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.