Thursday Night Thoughts on Discipline 10/11/12

Whew! Yup, that's what I have to say after the last several of weeks. I haven't written in awhile and I am further reminded that sharing my thoughts with the world is the balance that is needed in my life. I am thinking the transition into my new role has played a part in the delay as well, but I am making it a point to get things back into balance. In most parts of the country it is fall, but here in the Valley of the Sun I believe we have finally seen the last of our 90 degree days for a while. Well, you know the saying, "If you can't stand the heat, then get out the kitchen." Guess, I must enjoy it cause I am still right here in the thick of things. Not surprising that I have a lot on the brain all of a sudden after a light went off in my head about a week ago. With me you probably have figured out that it doesn't take much for me to run with something. So I attended this meeting last week at work and surprisingly enough at the start we talked about the Monday Night Football game that the Dallas Cowboys appeared in. The conversation didn't really hinge on the game, but more or less what transpired over the years for them to become America's team. After going around the room talking about why the Cowboys aren't successful even with all the talent that they have currently, we reflected on their championship pedigree. You mention the names Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson, and Barry Switzer and those coaches won championships and were known for discipline. Is discipline something that the Cowboys are lacking? Maybe? Maybe not, but it did generate some good conversation. So I started thinking a little more about discipline and what it has meant for me in my life. I remember little things from my track coaches like no matter what is going on around you to stay disciplined and run your race. Things will always happen around you, but how do you remain focused to reach your goals. Is discipline something that is ingrained in us? Is it learned at a young age? Can it be taught as we get older? I posed a few questions as I look at the state of our country and see that a lack of discipline growing up definitely shows later on in life. How disciplined are you? Are there areas in your life that you are disciplined? Where do you lack discipline? Do you find that you are more self disciplined? Or find that you are better disciplined when others are holding you accountable? All these questions still have me thinking about how I need to continue discipline myself in different areas of my life. Recognizing that discipline is necessary is probably one of the most important things we have learned. As you move closer to the weekend, remember to enjoy yourself and everything in your life. Smile in the face of good times and bad knowing that your faith is always being tested. It's the discipline in tough times, that will keep you pressing on in a valley while you are headed to your next peak. Be disciplined in whatever your approach to life is as long as you are living life and being phenomenal. #PositiveMovementsForward Always!! “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” Jim Rohn “Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.” Buddha “It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.” Zig Ziglar “Many of life's circumstances are created by three basic choices: the disciplines you choose to keep, the people you choose to be with; and, the laws you choose to obey” Charles Millhuff “With self-discipline most anything is possible.” Theodore Roosevelt “Discipline and concentration are a matter of being interested.” Tom Kite “The secret of discipline is motivation. When a man is sufficiently motivated, discipline will take care of itself.” Sir Alexander Paterson “Without discipline, no matter how good you are, you are nothing! One day, and I might not be around, you're going to meet a tough guy who takes your best shot. He'll keep coming because he's tough. Don't get discouraged. That's when the discipline comes in.” Mike Tyson “It takes tremendous discipline to control the influence, the power you have over other people's lives.” Clint Eastwood

Friday Morning Thoughts Before Day on "What your attraction says about you" 7/27/12

