I wanted to share this concept I heard a while back when I first started searching for personal development content. John Maxwell has some principles that he teaches about the kind of people we will deal with. The principle that jumped out at me and caught my attention was about people who are mean and hurt others. He said "hurting people hurt people". It was more like an epiphany when he said that. I recalled several moments of people who have said things that were hurtful, or could have been hurtful. I don't know if it is how I have grown up or if being a man has anything to do with it, but I normally take comments like that with a grain of salt. I don't let things stick to me very easily. Those times that I thought of when people would more or less attack me, I reflected a little deeper and it just struck me. All of those comments were out of their own broken self image. It is a defense mechanism to make ourselves feel more significant in those areas where we are lacking or failing.People don't always realize this when they are doing it. I even thought of times where I wasn't very nice to someone and I could see myself doing it because I felt insignificant in some area. Or maybe it was a way to become the alpha of the group.
This has given me a whole new perspective on bullies or people who are always climbing on top of others to get what they want. Every time I hear someone being derogatory or slamming someone else, I actually feel sorry for them and pray that God would strengthen them. Somewhere inside they are hurting and are coping with the pain by bringing others down to their level.
When I see things this way, it is very hard to be mad at them. It's like watching someone trip and fall beside you and they try to grab you on the way down. It is a natural reaction. But if we took the time to realize what is happening, it would be easier to just take the fall by yourself and ask for assistance from that person to get back up.
So next time you feel hurt by a comment or you are in a situation where someone is belittling you, just remember that there is probably something that is hurting that person. They need your help rather than your anger or disappointment.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Self Sufficient
I was raised in a way that could be detrimental to my success in running a business and at the same time be the only thing that keeps me going. I was raised to be very independent and self sufficient. This is probably why I learn things so fast and become good at anything I put some effort into. But being self sufficient isn't always a good thing. Let me explain.
One of my cars was coming back from being rented for 3 weeks. Before that trip, I decided to do a full tune up. While I was working under the car, I noticed the back tire was rubbing kind of funny. After investigating, I found that the ball joint was bad. Seeing that this would cost around $1200-1400 at a shop, I decided to take the challenge on myself. I had about 4 hours to accomplish this before the next rental. I had such a hard time with this, that I even had to call the renter and tell them I was going to be late. During the procedure, I strained my back worse than I ever have. I'm not even sure what I did, but it hurts real bad. I only got one side done and didn't even get to adjust the camber angle properly. So it is probably still eating away the tire.
I am supposed to be running a 15 mile Spartan race this coming weekend but do not think I will be able too. At this point I am very upset with how everything happened. It may have been better to take it to the shop and spend the money. I still can't decide whether it was really worth it to do the job myself. It is nice to have the skills to work on things myself, but sometimes it gets me into trouble.
Maybe you can be the judge of this. I am frustrated with the situation right now but am willing to move past this. I am still learning and sometimes I have to learn the hard way.
One of my cars was coming back from being rented for 3 weeks. Before that trip, I decided to do a full tune up. While I was working under the car, I noticed the back tire was rubbing kind of funny. After investigating, I found that the ball joint was bad. Seeing that this would cost around $1200-1400 at a shop, I decided to take the challenge on myself. I had about 4 hours to accomplish this before the next rental. I had such a hard time with this, that I even had to call the renter and tell them I was going to be late. During the procedure, I strained my back worse than I ever have. I'm not even sure what I did, but it hurts real bad. I only got one side done and didn't even get to adjust the camber angle properly. So it is probably still eating away the tire.
I am supposed to be running a 15 mile Spartan race this coming weekend but do not think I will be able too. At this point I am very upset with how everything happened. It may have been better to take it to the shop and spend the money. I still can't decide whether it was really worth it to do the job myself. It is nice to have the skills to work on things myself, but sometimes it gets me into trouble.
Maybe you can be the judge of this. I am frustrated with the situation right now but am willing to move past this. I am still learning and sometimes I have to learn the hard way.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Life changes
So the company that I work my 40hrs a week for had an "All Employee" monthly meeting yesterday. They announced the layoff that I knew was inevitable and it has got me thinking. I really have devoted a lot of my life to this company. And now I am faced with a possibility of loosing that income all of a sudden. I did not plan on loosing that income just yet, because I am not set up to pay the monthly bills with other sources of income.
Jim Rohn talks about the conditions of our economy and the events that effect our income. He says the same wind blows on us all. And he is right. We are all living in the same market and all have access to the same tools and opportunities. I view this layoff as an opportunity to kick me in the butt and get me going making a true living.
My wife sent me a scripture this morning and I would like to share it. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds., because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."James 1:2-6
These are those moments of truth that will prove to you what you are truly made of. Are you planted on solid ground? Are you tossed back and forth by the changing of the seasons? Do you have those moments that you feel like you can't go on? What do you do with those moments?
You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Paul talks about being filled with the same spirit and power that raised Christ from the dead. You may fail at certain things or events, but they only make you stronger if you are willing to accept that you were wrong.
Make your days count and move toward your goal.
Jim Rohn talks about the conditions of our economy and the events that effect our income. He says the same wind blows on us all. And he is right. We are all living in the same market and all have access to the same tools and opportunities. I view this layoff as an opportunity to kick me in the butt and get me going making a true living.
My wife sent me a scripture this morning and I would like to share it. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds., because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."James 1:2-6
These are those moments of truth that will prove to you what you are truly made of. Are you planted on solid ground? Are you tossed back and forth by the changing of the seasons? Do you have those moments that you feel like you can't go on? What do you do with those moments?
You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Paul talks about being filled with the same spirit and power that raised Christ from the dead. You may fail at certain things or events, but they only make you stronger if you are willing to accept that you were wrong.
Make your days count and move toward your goal.
Monday, October 19, 2015
My Daughter
I have shared this in the past and this is one thing that we have chosen to focus on here in the past year. I have a daughter that has special needs. We cannot figure out what it is that we are dealing with so far and have soaked up a lot of time and money into the research. It is very frustrating to have a child that means the world to you struggle to understand the world around her and communicate with others. I can tell she understands that she is different than other kids and feels embarrassed by it. I want so bad to take away those feelings and protect her from them, but I know if I do that she will never grow to be the leader I have asked God to make her. This may be the toughest task I have taken on so far in my life.
My wife and I have felt overwhelmed the past few months with things we are involved in and trying to accomplish. We are growing a lot from it but there are times when we have those feelings of just giving in and living a mediocre life. Most people choose this lifestyle by default. I will not become one of those people, I have been called to be great. I will not choose to set small limits on my life and I will accomplish great things. This is the same calling my daughter has as well, and I will not let this dysfunction rob her of her greatness.
If anyone wants to help me in this fight, please check out the fundraiser we have started to help in our journey to find the underlying issue our daughter is struggling with.
https://www.gofundme.com/n46zk9as
We thank you for all your support and I hope I can supply you with great content in the future to help you in your future endeavors.
My wife and I have felt overwhelmed the past few months with things we are involved in and trying to accomplish. We are growing a lot from it but there are times when we have those feelings of just giving in and living a mediocre life. Most people choose this lifestyle by default. I will not become one of those people, I have been called to be great. I will not choose to set small limits on my life and I will accomplish great things. This is the same calling my daughter has as well, and I will not let this dysfunction rob her of her greatness.
If anyone wants to help me in this fight, please check out the fundraiser we have started to help in our journey to find the underlying issue our daughter is struggling with.
https://www.gofundme.com/n46zk9as
We thank you for all your support and I hope I can supply you with great content in the future to help you in your future endeavors.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Focus
I listen to a lot of personal development audio. One of the ideas I kept hearing was about how to keep your sights on you end goal. They always say that the end goal will help drive your every step towards that goal. So I wanted to give a little write up today about an analogy that has helped me learn this principle.
