Conscious Decisions.

Life is busy right now. We all know that feeling, every time we think we are going to get a moment to breath something new comes down, another challenge another task. Currently I am not only busy but nothing is going as I would expect it, every time I expect something to finish another road block or pitfall presents itself. I am getting exhausted, I just want to reset and find a few moments of salvation.

In life though we will always have challenges, when they pile up the average mind will unconsciously become frustrated, depressed or just angry! But as humans we have the great ability to make conscious decisions, to focus on something and override our unconscious mind. We need to make these decisions every day as to remain strong, to remain positive. As I fight through my current place in life (luckily with some amazing support at home going through the same challenges right by my side) I know I need to find the silver lining, so consciously choose to get through this challenge and remain positive.

As I focus my mind, find the value in getting through the road blocks and jumping over the pit falls I begin to really think about all the conscious decisions we need to make in life. When our mind is tired, when we are suffering from the blues we need to choose to override the natural sensation to feel down and spread our exhaustion to others. If we don't think about our actions we will spread our blues, we will tell others how bad we have it, how poor things are and search for recognition and concurrence.  When we think about things, we can search for positive pieces in life, we can ask for people to reinforce the good.

When we consciously decide to find a silver lining, to focus on the future and reflect on success from the past our current load will become lighter. When we spread this attitude people will rally around us, they will find positive aspects in life and share. We go from unconsciously trudging through the day to unconsciously smiling and laughing. Moments that could have set us off or frustrated begin to role off our back.

Go out today and consciously smile, share a happy story. Today is the day to make a conscious decision and be the positive change. I did! I sat down and wrote, and if this brings a smile to one person I know I have done something right!

Motivate, inspire and find your focus!

Change

I step into a room, all goes silent, I look around, nothing has changed, but my stomach drops, my head whirls. I have to sit down, a tear comes to my eye, if anyone could see me they may thing I was crazy. Nothing in the room had changed, everything is exactly where it has always been, but stepping into this room has knocked the wind out of me, taken me to my knees. A few minutes and I will be fine, but I know now that it is real, change is happening.

Change is one of the most constant things in life and still one of the hardest things to accept. Just the thought of change can send us into a panic attack, make us feel like our world is coming down around us. But the big changes they send us for a roller coaster ride, they play with every emotion we have and they test every limit. We think that some people handle change better, I don't think we do, I think some of us hide it better, some of us know how to avoid the cues that will let reality sink in. But we all have our moment, our break, that moment that our brains begin to reset and flood our body with emotions.

(I still recall losing a loved one, through the funeral and all leading up to it, I had been the rock, never shaking, trying to support everyone. So many tears, so much loss for the family... Then one night I went for a run, out of nowhere it hit me, for no reason, no real cues, my brain just finally let the connection happen, I literally ran off the road and collapsed in the ditch. A few minutes later I got up and finished my run. No one saw it, I still appeared strong, but I had had my break.)

Change comes in so many forms, gaining a loved ones, losing a loved ones, moving, getting a promotion, losing a job or just starting a new routine. Sometime we wake up in the morning, look at ourselves in the mirror and say it is time for change, other times it is forced upon us. No matter the source it is tough. It is a battle we hate to fight and it always means we will lose something. We cannot avoid it, if we choose not to change, then those around us will, and we will lose them. But if we accept change then we can gain so much, we can have some control of the situation and find the new exciting things in our life.  

They say, every time a door closes a new one opens. So as that door closes take control, start small, you can't control everything and never will, but find a constant and hold on to it. Then look around, find something new to move toward, take the memories and lessons of your past, don't let them go because your changing, embrace them and let them guide you to the new door. Open your mind, open your heart and scream to the hills. The sun will always rise, and when that light hits your face take it in, let it warm your sole. So change hurts, it always will, and it will always hurt everyone. But those that can accept it will grow, and become more then they ever knew they could be. Let your memories guide you, accept your future and become new everyday!

Motivate, inspire and find your focus.

Becoming Happy!

In the world today there is an expectation of happiness. An expectation for us to all waltz around with a smile on our face appreciating everything we have. Anything less is looked upon as troublesome or sorrow-some. So when we are not happy many of us put up a mask, sometime that mask is not enough so we build walls. We create a persona for everyone to see that is at least content. This way no one asks questions and we don't have to admit that we are not happy.

Sometimes we wear this mask for a weak, sometimes a month or sometimes for years. If we wear this mask to long we begin to lose ourselves, we lose sight of the good things in life and start taking a dark view on so much. We squirrel ourselves away from the world and avoid true contact, true emotion because the slightest crack in our mask, in our walls, may let someone see who we really are and the reality is we don't know ourselves, we are scared to look in the mirror.

As time goes though we get a taste of happiness, we see joy around us and we want that for ourselves. We reach for it but realize this will create a crack in the mask, it will be out of character, outside of the persona of contentment we have created, so we retreat. People mock us, or chastise us for being out of character and we retreat further. As this moment build we start to see only one escape from the mask we have built. For each of us this escape will be different, but the impact will be similar.

To escape we will risk losing everything we know, we will risk being banished by those we love, we may lose everything for our own happiness. Until you have felt this weight you cannot understand its intensity, this weight will crush many, consume them and they loose themselves. Some find the strength, they step out and make the change to find happiness. Those around are shocked, they are scarred, they are confused, the content person they knew is spreading their wings, they are not just working in the background now they are shining brighter then they ever have.

The challenge with shining when we were dull is we have felt pain, we have been the support system for many, so though we are shining, we are extremely tender. We feel pain extremely deep, we know we have hurt people as we have been hurt ourselves. We are wearers of masks, so to be truly happy we have to truly feel pain, we cannot show this pain, but have to shine, we cannot show the fear of what we may lose, we have to smile and focus on what we are gaining. At any moment when we hear we have hurt someone we will be crushed, hopefully only for a moment as the brightest light can be extinguished with such a time bit of darkness. So we keep shining, push to be the brightest light and focus on what we are gaining.

When we have been a dull glow to come out and shine is a shock to the system, it is a shock to our own system and a shock to those around us. We will be stupid in moment of happiness, when it has been so long since we have felt this joy. We will see so much of what we had as a dull light and may even fear it as we cannot go back, we will look down on it for a time, as we cannot afford to go back there. The mask we had is one we cannot put back on, so it becomes ugly. As time goes and we settle into our new light we will look back on that mask and see some of the beauty, we will recognize the good that came from it, we will not put it back on but we will accept it.

So I ask, when you see someone shining, see someone happy. Know that they deserve to be happy, that they are probably still hurting, but are trying to embrace the light. If they leave you behind, just keep being positive and they will find you again. Don't be the dark cloud, but the strength to help people shine, as we all know it is tougher to be happy then to fade into the shadows. Today be a light!!

