Find Inspiration Today

Friday Inspiration

Mike — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:37:54 +0000

Will Smith is one inspiring dude. If you want to be inspired – listen to Will Smith because you can feel the passion he has and the belief he has in himself.

Also – here are a bunch of good clips of him talking about his past and how he got to where he is today. There is a lot to learn from this stuff:

…working…

Walking the City

Mike — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:00:12 +0000

After spending a weekend in New York City, I realized how enjoyable it is to walk everywhere or use public transportation to get around. We use so much energy to drive everywhere we do when living in the suburbs. I found myself thinking of the ways I can reduce how much I drive to take care of our daily activities like getting groceries, going out to eat, taking a walk, going for a run, etc.

The fact that many people who live in the suburbs drive to a particular destination to go running is something that would blow a lot of peoples’ minds in New York City – or any big city where the primary mode of transportation is either by foot or by public transport.

Yes – people actually get in their car, drive, get out, run, and drive back home. I’ve done it before.

First of all, you should travel using your own two feet more often because it is good for your health and well-being. It does other things that we don’t directly see or feel – like helping create cleaner air, less traffic noise, etc. And let’s not forget, it’s a hell of a lot safer than driving!

At the end of the day, if you choose to walk instead of drive, you’re efficiently using urban space and energy. It’s not going to cause injury (unless you are extraordinarily clumsy!) and it gives our streets vitality and increases a sense of community. Many of our trips are much shorter than we perceive them to be.

So, WALK if you can every once in a while!

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Image by scotthudson.

It’s a Matter of Time

Mike — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 01:18:21 +0000

Don’t you sometimes wonder why don’t accomplish the things that you want to accomplish?

Sure, you get done what you have to get done. Whether it’s a job or some other responsibility – you’re certainly doing something to keep you “busy”.

This busyness is what keeps us from accomplishing the things that are near and dear to our hearts, things we’ve thought about doing if we “didn’t have to work”.

This isn’t a Law of Attraction kind of post. I’m not telling you to just keep thinking it and it will happen for you. Not quite.

I’m telling you that everything, almost everything, is possible if given the proper amount of time and focus. You have to spend focused, thought-ridden time on your thing, whatever it may be, and you’ll get there.

Bottom line. No two ways around it.

I’m convinced that your and my success relative to just about anything we want to do – is downright a direct function of how much time we spend on it.

After the Dallas Mavericks won the NBA title, Mark Cuban was in the eye of the public as he is the owner of the franchise. So, knowing Cuban is a billionaire, I checked out his Wikipedia page and a few interviews on YouTube.

As I was listening to some of these interviews, I found myself thinking about all the different things going on in my life. I then, in an instant, validated what I have been thinking all along and what Mark Cuban just told me.

You have to put in the time. Early, late, on lunch, sleep little, etc. Even if you are busy, you still have to do something out of the ordinary to get to where you want to go.

Time goes pretty fast, doesn’t it?

Hell yes it does!

If are trying to lose weight, your focus must be on making the right choices for an extended period of time. If you are trying to build a business, your focus must be on building the business for an extended period of time. And if things aren’t happening? Well, you better spend some more time on it until you start seeing some changes.

It’s only a matter of time. Take some time, and give it a legitimate chance.

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Image by fdecomite.

How to Stay Fresh

Mike — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 19:34:44 +0000

“Instinct is untaught ability” -Alexander Bain

Do not get stagnant. Do not sit in an idle state.

Staying fresh is important in all major areas of our life – and most certainly in the major relationships that we must maintain throughout life. Relationships like your significant other, your family, your friends, your employer or your employees, etc.

Listen to Your Instincts

I can definitely think back to times where I had in instinctual type of reaction, but my decision or path traveled was different than what my initial instinct told me to do. Then, obviously, I whack myself on the forehead and ask myself why I didn’t listen to myself!

Learning to trust your instincts can be hard, because we don’t always act or behave in parallel with what our instincts are telling us. So you don’t have a track record of successes or failures, outside of your perfect hindsight.

Recently, I have been taking note of what my instincts are telling me and at the very least – recognizing it and paying attention to it.

Your instincts are unique to you, because it’s your gut feel. It’s all you have, and it’s nothing that someone else has. Have you ever seen a stranger and thought to yourself – check it out – that person looks just like my one friend named Brad! Then you ask your friend and say hey doesn’t THAT look like our friend Brad?? And your friend tells you that you are crazy and that you need to get your eyes checked out. When that happens to me, I think to myself – well, the thought popped into my head for a reason!