As I was leading the stretching portion of our Saturday morning men's fitness group, I noticed a lot of people struggling to keep their balance especially during the standing quad stretch. This is a stretch where you stand on one leg, reach back with both hands and grab your other foot behind you. You have to pull up as far as you can to get a good stretch on your quadriceps. But this is very difficult for some people, so I instructed them to take the opposite arm and use it to point to an object at least 15ft in front of them and keep their focus on that object. Everyone was amazed at their balance and how easy it was by using that technique.
I think this principle is especially true even in our everyday efforts moving towards our goal. Think about it for a moment, if you keep focusing on the events around your current action you can get distracted very easily. I was working on my business papers one night and a thought popped into my mind about how I could resolve an issue on the Porsche Cayenne I am working on. So I thought I would take a second to do a little research. I ended up not getting my paperwork done and not even getting the research I needed to complete. If I was to keep my focus on the paperwork, I would have gotten everything done I needed to that night.
So take a few moments and ask yourself if you are getting distracted, or if you are completing all your steps to get to your goal. I would say that the majority of our issues with not getting some things done is little distractions.
As I was leading the stretching portion of our Saturday morning men's fitness group, I noticed a lot of people struggling to keep their balance especially during the standing quad stretch. This is a stretch where you stand on one leg, reach back with both hands and grab your other foot behind you. You have to pull up as far as you can to get a good stretch on your quadriceps. But this is very difficult for some people, so I instructed them to take the opposite arm and use it to point to an object at least 15ft in front of them and keep their focus on that object. Everyone was amazed at their balance and how easy it was by using that technique.
I think this principle is especially true even in our everyday efforts moving towards our goal. Think about it for a moment, if you keep focusing on the events around your current action you can get distracted very easily. I was working on my business papers one night and a thought popped into my mind about how I could resolve an issue on the Porsche Cayenne I am working on. So I thought I would take a second to do a little research. I ended up not getting my paperwork done and not even getting the research I needed to complete. If I was to keep my focus on the paperwork, I would have gotten everything done I needed to that night.
So take a few moments and ask yourself if you are getting distracted, or if you are completing all your steps to get to your goal. I would say that the majority of our issues with not getting some things done is little distractions.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Opposition
"Before success comes in any man’s life, he is sure to meet with much temporary defeat, and, perhaps, some failure. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and most logical thing to do is to quit. That is exactly what the majority of men do."
I have met a lot of people that give in too easily. At the first sign of opposition, they give up and wonder why they even tried. They believe it was a waisted effort. But in fact it was just a moment in time that they realized that there was a better way of doing it or that the way they tried to do it was wrong.
Those who are weak will only see the part that is not a reflection of success. Their biggest failure is not being able to see the opportunity to get closer to success the next time. The nation gets closer and closer to a full on communist society, hoping that the government will take care of them so they don't have to try anymore. But there is hope. I do see people, and am meeting more, who stand strong even when times are tough.
I would like to encourage you to be persistent and change your view of unsuccessful moments. Its not that you have to fight harder but that you have to fight smarter.
Monday, October 5, 2015
Consistency
So for the past few days have been a little overwhelming in terms of activity. As part of my small business (renting cars on RelayRides) I brows craigslist for European SUVs and I have been watching the market and doing some research on Porshe Cayennes. I found one I thought was a scam and turned out that it was a real deal. I bought it knowing that it needed engine work and that I would not be able to add it to my fleet for renting. I spent most of my day working on it after class on Saturday and some on Sunday. I did not get the result I wanted and ended up deciding that I have to tear apart the whole engine. I do not have time to do this but I am scrambling to make that time in little cracks here and there.
The whole time, I noticed a theme. I talked a little bit about it at our men's fitness class and I recently heard it on a podcast. I spoke on consistency. There is something about being consistent that nobody likes. I believe I know what it is. So here it goes.
I believe there is a fear aspect that is being overlooked or ignored by a lot of people. They fear that they will have to be tied to something and they will loose their freedom to do whatever they want. To loose that spontaneity. But we all know in our sub-conscience that the results we want are obtained by doing things over and over. We become better at things when we continuously invest time into them. That's where the phrase "Practice makes perfect" comes from.
I will give you an example. I haven't really noticed this till a few days ago and it has become more apparent to me lately. I am consistent in working out every morning even if it ends up only being 10 minutes. Most of the time it is 20-30 minutes. I noticed the other day that I am getting abs like those you would see on TV or some workout video. This didn't happen in a day, or a week, or even a few months. It was a result of a consistent workout routine that I practice every morning.
If you look at the things that are selling fast in our society and fade out slowly, they are things that offer quick fixes. I am warning you now, don't look for the quick fix. It fades away fast. Just like sin, if you try to gratify that hole in your life with vises, you will only find yourself wanting more and more to try to fill that space. I promise you will never be satisfied if you are running after material things or even shallow relationships. Look at our medical industry, it is a monstrosity of a business and it is run like it too. Everyone follows their doctors and take pills and get surgeries and you would think that we would become a healthy nation with the best doctors in the world. It is run on the fact that it can give you a quick fix. But it is only offering a band-aid to cover the problem until another one pops up and then they can make more money on you.
I could ramble a long time about that, but I will not in this post. I wanted to point out that if you have a goal in mind, it will not be achieved unless you are consistent in the path you designed to get there. Remember you can't walk the entire length of the US in just a few steps, it takes a consistent walk towards that goal.
Get out there and take your steps even if they are small.
The whole time, I noticed a theme. I talked a little bit about it at our men's fitness class and I recently heard it on a podcast. I spoke on consistency. There is something about being consistent that nobody likes. I believe I know what it is. So here it goes.
I believe there is a fear aspect that is being overlooked or ignored by a lot of people. They fear that they will have to be tied to something and they will loose their freedom to do whatever they want. To loose that spontaneity. But we all know in our sub-conscience that the results we want are obtained by doing things over and over. We become better at things when we continuously invest time into them. That's where the phrase "Practice makes perfect" comes from.
I will give you an example. I haven't really noticed this till a few days ago and it has become more apparent to me lately. I am consistent in working out every morning even if it ends up only being 10 minutes. Most of the time it is 20-30 minutes. I noticed the other day that I am getting abs like those you would see on TV or some workout video. This didn't happen in a day, or a week, or even a few months. It was a result of a consistent workout routine that I practice every morning.
If you look at the things that are selling fast in our society and fade out slowly, they are things that offer quick fixes. I am warning you now, don't look for the quick fix. It fades away fast. Just like sin, if you try to gratify that hole in your life with vises, you will only find yourself wanting more and more to try to fill that space. I promise you will never be satisfied if you are running after material things or even shallow relationships. Look at our medical industry, it is a monstrosity of a business and it is run like it too. Everyone follows their doctors and take pills and get surgeries and you would think that we would become a healthy nation with the best doctors in the world. It is run on the fact that it can give you a quick fix. But it is only offering a band-aid to cover the problem until another one pops up and then they can make more money on you.
I could ramble a long time about that, but I will not in this post. I wanted to point out that if you have a goal in mind, it will not be achieved unless you are consistent in the path you designed to get there. Remember you can't walk the entire length of the US in just a few steps, it takes a consistent walk towards that goal.
Get out there and take your steps even if they are small.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Fighting for your future
So I haven't had a post in a couple days and I wanted to give an update. I haven't had any time to do anything other that what is on my schedule. One thing that I did not schedule in is time for homework. I will be taking some time off from work today to study for a test that I am not prepared for.I also have homework for my other class that I haven't started yet. I am going to stay up late this weekend and write down all my responsibilities and set priorities for each. I may have to bow out of a few things to allow time to focus on my tasks. Everything I am doing is moving towards a better future and sometimes is gets frustrating that it is not coming fast enough. But I always take a step back and find out that I am moving forward and making progress toward that future.
I am in the training phase right now and trying to grow my skills in several areas. Not really working on balance right now but I am realizing that it might be a mistake. I haven't jumped into a business just yet for the sake of finishing my degree. Once that degree is finished, I plan to fully invest my time into creating my future and retirement. It is an extremely tough time in life right now but I know I will come out stronger and better prepared to fight hard for a future.