Motivate, inspire and find your focus!

The Drive Forward

Some days when we look around all we see is things to do, all around us a visual reminder that we are three steps behind and have an uphill battle. As we look around we are overwhelmed, it has already been a long day but we need to push forward, these things will not finish themselves. 

When we face these situations exhaustion is the only thing on our mind. We just want to sit down and stop, relax, put our feet up, or drift away into social media or the TV. However if we can just get started the energy will come. Find that thing that moves you and focus on the work. Put on the music, or create complete silence, whatever you need. When exhaustion is upon us we need to know ourselves more then any other time. What is your inspiration, what is your motivation. 

Music moves me and the desire to see completion. Late in the day when my willpower is weak I need to dig deep, to know my inner most need to see a job completed. I plug in the music, put in my ear buds and fall into the music. I take a moment to drift away, and then open my eyes and look at the work ahead. I have found the job with the least thought needed and I drift into my work. Sometimes it is 30 minutes sometime I realize 2 hours has drifted away but the work is moving forward. I have found my focus and I have moved a project forward. 

This comes to more then just focus, more then just inspiration it comes down to organization, it comes down to knowing yourself. If you can organize your day, structure it with the heavier thinking early  in the day, move toward the mechanical work at the end of the day. Know your high points and know your low points. Understand how you will process through the day. We each only have only so much willpower each day, we can build that over time but still only have a set amount to work with. When we see those people that seem to have amazing amounts of willpower it is not magic, it is logic, work with your strengths and work with your weakness. And when all energy is gone, find that work that will let you drift in and out and just get the job done.

Motivate, inspire and find your focus. 

What to give?

In life we often search for success. We see something that we consider success and we want it. One key step that many people forget is that to find success we have to sacrifice. We must give of ourselves to find success in life. We must give time, or effort, emotion and a some part of ourselves. We drive forward to obtain the golden ticket.

Success for each of us is something different, and when we look at others if they do not see success the same way we do we often look at them with judging eyes. We wonder why they are not fighting for the same things we are. We consider them lazy because they are not sacrificing as much as we are or we consider them selfish because they have no time for other. We are not looking in the mirror to consider what we are sacrificing because we make it all make sense within our own head. We convince ourselves that our sacrifice is worth it. Often it is but some times it is not. We each make these choices and must accept others choices.

My family and I have chosen a tougher path, we move every few years and we often have to say goodbye to friends as we move on to our next posting. As we make these moves I have a goal in mind, I believe my family has the same goal. But overtime I have had many discussions with friends about this. One made the statement, "Well I guess money is more important then friends to you!" That stung, but I hadn't ever considered it from that angle. It stopped me in my tracks, I wanted to believe the my true friends would always stay connected... I asked another friend a few years later why he didn't push for more, he looked at me and said "Look around, I have everything I need, I am home every night, my job challenges me but does not exhaust me and my family has me here for them." I almost shed a tear. He was truly happy... Could I be happy with that?

Success has so many levels and we need to know what will make us happy. Over time I try to be more and more conscious of my breaking points, how much can I sacrifice for each goal, how much can I give. I know I can give much of myself, I know I can break myself and get up again. But I have a family, I will not sacrifice them so I need to listen I need to understand. I sacrifice myself for my family, directly at the home and indirectly through work, it is a balance everyday as it is for so many. But every moment is worth it!

We all need to understand our break points, when we find a goal we want to achieve we need to know what we will have to sacrifice and what that will that sacrifice
do to us and those around us. Sacrifice is part of life, be prepared and know you can reach your goals. Once you reach a goal you can look back and know you gave of yourself and truly know what the value of your success is.

Motivate, inspire and find your focus.

Finding Time.

"Ya, ya I will get to it when I have time." "Yes I can get that tomorrow." "No problem I will find time."

Terms many of us use everyday and almost all of us are guilty of not "Finding Time". This coin has two sides; One we just don't want to hurt anyone so we appease them and put the task that we don't want to do off until "later." Side two is simply procrastination, and I am as guilty as anyone else of this if not a bit more guilty then many.

Side one is a simple fix in text, harder in practice but definitely something we can all do. Learn to say no! Don't just blurt it out as though you are a three year old and then run away. Try and be conscious of your words and the other persons feelings, but seeing that we have already identified that we have a time management issue don't take to long to ponder the request. Then once you know there is a high chance you won't complete the request explain that you don't think you can get it done and if it is important you may not be the best person to complete the task. This may turn into a discussion and you may find yourself still completing the task, but if you do I expect the other person has given you some motivation... even if it is just a swift kick in the butt.

Side two is a bit more complex, the largest side of this is one is fairly clear though. In the end we don't find time, it is not hidden under a rock, and we don't make time, we cannot sit down and craft a bit more time for the end of the day "ok today is going to be 25 hours instead of 24!". Time is just a tool we have to structure our day, a tool we can use if we learn to control our activities. We all have 24 hours in a day and we need to learn to use them to our advantage. We all have x amount of activities we need to complete within our day, within our week within our month... Many of us unconsciously work to our time, if we have an hour to finish a task or think the task will take us an hour, it is probably going to take an hour. Could we have finished it in 30 minutes, maybe, but we knew we had an hour so it took us an hour.

Take the time to know what you are doing in a day, look at tasks that take the most time and consider how you can get it done faster. Look at small tasks and order them together so that you can blast through a whole bunch of small tasks in one burst, you will build a head of steam, feel good about your pace and keep driving through into the next task. Some days we will need to use the time we have set aside for a daily activity for another task, this is ok, changing up our habits now and again will help us learn to add new tasks to our busy days. In the end our day is build on a whole bunch of little habits, we expect certain results and have build in rewards. Make sure to fit additional tasks in to your existing structure, have similar reward for yourself, make change feel natural, once change is part of your daily life you will "find time" everywhere you look!

Motivate, inspire and find your focus.

To be Humble

A few years ago I was reading a book on success. As I read I took many interesting points, there were many thoughts to take away and it definitely gave me inspiration to make some changes in my life. One thing I found interesting was a discussion about managing your time, one point in this was to pay someone else to do basic jobs. The directive was if you could pay someone else less an hour to complete the job then you are paid in your own job, then it was not worth your time and you should hire someone else to complete the work. The examples they used were around mowing the lawn, house hold chores and basic daily activity. At the time I nodded to myself and said I can see that making sense.

The other day I was folding laundry and a thought hit me. We should always take the time to do the basic jobs, these basic jobs keep us on the ground, they keep us humble. Once we start paying someone else to complete all the basic chores in our life we start becoming disconnected with the basic aspects of life. We start to place ourselves above those that are paid to complete those job. In the end though we are all human, no matter our title or our paycheck we are all people and we are all basic creatures. We must take the time to keep ourselves humble, and taking the time to complete the basic chores of life is a simple way to do this.