They say the early bird gets the worm and this morning I am probably getting the best selection based on what time it is. When I laid down to sleep last night, I just knew that I was down for the count at least until the sun started to rise. So clearly we can see that didn't happen as my brain again was in overdrive even in the wee hours of the morning. I was reminded recently about my thoughts and how it is much more than me clearing my head, but sharing with others to help them gain perspective also. Lately, it seems like a lot of my thoughts and interactions have revolved around attraction. From energy to relationships to thoughts there is something to said about what you are attracted to and what is attracted to you. I am sure you are familiar with the term that positive thoughts breed positive actions. How have you seen this played out in your life? Have you ever gone into a situation with the mind set that there's no way this is going to work and to no surprise things didn't work out? Overlay the thoughts about attraction and the energy that is constantly in your life. Are you an upbeat person? Do you have mood swings? Is there any consistency in your demeanor? What kind of energies are you attracting everyday? What type of energy are you sending into the world? As easy as I am asking these questions here I am asking myself many times over. I begin to think about my circle of influence as well as the people that I find myself gravitating toward. Why do I gravitate more toward some and not others? I believe that it has a lot to do with their spirit and ability to accept me for who I am today. As I look at everything that I am attracted to it is all about growth for myself and individuals around me. Your attraction to many different things in life allows anyone who is paying attention to learn more about who you are. Take a moment and look at where you are in life and ask yourself a few questions about several areas of your life. What are you attracting? Why? If you were to step away and look at yourself as others see you, what does your attraction say about you? As you prepare to enjoy your Friday and welcome the weekend, I challenge you to become attracted to all things phenomenal. That is the foundation for you embracing the phenomenal things that are just waiting on you already. “The secret of attraction is to love yourself. Attractive people judge neither themselves nor others. They are open to gestures of love. They think about love, and express their love in every action. They know that love is not a mere sentiment, but the ultimate truth at the heart of the universe.” Deepak Chopra “Successful people make money. It's not that people who make money become successful, but that successful people attract money. They bring success to what they do.” Wayne Dyer “When a man dwells on the objects of sense, he creates an attraction for them; attraction develops into desire, and desire breeds anger.” The Dhammapada “When we create something, we always create it first in a thought form. If we are basically positive in attitude, expecting and envisioning pleasure, satisfaction and happiness, we will attract and create people, situations, and events which conform to our positive expectations.” Shakti Gawain “Faith always contains an element of risk, of venture; and we are impelled to make the venture by the affinity and attraction which we feel in ourselves.” Dean Inge “Plant the seed of desire in your mind and it forms a nucleus with power to attract to itself everything needed for its fulfillment.” Robert Collier “Our minds become magnetized with the dominating thoughts we hold in our minds and these magnets attract to us the forces, the people, the circumstances of life which harmonize with the nature of our dominating thoughts.” Napoleon Hill “If you have zest and enthusiasm you attract zest and enthusiasm. Life does give back in kind.” Norman Vincent Peale “What if you gave someone a gift, and they neglected to thank you for it - would you be likely to give them another? Life is the same way. In order to attract more of the blessings that life has to offer, you must truly appreciate what you already have.” Ralph Martson