I am so thankful that I have an understanding wife. I have not been home much these past few weeks and she has had to do a lot of work around the house and handle the kids. She is amazing and I am so blessed to have her on my side. I think she keeps our future in mind as well. It is the vision we share and it gives us strength each day to keep going.
I would like to encourage anyone reading this to make the most of your time. It is a resource we take for granted. Understand that the way you use your time counts toward something. I asked my wife one day, what do you think the rich do when they get home from work? Do you think they sit down and watch TV? They know that their time is an investment into something. If you are watching TV, you are putting value the media's pockets. You could be investing your time into your family or your knowledge or your health. Entertainment and relaxation has it's place, don't make it a large part of your time each day. Invest in yourself.
I am in the training phase right now and trying to grow my skills in several areas. Not really working on balance right now but I am realizing that it might be a mistake. I haven't jumped into a business just yet for the sake of finishing my degree. Once that degree is finished, I plan to fully invest my time into creating my future and retirement. It is an extremely tough time in life right now but I know I will come out stronger and better prepared to fight hard for a future.
I am so thankful that I have an understanding wife. I have not been home much these past few weeks and she has had to do a lot of work around the house and handle the kids. She is amazing and I am so blessed to have her on my side. I think she keeps our future in mind as well. It is the vision we share and it gives us strength each day to keep going.
I would like to encourage anyone reading this to make the most of your time. It is a resource we take for granted. Understand that the way you use your time counts toward something. I asked my wife one day, what do you think the rich do when they get home from work? Do you think they sit down and watch TV? They know that their time is an investment into something. If you are watching TV, you are putting value the media's pockets. You could be investing your time into your family or your knowledge or your health. Entertainment and relaxation has it's place, don't make it a large part of your time each day. Invest in yourself.
Monday, September 28, 2015
Life limits
So last night I read my favorite kids book of all to my two little girls. "Oh the places you will go" by Dr. Seuss. Almost every time I read this book I have an epiphany. Maybe not quite an epiphany, but a moment of realization. We all get so caught up in life that we naturally start to blend in with the crowd. We forget that we can achieve greater things.
As I was reading this book, I was thinking of my kids and could see the whole future ahead of them. Each one of my kids has great potential and have gifts they can use. They got my wife's ability to socialize with people and be the cool girls. They have a natural attraction.
The book talks about flying higher and faster than the rest and then suddenly watching them all pass you up as you crash. But that is where most people will stop and be content with blending in with the environment around them. They will never take a risk again fearing they will fall again and just say "What's the point." Less Brown points out that those who learn how to get back up every time they are knocked down are the successful people.
But there real moment of realization was not that I was able to see a bright future for my girls and what they could actually do in their life, but that I did not have that natural ability to see it in myself. So while I was reading the book, I started to apply it to my kids and my own life. There are mountains to be moved and I am stuck here at my corporate job trading time for money.
If you are comfortable with getting up everyday only to do the same thing you did yesterday, you probably got caught up mixing into your environment. Jim Rohn says "You are the average of the five people you hang out with the most." I believe that applies to today's theme. Don't be content and complacent, get out there and find the mountain you are going to move.
As I was reading this book, I was thinking of my kids and could see the whole future ahead of them. Each one of my kids has great potential and have gifts they can use. They got my wife's ability to socialize with people and be the cool girls. They have a natural attraction.
The book talks about flying higher and faster than the rest and then suddenly watching them all pass you up as you crash. But that is where most people will stop and be content with blending in with the environment around them. They will never take a risk again fearing they will fall again and just say "What's the point." Less Brown points out that those who learn how to get back up every time they are knocked down are the successful people.
But there real moment of realization was not that I was able to see a bright future for my girls and what they could actually do in their life, but that I did not have that natural ability to see it in myself. So while I was reading the book, I started to apply it to my kids and my own life. There are mountains to be moved and I am stuck here at my corporate job trading time for money.
If you are comfortable with getting up everyday only to do the same thing you did yesterday, you probably got caught up mixing into your environment. Jim Rohn says "You are the average of the five people you hang out with the most." I believe that applies to today's theme. Don't be content and complacent, get out there and find the mountain you are going to move.
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Each step counts toward something
Yesterday I left off talking about how each decision we make is a stepping stone towards a worthy ideal. Earl Nightengale gave his definition of success that I believe most people will agree with. He said "Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal." This is becoming more and more real everyday to me as I keep moving forward. Although I have my hard times or times that I fail, I know through those times that I am a success because I am still moving toward my goal.
If I lived in California and I wanted to get to New York, I would have to first come up with a plan to get there. Lets say that that was my goal and I just started walking in that direction. I would have to guess that it would be only by a very small circumstance that I would make it. Most likely I would run into situations that would pull me from my ultimate goal and I would get comfortable there. It could be that I meet new friends and they drag me into their goal and I become content with it. Whatever the circumstance, the point is you would never reach your goal.
If you planned correctly and kept your goal in mind, you would be able to move past every obstacle with ease and determination. Some people might plan to walk there, or to ride a bike, or even fly a plane. No matter what plan you make you will never make it there in an instant. My guess is that if you planned to walk, you would find a different and faster way eventually.
The point I want to make in this post is that you have to work toward your goal every day. But first of all, set your goal and know "why" you are going there. Your why will be your motivation and determination to get there.
I am in the process of writing my goal on paper and hanging it somewhere that I will see it. I have had a general goal for a long time now (to be financially independent) and I am making better plans to get there along the way.
Proverbs is riddled with knowledge. Proverbs 3:6 says "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." I challenge you to take steps everyday to move toward your goal and learn from those times that you fall. I promise you will get better at getting up and better at walking. But you have to make the choice to take those steps.
If I lived in California and I wanted to get to New York, I would have to first come up with a plan to get there. Lets say that that was my goal and I just started walking in that direction. I would have to guess that it would be only by a very small circumstance that I would make it. Most likely I would run into situations that would pull me from my ultimate goal and I would get comfortable there. It could be that I meet new friends and they drag me into their goal and I become content with it. Whatever the circumstance, the point is you would never reach your goal.
If you planned correctly and kept your goal in mind, you would be able to move past every obstacle with ease and determination. Some people might plan to walk there, or to ride a bike, or even fly a plane. No matter what plan you make you will never make it there in an instant. My guess is that if you planned to walk, you would find a different and faster way eventually.
The point I want to make in this post is that you have to work toward your goal every day. But first of all, set your goal and know "why" you are going there. Your why will be your motivation and determination to get there.
I am in the process of writing my goal on paper and hanging it somewhere that I will see it. I have had a general goal for a long time now (to be financially independent) and I am making better plans to get there along the way.
Proverbs is riddled with knowledge. Proverbs 3:6 says "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." I challenge you to take steps everyday to move toward your goal and learn from those times that you fall. I promise you will get better at getting up and better at walking. But you have to make the choice to take those steps.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Out of balance, lessons learned
I thought I better write another post about balance since I feel like I cannot keep up with everything right now. First of all I woke up late today because my alarm is not going off. So immediately I get a shot of Cortisone and already feel stressed. Not a good way to wake up. So I tried to switch my mood and started thinking of where I left off before I went to sleep. That wasn't good because I didn't get all my work done and got stressed about not having enough time to catch up now. Then nothing seemed like it was going in a good direction. Since I woke up late, I didn't have enough time to do my devotions, workout, take time to meditate or even make my food for the day and get to work on time.
But I was able to stop myself and think about my two little daughters and their smiles. My wife and life partner and how she supports me and our family. The support I have from friends I surround myself with.
Philippians 4:8 says "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."
Jim Rohn once said "Any man that can go to work everyday and still feel his kids hug and kiss; that man is unstoppable."
Although I am unbalanced in life right now, I will not let that stop me or slow me down. That is not in my plans and I am determined to keep moving forward and to succeed in life. I will use these moments in life as learning lessons and be proud that I could experience them and grow from them. I do know that I have too much on my plate and am trying to see every aspect of each lesson.
Each moment in life becomes another stepping stone to something. Let's all make sure the direction of those stones leads to a worthy ideal.