As we engage in these chores and they become routine it also gives us time to think, working on these chores it is also easy to reflect, reflect on the basics of life. As I fold my little girls pants I smile looking at how small they are... and then realize how much bigger they are then her little sisters, she has grown so much. As I mow the lawn I think back to being a child myself and mowing my parents lawn, I think to how hard my wife works to keep our lawn looking amazing. My mind has time to settle, let go of the stress of work and life and glance over life. I let myself settle into the chore and release the other aspect of life for the 20 minutes or hour, in some ways it is a form of meditation. Either way it reminds me of the little things in life and keeps me humble.

Motivate, Inspire and find your focus. 

Positively.... Spun!

As I sort through the world, I look for the sunlight, I look for the warmth that comes with happiness and positive thoughts. As I look around with this thought another old phrase comes to me, "actions are stronger then words," so now I think to myself I need to look for positive action, positive movement in the right direction. Then I stop, sun beaming down on my and my mood lifting by the second, I cannot define myself by the thoughts, words and actions of others. As they say I need to be the change. I need to be positive, act positive and think positive. If words and actions of others don't directly impact me then I need to leave them to themselves.

When each of us focus on being positive ourselves and spread a positive mood we are making change. Smiles are contagious. When we see something that frustrates us we cannot dwell on it, we need to avoid commenting, if anything offer a positive thought or action. We so often continue to say how positive we are but are commenting on how negative something was, but we think we feel better because "we were the positive one!" Well I ask how are we being positive when we are taking the time to spread the negative action. Drop it, walk away don't carry it with you!

So today lets step forward finding the silver lining. Commit to only focus on the positive today, and start to build this habit. Try to make three people smile and you are doing something right. Try to make 2 people laugh, you have helped them through the day. Be there to help stop one persons tears and turn it to a smile you are feeling success.

Motivate, inspire and find your focus!

Make it Perfect.

I fight, I struggle, its not right, I cannot present this, I cannot move forward... Its NOT PERFECT!! I struggle day in, day out looking for perfection, wanting everything just to click together to look at my work, look at my life and go, wow I couldn't have done anything better!....

Over the years I have broke down many times trying to find this perfection, slipping back into this world of missing my target. I have found myself alone in groups of people, drifting through life in a dark cloud worried that someone will notice that I am not perfect, that I have flaws. I smile and nod, act strong but inside feel inadequate. These are my feelings and not to be part of the outside world and I try to never let anyone see them... That is impossible, just like perfection. Someone is always going to see through a façade if you live within one, you hope it is someone that loves you and will offer support but that is not always the case, and those are the days one live in fear of...

One cannot live in fear, one cannot worry day in and day out and one will always look back and see something they could have done better. One must find the strength so see imperfection as a stepping stone to improvement, just another lesson in this amazing life we live.

As I look around the world I find one thing, those who demonstrate success always appear to achieve perfection, but with a bit of looking one can see that they rarely do achieve perfection. What they do is accept what is around them as perfect in the moment. They do not react to flaws, they work with them, they don't throw their arms in the air and walk away, they stand back look around with pride and accept everything as perfection within the moment. They know there are flaws, and they take note for the future, they fix anything that may actually cause a problem in the moment, but if it can be brought in to look like it is part of the moment and will not create an issue later they roll with it and accept it as perfect within the moment.

The challenge many of us have is not a lack of perfection, it is the stress and worry we create by trying to achieve perfection and never seeing that it is all around us. We must always strive for the next level, always push harder for happiness and whatever our vision of success is, and we must always strive for perfection. This is not a bad thing as long as when we strive for these things we will accept the imperfections as part of our life, maybe something to work on, definitely not something to break us. We need to focus on bettering ourselves and those around us, and when we recognize that growth is the greatest sign of perfection we will feel proud and others will see our pride. They will look at us and wonder how we achieve such perfection, we will become the inspiration and we will grow.

We must take a moment every day and see the perfection that is all around us, see how many things we have to inspire us and motivate us. We all have perfection in the things around us, whether it is a moment of silence that brings a smile to our face, a hug from a child or a job well done that we can reflect on just how well we have done.
Motivate, Inspire and find your Focus.

Dreams come true

All our life we strive for your dreams, we push to see them come true. For so many they always seem so far away that we lose hope, we lose desire and motivation. But for me, I see now my dreams are coming true, I see that many dreams are in my hands. I look at my beautiful wife, my amazing kids and a job I love.... Just a year ago I had most of this but could not see it. The day we stop and look around, really look at what we have and see are dreams are coming true is the day life becomes amazing. Now lets stop for a second, I am not bragging, I am not saying I have won the 649, I am saying I see life different. Dreams are coming true for all of us once we take the time to see them, Dreams come true in all sizes and shapes, it may not always look like we thought it would, it may seem extremely simple, but when you look in the eyes of your loved one, look around at your friends, hold your child, this is a dream, a dream we all had to be loved, a dream to be accepted. When we look at the walls around us, the fact that we get a pay cheque these are dreams coming true. When we feel this joy, this success, we can now help others achieve their dreams, when we focus on someone else's dreams we then feel greater success, greater joy. There is no feeling like making dreams for others come true, this should be a dream for all of us. When we accept that our dreams are coming true and help create dreams for others we start to build a circle of success and joy, dreams become more achievable, people want to help you reach your bigger dreams and life becomes amazing. Once we accept and love what we have we start to see the biggest dream any of us could have come true and that is happiness. Don't stop dreaming, don't stop setting bigger dreams and shooting for the moon but never stop seeing that your dreams are coming true all around you and life is amazing no matter how hard it seems, no matter how low we are, there is always something to be happy about and a dream coming true. Smile and the sun and dream of the stars. Motivate, Inspire and find your Focus.

To rest the mind work the body

I had been sitting for two days, reading intently feeling inspiration as I burned through my new book. Such clear thoughts, connections being made with work and family life. I love digging into a book that click that inspires and creates focus points... Especially when I can do it sprawled out in the sun with a drink in my hand... But something isn't right yet, my mind is still in gear I haven't let go yet, I am relaxed but have not let go. What is it, why am I not shutting my mind off, I switch books, some good fiction.... Still not letting go... I am sitting listening to music book and the ground lost in my thoughts when I hear a call for water polo! I jump up, why not I need something and have enjoyed water polo before. A casual game starts, we have a good group, all having fun and all working hard. My heart rate is up, focus is on the game. We laugh, we cheer, we course in jest when the other team scores. The game wraps up we shake hands and head back to our chairs. I sit down and feel that feeling I was looking for. I am now relaxed, for 45 minutes I was engaged, mentally and physically, now I rest. It hits me, I need the physical workout the endorphins to let the stress out. It all makes sense engaging in any activity can help relax the mind, we so often think rest means sitting, yes this is the definition of at rest but to de-stress we need more. Sometimes it is a long run to be alone with our thoughts, sometimes its a team sport to draw our focus to people, and activity and away from the task on our mind. To rest the mind work the body, it works every time. Motivate, inspire and find your focus.