Staying Fresh

Following your instincts is a great step towards keeping things fresh in your life. You know when things aren’t going well. You know when it’s time for a refresher with your girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife or significant other. You can feel it in your gut, it’s your instincts talking to you.

Same with your employer – or your relationship with your employees – you can feel it when there is a void.

It’s important that you lend attention to these messages that your gut and your instincts are telling you. What happens when you let them linger and sit there? Well, most likely wasted opportunity to get things on the correct track and a probably opportunity to look back in the future and say that you should have done this, or you should have done that.

Of course, to keep things fresh you have to throw a curve ball in there every once in a while. But that’s obvious, I don’t need to tell you that. My dog can tell me that! If I throw the tennis ball the exact same way ten times in a row, my dog is going to get bored and no longer fetch and bring back the ball. If I throw the tennis ball differently each time – he is going to stay excited and interested in playing because I am keeping the game fresh.

Stay fresh out there my friends.

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Image by mbg photos.

Where Are You?

Mike — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 05:42:12 +0000

She’s in a cab.

That’s not what I mean though. I don’t mean literally. What I mean is that time is going so fast that we often need to check ourselves. We are fast-approaching mid-june of the year 2011.

Yes, that’s JUNE already.

I thought we were just in March, or something.

Back to the question at hand. And I bring this up because I just can’t believe how fast this year is going already. I laugh when I think that in less than 90 days – I’ll be enjoying college football again and fall will be peering in the room.

Think Back to December

Think about where you are right now with how you envisioned this year going back in December of 2010. Where are you now? Are you on track? Are you ahead of where you thought you’d be? Or, maybe you could really care less and you’re not thinking about it.

I’m not great at tracking how much of this or that I am doing – working out and / or running is an example of something many people track religiously that I just wouldn’t keep up with.

It’s helpful for me if I think back to a momentous occasion that caused me to reflect on my life or think about my life with a greater sense of perspective. That’s when you think ahead to the future because you’ve invested some energy in thinking about the immediate past – and you basically think about what’s good, what you want to change, and what’s not good that you need to change.

The Question Looms

A looming question sounds a bit ominous, but if it’s a question you don’t want to think about – then I’m guessing you aren’t living up to some standard you previously set for yourself!

I’ve found that once I begin thinking about that question, “where am I right now in regards to where I thought I wanted to be six months ago, a year ago?” What you’ll find is refreshing. You’re hitting the reset button in a way. I can’t tell you how you’ll react and respond, but I get a boost of energy and excitement when I re-gain some clarity about where I want to be with my life.

In a cab or not, you can always get to thinkin’.

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Photo by ijustine.

20 Ways to Find Inspiration

Mike — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 04:01:10 +0000

Written by Michael Weaver | Follow me on Twitter | Free updates via Email.

Inspiration is a beautiful thing because every person gets inspired in different ways and by different means. I’ve compiled a list of ways anybody can find some inspiration in their life. Being inspired is a great feeling that isn’t always sustainable – but it’s very important in your life. Think about this quote – “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”. Inspiration is the same way – something I find inspiring you might not care about or think twice about. Something that means nothing to you, might mean the world to me. Below is a list of actions, quotes, movies, etc. that you can try – and I’m betting you find inspiration in your own life if you try these out.

Here we go.

Watch the sunrise or the sunset. This gives you a good chance to reflect on the day ahead or behind you. I personally enjoy watching the sunrise – knowing that I have an entire day ahead of me to make the most out of life…

Physical exertion. Challenging yourself physically can be very inspiring and can give you great energy. This also gives you time to do what you feel with your mind – you can think though challenges, or let your mind escape the day to some of your favorite music. I find running to be very therapeutic and often times look forward to getting into my run.

Consult your dreams. It’s easy to get bogged down by the many tasks and busy schedules each week presents to our lives. Take a few minutes each week or every month to really think about what your dreams. I find it very inspiring to let go of what’s bouncing around in my head from the work day to think about the big picture of life.

Travel. Seeing new places and meeting new people can be very inspiring. Even if you aren’t a very social person – take a weekend and put yourself in a different environment that you find to be enjoyable. Some ideas could be camping, scenic drives, visit a local town known for great architecture, walk the beach (if you’re lucky enough to be near one!), etc. I highly recommend international travel if you can, I have found immersion into a different culture to be highly rewarding and interesting.

This image is very inspiring.
Inspiration

This quote. “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” – Maria Robinson

This quote too. “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Nature. I can find inspiration in all phases of nature. If you give yourself time to reflect, it’s easier to be inspired if you are in the presence of nature. Maybe it’s sitting on your front porch on a nice evening, or in your garage witnessing a driving rain, or taking a walk on a crisp fall morning – you get the idea. Nature is a very powerful thing – think about using some of that power for own benefit!