But I was able to stop myself and think about my two little daughters and their smiles. My wife and life partner and how she supports me and our family. The support I have from friends I surround myself with.
Philippians 4:8 says "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."
Jim Rohn once said "Any man that can go to work everyday and still feel his kids hug and kiss; that man is unstoppable."
Although I am unbalanced in life right now, I will not let that stop me or slow me down. That is not in my plans and I am determined to keep moving forward and to succeed in life. I will use these moments in life as learning lessons and be proud that I could experience them and grow from them. I do know that I have too much on my plate and am trying to see every aspect of each lesson.
Each moment in life becomes another stepping stone to something. Let's all make sure the direction of those stones leads to a worthy ideal.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Holistic approach to life
My wife was reading an article to me this morning that she thought was interesting. It was another article about becoming successful in life. But this was a little different, although it was an article focusing on real estate investing it discussed why we should be balanced. Some people may become great at their finances but they are overweight, tired, depressed, have poor relationships or even addicted to drugs. They could be the healthiest person you know physically but have no spouse and can't hold a relationship. Finding that balance in life is essential to live a happy life.
If you look around us and try to understand the way things work, how they connect with each other, or how they are made, you will begin to see how incredibly balanced this universe is. You will notice how things will go bad when they are out of balance as well. Just look at our world economy and how unbalanced it is right now.
A holistic doctor treats the whole body. Not just in nutrition but they understand how our bodies cells are connected and how things like stress can impact them. Most of them are chiropractors or were at one time. I dare you to compare the success rate of a good holistic doctor compared to the medical field we have now. I'm sure you will find startling results.
Even though I am going to school for computer engineering, I view it only as an avenue to help me become a better person. I probably won't even use the degree for a career. It is teaching me commitment and discipline. I am also learning as much as I can about health and wellness, business, real estate, parenting, God, and leadership. I listen to podcasts or audio-books while driving or at work. I am leaning a lot along the way about balancing my life. That includes my time.
I have such a passion for learning and becoming a great leader that I get so frustrated that I have to sleep and there are not enough hours in the day to get the things done that I think I need to. But that is a part of learning to balance my time. I can see the effects of my growth and I know that I am heading down the right path to be successful, so I have to sit back some times and re-evaluate where I am spending my time. That is why I have such a hard time coming to my corporate job. I am just trading time for money right now.
I know my articles are a little unorganized right now, but the more I do this the better I will become. I can tell you that I have become a much more joyful person since I have worked towards a balanced life. Although I am busy, I am getting better at using my time wisely for the priorities in life.
If you look around us and try to understand the way things work, how they connect with each other, or how they are made, you will begin to see how incredibly balanced this universe is. You will notice how things will go bad when they are out of balance as well. Just look at our world economy and how unbalanced it is right now.
A holistic doctor treats the whole body. Not just in nutrition but they understand how our bodies cells are connected and how things like stress can impact them. Most of them are chiropractors or were at one time. I dare you to compare the success rate of a good holistic doctor compared to the medical field we have now. I'm sure you will find startling results.
Even though I am going to school for computer engineering, I view it only as an avenue to help me become a better person. I probably won't even use the degree for a career. It is teaching me commitment and discipline. I am also learning as much as I can about health and wellness, business, real estate, parenting, God, and leadership. I listen to podcasts or audio-books while driving or at work. I am leaning a lot along the way about balancing my life. That includes my time.
I have such a passion for learning and becoming a great leader that I get so frustrated that I have to sleep and there are not enough hours in the day to get the things done that I think I need to. But that is a part of learning to balance my time. I can see the effects of my growth and I know that I am heading down the right path to be successful, so I have to sit back some times and re-evaluate where I am spending my time. That is why I have such a hard time coming to my corporate job. I am just trading time for money right now.
I know my articles are a little unorganized right now, but the more I do this the better I will become. I can tell you that I have become a much more joyful person since I have worked towards a balanced life. Although I am busy, I am getting better at using my time wisely for the priorities in life.
Monday, September 21, 2015
Perceptions
I wanted to talk a little bit about perceptions. I have been using the quote by Henry Ford about failure lately and it seems to be coming up a lot more. He said "Failure is only an opportunity to do better next time." With such a short sentence, it packs a big punch with the underlying concepts. I have been beginning to understand it more and more as I live it out each day. I have been afraid of failing at things for a long time and the more I understand this concept the more I realize there is less and less to actually be afraid of.
So take for instance, this weekend I had to take care of the Service Engine Soon (SES) light on this new BMW I bought for the RelayRides business. It will not pass inspection without the issue taken care of. With the limited time I have, I decided to save money and work on it myself. As we were out running errands about 20 miles away from the house, I chose to replace a hose on the vehicle to clear the SES light before driving home. After I wrestled with this hose for 45min (10min job with the right tools) I finally got everything back together. But it did not run good after I started it. Long story short, I had to get a tow and have my cousin take us home. that was at 11:45pm. We didn't get home until 1:20am.
I skipped church the next day and finally got everything back together and even fixed a few more issues to boot. I had to clear the SES and drive it for 50 miles in order to make sure there we no more issues. At the 50 mile mark, I got the SES light again. This is a difficult issue to diagnose because it is a vacuum system mixed with the fuel system. So I am not done.
Even though this is a very frustrating situation, I chose to look at each area that most people would consider a failure as a moment in time to use to grow and move forward rather than allowing it to manipulate my mood and control my decisions. It still needs to be fixed and is costing me money just sitting there, but it is also an opportunity to grow. And that might be just what I need right now rather than success in finances.
I choose to look at it as a success in growth and the ability to handle stressful situations the right way. And my wife was supportive through the whole thing. I am so glad I have her.
So next time you run into a situation that you could consider a failure, stop for a second and ponder the lessons you could learn from it. You may grow more than you think, who knows you may even be able to handle it better next time.
So take for instance, this weekend I had to take care of the Service Engine Soon (SES) light on this new BMW I bought for the RelayRides business. It will not pass inspection without the issue taken care of. With the limited time I have, I decided to save money and work on it myself. As we were out running errands about 20 miles away from the house, I chose to replace a hose on the vehicle to clear the SES light before driving home. After I wrestled with this hose for 45min (10min job with the right tools) I finally got everything back together. But it did not run good after I started it. Long story short, I had to get a tow and have my cousin take us home. that was at 11:45pm. We didn't get home until 1:20am.
I skipped church the next day and finally got everything back together and even fixed a few more issues to boot. I had to clear the SES and drive it for 50 miles in order to make sure there we no more issues. At the 50 mile mark, I got the SES light again. This is a difficult issue to diagnose because it is a vacuum system mixed with the fuel system. So I am not done.
Even though this is a very frustrating situation, I chose to look at each area that most people would consider a failure as a moment in time to use to grow and move forward rather than allowing it to manipulate my mood and control my decisions. It still needs to be fixed and is costing me money just sitting there, but it is also an opportunity to grow. And that might be just what I need right now rather than success in finances.
I choose to look at it as a success in growth and the ability to handle stressful situations the right way. And my wife was supportive through the whole thing. I am so glad I have her.
So next time you run into a situation that you could consider a failure, stop for a second and ponder the lessons you could learn from it. You may grow more than you think, who knows you may even be able to handle it better next time.
Friday, September 18, 2015
Close relations
You are probably familiar with the law "An object in motion stays in motion until acted upon by a foreign object." This is one of those principles I have found works in may areas of life. I find that many principles can be applicable to areas or circumstances that we face. Usually you use this law in physics and can easily apply it to the physical world around us. But have you ever applied it to your own life and the direction you are heading?
I want to share a couple of observances I have recently made. For one, my wife has been reversing some of her ways of thinking and really applying it to life. I listen to a lot of podcasts and try to learn as much as I can as much as I can. So I am moving in the direction of working for myself and trying to get to the point of being financially independent. I am constantly moving forward toward my goals, but it becomes very difficult when your life partner doesn't want to ride that train just yet. But I have noticed the past few months how my wife is accepting the offer and striving to become that leader God has created her to be. She is stepping out and taking risks and making better choices. It is evident in our kids and our relationships with friends.