Exhaustion

Tonight I am exhausted, drained, wiped out. It may be this cold or it may be everything on my mind. Those moments when you feel like somethings are finally coming together and others are getting further away, the moments that the weight of the world seems to double, the moments that in this over connected world we feel so alone. And finally the moments when all those moments hit us at the same time. I keep a smile and sometime I don't feel the weight until I have that moment to myself, that moment that I suddenly have more questions than answers. There was a point that I let this feeling take me out for days sometime weeks, most people didn't notice but when someone did instead of it picking me up it crushed me even more, I couldn't believe I let someone see me at a weak point. Over the last year I have learned so much. These points cannot knock us down, we need to express ourselves, listen to those around us and work through life. We cannot dwell, we cannot worry ourselves into the ground, we have to stand up and say "I have worried enough" there is always something good out there, no matter how small, focus on it. If you can't control it then you cannot worry about it, if understanding it better will help then go learn. Motivate yourself through knowledge, whether this is knowledge that clouds do have silver linings or knowledge of the situation. When you feel alone remember that you can reach out, there is always someone who will listen, maybe not the first or second person you thought of but there is someone, and maybe it is just talking, not about the situation but just talking about the weather, about a book you read about a show you like, talk! open your mouth and talk. I am tired, I am exhausted, but I will get sleep, I will get over this cold and I will see through into another day. Motivate, inspire and find your focus.

Get Over It!

Entitlement! The world it full of it now, it is striking the young, the old, everyone. Growing up I was taught that if I wanted respect I needed to earn it, I was told to respect my elders, but from the actions of my elders I was taught to give them the benefit of the doubt but still in the end to give respect where it was earned. I probably offer more respect then many deserve but one thing I have learned in life it to get over it! I don't expect anything from anyone, I expect to work hard, to fight for what I want and that no one owes me anything. So when someone doesn't respect me, I get over it, when I don't get what I want, I get over it. I don't walk away, I don't forget that feeling, but I don't dwell on it, and I try not to be put out by it. When I observe those who are successful I always note their actions and their expectations of the world. Some say that certain people "demand respect" when they walk into a room, if you sit back and watch these people the first thing they do is offer respect. They respect themselves, they are confident and they offer respect to those around them, even those that have burned them are offered a certain level of respect. Those that have worked their way to their position of respect do not expect anything more then they can and would give someone else. They control their emotions, and don't flinch when someone tries to tare them down, the get over it. In the end those that tried to tare them down will not share in their success but they also normally don't make an effort to knock that person down. We all have a breaking point and if pushed too hard, if we see an excessive lack of respect we will push back we will knock someone down, some can do this with grace and still walk away looking strong. Those that walk away strong do not lose themselves in knocking someone else down, it is a quick step, they respect themselves and make the move without lowering themselves to someone else level and they move on. In the end we only have what we earn, this comes to money, respect, friends and more. All these things can be taken away, those that are strong and respect themselves will always get them back, those that have more then they have earned will most often lose it. In the end if we want to be happy we have to get over it, enjoy what we have earned and strive for more. Motivate, inspire and live a focused life.

A cup of tea.

I was sitting at a great small town tea shop the other day and looked up on the wall and read a sign that said, "life is like a cup of tea, it is what you make it." I smiled, agreed in my mind and carried on with the day. As I sipped the amazing cup of tea my mind drifted over the idea, but it didn't really hit me until later that week how profound that statement can be. Life is so truly like a cup of tea, and it really is what you make it. It can be amazing and memorable, sweat and cool, hot and spicy or so many more things. But the trick is knowing how to make it, knowing how to get the right sweet, how to avoid making it bitter, how to get the right combination so you can enjoy it. Some days we will want our tea hot, and that is great, but has anyone told us that you can burn the tea leaves and your tea will become bitter, and how hot will burn us..?  how do we know the balance? Experience is the best teacher but also the toughest, if we drink bitter tea everyday we may not know that it can be smooth and sweet, how do we learn there are other options. For many years I only knew traditional black tea, peppermint and sleepy time, when made right they could all be great tea. Now I have a stack of 20 different teas on my counter. Each has to be brewed a bit different, each goes with different sweeteners, some go with milk, some don't. One can through them in hot water and enjoy with little effort, but sometime it is nice to take my time, brew exactly to the instructions and truly enjoy a sweet cup of tea. We can go through life drinking the same tea and loving it, we may never change, but don't be afraid to try a new type of tea, or trying brewing your tea a bit different. We may go back to our old tea or we may find a new favorite. Let your tea inspire you and motivate you. Life is like tea, learn to make it right and it will be so amazing that you just cannot get enough!

Leader

I am driving along the highway and a car is pushing to get past, tailgating, swerving back and forth. Finally the he gets past takes off for a bit and slows down, slower then I was going when he passed me.... Some people feel they have to lead, feel they have to be at the front of the pack, but when they arrive they are lost, they don't know what to do. They don't know how to keep pace without the pack, once they take the lead they start to crumble, but try and take the lead back and they will fight tooth and nail.
Leadership isn't easy, it takes courage, it takes strength and it takes patience. A leader needs to be ready to take risks, set the pace and bleed if needed. When one steps to the lead they may not have been the strongest player, they may not have been the smartest member but they have something different.  They know the team, they know the players, they know everyone's strengths and weaknesses. A leader is ready to stand up for their team, take the heat for the individuals and bring the group together under one stance. Leaders will take criticism, will be pressured until their direction is proven successful, they will faulted and have to try again, this is where courage is needed, strength to stand again. We all have the ability to lead but until we have felt the weight of the lead and know how we will react when we carry that weight we should not rush into the role. Each of us have a place on a team, embrace it, know your strengths and stand strong in your role, whatever that role may be. But when you can step out and try something new test your limits but have your team behind you. If you faulted they will pick you up, if leadership becomes you the team will rally behind you, if not and you step back with ease you can take your place within the team once again. If you don't rush out and push your way into the lead you can let your team motivate you build their trust and they will be your inspiration, whether a second line or the captain of the team your role is key. Don't feel you only count if you are in the lead, be strong and stand strong knowing who you are!

Falling down.