Get organized. Clean up your office or your house and get organized. File, throw away, figure out what you need, etc. to put yourself in a position to move forward in a positive direction – this will inspire you to take on what’s next. Sometimes clutter and useless stuff lingers in our workspace or home and slows productivity and advancement.

Be a good friend. Give your best friend, your brother, your father – anyone that you have a caring relationship with a phone call or pay them a visit. This allows you to break away and talk about problems, tell stories, discuss frustrations, etc. A good and active friendship can be the source of inspiration.

Be a volunteer. Give an hour of your time to a local organization. You’ll meet great people and have a pure, good feeling that you’ve given your time to help someone in need.

Watch Slumdog Millionaire. A great movie that immerses you in the slums of India and takes you on a journey of a boy’s life and ultimate destiny. If you have not seen it, your local library or Blockbuster (use your library!!) will most definitely have it free for you to rent.

And watch the movie Rudy. If you want to see a great story about someone pursuing their ultimate passion and overcoming every obstacle in their way – watch Rudy.

Lose the routine. Do something out of the ordinary that you wouldn’t usually do – something that’s not in your everyday routine. Wake up extra early and take a walk or get a cup of coffee and think about the day ahead of you. If you’re not a reader, read. If you’re not active, take a walk or go for a run. The options are endless for breaking your routine. And yes, you do have time time because you make the decisions in your life – nobody else decides how you spend your time but yourself.

People Watch. I know some individuals that people watch for sheer entertainment. And yes, it is entertaining. However, as entertaining as it may be – it can also be very inspirational. You get to see how different types of people communicate and react to one another and it forces you to reflect about your life. Give people watching a try, but with the intention of getting something positive out of it.

Read the The Diary of Anne Frank. A Jewish German girl who’s family went into hiding as persecutions against the Jews increased. Anne Frank and her family were trapped in small living quarters for nearly two years – living in fear the entire time. It’s a great story about the power of the human spirit – and seeing the good in life even when you could easily say that everything is wrong. “I don’t think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains.” – Anne Frank. The book is full of fantastic quotes. It’s a fast read because it is so very compelling. I had the honor of walking through the attic where Anne and her family hid when I visited Amsterdam a few years ago.

This Image. Print this off and post it at your workspace.

Visit the Bookstore / Library. Spending some time around a ton of books is a way to get you thinking about different things. Whatever your interests are in life – you better believe there are some books out there that can expand your thinking and knowledge base.

Finish a 7 Day Challenge. Everybody thinks about things they’d like to do more or less of – it’s natural. Often times you may be thinking about making some kind of change for week, months, even years at times. The easiest and most effective way to get the ball rolling – is to challenge yourself for 7 days. Start small – complete your challenge. Accomplishment is a huge source of inspiration and motivation.

Share. Involve others in your thoughts, feelings, desires, goals, opinions, etc. Invite others to share those things with you. You’ll find that doing this opens up your mind in many ways. Life is a constant learning process. By sharing, you are inadvertently teaching yourself and laying the groundwork for what action you should take next. Sharing helps lay groundwork or a foundation – and I can bet you that you’ll feel inspired about taking that next step off the ground.

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Image by rodjbman.

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Monday Quote: Today would work

Mike — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 09:05:50 +0000

“There’s no next time. It’s now or never.”

Quitting in a few weeks or starting on a certain date – it’s all good to have the right intentions and know what you should do, but a lot of times it’s a lot of BS.

How many smokers do you know that are “going to quit after” this happens, or when that happens?

How many people talk about the diets they are going to start, or the new gym membership they have signed up for?

Too often, life changes are put off because of whatever reason – laziness, fear, insecurities, etc. The bottom line, is that there will never be a better day to take action on something you’ve got rattling around in your mind.

Enjoy your Monday my friends!

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Image by mah_aaah.

Waking Up in the Morning

Mike — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 13:30:00 +0000

“Lose an hour in the morning, and you will be all day hunting for it.” ~Richard Whately

So, if you’re anything like me, you love mornings on the days you don’t have to work, but you hate the mornings when you have peel yourself off the bed and go into work. I am a huge fan of mornings.

Even so – I don’t get around to enjoying enough mornings. I also like to stay up at night – so you can imagine why those morning rises are limited!

On this site, I give advice, but I can’t say that I intend for it to be interpreted that way. New points of view are always welcomed in my world – and that’s what I share on this site.

