Everybody wants to experience some joy in their lives, especially during the times we find ourselves living in.
Here are seven proactive steps you can implement in your life to feel and experience joy.
1) Know your purpose. Nothing will bring you joy more than knowing what it is that you are about on this earth. Not knowing bring s sadness, fear, indecision, and lack of fulfillment. Above all, find out what your unique purpose is here on this earth - then fulfill it! As you do, you will experience joy.
2) Live purposefully. This is a follow-up to number one. It is one thing to know your purpose, but then you need to live according to that purpose. This is a matter of priorities. Let your actions and schedule reflect your purpose. Don't react to circumstances and let them cause you to live without purpose fully in sight. Living without purpose will cause frustration. Living purposefully will bring you deep satisfaction and joy.
3) Stretch yourself. Don't settle in the status quo. That will leave you unfulfilled. Always look to stretch yourself. Whatever you are doing, stretch yourself to do more. Stretching yourself will break the limits you have set for yourself and will cause you to find joy in your expanded horizons.
4) Give more than you take. It brings happiness to accumulate. It brings joy to give away. Sure, getting the car you've worked hard for will bring a sense of satisfaction and even happiness. But it won't bring you joy. Giving something away to the less fortunate will bring you deep, abiding joy.
5) Surprise yourself and others too. The words here are spontaneity and surprise! Every once in awhile do the unexpected. It will cause everybody to sit back and say, "Wow, where did that come from?" It will put alittle joy in your life and theirs.
6) Indulge yourself sometimes. Too much indulgence and you are caught in the happiness trap. Looking for the next purchase, celebration, etc., to bring you a little "happiness high". But if you allow yourself an infrequent indulgence as a reward for a job well done and a life well lived, you will appreciate the indulgence and experience the joy.
7) Laugh a little...no laugh a lot! Most people are just too serious. We need to laugh a little, no, a lot. Learn to laugh daily, even if you have to learn to laugh in bad situations. This life is to be enjoyed. The next time you get a movie, get a comedy and let loose. Let yourself laugh.
Joy can be yours. Look for it, pursue it and enjoy it!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
"Hey Keynote Speaker...Try Motivating Me!"
Ever since I was a Sophomore in college I've been speaking to people. All kinds of people in all kinds of circumstances. From gravesides to corporate board rooms. And through those years I've spoken on more topics than I could have ever imagined.
So when someone calls LifeWorks and wants to book me for an event this topic comes up more than any other.
I'll chat with the organizer, get some background information, and then I get to the point where I ask, "and what topic did you want me to speak on for your group?"
Often times there will be a pause and the organizer will say in a somewhat somber voice, "We need you to come and motivate us. We really need you to light a fire under us."
Now having been in sports many years of my life, I've heard my fair share of great motivational speeches from exceptional coaches. Great speeches that were sometimes well-thought out in advance or very spontaneous. Our teams would be so fired up we would run through a wall and then go out and...well let's just say our talent didn't match the wonder of our coach's wit and intelligence. I can't ever remember coming to the bench during a basketball game when we were getting whipped and asking Coach Brown during a sixty second timeout to "motivate me." That usually happened at the next day's practice!
Trust me, we all need someone to pick up our spirits and give us hope throughout life. As someone once said, "life happens".
We hate our job, our marriage isn't what it out to be, the kids are driving us nuts, the business isn't doing well, bills, poor health, lack of fulfillment, little happiness, and the list goes on. Life!
Now a motivational speaker can come in and light the match to fire us up but many times it flames out after only a couple of days. Why? Simple...one little match on its own won't burn down the forest.
On the other hand, an outstanding motivational speaker brings not only the match but the fuel to keep the fire burning even in life's downpours. So with that said, here are some motivational tips to start the fire and keep in burning.
*Face your fears: Often fear can cripple your energy and stop you feeling motivated. You will feel more motivated than ever once you face your fears and put them in the past.
*Read about people who've achieved what you want to achieve. There's nothing more powerful than knowing someone else who has done what you want to accomplish. I love to do adventure runs. They're more than challenging for me, My inspiration is reading the life story of Jim McLaren. He was a terrific athlete but more importantly an incredible man. When I think about giving up on a run, or for that fact any challenge in life, I read about Jim McLaren.