Another observance is my dad. If you are familiar with Rich Dad, Poor Dad you will understand when I say that he has grown up with the Poor Dad mentality. "Go to school and get good grades so you can get a good job." I had an argument not too long ago about how to get ahead in life an not struggle to make the payments and keep up with life. It was an argument that I don't think I will ever forget because of what I said to him. While he was telling me what I need to be doing to get ahead in life I jumped out and said "and look at where that philosophy got you. You are still operating on the same philosophy a degree and your background determines your income!" There was a long period of silence, but I broke it with a determined "You are smart and so much more worth the credit that you give yourself because of this belief in school credentials or work history!" I have felt bad about saying that to him, but I have never regretted it.
Just the other day, I asked him to go to this networking meeting for real estate investors. He was way out of place and felt very uncomfortable. I called him and forgot he was at the event. He text me later and told me how uncomfortable he really was. I tried to encourage him and tell him to at least meet some people and make some contacts. Afterwards he called me and talked about what he had learned and the contacts he created. I was very proud at that moment to hear that he was stepping out of his box to try something new. He is really starting to break some barriers in his old ways of thinking.
So I mostly wanted to encourage you to never give up even if you feel you are paddling upstream. People will see the progress you are making and start taking those same steps. But don't do it for them, do it for you.
I want to share a couple of observances I have recently made. For one, my wife has been reversing some of her ways of thinking and really applying it to life. I listen to a lot of podcasts and try to learn as much as I can as much as I can. So I am moving in the direction of working for myself and trying to get to the point of being financially independent. I am constantly moving forward toward my goals, but it becomes very difficult when your life partner doesn't want to ride that train just yet. But I have noticed the past few months how my wife is accepting the offer and striving to become that leader God has created her to be. She is stepping out and taking risks and making better choices. It is evident in our kids and our relationships with friends.
Another observance is my dad. If you are familiar with Rich Dad, Poor Dad you will understand when I say that he has grown up with the Poor Dad mentality. "Go to school and get good grades so you can get a good job." I had an argument not too long ago about how to get ahead in life an not struggle to make the payments and keep up with life. It was an argument that I don't think I will ever forget because of what I said to him. While he was telling me what I need to be doing to get ahead in life I jumped out and said "and look at where that philosophy got you. You are still operating on the same philosophy a degree and your background determines your income!" There was a long period of silence, but I broke it with a determined "You are smart and so much more worth the credit that you give yourself because of this belief in school credentials or work history!" I have felt bad about saying that to him, but I have never regretted it.
Just the other day, I asked him to go to this networking meeting for real estate investors. He was way out of place and felt very uncomfortable. I called him and forgot he was at the event. He text me later and told me how uncomfortable he really was. I tried to encourage him and tell him to at least meet some people and make some contacts. Afterwards he called me and talked about what he had learned and the contacts he created. I was very proud at that moment to hear that he was stepping out of his box to try something new. He is really starting to break some barriers in his old ways of thinking.
So I mostly wanted to encourage you to never give up even if you feel you are paddling upstream. People will see the progress you are making and start taking those same steps. But don't do it for them, do it for you.
Thursday, September 17, 2015
What am I doing here?
I recently requested a one-on-one meeting with the CEO of the company I work for. I work for a large global corporation during the day. Unfortunately it is paying my wages for now, but I am aspiring to be my own boss some day soon. I am looking at different avenues to best asses which one fits me the best. I have a lot of skills and gifts, I just need to find the one that I can use to provide the best service to people.
So back to the meeting. I had a good talk with the CEO and I think he is a great leader, except for one thing. I believe he has his blinders on in some aspects of our business, unless I am just not seeing the big picture. He was thrilled that I wanted to talk to him and not complain about something. Most of the time, people want to escalate an issue and go to him to complain about it. I wanted to talk about how we could implement ways of improving the capabilities of the soft skills our managers are missing. Or really the lack of soft skills. But that is one of my strong points which makes it easy for me to see in others.
If you watch Simon Sineks video on "Why leaders eat last", your level of understanding to be a leader will increase tremendously. Once you are able to grasp the concepts, you will be able to construct a lifestyle built on serving people and become a better leader. Someone people feel safe around and look up to for guidance. You can watch the video here.
Later that night I went to go look at a Porsche Cayenne at a used car lot. I met the owner and listened to her story of how she became her own boss. We had the same philosophy about working for corporate america. We talked about stories such as the ones I mentioned in my previous post about people who get burned over and over again by their corporate. We are head counts, not heart counts. Anyone can be disposed of at any time without remorse.
So why are we still working for these companies. It really doesn't make sense if we apply logic to it. Think of it, how many people do you know that their company actually went above and beyond for someone? In the military we are given medals for sacrificing ourselves for others. In business we are given medals for sacrificing others for ourselves. There is a false security there that we are leaning on, and one day it will be pulled out from under us and we are going to fall.
I want to encourage anyone reading this to look for options to create a service or product to as many people as you can. You will get your freedom from corporate and enjoy the rest of your life with a feeling of accomplishment.
So back to the meeting. I had a good talk with the CEO and I think he is a great leader, except for one thing. I believe he has his blinders on in some aspects of our business, unless I am just not seeing the big picture. He was thrilled that I wanted to talk to him and not complain about something. Most of the time, people want to escalate an issue and go to him to complain about it. I wanted to talk about how we could implement ways of improving the capabilities of the soft skills our managers are missing. Or really the lack of soft skills. But that is one of my strong points which makes it easy for me to see in others.
If you watch Simon Sineks video on "Why leaders eat last", your level of understanding to be a leader will increase tremendously. Once you are able to grasp the concepts, you will be able to construct a lifestyle built on serving people and become a better leader. Someone people feel safe around and look up to for guidance. You can watch the video here.
Later that night I went to go look at a Porsche Cayenne at a used car lot. I met the owner and listened to her story of how she became her own boss. We had the same philosophy about working for corporate america. We talked about stories such as the ones I mentioned in my previous post about people who get burned over and over again by their corporate. We are head counts, not heart counts. Anyone can be disposed of at any time without remorse.
So why are we still working for these companies. It really doesn't make sense if we apply logic to it. Think of it, how many people do you know that their company actually went above and beyond for someone? In the military we are given medals for sacrificing ourselves for others. In business we are given medals for sacrificing others for ourselves. There is a false security there that we are leaning on, and one day it will be pulled out from under us and we are going to fall.
I want to encourage anyone reading this to look for options to create a service or product to as many people as you can. You will get your freedom from corporate and enjoy the rest of your life with a feeling of accomplishment.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
3 days in a row!!
After a long stretch of time, I started blogging again. This will be my 3rd day in a row, so I am celebrating it. It is good to celebrated things in your life. It enables your brain to search for the positive things in life rather than the negative aspects of life.
Have you ever noticed those who are pessimistic never seam to be happy? They can laugh and even create bonds with people as friends, but you can tell inside they are truly unhappy. The base for their joy stems from self gain. That is so hard to achieve because it is not how we were designed. Well one aspect is: the fact that our nature is self gratifying and we are always looking for satisfaction. But we have to reverse that idea in our head that filling our desires with the wrong things always leads to a constant fight to fill it.
I have been working on a 21 day happiness advantage challenge by Shawn Achor. If you have never heard of him you can check out his TED talk here. He has done an extensive study on what makes people happy and has found a formula for reversing our minds to create a more positive attitude. At the end of the challenge you will have trained your brain to look for the positive things in life and therefore have a better base for happiness. Joy is the base for happiness and it always come from an external source. To serve others gives us a lasting fulfillment.
I have started the challenge but not finished it yet. If I miss a day on even one aspect of the challenge, I start my day count over. So far I have seen a major difference in my perception of people and my job. I have noticed a difference in others as well. Join me in this challenge an make a step to create a better world. If not the whole world then at least the world around you. And remember to celebrate even the small aspects of good in your life.