Throughout the month, throughout the week and through out the day we all have highs and lows. None of us really know how are highs and lows compare to others. If our highs are higher or our lows are lower. In the end it doesn't really matter we need to know ourselves, we need to know our minds, our bodies and our drive. When we fall down some of us can get up and run with a sprained ankle others can't get back up with a scraped knee, and again it doesn't matter which one we are, as long as we know who we are. We will all find ourselves falling down, all find ourselves with scraped knees and sprained ankles. This is part of success, part of growing and pushing through to become stronger. When we are down learn what it takes to get back up, and next time you will be able to get up faster. It is about gaining ground every time we can. If we fall this week and it takes a day to get up, then aim for half a day next week if you fall.
Knowing we all fall and all have different recoveries, if you come across someone who has fallen, offer them a hand. Don't look down on them because they are struggling with what you see as a scraped knee while you are walking tall with a sprained ankle, offer them a hand, give them the confidence to get up, stand up and walk again. You showing that strength will give them more strength the next time they fall. The human race is a pack animal, we need each other to survive, any other species will protect the fallen to the best of their ability, and we more then any other species have the ability to protect. Take the time and offer a hand to the fallen, it won't only make them stronger but strengthen you in then end. Each day, each week, each month find your strength, just because you are weaker today then yesterday does not mean you are weaker then you were last month. know yourself and be stronger, stay focused,
inspired and motivated.

Balance

To survive we must have balance. To excel we must understand balance and learn to control it. Knowing that balance is of the mind and the body I dabble in Yoga. I say dabble as this is an area that I struggle. Thought I am rather flexible mentally, physically I am not. So I dabble in Yoga, in my own time, in my own home. I struggle, I look like a child learning to walk, I wobble, I fall, I stretch a quarter of the distance of the instructor on TV. But I try, I keep pushing, and as I do I gain balance. The challenge is I do not see it. As with many things in life every time we try a second time we push a little harder then we did the day before, we try a move we may not have in the past. The balance and strengths are built, we may not notice it if we don't think about it. But after a few weeks, we have more energy at the end of the day, maybe not much more but it is improving, we are able to focus a bit longer, our mind is clearer as we work on a problem. The great thing with Yoga is it teaches you to mentally relax as you practice. As with most exercise you must learn to breath, to calm the mind, and as you do, you can push a little further and gain a little more each day. Now the flexibility side, these are muscle habits we have built over years, we cannot expect them to just let go and reset in a month. Flexibility is gained centimeter by centimeter, a little at a time. We must keep trying and practicing day after day. For some we may never gain the flexibility that others do, but that doesn't mean we stop trying. Each of us are built different, practices and habits over time form us to be who we are, so each of us will have different results, have different abilities. So we all have to keep trying to find our flexibility and thus balance. If you practice something and you feel good about yourself, you notice it creates balance and improvement in other areas of your life then focus on that factor, let your life be your motivation not the fact that you may not be as good as someone else. Your desire and your life are your inspiration, your will will let you concur, will let you succeed, never give up, keep pushing,
keep trying and over time your will see your own form of success.

Clarity

I am driving home. The air is crisp, the temperature has dropped to -15. With the colder weather a calm falls over the area. The sun has been shining all day and everything is clear. As evening is coming upon us the crisp clarity continues, almost peaceful. I soak it up take in my surroundings and appreciate the moment. As I drift into my evening I am feeling energized and ready to go. But somewhere in the evening I start to get tired, I start to lose my focus, I become agitated. My temper becomes short and I just want to shut down for the night. I know I can't though, I have been feeling so strong, so focused, I know if I let into this feeling it will grow, and it will be here in the morning and into tomorrow. I grab my music and try to break out into my own world once I have a moment. Its not enough, its helping but I know its only a cover up. There is nothing particular that has set me off, everything is good, but something somewhere is pushing my buttons. I sit for a minute and don't want to get up. Finally I push, I stand up and hit the treadmill, music turned up I am going to break through this fog. From a day that started so clear so great, the fog it like a late fall day and took away that beautiful sun, but the sun is mine to have, I will break through the fog and find that clarity again, find that focus and find that new person I am becoming. Within minutes of my run I feel energy coming back, I feel a rhythm coming into my body and the fog starts to clear from my mind, I smile and see the sun again.
It is so easy to let ourselves slip back into old habits. With as busy as we are in today's world it is easy to give in to exhaustion, frustration and weakness. But if we want to succeed we have to stand up, we have to find our sun and let it clear our vision and give us focus and clarity. If you can't see where you are going it is tough to be motivated to want to get there. Break through the fog, see the sun and let it shine.

The Truth Hurts!

Welcome back to reality, your on the floor, embarrassed or ashamed. You stepped outside of your realm, you pushed too hard too soon! Reality check, your pride is bruised and you are flat on the floor, your human, you have weakness, you can bleed and you have flaws. 

Back up a second though, the reality is, you didn't push to hard or too soon, there is no realm that cannot be yours, if you are alive you haven't pushed too hard. Pain is a reminder of your humanity, our humanity is what makes us great. Use your pain, don't lose yourself in it, let it motivate you. For some reason we fear the truth the reality of humanity, or weakness, don't numb the truth or the pain, accept it. When your on the floor don't look around for pity, don't reach around for scraps, pull yourself up and walk away strong. Look for advice from those that knocked your down, don't see them as the enemy, see them as a competitor, and if you can, as a mentor. If you are bested it means you have skills to build, you wouldn't have known that if you had not tried. Some days the best thing we can do is hit rock bottom, it reminds us why we are trying so hard to move forward. But as time shifts forward we need to change what rock bottom is. Next week, next month, next year, what we once saw as success will now feel like rock bottom. Pain is relative, it is based on what we know and what we have to compare it to. If you have felt deep pain, you will never forget it, but you never want to go there again, you set your bottom one step above that. And when you are put in your place, when you are knocked down, you can stand up knowing you are still above your weakest point, you are stronger then you were before. Sometime we will not see what we were missing until we are laying on the floor taking a second to stand up and gather ourselves. Take the truth and listen, let it sink in, let it hurt, and adapt, don't make the same mistake twice, grow and get stronger. Our best motivator is pain, our greatest focus comes when avoiding feeling that pain again. Be inspired by the Truth and drag yourself off the floor and stand strong!

Happiness

Happiness comes from within. We need to find it within ourselves, when we are happy with ourselves we can be happy with others we can inspire others to share the happiness we feel. To find this happiness we must hold those happy moments close, keep them for quick reference on the top of your mind. The moment that you step outside and the warm sun strikes your face, warms you from head to two. The moment you are embarrassed by a loved one and everything feels right. The moment you realize victory is in your reach and every ounce of your strength will be used to taste success. These moments define us, they are our life blood, our inspiration not only when we are strong but more importantly when we are weak. Even if are happy points are fewer then our moments of grief we still have them, we can still reflect, take a moment to remember that feeling, and then strive to have it again, have that moment more often and have it be stronger. The stronger the feeling of happiness the longer it will last, the deeper the inspiration will root itself and the stronger we will be. Happiness is the greatest drug we can access, as we feel the inspiration of happiness, endorphin's run your body and give you an out and out physical motivation, clear focus and a rush like no other. When this happiness is sourced naturally through success, through inspiration and through love there is no greater feeling. Find happiness, experience happiness, and replay those moments again and again. Every day life will become a greater experience and you will have the strength to do anything. Live Happy!