Sunday Night Thoughts on "Seeing the Signs" 7/15/12

In any other place in the country, I would be enjoying a wonderful Summer evening, but that is not the case with me set to embrace temperatures headed back into the triple digits very soon. The last couple of days have been almost unbearable with the rain leaving plenty of moisture in the air to go along with the heat. I am probably several weeks behind in bringing some of my thoughts to life, but I think the extra time has allowed me to develop them a little deeper. With every breath that I take I can see the growth in my life as my world becomes more clearer. There have been a few things on my mind that most people probably experience on a daily basis as well. In everything we encounter in life, there are indicators/signs around us in many different areas of our lives. Think about heading out to your car preparing to go somewhere. What happens every time you stick the key in the ignition and turn it? You probably see an ABS indicator light, seatbelt warning light, and an airbag light just to name a few. What else do you see and what other things can you think about before you put the vehicle in gear? As you drive does your vehicle tell you anything? I thought about the vehicle example as it is something that most of us can easily relate to, but what are some other things that give you indicators/signs before you proceed further? No matter what we do or where we turn there is some sort of indicator/sign that's telling us something. It could be a welcome sign or a warning sign, but it is up to us to know where we are currently to figure out what the sing is telling us. Has there ever been a time that you where questioning something that you see only to realize later on that it was a sign for you to do something? Could have been a sign to make a move, make a decision, or just to remain steadfast in your actions. By a design greater than my own, I believe that I wasn't supposed to stop thinking about signs before because these thoughts still needed to be developed. No matter what we do we can not escape the signs that are meant for us, but it is always our choice to embrace or ignore them. As we think about signs, I want to pose a question that maybe you can answer for yourself and maybe me as well. As we think about character, what are the signs that let you know someone is of good character? Are there signs in their conversation? Or are all the signs in their actions? Sitting back reflecting about what I have typed brings me to the realization that have chosen to ignore many signs over the course of my life. The experiences I wouldn't trade for anything, but I would hope that I am still maturing in reading the signs. Over the last couple of days, I have seen some more serious signs that have reminded me of how precious this breath I am taking is. The next moment is not promised and we must all do a better job of letting people know what they mean to you while you can. I can't stress that enough to you. As you prepare to start your week, I would like to ask if you wouldn't mind to send your thoughts and prayers up for two families that I am close to as cancer has entered the body of their loved ones. “The signs of outstanding leadership appear primarily among the followers. Are the followers reaching their potential? Are they learning? Serving? Do they achieve the required results? Do they change with grace? Manage conflict?” Max De Pree “Some people believe that holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength...however, there are times when it takes far more strength just to let go.” “Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality . Wake Up and Live!” Bob Marley “Mankind is notoriously too dense to read the signs that God sends from time to time. We require drums to be beaten into our ears, before we should wake from our trance and hear the warning and see that to lose oneself in all, is the only way to find oneself.” “A really great man is known by three signs: generosity in the design, humanity in the execution, moderation in success” Otto von Bismarck “When we become aware that we do not have to escape our pains, but that we can mobilize them into a common search for life, those very pains are transformed from expressions of despair into signs of hope” Henril Nouwen “Don`t be fooled by the signs. Don`t read in between the lines.” “Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.” Robert H. Schuller

Hump Day Late Night Thoughts on "Are you driven or is something driving you?" 05/31/12

Almost over the hump and I can only say that night has been quite relaxing after the temperatures dipped below triple digits. There are always fun times when things start to heat up in the Valley of the Sun. So much has happened over the last several weeks and it seems as though I have been a little to busy to stop and reflect on some things putting pen to paper. There have been quite a few thoughts floating around my brain for a little while now, but there seemed to be something missing that didn't allow me to wrap my mind around them. It took a few conversations and listening to my surroundings in order for me to make a little more sense of everything. I believe I started to gain clarity when I couldn't answer this question someone asked me recently; "What is your greatest accomplishment in life thus far?" Believe it or not, I drew a blank on the question. At that point I started question myself and really wondering what is my biggest accomplishment in life thus far. I actually started to look at what have I actually accomplished in life. As I took this deeper I began to see that my accomplishments and my drive were directly related. What is it that drives you? Is it family? People depending on you? Is it success? Is it the fear of failure? As simple as I typed those questions, I had to ask myself to gauge where I was. Before I could even answer those questions, I thought of a couple more questions. Have you ever lost your drive? If so, how do you get it back? How did you lose it? What changed? In many aspects of our lives as we transition to new chapters our focus changes. We place different importance on things than we had in the past and maybe that has an effect on our drive. I mean is there something in the world that you would continue to push forward on in spite of any obstacle in your path? Even if the drive is not present, I do believe that you can still be driven to or driven away from a lot of things in life. Think about the people that are in life and your surroundings, do you think you are at times driven to or driven away from them? What are you driven by? Are you driven by anyone? Are you driven to anything? At the end of the day, I believe that if you are driven to "embrace the #positivemovementsforward lifestyle and be phenomenal," there's nothing that can stop you. So ask yourself one last time, "Am I driven or is something driving me?" “I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day.” Abraham Lincoln “Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.” Jack Welch “Traditions are the guideposts driven deep in our subconscious minds. The most powerful ones are those we can't even describe, aren't even aware of.” “Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence. The extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning.” Denis Waitley “A business like an automobile, has to be driven, in order to get results” B. C. Forbes “Enthusiasm releases the drive to carry you over obstacles and adds significance to all you do” Norman Vincent Peale “Many highly intelligent people are poor thinkers. Many people of average intelligence are skilled thinkers. The power of a car is separate from the way the car is driven.” Edward de Bono “To believe in yourself and to follow your dreams, to have goals in life and a drive to succeed, and to surround yourself with the things and the people that make you happy - this is success!” Sasha Azevedo “A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done.” Vince Lombardi “Getting ahead in a difficult profession requires avid faith in yourself. That is why some people with mediocre talent, but with great inner drive, go so much further than people with vastly superior talent.” Sophia Loren