After a long stretch of time, I started blogging again. This will be my 3rd day in a row, so I am celebrating it. It is good to celebrated things in your life. It enables your brain to search for the positive things in life rather than the negative aspects of life.
Have you ever noticed those who are pessimistic never seam to be happy? They can laugh and even create bonds with people as friends, but you can tell inside they are truly unhappy. The base for their joy stems from self gain. That is so hard to achieve because it is not how we were designed. Well one aspect is: the fact that our nature is self gratifying and we are always looking for satisfaction. But we have to reverse that idea in our head that filling our desires with the wrong things always leads to a constant fight to fill it.
I have been working on a 21 day happiness advantage challenge by Shawn Achor. If you have never heard of him you can check out his TED talk here. He has done an extensive study on what makes people happy and has found a formula for reversing our minds to create a more positive attitude. At the end of the challenge you will have trained your brain to look for the positive things in life and therefore have a better base for happiness. Joy is the base for happiness and it always come from an external source. To serve others gives us a lasting fulfillment.
I have started the challenge but not finished it yet. If I miss a day on even one aspect of the challenge, I start my day count over. So far I have seen a major difference in my perception of people and my job. I have noticed a difference in others as well. Join me in this challenge an make a step to create a better world. If not the whole world then at least the world around you. And remember to celebrate even the small aspects of good in your life.
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
So here is a short little blurb about my day yesterday.
I have been pretty slow at work regarding actual technical work, since that is what my job description requires. Yesterday I had 5 new assignments come in that are actually due this week. It seems like when it comes in, it is hot and a short due date. I don't believe we will be able to make it in this market if we continue to do the same things over and over.
There is definitely a lack of leadership here. A large majority of the managers we have right now are new and inexperienced. You can tell they are in it for themselves. I have been listening to Simon Sinek on leadership and have marked traits in all our managers that screams failure. So I have had a great opportunity here to be a leader to those around me. It is working out really well. I get a lot of respect from people here. People are really starting to look up to me, except my manager. I have learned that a great leader sacrifices himself for others and in business we have it backwards, we have learned to sacrifice others for ourselves.
I am working on building people up by telling them they are doing a great job and pick at some aspects that I believe they excel at. I have suggested to some managers of other departments that they keep an eye on someone because I believe they would be a great fit for their department and why I believe so. I have also started to see others doing the same, it must be catchy.
On a personal note, I am trying to diversify my income through Genesis Pure, RelayRides and Real Estate. I am picking up two more cars to start building a fleet and have a possibility of three GP meetings this week. I am aiming to get our new members building their teams this week. I am also listening to several aspects of Real Estate to analyze where I would fit in the best by using my gifts and strength.
My goal is to not have to rely on corporate for an income. As Jim Rohn says "I am making my wages with my full time job, but working on my fortune in my part time". I feel bad for people that are working so hard at their full time job and not getting anywhere. They spend so much effort in trying work for corporate and in the end will not be appreciated and end up loosing their employment.
Two of my old colleagues have passed away just recently. One never got the chance to retire and the other had retired only two years previously. It was a heavy reminder that I do not want to devote my life to a company that doesn't care about its workers. We are head counts to them not heart counts.
Anyway gotta get back to the grind.
Remind yourself everyday that you are worth it. You deserve more in life, so get out there and live.
I have been pretty slow at work regarding actual technical work, since that is what my job description requires. Yesterday I had 5 new assignments come in that are actually due this week. It seems like when it comes in, it is hot and a short due date. I don't believe we will be able to make it in this market if we continue to do the same things over and over.
There is definitely a lack of leadership here. A large majority of the managers we have right now are new and inexperienced. You can tell they are in it for themselves. I have been listening to Simon Sinek on leadership and have marked traits in all our managers that screams failure. So I have had a great opportunity here to be a leader to those around me. It is working out really well. I get a lot of respect from people here. People are really starting to look up to me, except my manager. I have learned that a great leader sacrifices himself for others and in business we have it backwards, we have learned to sacrifice others for ourselves.
I am working on building people up by telling them they are doing a great job and pick at some aspects that I believe they excel at. I have suggested to some managers of other departments that they keep an eye on someone because I believe they would be a great fit for their department and why I believe so. I have also started to see others doing the same, it must be catchy.
On a personal note, I am trying to diversify my income through Genesis Pure, RelayRides and Real Estate. I am picking up two more cars to start building a fleet and have a possibility of three GP meetings this week. I am aiming to get our new members building their teams this week. I am also listening to several aspects of Real Estate to analyze where I would fit in the best by using my gifts and strength.
My goal is to not have to rely on corporate for an income. As Jim Rohn says "I am making my wages with my full time job, but working on my fortune in my part time". I feel bad for people that are working so hard at their full time job and not getting anywhere. They spend so much effort in trying work for corporate and in the end will not be appreciated and end up loosing their employment.
Two of my old colleagues have passed away just recently. One never got the chance to retire and the other had retired only two years previously. It was a heavy reminder that I do not want to devote my life to a company that doesn't care about its workers. We are head counts to them not heart counts.
Anyway gotta get back to the grind.
Remind yourself everyday that you are worth it. You deserve more in life, so get out there and live.
Monday, September 14, 2015
It has been a while since my last post and I have bee trying to get back into sharing my life. So let me share a little what has been happening.
I posted earlier that the intention of this blog is to provide the aspects of a Journey of someone aspiring to be an entrepreneur. This has been a rough road so far, but I know every second of my journey has been worth it. I have volunteered my time to so many things that I am now finding ways to limit my involvement in too many things and focus my efforts on my priorities. I do have a pretty full plate and it is teaching me a lot, but I do not believe this should be a lifestyle for many. Let me list out the things I am working on right now.
- We are working on trying to figure out what is going on with my daughters development. She is behind in her speech and development by a long shot. We have spent a lot of money this year on her and would do it all over again if we had to. We have still not found out what the blockage is. We are looking into nutrition (which has helped), neurological treatments such as BIT (Brain Integration Therapy), and much prayer. Without a large income there is only so much we can do. DNA testing may be our next step. We have spent a lot of time and effort on her this year. And much of it by developing parenting skills.
- I am a deacon at our church and that comes with a lot of responsibility. That involves carrying our pastors vision to the community. I am on the committee for developing our 'Lifegroups' and am also leading one. My efforts go into being a leader. People come up to me all the time and I see how I am viewed as a leader, but all I am doing is following the direction God is leading me in. I never knew what a blessing it would be to serve others in a role such as this.
- I am now leading several men in a fitness lifegroup. I will be gathering everyone's goals and tailoring the training for the group with different levels of fitness. This is more like a physical fitness trainer. I will be giving out nutrition tips and setting up exercise goals for the week. This is exciting for me because it is something close to my heart.
- I am still running a rental car business through RelayRides and am planning to add a couple cars to my fleet this week. I have been working on learning the market and supplying what it is asking for. So far I have been very successful and plan to keep it going.
- I am still working on building teams for Genesis Pure and helping people with their health and their wealth. In the small pockets of time that I have, I am trying to fill them with presentations for Genesis Pure. That is going alright and I can see the level of success one could have if they truly invested the time into it. I still really enjoy this type of business.
- I am now the Chairperson for the Inclusion and Diversity committee at our site for Siemens. I&D is a global initiative that strives to utilize a diverse culture to penetrate the market. I work on developing ways to include everyone at work regardless of their skill level or culture. I attend regional meeting in Houston with other Siemens sites to collaborate with.
- I am working in another committee at work that in responsible for coming up with ways to retain good employees and find out why we are loosing them. Ultimately it is the lack of good leadership. I am responsible for giving a presentation to our executive management and then presenting to all management on site. This is a huge responsibility that I am afraid I am not going to be prepared for.
- I am still attending school. I am busy Tuesday's and Thursday's for one class, and then most of Saturday for another. I am finding it hard to make time to study and get my homework done. I only have one more class after this to finish my AAS degree.
On top of all of that, I have to take care of my top priorities, such as my wife and my kids. So my service to God comes first and my service to my family comes second. That also includes my parents and my wife's parents. I will share later how I am working on all of this in a later post.