In other words, I’m not going to tell you that you need to put down the caffeine so you can sleep better! (I’m always seeing this sleep-better tip, but I have zero desire to quit drinking coffee)

I’m just reminding you that the morning is a fantastic time.

Morning’s uniqueness

The morning brings a unique feel. I think of words like possibility, fresh, calm, gratitude, coffee, focus. That’s a sampling.

Nothing beats the morning cup of coffee, preferably outdoors in the city or out in the country. You should know, since I’ve generally lived in a suburb for the majority of my life – I enjoy my city or country time. In the city, there’s always action and always something to pay attention to – regardless of the time of day.

I’m sure you’ve been up early at some point in your life and thought to yourself that it’s pretty cool you are awake, while everybody else is sleeping!

For me, the morning brings a time where I can get great focus and get a lot accomplished. It’s great getting a jump on the day. So, I would urge you to give a shot sometime next week – wake up a little earlier than usual and do something you don’t normally do – catch the morning news, make a legit breakfast, sit outside and take in some fresh air, or get some work done!

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Image by finchlake.

How to be More Successful

Mike — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 08:54:51 +0000

No secrets here – don’t let little miss above fool you. There are millions of articles, books, journals, classes, lectures and other mediums that can teach you how to become more successful – so what am I adding to those?

I’m adding what works for me – and a lot of times when we read books, or watch documentaries, etc. – it sounds all well and good but it’s not always easy to take that information and apply it to our own lives.

So here are my tips, from me to you only (not a regurgitation from a book or some website)…

Win the small battles.
Several times each day we are faced with decisions that heavily impact our lives when iterated day after day. For example, let’s say you want to be more successful at losing weight, you are making probably twenty to thirty decisions each day that directly impact whether or not you are ultimately going to be successful at losing the weight you’d like.

What I’ve learned is that I can get on a roll and build some momentum by winning the small battles. I can do “Option A” or “Option B” – I do what I know, in my gut, to be the “right” decision. Typically, we are faced with small decisions much more often than large, life-altering decisions. SO, if you can begin to win as many of these small decisions as possible, you are going to witness the difference it makes to the bigger picture.

Be proactive. Take a walk.
Sometimes, when the room is pitch black and you can’t see a thing, you still have to take a few steps before you get an opportunity to see any light. If you want to be more successful, you have to put yourself out there. Like my father always told me – you can get a hit unless you are swinging the bat!

So, whatever it is that you are wanting to be more successful at, you have to take calculated risks. You have to go out on a limb and just see what happens. A lot of what we do in life is a simple process of trial and error.

Failure is problem solving.
No doubt about it. When you fail, you are simply solving a problem and gaining a clearer picture of what you already knew. There are many times where failure is necessary, because it’s impossible to do everything right the first time around.

The point, do not let minor speed bumps in the road kick your efforts to the curb. View failure as a positive, because it’s necessary and inevitable if you are doing anything worthwhile or challenging.

Have a fantastic weekend!

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Image by pinksherbet.

Getting Rid of Negative Thoughts

Mike — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 18:05:12 +0000

THINK POSITIVE!

How many times have you read or been told that your stress and problems would be solved or helped if you would just – think positive! Get rid of those negative thoughts that pollute your brain and input some positive, constructive thoughts!

The bottom line is that some people have a tendency to think negatively and some people have a tendency to do just the opposite. And, fact of the matter is, positive thinking people are happier, typically more successful, and are certainly more enjoyable to be around.

Getting rid of negative thoughts is imperative when you are trying to do any of the following things…

Attract others, opposite sex or anyone for that matter
Advance in your career
Have solid friendships
Make new friendships
Be creative
Be spontaneous
Be resourceful and creative

That is a short list and could be much, much longer.

Improve Your Attitude

Take a look at your general attitude – can you improve your attitude?. Is it something that another person would want to mirror? Is it contagious? If it is – then that is great and you probably don’t need to worry about getting rid of negative thoughts as you most likely don’t have many!

Your attitude is your choice. My father always used to tell me as a kid, that there is one thing you can control when you roll out of bed every morning – and that is your attitude.

Life is all about choices. When get to the bottom of every single action and thing you do – it all boils down to choices that you make. You choose how to respond and react to situations in life. You choose to be in a good mood or a bad mood – and at the end of the day – how you live your life is your choice. Let’s say that again…

How you live your life is your choice.

Knock out the negativity in your life, flip the script, and get on with living a better life!

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Image by mindaugasdanys.

Find Inspiration Today

Friday Inspiration

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Walking the City

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It’s a Matter of Time

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