be, what society deems we should be, what our employer pays us to be. Fears and anxieties also play a big part in repressing our true self.

But, that’s why it’s the road less traveled, isn’t it? If it was easy, everyone would be taking that road. I know one thing. It’s the best choice. It’s the road that will ultimately lead to a more satisfying and fulfilling life. It’s the one that will bring you the most happiness.

I took the easy road for most of my life; the four lane highway with regular rest stops along the way. The problem was that it ended up being really boring. I wasn’t seeing all of the sights. I wasn’t having as much fun as I deserved.

So, I stopped, went back a few steps and found the other road. What I found was that taking the road less traveled is not a onetime decision. It’s a constant choice that must be made, every second, every day, every year. Being yourself in all situations takes a constant diligence and a consistent way of dealing with what life throws at you. I can’t say that I always make that decision, but I get there most of the time.

Be yourself. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Michael

Create a story of WOW that will be retold. – Jeffrey Gitomer

Stop telling the story of what is. In other words, stop re-telling how things are right now in your life or what your reality appears to be, especially if the story is negative. If the story you are telling about yourself makes you feel bad or generates even more negative feelings, stop!

Instead start telling a story of what you are becoming, what you hope to be, what your future dreams are and how you are getting to them. Use your future dreams as a way to make your present moment feel a little bit better. Tell a story that makes yourself and others smile.

This seemingly simple technique is incredibly powerful and can seriously change your attitude and direction in life. When you talk to people about all the “bad” things happening in your life, you set up a thought process that precludes being happy. When you begin using your imagination to visualize where you want to be and what it would feel like, not only does your level of happiness increase but your attitude and perspective dramatically improve.

It may be hard to start this process, so find a something easy, something that gives you a little smile or good feeling when you think about it. Take that idea and expand on it. Try to imagine how good you will feel when you get there. Tell this story to yourself and others.

I have used this technique a lot over the years and find it to be very beneficial.

Have a good day!

Michael

Exhilaration of life can be found only with an upward look. This is an exciting world. It is cram-packed with opportunity. Great moments wait around every corner. – Richard M. DeVos

Just because things are not going perfectly does not mean they are not going well. - Al Groh

Perspective. Its one thing that can immediately change your situation, open your eyes to something new and boost your attitude. Sometimes we go through life with blinders on and other times it feels like riding through a tunnel.

I’m also a photographer and when I’m out taking photographs, there is a simple technique I use when looking for a photograph to take. Most of us stand with the camera in front of us and take the photo. But, if you change your perspective by stooping down, walking around the object of your interested, step back, go closer, go higher and etc. you gain many different perspectives. I find that I see objects or people in a new way and generally it means that the photographs are better.

The same goes for life in general. We can turn our heads and look at our situation a little bit differently, find something positive about it, find the hidden opportunity, realize everything that happens is only temporary and understand that change is as close as a new thought. We don’t have to be stuck. We don’t have to see the world as if through tunnel.

Around the next corner could be the one thing you want or need. I agree with Richard DeVos; the world is packed with opportunities. We only have to take them.

Use the power of perspective to help you. It won’t take long for things to change.

Michael