Life is what you make it.
Yes, even in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the quality of your life is not in your circumstances, it’s not in what you can or cannot do, it’s not a result of how much is in your bank account, or anything else.
The quality of your life is the quality of your thoughts, attitudes, and actions. This is so important to understand because this means that when things all around you are spinning out of control, YOU are still in control of your life.
“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.”
-Henry Ford
Remember this quote the next time you are facing a difficult situation. It’s only when the wind is against the plane that it is able to take off and soar. This is also true in our own lives.
You’re true character shows when you’re facing adverse circumstances. When you feel beat up and beat down, that’s when you remind yourself that this is your time to shine. It’s time to turn this adversity into your advantage. Here’s how:
1. Focus on other’s needs instead of your wants.
The great Zig Ziglar used to say, “You’ll get everything you want out
of life if you just help enough people get what they want.” Be the kind
of person who thinks of others before yourself. Remember Self-absorbed
people are miserable.
2. Listen first, speak second. There is a reason God
gave you two ears and one mouth! Listen twice as much as you speak. Do
people say you are a good listener? With a little practice this is a
skill you can easily develop and will help improve every relationship
you have.
3. Resist the urge to complain. It won’t make anything
better and it brings negative energy to the room. This isn’t you!
Bring positive energy with your presence, your words, and your
attitude. People will want to be around you.
4. Count your blessings not your problems. No matter
how bad things are or how many problems you are dealing with, stop and
count your blessings. And start with the ones we so easily take for
granted.
5. Respond instead of react.
When you are sick and have a reaction to your medicine that’s bad; when
your body responds that’s good! If you are faced with a situation that
makes you angry today do not react out of emotion. Be the kind of
person who responds rationally with thought and poise.
6. Make time to exercise! You know you need to. You
want to. You plan to…If this is describers you get some momentum this
week by starting today. You’ve heard it said, “Day One or One day?
Your body will release endorphins and you’ll feel better, be more
focused, and have more energy.
7. Acknowledge God is your source and be continually thankful for every breath He gives. Always acknowledge that God is the source of your life and the giver of every good thing you have.
Choose to make it a great day!
Mental toughness is something often talked about in sports. If an athlete wants to be successful he must master the mental game as much as the physical game. The mentally weak may have some success, but it will not last. Lasting success only comes to those who have a high level of mental toughness.
This is true in sports and in life.
2016 is only a few days away!
Have you written down your goals for the coming year?
Don’t just make a “new year’s resolution”, but take some time to write down your goals for 2016. Mark McCormack tells of a study in which 3% of Harvard MBA’s made 10 times the amount of money of the other 97%. What did the 3% have in common? They wrote down their goals!
Make sure you write down your goals this year. Take some time to get clear on what it is you want. Too many people focus on what they don’t want, rather than spending their time and energy on what they DO want.
What do you want this year? What do you want in your business? In your family? In your personal life? In your health? Determine what it is you want, and then wake up every day in 2016 going for it!
Many people short change their success because they simply don’t have clarity on what they truly want.
When you look back on 2015 you will probably find you had some wins and you had some losses. Reflecting on the good and the bad of the previous year can help you determine where you are, and where you want to go. In one year from today, when you reflect back on 2016, what will you have done that will have made 2016 your best year yet?
Determine what you want, and how you will get there.
Make this the year you dream more, you do more, you become more!
Success doesn’t happen by accident. 2016 won’t be your best year unless you determine to make it so.
This is YOUR year!
How do you define success?
When I was in college I began my life long journey of studying great leaders and winners in life. As a young, aspiring basketball coach, one of the people I spent a lot of time studying was the great former UCLA basketball coach, John R. Wooden. I read his books many times over, “They Call Me Coach”, and “Practical Modern Basketball”. Both made a profound impact on me as I read about his work ethic, his principles he lived by, including the the 7 point creed his dad gave him which he kept in his wallet:
I had a few personal conversations with Coach Wooden before he passed away, and each time I was around him, I understood why he was such a great man; someone who lived out what I read about in his books. One of the first times I met him was when I was in my early 20’s and just starting out as a coach. I was with about 20 other coaches in a room on the campus of UCLA for for a Q & A session. At the time, Dennis Rodman was often in the news for his antics in the NBA, and I raised my hand and asked coach, “How would you handle a player like Dennis Rodman?” He immediately looked right at me, pointed his finger and said, “Young man, you handle things; you work with people.” I’ll never forget how he went on to explain how you work together with people to achieve a common goal.
The thing that has always stood out to me the most, however, was his definition of success. He felt it was extremely important to know what success looks like. Is it always the final score of a game that determines success or failure? I have adopted Coach Wooden’s definition of success as my own:
“Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your absolute best to become the best you are capable of becoming.”
This is success. Giving your absolute best! How many times do we want success in some area such as our job, our marriage, our family, our time-management, our finances…yet we don’t truly give our best effort to become the best we are capable of becoming in those areas.
The final outcome doesn’t always determine success or failure; knowing you gave your best does. It is the one thing you can control. When you give your best, that’s really all you can do; there is simply nothing more you can do than this, because if there was then it wasn’t your best in the first place.