FIGHT!

I am pinned to the ground, struggling to move, trying to find a weak point in my opponent. My breaths are getting shorter, I know I will have to tap soon. Suddenly I hear my name "THOMAS". I look up, our guest Sensei is standing over me, he makes direct eye contact, an intense stare, in one motion he brings his arms forward, moves his body ahead in a small lunge, and in his heavy Japanese accent says "THOMAS HUUA". that was it, eye contact was never broken, a stern look never left his face. Such a small gesture but suddenly I could move. My mind focused, in an instant I had a clear assessment of my position. I shifted, dug my feet into the ground and pushed myself off the ground, in a moment I was free, and the spar match continued. That moment is burned into my memory, I was ready to tap out, I was so caught up in my weakness that I forgot my strength, was it the words, was it the look? Yes and no, it was the intensity of the message. Sensei had trained in Judo all his life, every aspect of him worked together in sync when he engaged in a match, even in his short message everything was in sync. This training, this focus, this commitment can only inspire. It is inspiration we can all draw on. When we prepare, when we train, our mind and body learn to work as one, we have a better sense of our surroundings as we don't need to think "what is my foot doing right now" our body knows, it senses everything. Watching either Sensei fight you can see that they not only know their own body but can sense the body of their opponent by only holding onto their gi. This is focus, this is inspiration and this is years of training, both have lost many fights and will lose more in the future, but they learn from every match, they learn about themselves and about there opponent. Both are at the top of their field, and win many more fights then they lose. Open your senses to your surroundings, learn to listen to you body and mind, find you balance, find you sync and build your strength. For me whenever I am feeling defeated the face our guest Sensei jumps into my mind and I hear "THOMAS HUUA", and I fight.

The Voices

You can make it! Just a few more steps! I know you can get there! We are here for you!
You don't have the strength! This is not your thing! Just give up now!

No matter where we go there are voices chiming in, they may be right beside us or they may be memories from the past. Or it may be your own internal voice weighing in on the situation. Some voices are loud and clear others are quiet, we barely notice that they are there. But every single voice has an impact on us, from the time we are young everything we hear finds its way into who we are. Our subconscious is built on those voices from the past. But the good thing is, if we are not built on confidence, we can be rewired, we can adjust out internal voice by choosing what external voices we listen to. We need to surround ourselves with positive voices! When we are hit with a negative voice we need to use it as encouragement. Take the "You will never make it's" as a challenge. Take the "Just give up now's" as a marker that you have to push harder if you are going to finish. Let the positive voices be your guides to success, your focus your inspiration to motivation, let them keep you warm when your cold, hold you up when you are weak and drive you forward for those last few steps. Take the negative voices and make them your fuel, let them hit your mind and change their meaning. We reflect those that are around us, and let them build us to be who we are. Even if we start out slow, start our weak, we have the strength to get stronger, we have the conscious to surround ourselves with those that will help. Hear the voices and make them your own. Knowing this be the change factor, be the voice that rings true and creates a positive tone in the room.

Be the Rock.

Deep down I am cold inside, I am angry, I want know the answers. Sometimes the things we need are out of our reach, out of our control. We need to find a way to keep standing. Sometime tears will fall, that's fine, that is life. What we need to do is find the drive to pick ourselves up, move forward and make the best of everything we do have. Until we know the answers there is nothing else we can do, we have to hold on to the strength we do have. Once we are able to obtain and move through the information we were searching for we can carry on. Life isn't always easy, life isn't a perfect ride. But if we learn to manage through the harder points, then the high points will be even greater then we could imagine. Every step is an important part of this journey. Deep inside we HAVE the drive, we HAVE the motivation to move forward and we NEED to hold that. Drop, drop for a moment, take your time, but DO NOT let time take you. Live your life, carry forward, deep inside you have what you need, you have to find it,
you have to hold it. Do not let the weak moments take control of your life. You have made it through struggle before, so be the strong individual you are inside, show those around you that you have the strength to carry them, to help them through when times are tough. Be the rock and be the strong individual you know you are.

Encouragement.

As we travel through our days we will get many forms of feedback. The underlying message of all that feedback sinks in and forms who we are. Most of all the words we say to ourselves will form who we are. When we take on a task what are we saying to ourselves, how are we inspiring ourselves. If we must succeed, if it is our last opportunity to prove ourselves do we go in saying "I will not fail!" or "I will succeed". Such a simple message that really has the same meaning, but the words used will have an impact. If we only understand success then we are going in with a positive attitude. When we use a statement that includes failure then part of us is considering failure is an option. If we do not succeed on our first attempt then we are saying to ourselves "I did fail". If we had moved into the task with the thought of "I will succeed" then if we don't, we can continue saying "I will succeed" we can stand up and try again.

 As I have said before we can take inspiration from anything, but we are the only ones that can turn that into motivation. We must focus on the positive aspect of life. No matter how hard we hit the floor we need to stand up, we need to move forward. We are all allowed time to gather ourselves, and for some it will take longer, but we are built to survive and we need to embrace that. Some days it will be tough, some days we will hurt, and sometimes that is what we have to accept, but from that we need to find our strength. We need to hear the positive statements, we need to give ourselves that strength in the words we say to ourselves. We can step through to tomorrow, someone is there waiting for us and expects greatness from us. Be your own biggest fan, and spread that inspiration to all that you can.

Drum Roll Please!

Drum roll please, let the music play, let the music drive me forward. The tune will settle deep into my mind and take my where I need to be!
Music can be such a great inspiration, it can influence your mood in so many ways. Music has such a deep impact on everyone of us. Some songs take us back to a moment in time and are tied into all our other senses, they can make us feel like we are living a moment again. New music can hit us like a ton of bricks, take us away the first time we hear it, it can stop us in our tracks or drive us forward. Some music will slow us down, add perspective and other music will take get our blood flowing. Choose the music for the moment you are in, let it sink into your mind and help you through. We can take inspiration from anything, for so many of us music is truly a simple answer. When our energy is low turning up the right tune can be just like plugging in. Energy surges, blood starts to pump and your muscles have more juice and your mind finds focus once again. When tensions are high and it feels like nothing will settle you down a good riff can bring you back to your feet. For each of us it is different, some days a good metal song will settle me down other days I need some jazz or blues. Learn yourself, find what drives you, how it connects to your mind, to your adrenalin. Once you know what your source is use it. Shut the world out for a minute, or an hour, turn up your music and find the mindset you need for your inspiration, for your focus and for your motivation.
Drum Roll Please, its what I need to get through this moment, so give me the music and let me ride!