Hump Day Thoughts on "Coming to terms - mine, yours, or ours" 05/9/12

Already the 9th of May, and so far it seems like this month is just rolling along. All the signs are present that spring is definitely in the air as I see flowers in full bloom and folks have long since shed their long sleeves. This is probably one of the most exciting times of the year for a lot of families with the flurry of graduations and Mother's Day this upcoming weekend. Twelve years ago I know how exciting it was for me to walk across the stage at Jackson State University the day before Mother's Day. What an exciting time that was for me to make my mother proud and begin new chapters in my life. Looking back over the last twelve years it seems as though I never left school because the learning doesn't stop. Sometimes I wonder about the journey that I have taken over the years only to see where I am growing still learning about the world and myself. I have realized that once you stop learning you have really stopped growing. Through conversations with some people and a little self-discovery I have accepted the fact that I am selfish about some things. At first I was a little taken aback, but then it made sense as I am very hesitant to let go of; things I have worked for, my time, my thoughts/ideas. I guess the common denominator is that those things are mine before anyone else's. This observation took me down a path of in what circumstances do I share these things. At the end of the day, I make the choice to share these things on my terms; when and where I want to. Is there anything that you tend to be selfish about? What are those things? Why do think you do? So I started to develop some of my thoughts on why we tend to be selfish with things and it appears that it all boils down to on whose terms. Confusing at this minute probably. I am probably going to have to dig a little deeper to make the connection between selfish and terms. You may notice how the world works that if the terms are favorable for another party then there really are not any concerns on their behalf. And I guess that's really human nature for people to choose to engage in things where the terms are favorable based on their situation. Why would one ever engage in something where the terms were unfavorable? Have you ever agreed to something on unfavorable terms? Why did you do it? At some point in life we may have to make a decision on whose terms things are going be on. Before we do anything we are given a choice and it is important to figure out how we want to proceed. Whether its a relationship, career, giving of our time, or even a purchase of something there are terms that we are willing to agree to. What happens when the terms are not something you are willing to agree to? What are your next steps? Do you look elsewhere for an opportunity that's on your terms? Or do you just deal with it what you have? Is there an opportunity to negotiate to more favorable terms? You may be in a situation right now having trouble coming to terms with something, but you are going to have to be the one to make the decision whether you will or not. People can present things to us over time, but we still have to decide what we are going to do. Whether they are my terms or your terms, you can't escape coming to terms with anything. It all starts in the mind and you have to remember that positive thoughts breed positive actions. From here on out, remember that the #PositiveMovementsForward lifestyle is the foundation to get you where you want to be. Have you come to terms with that, yet? All the ingredients are present now for you to live life and be amazing, but the question is are you willing to agree to the terms to get you there? “In simplest terms, a leader is one who knows where he wants to go, and gets up, and goes.” John Erksine “Stop thinking in terms of limitations and start thinking in terms of possibilities” Terry Josephson “If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.” Confucius “Those who really seek the path to Enlightenment dictate terms to their mind. Then they proceed with strong determination.” Buddha “The most valuable things in life are not measured in monetary terms. The really important things are not houses and lands, stocks and bonds, automobiles and real state, but friendships, trust, confidence, empathy, mercy, love and faith.” Bertrand Russell “The customer perceives service in his or her own terms” Arch McGill “If you wish to converse with me, define your terms” Voltaire “You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success - or are they holding you back?” W. Clement Stone “Anyone who cannot come to terms with his life while he is alive needs one hand to ward off a little his despair over his fate... but with his other hand he can note down what he sees among the ruins.” Franz Kafka “If you haven't the strength to impose your own terms upon life, you must accept the terms it offers you.” T. S. Eliot