Coach designed the “pyramid of success”, originally for his high school English class that he taught, so they would understand success and have something to shoot for. It as since been broken down, analyzed, and talked about by coaches and leaders all over the world. Of course, I have it posted in my own classroom, and give out to my players from time to time to help them understand what true success is.
What is YOUR definition of success? And most importantly are you living by it every single day?
I hope that you give your best today! Don’t be phased by the outcome when it’s not favorable. Pick yourself up, figure out your next move, and get more determined, not more discouraged! You were definitely meant for greatness, so give it everything you’ve got to get there!
Here’s to your success!
-Gary
Do you ever feel like giving up? Remember, some of the most successful people had failure, depression, and rejection. They felt like giving up….but they didn’t!
I don’t want you to give up either!
Author J.K. Rowling had just gotten a divorce, was on welfare, clinically depressed and contemplating suicide when she wrote the manuscript for her first Harry Potter book. She couldn’t afford a computer so she manually typed out each manuscript she sent to publishers. She was rejected dozens of times, until finally a small publisher in London gave her a chance. She didn’t give up!
Stephen Spielberg was rejected from the University of California School of Theater and Television three times! He finally got accepted at another location, but then dropped out to become a director. 35 years after starting his degree he returned to school to finally complete his work and earn his degree. He never gave up!
Oprah was fired and told she was unfit for TV. She didn’t let that stop her, and she never gave up!
Walt Disney was fired from the newspaper he worked for, because he “lacked imagination”. He didn’t listen and he did not give up!
The Beatles were rejected by Decca Recording studios who said they “didn’t like their sound and they would never have a future in show business”. They just kept on playing and they never gave up!
20th Century Fox fired Marilyn Monroe after one year because her producer told her she wasn’t pretty or talented enough to be an actress. She didn’t give up!
Thomas Edison failed over 1000 times at inventing the light bulb. He said, “I haven’t failed. I have discovered 1000 ways the light bulb won’t work!”
Each of these individuals have something in common! THEY DIDN’T GIVE UP! They had a dream, they had a vision, and they were not going to let anyone or anything stop them from reaching their dreams!
Let that be true with you as well! You have a dream. You have a vision of what you want, and goals you want to reach.
When you’re tired, when you’re facing major obstacles, don’t give up. When you lack resources, don’t give up. When you’ve got bills to pay, mouths to feed, and your feeling like you’re not going to make it, don’t give up! When you’re told you’ll never succeed, you’re not good enough, don’t give up!
Keep fighting and keep believing! Your breakthrough may be just around the corner.
So, whatever you do, don’t ever, ever, ever give up!!
Your friend,
Gary
Hi! My name is Gary Greeno and I’m super excited to enter the world of blogging! This site, titled Motivation Minute is intended to help inspire and motivation you to achieve the goals and dreams you have set for yourself, your family, your business. Motivation is an interesting subject. We all want it. Some seem to have it more than others. Some of us wish we were more motivated.
As a basketball coach and educator for over 20 years I have observed people who have great internal motivation, and others who need to be motivated by outside forces. One thing I know for certain is that everyone needs to find their internal motivation if they are going to be successful. Robert Waldo Emerson said, “Nothing great can be achieved without enthusiasm.” And I would add that nothing great can be achieved without motivation..and motivation will lead to enthusiasm.
In this first blog I want you to consider replacing the word “problem” with “opportunity”.
The great Duke Basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski says, “Replace the word ‘problem’ with ‘opportunity’ and see what good things will happen.”
We all have problems. We all have obstacles in our way that we must figure out how to navigate around. Obstacles are simply opportunities for growth and growth is never easy-but it’s always worth it. Decide that you don’t have “problems” in your life, but you have “opportunities”. The word problem itself brings a negative, defeating connotation. The word opportunity, however, opens up doors.
It’s all a matter of perspective, and you get to choose your perspective; you get to choose how you will view something. Not only do you get to choose how you view it, but in every problem, you get to decide how you are going to respond to it. Decide that you will use your problems as opportunities for growth, to expand your thinking and to find new ways of doing things. Decide you will use your problems to motivate you and inspire you, never to defeat you.
Too many times we give up when we are faced with something negative. Don’t give up! Keep moving forward. You’re going to face hurdles, roadblocks and mountains that are in your path. Don’t let them discourage you. Just keep moving forward, because if you’re moving forward you’re making progress. Some days the progress will be small, but even if it’s a tiny baby step forward it’s still a step in the right direction.
The human spirit is powerful! You’re spirit is powerful, and your will and determination will get you to where you want to go. Whatever obstacles you’re facing today, know that you CAN and you WILL find a way to keep moving forward. The most successful people have all had obstacles to overcome. No one has an easy road to greatness. Once you start down the road to greatness, keep moving, and don’t give up. No pain, no obstacle, no hurdle is going to keep you from reaching your goal. You either use your pain to propel you forward, or you allow your pain to defeat you.
No one has a problem-free life! Expect the problems, know they will come, and get ready to seize the opportunity that comes with them! The alternative is to get down and negative and complain how unfair it is, and that will get you nowhere!
Seize the opportunities today, and use each problem you face to get you one step closer to success!
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