Thank you for reading. I hope to provide some valuable content for you later in the future. Until then take care and God bless.
I posted earlier that the intention of this blog is to provide the aspects of a Journey of someone aspiring to be an entrepreneur. This has been a rough road so far, but I know every second of my journey has been worth it. I have volunteered my time to so many things that I am now finding ways to limit my involvement in too many things and focus my efforts on my priorities. I do have a pretty full plate and it is teaching me a lot, but I do not believe this should be a lifestyle for many. Let me list out the things I am working on right now.
- We are working on trying to figure out what is going on with my daughters development. She is behind in her speech and development by a long shot. We have spent a lot of money this year on her and would do it all over again if we had to. We have still not found out what the blockage is. We are looking into nutrition (which has helped), neurological treatments such as BIT (Brain Integration Therapy), and much prayer. Without a large income there is only so much we can do. DNA testing may be our next step. We have spent a lot of time and effort on her this year. And much of it by developing parenting skills.
- I am a deacon at our church and that comes with a lot of responsibility. That involves carrying our pastors vision to the community. I am on the committee for developing our 'Lifegroups' and am also leading one. My efforts go into being a leader. People come up to me all the time and I see how I am viewed as a leader, but all I am doing is following the direction God is leading me in. I never knew what a blessing it would be to serve others in a role such as this.
- I am now leading several men in a fitness lifegroup. I will be gathering everyone's goals and tailoring the training for the group with different levels of fitness. This is more like a physical fitness trainer. I will be giving out nutrition tips and setting up exercise goals for the week. This is exciting for me because it is something close to my heart.
- I am still running a rental car business through RelayRides and am planning to add a couple cars to my fleet this week. I have been working on learning the market and supplying what it is asking for. So far I have been very successful and plan to keep it going.
- I am still working on building teams for Genesis Pure and helping people with their health and their wealth. In the small pockets of time that I have, I am trying to fill them with presentations for Genesis Pure. That is going alright and I can see the level of success one could have if they truly invested the time into it. I still really enjoy this type of business.
- I am now the Chairperson for the Inclusion and Diversity committee at our site for Siemens. I&D is a global initiative that strives to utilize a diverse culture to penetrate the market. I work on developing ways to include everyone at work regardless of their skill level or culture. I attend regional meeting in Houston with other Siemens sites to collaborate with.
- I am working in another committee at work that in responsible for coming up with ways to retain good employees and find out why we are loosing them. Ultimately it is the lack of good leadership. I am responsible for giving a presentation to our executive management and then presenting to all management on site. This is a huge responsibility that I am afraid I am not going to be prepared for.
- I am still attending school. I am busy Tuesday's and Thursday's for one class, and then most of Saturday for another. I am finding it hard to make time to study and get my homework done. I only have one more class after this to finish my AAS degree.
On top of all of that, I have to take care of my top priorities, such as my wife and my kids. So my service to God comes first and my service to my family comes second. That also includes my parents and my wife's parents. I will share later how I am working on all of this in a later post.
Thank you for reading. I hope to provide some valuable content for you later in the future. Until then take care and God bless.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
New Business (small)
I haven't been blogging in a while for a few reasons. Let me to you why.
Priorities. One thing that I have learned from many key note speakers on personal development is that you need to stay busy. I am staying very busy right now and have neglected blogging about it. My priorities are based upon my goals which are based on my values and where I want to go in the future.
So number one in my life is to maintain a healthy relationship with God and continue to grow in maturity in that relationship. That usually comes with more responsibility. And I got it; I am leading a Life Group on Friday nights and am part of the men's group at church. I was asked to speak at the retreat coming up which I now have to prepare for.
I also have class Monday through Thursday. This is also a high priority but just behind family. With every day filled up until Saturday and Sunday afternoon, I have to be sure to spend time with them.
One thing that I would like to point out in this blog is that I am starting to see changes and the effects of success. I am becoming a better person and it is starting to become evident. It is also easier to see the areas where I am lacking and need to give a little more time to.
I had an idea about a small business that wouldn't be too hard and could make a little extra cash on the side. I bought a car. For all the investors out there that might read this, let me explain before you just disregard this. There is a new company out there called Relayrides. You can list your car for rent and the company covers most of the rest. My idea is no different that renting out a house or apartment. I bought a nice vehicle at a good price fully on a loan, and I am using someone else's money to pay it off. Of course I calculated insurance and maintenance in the formula too. So far it has been a big success. I am already booked for at least 80% of my cost through May. I am actually making money in March so I believe the next few months will be the same. It has only been listed for 3 days now.
That is also another reason I have not blogged in a while; I was going through the car buying process. All the money we get from that vehicle will go directly toward the vehicle until it is completely paid off. Anything after that will just be residual income.
I hope this inspires some of you to try to fill up your time with progress and to try something on the side that would benefit your pockets. I also want to say thank your for those who have been reading my blogs. If you could please leave me some feedback (good or bad) and I will be sure to learn and grow from it.
Priorities. One thing that I have learned from many key note speakers on personal development is that you need to stay busy. I am staying very busy right now and have neglected blogging about it. My priorities are based upon my goals which are based on my values and where I want to go in the future.
So number one in my life is to maintain a healthy relationship with God and continue to grow in maturity in that relationship. That usually comes with more responsibility. And I got it; I am leading a Life Group on Friday nights and am part of the men's group at church. I was asked to speak at the retreat coming up which I now have to prepare for.
I also have class Monday through Thursday. This is also a high priority but just behind family. With every day filled up until Saturday and Sunday afternoon, I have to be sure to spend time with them.
One thing that I would like to point out in this blog is that I am starting to see changes and the effects of success. I am becoming a better person and it is starting to become evident. It is also easier to see the areas where I am lacking and need to give a little more time to.
I had an idea about a small business that wouldn't be too hard and could make a little extra cash on the side. I bought a car. For all the investors out there that might read this, let me explain before you just disregard this. There is a new company out there called Relayrides. You can list your car for rent and the company covers most of the rest. My idea is no different that renting out a house or apartment. I bought a nice vehicle at a good price fully on a loan, and I am using someone else's money to pay it off. Of course I calculated insurance and maintenance in the formula too. So far it has been a big success. I am already booked for at least 80% of my cost through May. I am actually making money in March so I believe the next few months will be the same. It has only been listed for 3 days now.
That is also another reason I have not blogged in a while; I was going through the car buying process. All the money we get from that vehicle will go directly toward the vehicle until it is completely paid off. Anything after that will just be residual income.
I hope this inspires some of you to try to fill up your time with progress and to try something on the side that would benefit your pockets. I also want to say thank your for those who have been reading my blogs. If you could please leave me some feedback (good or bad) and I will be sure to learn and grow from it.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Every Day
I am stuck on this quote by Jim Rohn and think of it all the time.
For one thing, I think it has made me reflect on my level of success more than it has on my personal development. That is most likely a natural response which makes me think I need to re-evaluate my view of it.
Let me just paint a picture of me for you fist of all.
I work for a large global corporation. I am very mechanically minded but happened to land an electrical job early on and stuck with it. I have learned a lot about electricity and more about controls. I am now moving in the direction of a Controls Engineer through a Design position.
I have been going to work every day for 8 years now believing I was living up to my potential. If someone asked me why I get up every morning and go to work, I would probably tell them it is something I have to do to pay my bills. I wouldn't really know why, it was just a routine.
Now I am still doing the same thing but am at the point where I just feel drained and stuck. I have also developed a false sense of security. I have a strong work ethic and am a valuable employee, but that doesn't mean that the company will not let me go at the drop of a hat and stop paying me. Especially when a young manager comes in with his own agenda and thinks he is going to change everything and make things better. That may mean letting some people go.
Lately I have learned that this security is false. I have live with a metaphorical lid on my potential and developed skills for a company and not myself. Through my new journey, I am learning to develop skill that will benefit me and in turn benefit any company I work for.