Reframe your current challenges. Often when we face hurdles we feel defeated and want to give in. If you remind yourself at these times that every meaningful success involves challenges, then you will suddenly see that your current challenge is in fact a sign of progress.
Always finish what you start. If you make this a rule that you follow religiously, then any loss of motivation is put in the background. What you focus on is the fact that you need to finish whatever it is you're doing.
Take risks. When you're taking risks, playing the game of life, you feel invigorated and energized. Usually a loss of motivation is associated with moving to the sidelines. Get back up and back into the game. Keep playing and your motivation will return.
And finally, the most important of all the self-motivation tips: Always go for your big, pie-in-the-sky dreams. If you don't you might find life feels hollow and empty. As Abraham Maslow said,
"If you deliberately plan on being less than you are capable of being, then I warn you that you'll be unhappy for the rest of your life."
So when someone calls LifeWorks and wants to book me for an event this topic comes up more than any other.
I'll chat with the organizer, get some background information, and then I get to the point where I ask, "and what topic did you want me to speak on for your group?"
Often times there will be a pause and the organizer will say in a somewhat somber voice, "We need you to come and motivate us. We really need you to light a fire under us."
Now having been in sports many years of my life, I've heard my fair share of great motivational speeches from exceptional coaches. Great speeches that were sometimes well-thought out in advance or very spontaneous. Our teams would be so fired up we would run through a wall and then go out and...well let's just say our talent didn't match the wonder of our coach's wit and intelligence. I can't ever remember coming to the bench during a basketball game when we were getting whipped and asking Coach Brown during a sixty second timeout to "motivate me." That usually happened at the next day's practice!
Trust me, we all need someone to pick up our spirits and give us hope throughout life. As someone once said, "life happens".
We hate our job, our marriage isn't what it out to be, the kids are driving us nuts, the business isn't doing well, bills, poor health, lack of fulfillment, little happiness, and the list goes on. Life!
Now a motivational speaker can come in and light the match to fire us up but many times it flames out after only a couple of days. Why? Simple...one little match on its own won't burn down the forest.
On the other hand, an outstanding motivational speaker brings not only the match but the fuel to keep the fire burning even in life's downpours. So with that said, here are some motivational tips to start the fire and keep in burning.
*Face your fears: Often fear can cripple your energy and stop you feeling motivated. You will feel more motivated than ever once you face your fears and put them in the past.
*Read about people who've achieved what you want to achieve. There's nothing more powerful than knowing someone else who has done what you want to accomplish. I love to do adventure runs. They're more than challenging for me, My inspiration is reading the life story of Jim McLaren. He was a terrific athlete but more importantly an incredible man. When I think about giving up on a run, or for that fact any challenge in life, I read about Jim McLaren.
Reframe your current challenges. Often when we face hurdles we feel defeated and want to give in. If you remind yourself at these times that every meaningful success involves challenges, then you will suddenly see that your current challenge is in fact a sign of progress.
Always finish what you start. If you make this a rule that you follow religiously, then any loss of motivation is put in the background. What you focus on is the fact that you need to finish whatever it is you're doing.
Take risks. When you're taking risks, playing the game of life, you feel invigorated and energized. Usually a loss of motivation is associated with moving to the sidelines. Get back up and back into the game. Keep playing and your motivation will return.
And finally, the most important of all the self-motivation tips: Always go for your big, pie-in-the-sky dreams. If you don't you might find life feels hollow and empty. As Abraham Maslow said,
"If you deliberately plan on being less than you are capable of being, then I warn you that you'll be unhappy for the rest of your life."
Saturday, June 4, 2011
How To Build a Positive Attitude-
Have you noticed when you go to a Borders, a Barnes & Noble, or any bookstore that there will be a whole section dedicated to the Self-Help category?
When people, businesses, churches, civic groups call me about doing a presentation almost every time the need is, "come in and motivate us...energize us." If you've ever been a public speaker that's a daunting task! You show up at an event, you're introduced, followed by polite applause, and there they are...a group of people you've been asked to fire up. From an outside appearance they remind me of an old saying my grandmother used..."death warmed over".