Over the Hump Thoughts on "Getting Intimate" 5/3/12

We are three days into the month of May and I can already see that there will be a lot of memories here. There is quite a bit going on in my world which is a mirror of the rest of the world. I know that a lot of people will remember today based simply on some of the news stories that were reported throughout the day. You can't turn a TV on right now without hearing something about the passing of Junior Seau, suspension of the New Orleans Saints players for their bounty program, or justice for Robert Champion(FAMU Drum Major killed during a hazing incident). Some of these events may catch a quick thought from you and you may even have an opinion, but if you don't have an intimate relationship with any of incidents it probably doesn't impact you as much. My thoughts and prayers definitely go out to the families and friends of Junior Seau and Robert Champion with everything that they are dealing with right now. I didn't want to reference these things, but as I am a sports nut Sportscenter and various news channels were flooded with this information I began to have a few thoughts on the brain. The events are sad, but they lend me an opportunity to dive into something that will bring a little more clarity to my life. Define intimacy for yourself. How do things change when you choose to have a intimate relationship with people? Your career? Relationships? God? Anything? Surprisingly, I think when most people see the term intimate they immediately think of men and women being intimate with one another. The term is so much bigger than that as I believe that you can see a direct correlation to how things turn out for you based on your intimacy level with them. Why is it we tend to avoid intimacy with things? Is it that we are we scared? The thoughts that are on my brain right now are pretty heavy and I know that they are probably going t get deeper as things start to unfold. Take a quick moment and think about everything that you have chosen to have an intimate relationship with. What is it that made you desire to be more intimate? Is it a feeling right this moment? Or the promise of something amazing at the end? No matter what is, when you make the decision that you want to become more intimate, there's an immediate change for you in the way you look at things and your expectations from there on. Our intimacy levels with things can be the difference of success or failure in many different areas of our lives. Is there something that you may have wanted over the course of your life, but just could not attain it? Why do you think that is? Did you get intimate in developing your plan to achieve your desired result? As we continue to move forward in life, it is important to decide what we are willing to get intimate with in order to get to the next level. Getting intimate with the right things at the right time may change our lives as well as the lives of those around you. Your attitude is where it all starts and you have to remember that positive thoughts breed positive actions. Living the #PositiveMovementsForward lifestyle is the beginning of where change happens for you. What are you willing to get more intimate with now? “Passion is the quickest to develop, and the quickest to fade. Intimacy develops more slowly, and commitment more gradually still.” Robert Sternberg “Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing.” Rollo May “Most people have come to prefer certain of life’s experiences and deny and reject others, unaware of the value of the hidden things that may come wrapped in plain and even ugly paper. In avoiding all pain and seeking comfort at all costs, we may be left without intimacy or compassion; in rejecting change and risk we often cheat ourselves of the quest; in denying our suffering we may never know our strength or our greatness.” Rachel Naomi Remen “It's the most precious thing...to know absolutely where you belong. There's a whole emotional wrapping-around-of-you-here. You see the same rock, tree, road, clouds, sun – you develop a nice kind of intimacy with the world around you. To be intimate is to grow, to learn... [it] is absolutely fulfilling. Intimacy, that's my magic word for why I live here.” Tessie Naranjo “To mature is in part to realize that while complete intimacy and omniscience and power cannot be had, self-transcendence, growth, and closeness to others are nevertheless within one's reach.” Sissela Bok