To stand on top of the Mountain

To stand on top of the mountain we must know that is our place. We must know that is where we belong. We must be focused, our vision must be clear and more then anything we must be confident. When we have a moment of weakness, if we lack confidence, our likelihood of turning back is increased exponentially. There are times we stand back and ask how someone has succeeded, to us they don't appear to be strong enough, or maybe intelligent enough to be where they are. But for that task they knew where they belonged, they saw their end goal, and their confidence carried them through. Surround yourself with success, surround yourself with strong people, seeing these people, hearing their words will give you strength to carry forward. Confidence is built over time, but you don't have to start out confident, build up to it. Take one step at a time, find your motivation, build your focus and see who you really are. Find your inner strength and embrace it. Once you are confident that you belong on top of the mountain you will not be shaken, when people try to cut you down this will become only fuel for the fire inside. You won't weaken when you are questioned, you will hear the words, consider their meaning and let it build your resolve. We all start at the bottom of the mountain, as we stop focusing on the every step and start seeing our goal the distance traveled will start to fade, the final goal will always seem to be around the corner, and then you will be on top of the mountain, looking around at the splendor. Now don't look down upon those that didn't help, offer them a kind word, offer them a hand, be strong on all fronts! When you have your chance and you stand on top of the mountain share the moment, know that you have tasted success and build on that!

Build the Habit.

How do we make change, in life, in our life, in the life of others? First we get started, they say every little bit helps, but that statement has it flaws. Sometimes the only difference a little bit makes is to mess things up. If we can't engage long enough to finish the job then often it is not worth stepping in. One needs to know what they are getting into, there is always a learning curve, a time to learn to work with those around you. I believe this comes down to focus. If we can't focus long enough then we are only that person standing around "looking for something to do" instead of that person with there hands dirty moving things forward. We may have had the motivation to get involved, but if we can't focus long enough then we will lose our desire as we will always feel as if we are not making a difference... because we are not. They say it takes 28 days to build a habit, so plan the time to make change, it is not a one day, one time event. Once we learn to engage, to focus then motivation comes easy as we know we can change, we know we can make a difference in ourselves and around us. Start with the small steps, if it is something you have never done before make it the only thing your are focusing to change. If you have done it before, think about why you stopped, was is a quick stop, was it a gradual loss of desire or was it a necessary change because of other life events. When you understand why you stopped, figure out your new approach and stick to the change until if feels natural, until it is so natural that if you miss doing it you feel like you have wasted your day.
Find the motivation, stay focused, and build the habit.

A good jog!

 A few years back a friend was up to visit. He had been through a rough patch and he was trying to turn over a new leaf in life. So the one afternoon he looks at me as says "lets go for a jog", I agreed I really enjoying jogging and running but never got out enough. So we got our runners out and headed out. I take off like normal and find he is not keeping up, I look back and see he is not keeping up. I slow down to a walk and find with a quick step I can easily keep up with his jog. I look at him and say "what is this? warm up?" He doesn't say much and we keep going. Finally the pace is not picking up and again I ask, "when are we going to start jogging?". Without missing a step he says "You have to start slow. This is my pace right now, if you have a problem screw off!". I kept pace with him and didn't say much else after that. 5 years later he has lost over 60lbs and is out pacing me every time I turn around. In the end jogging wasn't his thing, he owns three bikes (a downhill, a cruiser and a commuter.) What did he do different, I think it all comes down to that day. He took small steps, focused and kept motivated. Where as I jumped out, tried things at full speed, next to no warm up, just wanted to go from rookie to pro. I lost the drive as I overloaded myself right off the bat. He took it slow, found what worked and what he enjoyed, as he learned to enjoy his new lifestyle he embraced it and it moved from trying to get in shape and lose a few pounds to trying get new personal records and finding new ways to push himself. The small steps made everything come together. Though I didn't see it at the time I now look back and think "what a jog" if I had taken that approach I could be in the same place he is. When step at a time, one mindset at a time everything will come together if we stay focused, no matter what the inspiration we have to start at the right pace.

Collect yourself before the fall.

I hear a crisp voice break the air, all seems silent when the booming voice stops. I shrink down a little when I realize that was me! I had meant to be stern but the realization that I just lost my temper and let out a booming yell strikes through me like nothing else. There is nothing that cuts my focus like realizing I have lost control, though only for a second it feels like it has taken everything apart. I need a moment, I need to step away from everything for a moment, a moment long enough to get perspective again. To keep direction we need control of ourselves! When everything around us is chaos we can concur when we have control of ourselves. We can see through the smoke, see through the people and understand the core of the situation. Without control focus is gone and really there is no reason to be motivated as we will get no where. So I step back, sit for a moment and take a deep breath, all is calm for a moment, the noise around me fades and \I am within my mind for a moment, a moment to bring calm and know that I have the strength to overcome. Now I sit down call my two little girls to me and give them a hug and speak to them in a calm voice, before anything else letting them know that I love them and didn't mean to yell. Though it is rare, the moment of weakness feels like a great crack in my foundation. Learning to keep control, stay calm and see through the chaos is key to any situation. For me the only ones that can really shake me are my family as I love them more then anything in this world so the strike to my deepest emotions. The best step is to step back before we break free from our composure. Step back and see the world around us and make it ours.
Step back, take a breath and keep the focus. Calm and collected will always have the strength to win the race. Just like a great river collect yourself before the fall!

Burn the boat!

Every direction we turn in today's world there are options. More options then we have ever had before. Everything is simple, quick easy and disposable. If it doesn't work the first time, get a new one! On one hand this makes it an amazing world to live in, anything we want is within our reach, on the other hand true motivation comes from commitment and focus. When something doesn't work the first time we need to learn to re-assess, approach from a new angle and try again, adapt to the situation and concur. Don't stop until you know success, or know that you can give absolutely nothing more, that every option is exhausted, then try one more time!
There is an ancient battle that I have read about many times in which the army had to travel over waters to meet the opponent. Upon landing on the shore of the enemy the commander ordered that the boats be burned. The army was going into battle out numbered, but now they had no option but to win, their only exit strategy had been reduced to ashes. The soldiers were literally fighting for their life, and they won! When we move forward in life we need to take that approach, move forward as though we have no other option but to succeed. With this approach we are not questioning whether we have exhausted all options, instead we are focused on the result, knowing that we will succeed and we cannot step away if it doesn't work the first time. There is no better motivation then truly believing success is the only option.
So I say, as we move ahead from here, BURN THE BOAT, don't consider that failure is an option, push through for success!