Having been a basketball coach in my lifetime, I know how to give that pre-game speech that motivates a team, gets the adrenalin flowing, and has the team looking for a wall to run through. Trouble is two hours later, win or lose, that booster shot has worn off.
So I've come to believe and teach groups I speak to that its important to learn to build a positive attitude that will serve them day to day. There are no Five-Hour energy drinks for motivation. It comes by building a positive attitude that will serve you day in and day out.
So here are the steps you can use to build a positive attitude and will show greater returns with your everyday motivation for living your life.
1. Forgive The basic element towards building a positive attitude is to learn to forgive. This action is more for your own good rather than anybody elses. Remember, if you hold a grudge against someone, it hardly bothers that person...it will just harm you.
2. Substitute Negative Thoughts Force yourself in the beginning to think positive about anything that you thought negative about. Do not worry about how the positive thought will actually become a reality.
3. Be Kind to Yourself In the world around us, there are many things which cause us anxiety, tension and make us worry. We should not make ourselves the reason of our anxiety.
4. Think About The Worse That Could Happen Negative thoughts have already done this for us. Remember the worst thing that could happen, realize the feeling to fail and then overcome it. Do everything in your power to make sure that it does not become a reality.
5. Look at Things From a Third Person Point of View This is the most important step. Try looking from a third person point of view. OR try to look at the problem as if it was someone else's. Most of the times you will realize that the problem is not as big as it seems.
6. Perspective Try to think of the people who have had much bigger problems. There are many people in this world who do not get to choose a good life for themselves. The very fact that you are reading this blog on a computer places you far above many other people on this planet.
"Believe you can, and you can. Belief is one of the most powerful of all problem dissolvers. When you believe that a difficulty can be overcome, you are more than halfway to victory over it already." Norman Vincent Peale
"Start treating yourself as if you're the most important asset you'll ever have. After all, aren't you?"
"Every individual human being born on this earth has the capacity to become a unique and special person, unlike any who has ever existed before or will ever exist again."
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
When people, businesses, churches, civic groups call me about doing a presentation almost every time the need is, "come in and motivate us...energize us." If you've ever been a public speaker that's a daunting task! You show up at an event, you're introduced, followed by polite applause, and there they are...a group of people you've been asked to fire up. From an outside appearance they remind me of an old saying my grandmother used..."death warmed over".
Having been a basketball coach in my lifetime, I know how to give that pre-game speech that motivates a team, gets the adrenalin flowing, and has the team looking for a wall to run through. Trouble is two hours later, win or lose, that booster shot has worn off.
So I've come to believe and teach groups I speak to that its important to learn to build a positive attitude that will serve them day to day. There are no Five-Hour energy drinks for motivation. It comes by building a positive attitude that will serve you day in and day out.
So here are the steps you can use to build a positive attitude and will show greater returns with your everyday motivation for living your life.
1. Forgive The basic element towards building a positive attitude is to learn to forgive. This action is more for your own good rather than anybody elses. Remember, if you hold a grudge against someone, it hardly bothers that person...it will just harm you.
2. Substitute Negative Thoughts Force yourself in the beginning to think positive about anything that you thought negative about. Do not worry about how the positive thought will actually become a reality.
3. Be Kind to Yourself In the world around us, there are many things which cause us anxiety, tension and make us worry. We should not make ourselves the reason of our anxiety.
4. Think About The Worse That Could Happen Negative thoughts have already done this for us. Remember the worst thing that could happen, realize the feeling to fail and then overcome it. Do everything in your power to make sure that it does not become a reality.
5. Look at Things From a Third Person Point of View This is the most important step. Try looking from a third person point of view. OR try to look at the problem as if it was someone else's. Most of the times you will realize that the problem is not as big as it seems.
6. Perspective Try to think of the people who have had much bigger problems. There are many people in this world who do not get to choose a good life for themselves. The very fact that you are reading this blog on a computer places you far above many other people on this planet.
"Believe you can, and you can. Belief is one of the most powerful of all problem dissolvers. When you believe that a difficulty can be overcome, you are more than halfway to victory over it already." Norman Vincent Peale
"Start treating yourself as if you're the most important asset you'll ever have. After all, aren't you?"
"Every individual human being born on this earth has the capacity to become a unique and special person, unlike any who has ever existed before or will ever exist again."
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
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