My daily routing has changed quite a bit. Every morning I work on my "self" by meditation, affirmation, visualization, reading, and exercise and then finishing up my day by journalling. So now instead of investing in a company, I am investing in myself first.
I challenge you today to think about your everyday routine. Are you ending your day feeling fulfilled by what you do during the day, or do you feel drained. You can't treat people with respect when you get home if you don't have that respect for yourself.
Remember your past was at one time your everyday!
Paid to Exist
"Your level of success will seldom exceed your level of personal development. Because success is something you attract by the person you become."
For one thing, I think it has made me reflect on my level of success more than it has on my personal development. That is most likely a natural response which makes me think I need to re-evaluate my view of it.
Let me just paint a picture of me for you fist of all.
I work for a large global corporation. I am very mechanically minded but happened to land an electrical job early on and stuck with it. I have learned a lot about electricity and more about controls. I am now moving in the direction of a Controls Engineer through a Design position.
I have been going to work every day for 8 years now believing I was living up to my potential. If someone asked me why I get up every morning and go to work, I would probably tell them it is something I have to do to pay my bills. I wouldn't really know why, it was just a routine.
Now I am still doing the same thing but am at the point where I just feel drained and stuck. I have also developed a false sense of security. I have a strong work ethic and am a valuable employee, but that doesn't mean that the company will not let me go at the drop of a hat and stop paying me. Especially when a young manager comes in with his own agenda and thinks he is going to change everything and make things better. That may mean letting some people go.
Lately I have learned that this security is false. I have live with a metaphorical lid on my potential and developed skills for a company and not myself. Through my new journey, I am learning to develop skill that will benefit me and in turn benefit any company I work for.
My daily routing has changed quite a bit. Every morning I work on my "self" by meditation, affirmation, visualization, reading, and exercise and then finishing up my day by journalling. So now instead of investing in a company, I am investing in myself first.
I challenge you today to think about your everyday routine. Are you ending your day feeling fulfilled by what you do during the day, or do you feel drained. You can't treat people with respect when you get home if you don't have that respect for yourself.
Remember your past was at one time your everyday!
Paid to Exist
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Stagnicity
This has been a topic that has been on my mind lately. In the effort to reach a higher standard each day, there seams to be a constant struggle to just stop. Let me explain a little bit.
I have studied the great minds of the past and today, and they all developed their own person-hood by habits. But these are not the habits that most people think of when they hear the word. These habits normally consist of daily rituals such as:
Doing this every day can become monotonous if you see these activities as existential. For those who constantly live in the future these are not activities in and of themselves, they are stepping stones that carry them upward.
But like I said, there seams to be a force that tugs at you to just slow down a bit an enjoy life. People can get caught up in life as it is in the moment and become complacent. This is what is know as becoming stagnant.
Like water in a pond or a swimming pool, bacteria will start to grow because of the perfect environment. There is nothing to disrupt the growth of bacteria.
I have studied the great minds of the past and today, and they all developed their own person-hood by habits. But these are not the habits that most people think of when they hear the word. These habits normally consist of daily rituals such as:
- Meditation
- Affirmation
- Visualization
- Exercise
- Read
- Journal
Doing this every day can become monotonous if you see these activities as existential. For those who constantly live in the future these are not activities in and of themselves, they are stepping stones that carry them upward.
But like I said, there seams to be a force that tugs at you to just slow down a bit an enjoy life. People can get caught up in life as it is in the moment and become complacent. This is what is know as becoming stagnant.
Like water in a pond or a swimming pool, bacteria will start to grow because of the perfect environment. There is nothing to disrupt the growth of bacteria.
Nobody is attracted to a scummy pond. This is a very good representation of what can happen to our character if we choose to take anything that is given to us. When we choose to do nothing and relax all the time instead of making a choice to love life and grow, we have no other choice but to blame ourselves.
Unfortunately this has been the story of my life thus far. Until about 8-9 months ago. I am making constant strides to become someone better every day.
Some day I will leave the corporate world and add value to other people lives and in turn become financially free. Right now my goal is to learn as much as I can and become that person who is strong enough to make several failures and grow from them.
One way is by listening to podcasts that show you how to do this such as Entrepreneur on Fire.
Enjoy.
Journey II
My name is Adam and here is a little about me.
I am attending Lone Star College as part of my personal development. I also study as much as I can on developing myself into someone greatly respected. You will see a lot of quotes on here that I have gathered along this journey.
That is why I chose the subject for this blog. This is a personal journey that I will be recording from time to time. Jim Rohn once said "Your level of success in life will seldom exceed your level of personal development. Because success is something you attract by the person you become." Very inspiring and motivating to become a person who attracts success. I don't do it because of money or fame or power, I do it because I know that my creator designed me to be so much more that I am now.
All my life I have put a lid on my leadership capabilities. It is now time to raise that lid and grow into a great leader to help as many as I can be successful themselves.
I am very active and exercise every morning. Either body weight training, running, biking, or crossfit. I eat as healthy as I can. I am also part of a health oriented network marketing company that I truly love. I am working on meditating each morning along with visualization and affirmations.
I am attending Lone Star College as part of my personal development. I also study as much as I can on developing myself into someone greatly respected. You will see a lot of quotes on here that I have gathered along this journey.
That is why I chose the subject for this blog. This is a personal journey that I will be recording from time to time. Jim Rohn once said "Your level of success in life will seldom exceed your level of personal development. Because success is something you attract by the person you become." Very inspiring and motivating to become a person who attracts success. I don't do it because of money or fame or power, I do it because I know that my creator designed me to be so much more that I am now.
All my life I have put a lid on my leadership capabilities. It is now time to raise that lid and grow into a great leader to help as many as I can be successful themselves.
I am very active and exercise every morning. Either body weight training, running, biking, or crossfit. I eat as healthy as I can. I am also part of a health oriented network marketing company that I truly love. I am working on meditating each morning along with visualization and affirmations.
I coach my daughters soccer games and lead a lifegroup for church.
My hobby is biking. Road or Mountain, if I had any free time for myself you can bet I will be on one of those bikes.
So in the future I will try to write about each and any of those.
My hobby is biking. Road or Mountain, if I had any free time for myself you can bet I will be on one of those bikes.
So in the future I will try to write about each and any of those.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Journey
"Once more into the breach my dear friends." Even though this is a new avenue for me, it will be yet another attempt to impove myself and the lives of others.
We all are on a journey but some of us get caught up in the little things around us. Those little distractions keep us from reaching our potential. We can get so caught up in these things that we never stop to develope a goal for our lives. Entertainment and vanity become our goal for the time being which suck the life out of our futures. Let us take a moment to reflect on our past and evalute the results.
If we don't create goals we wind up wondering in life trying to grab anything that comes near us and ultimately dragging it or them down with us. Earl Nightengale describes this situation as a boat goes out to sea. If the boat and the captain or crew does not have a destination in mind, they will end up a derelict.
With the beginning of the new year, everyone must set a goal and know their destination. Many people have strong ambitions but don't do anything with them. Use those ambitions to grow and develop yourself into the person you can admire. Build your legacy.
This blog is an assignment for a class I am taking at Lone Star College (here). It may develop into something I really enjoy. If so, I will set a goal for this tool.
We all are on a journey but some of us get caught up in the little things around us. Those little distractions keep us from reaching our potential. We can get so caught up in these things that we never stop to develope a goal for our lives. Entertainment and vanity become our goal for the time being which suck the life out of our futures. Let us take a moment to reflect on our past and evalute the results.
If we don't create goals we wind up wondering in life trying to grab anything that comes near us and ultimately dragging it or them down with us. Earl Nightengale describes this situation as a boat goes out to sea. If the boat and the captain or crew does not have a destination in mind, they will end up a derelict.
With the beginning of the new year, everyone must set a goal and know their destination. Many people have strong ambitions but don't do anything with them. Use those ambitions to grow and develop yourself into the person you can admire. Build your legacy.
This blog is an assignment for a class I am taking at Lone Star College (here). It may develop into something I really enjoy. If so, I will set a goal for this tool.
posted from Bloggeroid
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