Footsteps in the snow

I step out to quickly shovel a path in the snow, it is still dark I am rushing out the door to make it to a meeting on time. I am not late, but not giving myself much time to spare. As I get to the end of the driveway with the shovel I see footsteps in the snow. It is 6:45 am, it is snowing, it is around -5C and still dark out. The footsteps are breaking through around 4 or 5 inches of fresh snow, it is majestic to see, not a single vehicle track on the road, just a loan jogger breaking trail in the morning, focused on the road ahead, all else has faded into the background as they focus on each step, each breath and drive forward. In moments it will all be gone as vehicles pass and leave their tracks leaving the motivated joggers story a faded memory until tomorrow. They were not running to leave the track, not to inspire me, but for personal reasons, I am left wondering what inspiration motivates them?Do  they run for health, do they run to compete, do they run just to have a moment to themselves. Anyway I see it I know they are motivated, they break trail and drive forward! And then there is me, barely stepping out in time to get a path shoveled in the driveway. I think to myself we all need to be the one making the tracks in the snow, driving forward, motivating ourselves from the core, not the one standing with the shovel wondering what if!
Step out, break the trail and find motivation and stay focused!

Its still dark out.

I wake today and don't want to jump out of bed, no surprise, most of us don't, a warm bed, a cold house and it is dark outside, the sun wont be up for almost another 2 hours. Whether I stay in bed for another half hour or get up now I still have to get up. I can find a million reasons in my mind why staying in bed is the right direction and why it will "make me feel better" today. Finally my rational mind come into the picture and I know I need to get up, need to move, once I am up the reality and impact of staying in bed too long will come to mind. The sun isn't up until almost 8am at this time of year, my mood sinks easy and I struggle to motivate myself. As I go about my morning trying to find my energy, remember why it is important for me to keep moving my oldest daughter (3 and a half) wanders out of her room, and in an excited voice goes, "daddy I woke up and its still dark out!". It hits me! It's a good thing to be up before the sunrises, I am up before many others, can start my day and be ready to go when the sun shows up. The light of the day and the human mood are closely linked. On those days that it feels like the sun will never rise we need to remember the best thing we can do is jump up and seize the moment. Find our own sunshine and make it another great day. See the sun through the rain. (After my daughter let me see the sun I have to say the coffee helped too!)

Climb the Mountain

My legs burn, my lungs burn and my drive is slipping. We still have a good 1km to go before we hit the peak... I really hate to fail and my friend is ahead, encouraging me to keep moving... really not giving me an option. Until we get to the peak we have only hiked a trail, once we get to the top we will have an amazing view of the Rockies. One foot in-front of the other, dig deep find the motivation! 500 meters to-go, though this is all for fun I just can't stop I can't turn back, days like this I wish I had this same focus when I was struggling with a problem at work, or trying to get through a challenge at home. Some times it is easier to walk away, easier to "come back later", but getting back to it once you walk away can be the biggest challenge! You know it is going to be a struggle and it is easy to find something else to do.
 To see the top we cannot stop, we can't turn around we need to keep focused on the goal. I know I can stop to catch my breath and take a few seconds but my focus has to be on the peak. As I crest the top I can see for miles, the cold wind whips past me and I feel success, the aches and pains are gone for now and I know I have reached the top. This wasn't the first mountain I climbed and won't be the last. But I know I need that focus, I need to find the motivation within me if I want to clime more. I need to prepare better for next time, make sure I have the physical and mental tools I need to get through the next clime. I can reflect on this day standing with my friend looking over the mountain tops and pull inspiration for the future. Each success is inspiration for future opportunity. The walk down feels like nothing at all knowing I have been to the top.

See the Mountain not the road.

For 6 years I was in a role at work that felt like a never ending road. The view was good and I was learning a lot but I had taken the role to focus on my own development and felt like I was losing my true self. I was focused on helping clients, providing services and keeping them happy. Some of these relationships were rewarding and build great knowledge, but with a balance of all the clients, a growing family and me always feeling like I was staring down a never ending highway I was losing myself. Energy levels would swing, inspiration was there, but I could not motivate myself. By the 5th year I knew I was burning out, I needed a change, but when you are no longer in love with your job you have to work twice as hard to show that you are worthy of a change. I pushed every day, at the same time overcoming some large hurdles on the family side of life. Finally the opportunity arose, it was easy for me to show that I was the right fit for the new role but I was still stepping away from a role that in the end I had disappointed myself in. Though I had maintained a standard level of success, I was not happy as I was stepping out on a low note. I was able to make all sorts of excuses but inside I knew those excuses were not making me feel better. I really had to step back and look at the success I had, see the lessons I had learned from my mistakes and make sure I took as much as I could from every step of the way. Though it was not the role of my life, it was not my best performance I did come out stronger and built skills that will help me in the future. I had some low points but overall kept my head up. Focus on the end goal got me through and kept me Motivated!

See the mountain not the road.

Keeping the Focus.

Some days start rough. Whether it is a tired start or just a crazy day with two young kids some days it is tough to keep a smile and keep motivated. It is easy to just let a day slide by, one grouchy day, one day without much smiling, its only one day!?! But it isn't only one day, we need to get that motivation back right away, we need take a moment and think of all the good things, the things we want to be strong for. Each day needs to be a good day. When we are able to keep our smile on our face we have more energy to stand up and be strong, to be the person that we set out to be when we decided to change our life.
I was inspired the other day when I realized that I am the only person that can motivate me. Motivation only comes from within, there are many things that can inspire us, to give us something to strive for, but in the end that only becomes motivation when we choose for it to be. Inspiration moves us, motivation changes us.
My inspiration comes when I look at my children and two things always come to mind. I see how they smile and love every aspect of life, they smile that truly joyful smile and that same smile creeps onto my face. At the same time I know I want to be here for them, to be a role model, to see them graduate and to support them long into their life. To be that role model, to be here as long as possible, I need to be healthy, I need to be strong and I will be!
So now I think about those moments that my energy drops and I know I haven't slept right for a week, I pick myself up and I muster the energy to get to the end of the day with a smile, feeling strong and being proud of who I am.

Motivate

Every year we take a moment to try and focus on January 1st or 2nd. We know what we want and we know how to get there. We lay out poorly planned goals and trek forward as blind as can be. What most of us lack is true focus and true desire. If we had the true desire we would learn how to set attainable goals, we would work to monitor them and we would feel proud to achieve them. Along the way we would continue to refocus and measure our goals. Over the last few months I have been working on this. The first step was to improve my personal outlook as to strengthen my relationship with my family and continue to improve my position at work. This has come with a balance of eating better, working out more and just thinking positive thoughts. This has been small steps, now as we enter the new year I refocus, I read more, I smile more. My confidence is improving and I know I am on the right track. We all can do it, one day at a time.