Hump Day Thoughts Before Day on "Knowing Yourself" 4/25/12

Wednesday morning before the sun comes up and my mind is racing quite a bit. Tuesday got away from me as know there were a ton of things I needed to accomplish before I drifted off to sleep, but it didn't happen that way. It seems as though the day sped by and I did complete most of the things that I tasked myself to do yesterday. By no means, am I going to look at it like a wasted day as I did still accomplish some things and had opportunities to grow through conversation and learning. I continue to marvel at life daily as I realize how small the world is. Let me tell you why I am saying this. Yesterday afternoon I was in the barbershop getting a fresh edge up and this young man was reading a magazine and busted out with this comment, "Jackson, Ms is the #1 worst city to do such and such." Immediately, my ears perk up and I say, "Come again, what did you say about my hometown there sir?" So the young man and I get into a discussion as he tells me that's his hometown too and I almost fall out of the barber chair. As we continue to talk and I realize that he went to high school with my cousins and also attended Jackson State with me, I really begin scratching my head. Who would have thought yesterday that I would be sitting in Phoenix, Arizona over 1,400 miles away from my hometown talking with the God son of one of my play mothers. Immediately, I get on the phone and connect him with his God brother who can't believe that the two of us were standing in the same place. I could only say wow at how small the world is and that everything happens for a reason as design of our destiny is controlled by a higher power. I bet you are sitting there wondering where I am going with all this and how I am going to connect all the dots back to the subject. I am sure I will get back on track and everything will make sense really soon. Well, I can say that I have had some thoughts in my head for over a week and originally I was writing something on "Knowledge of Self". I decided that the term knowledge limited me in conversation as it seemed too defined as it wasn't ongoing and was just based on a point in time. I came to the realization that knowing was the correct term to use as it allows the opportunity to continue to assess and check-in every step of the way to make sure you are on point. Here are some questions that I asked myself as I thought about this topic. How do you handle constructive criticism? Professionally? Personally? In your relationships?? Are you able to put yourself in another person's shoes to begin to see the things as they do? Or do you immediately go into defensive mode? If so, why is it that you do that? As you start to ask yourself these same questions, you may see how my thoughts began to develop and why. Situations are always going to exist that may cause you to check in and see who you are as often times there are things that influence our feelings or moods. At that same time, we have to be honest with ourselves about our true state of being. There are times when maybe we have been guilty of doing things that are pleasing to others and not ourselves. Down the road, we may be able to look back to see that maybe a different decision based on being honest with yourself would have led to a different result. I believe that one of the hardest things in life for some is to actually allow the mirror to be put up and look at every aspect of our lives. I know for a fact that some people only think of the mirror physically and won't take the time to figure out how to use the mirror to look at their mind or soul. Why do you think it is so hard to put the mirror up? Are we often times scared of what we see? If we take time out to look at every aspect of what makes us who we are knowing ourselves better can be the thing that propels us to the next level. In our careers? Relationships? Spiritually? Maybe it is time to do a SWOT analysis to figure some things out.(Evaluate your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) Change is inevitable and with that sometimes it is necessary for us to change also. The definition of insanity is 'Doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.'. As I sit back and think about this I can probably say I have been foolish at a few points in my life. So I know that my experience yesterday with someone from my hometown that happens to live in Arizona now, was the little extra bit that I needed to remind me that I am still in learning mode about myself. All I know is the timing was perfect as it brought back memories as I reflected on who I was, who I am now, and who I am striving to be. The truth is in all of us and it is up to each one of us to know it and live according to it. As you get over the hump today, remember that positive thoughts breed positive actions. You can "Live life and be amazing" as long as you adopt the #PositiveMovementsForward lifestyle. The ingredients are present in order for you to go from amazing to phenomenal, you just have to do it! “Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength.” August Wilson “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.” “You never find yourself until you face the truth” Pearl Bailey “Any life, no matter how long and complex it may be, is made up of a single moment, the moment in which a man finds out, once and for all, who he is.” “We're constantly being told what other people think we are, and that's why it is so important to know yourself.” Sarah McLachlan “Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew. They're what make the instrument stretch-what make you go beyond the norm.” “Ninety percent of the world's woe comes from people not knowing themselves, their abilities, their frailties, and even their real virtues. Most of us go almost all the way through life as complete strangers to ourselves.” Sydney Harris “Know yourself. Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.” Ann Landers “I think self-awareness is probably the most important thing towards being a champion.” Billie Jean King