Quote of the day.......

"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause/who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails daring greatly."

~Theodore Roosevelt

Hello......

Hi All,

Have been very busy recently, so sorry for the big delay in not adding to the blog!!!

I hope you are well, happy and healthy.

Recently I have come into contact with people that are experiencing various challenges in their lives and the common denominator with these people is that they do not recognise their inner strength depsite there being numerous clues in their history that tell that them they are passionate, successful, goal driven and loved.....

It is easy to forget the inner strength that we have when we are facing personal challenges. To make the journey to success and happiness easier, you must realise the personal achievements that you have are fantastic and give you a solid base on which to build.

Whether its physical, mental, emotional or some other challenge, you have the success template inside you to achieve.

You have the energy, power, experience and drive to change everything in your life.

Remember any negative experience is simply a way of shaping the way the future looks!

Good luck and happy travelling down the road of happiness.

Dave

You don't have to win all of the time........

...anyway there really isn't such a thing as losing if you view it in a positive way.

Apparently according to scientific research those people who are ultra ultra competitive and except nothing but a win are constantly disappointed in life and rarely reach the utopia that they are striving for. These people even rate some of their smaller successes lower than some other people would rate their failures!

Its ok to lose sometimes, as long as you learn a lesson from the experience......you only really lose if you don't take something positive from it. Whether it be sport, business, relationships or health the losses or negative experience gives us clues to where we need to improve.

The real champions in this world are those people who harness the experience, learn from it, move on and then apply it to the next experience.......when they lose they positively tell themselves that nothing like this will ever happen to them again!!!

So learn from the loss and turn it into a win......this isn't just positive mumbo jumbo.....it works!!!

Have a fantastic day.

Its the way you look at it.......

I have been reading a book called 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People (not too sure who its by, but you can get it off Amazon). Its a superb little book, one of those that you can read whilst on the loo.......surely everyone reads, contemplates or passes the time away on the toilet?

One of the first chapters I read simply stated that it is how you view your world that dictates how your world plays out. The good thing about this book that it is based on scientific fact, whilst putting it in a easy read format.

The science states that many people have the same opportunities in life, the same experiences, the same foundation from which to grow......then why are some happy and some not? Why do some reach their goals whilst others bemoan their "unlucky" behaviour?........The science says its easy!!!! Its the way people view the world.....

So, you have to decide how do you want to live your life? Is it as a happy person or an unsatisfied person?......because its in your power to decide......all you have to do is change your view....

Look for the opportunities in everything, have your brief moments of release and then look for the next way to move forward......Keep a positive head on and it will all pan out for you.....

I am sure many of us know people, some close friends even, that are constantly bemoaning their bad luck and the fact they never achieve what they want.....help them out right now by rubbing some of your positive wisdom and outlook on them!

This isn't about being unrealistic with the positivity, its about looking for the clear opportunities in everything so you move forward.....

Do it today.......we have the power to change our own lives as well as those close to you...

Keep smiling and have a fantastic day.

Thought of the day........

Thought Of The Day
"You can't feel resentment and gratitude at the same time. One will always drive out the other. So the question is: Which would you rather be-angry or happy? Indignant or grateful? Upset or serene? Would you rather hold onto your self-righteous resentment or fill your heart with forgiveness and gratitude?"
~Mac Anderson and BJ Gallagher, authors
Learning to Dance in the Rain

A World Class Attitude Leads to World Class Happiness

I have been reading a book recently called 177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class by Steve Siebold and it is awesome. I would recommend everyone gets a copy. If you read a chapter everyday in the morning it will set you on the right track.

The chapter this morning focus's on the fact that world class achievers are focussed on attitude as their starting point. They believe that the better attitude you have the happier you are in life.

Whilst the average person sees the idea of positivity and attitude as fluff and rah rah language, the world class sees it as the cornerstone of life and success. They realise that their attitude impacts on everyone they meet and everything they do.

The world class can literally talk themselves into the attitude they wish to have! Its amazing and a great skill to have.

So, when you are on your way to work, on your way home or on your way out.....make sure you attitude is in line with how happy you want to be.......are you thinking and acting positively?

Have a fantastic day.......

Inspirational..........

Learning to Dance in the Rain

by Mac Anderson and BJ Gallagher

The date was July 16, 2008. It was late in the afternoon and I was sitting in my hotel room in Louisville, Kentucky. I was scheduled to speak that evening for the Kentucky Association of School Administrators (KASA). I was a little "down in the dumps." I hadn't gotten to exercise lately because of my traveling schedule and recently I'd experienced some mild bouts of vertigo (that inner ear condition that can cause the room to start spinning.) You got it...speaking and "spinning" are not good partners!

My keynote presentation was scheduled for 7:00 PM, but I had been invited to show up at 6:00 to see a performance they said I'd enjoy. Little did I know that I was about to see something I would never forget.

They introduced the young musician. Welcome...Mr. Patrick Henry Hughes. He was rolled onto the stage in his wheelchair, and began to play the piano. His fingers danced across the keys as he made beautiful music.

He then began to sing as he played, and it was even more beautiful. For some reason, however, I knew that I was seeing something special. There was this aura about him that I really can't explain and the smile...his smile was magic!

About ten minutes into Patrick's performance, someone came on the stage and said..."I'd like to share a 7-minute video titled, The Patrick Henry Hughes story." And the lights went dim.

Patrick Henry Hughes was born with no eyes, and a tightening of the joints which left him crippled for life. However, as a child, he was fitted with artificial eyes and placed in a wheelchair. Before his first birthday, he discovered the piano. His mom said, "I could hit any note on the piano, and within one or two tries, he'd get it." By his second birthday, he was playing requests (You Are My Sunshine, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star). His father was ecstatic. "We might not play baseball, but we can play music together."

Today, Patrick is a junior at the University of Louisville. His father attends classes with him and he's made nearly all A's, with the exception of 3 B's He's also a part of the 214 member marching band. You read it right...the marching band! He's a blind, wheelchair-bound trumpet player; and he and his father do it together. They attend all the band practices and the half-time performance in front of thousands. His father rolls and rotates his son around the field to the cheers of Patrick's fans. In order to attend Patrick's classes and every band practice, his father works the graveyard shift at UPS. Patrick said..."My dad's my hero."

But even more than his unbelievable musical talent, it was Patrick's "attitude of gratitude" that touched my soul. On stage, between songs, he would talk to the audience about his life and about how blessed he was. He said, "God made me blind and unable to walk. BIG DEAL! He gave me the ability...the musical gifts I have...the great opportunity to meet new people."

When his performance was over, Patrick and his father were on the stage together. The crowd rose to their feet and cheered for over five minutes. It gave me giant goose bumps!

My life was ready to meet Patrick Henry Hughes. I needed a hero, and I found one for the ages. If I live to be a hundred, I'll never forget that night, that smile, that music, but most importantly, that wonderful "attitude of gratitude."

I returned to Chicago and shared Patrick's story with my wife, my friends, and our team at Simple Truths. About two weeks later, I received a letter from a friend. He said, "Mac, I don't know who said it, but I think you'll love this quote."

"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...
it's about learning how to dance in the rain!"

I thought...that's it! We all face adversity in our life. However, it's not the adversity, but how we react to it that will determine the joy and happiness in our life. During tough times, do we spend too much time feeling sorry for ourselves, or, can we, with gratitude...learn how to dance in the rain?

It almost sounds too simple to feel important, but one word...gratitude, can change your attitude, thus, your life, forever. Sarah Breathnack said it best...
"When we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present....we experience heaven on earth."