The other night my wife and I were playing a board game with our daughters prior to their bedtime. It was a school night so we were trying to move the game along quickly so they would not stay up too late, resulting in a “tired morning” for them. The game was Chutes and Ladders. A great game for younger kids as it helps them to count and focus.
About 15 minutes after starting the game, my wife was the first one to reach the finish line, making her the winner. My daughters and I continued to play and a short while later, my youngest reached the finished line as well. By this time, I was about done with the game mentally and it was getting closer to their bedtime. So I left the game and my wife stepped in to fill my spot. About ten minutes later, I heard my oldest daughter yelling down the hall: YEAH….WOO HOO! I put two and two together and realized she had crossed the finish line! A moment later as she walked down the hall to where I was, I asked her if she was at all upset because she had not won the game. Her reply to me left me almost speechless, “What do you mean Dad, I did win, I beat you.”
Of all the tools you and I carry around with us perhaps our attitude is the most critical and the most powerful. It can help us soar to new heights or aid us in temporary setbacks. My daughter’s attitude at that moment was so positive it literally made all the difference in the world for her. The difference between struggling, being upset and procrastinating going to bed or ending her day knowing she had just beaten her Dad at a game. Yes, I was very proud of her, that she chose to look at the glass half-full rather than half-empty. Maybe some of my “can do” attitude is rubbing off on her!
Looking back on this fun family night, what I find most interesting is the game we played had an ending no one could predict. None of us knew who would come in first and who would come in last. No one knew who would be sent back to the bottom and who would advance to the top. The game was played out the only way it could have been. This is very much like our lives, isn’t it? We rarely know what tomorrow is going to bring and usually don’t even know what the next hour will bring. Yet all the way through to the end we have an “attitude.” Good, bad or indifferent, it is there and we move forward with it the best we can. Just as a game is played or our lives are lived, there is our attitude. And yes, I agree, that it truly is our attitude that determines our altitude.
My daughter’s attitude toward how the game ended made a world of difference for her, which resulted in making the bedtime routine a little easier for my wife and me. So really, not only does it have an immediate effect on ourselves but others around us as well. I know that not all the time do our kids have a good attitude. When they do, it might be a good idea to show them the difference it makes to everyone around them. They, too, need to understand when they have the right attitude in life it can lift them to new heights, or destruct the best well thought out plan. For this reason alone, I am a firm believer in kids being involved, to some degree, in sports. It teaches them not only how to work as a team, but to be a winning team they ALL need to have a “can do” attitude, not just one or two of them.
Regardless of what you and I do, where we go or who we see, we are going to do it with a very radiant attitude. You see, we get to carry our attitude with us every where we go and anyone around us will be able to see it. We can choose that attitude each and every day in everything we do. Granted, some days it may be easier to choose a good attitude, but none the less, it is still our choice. It’s not your spouse’s choice, your boss’s choice or your family’s choice. It is your choice and I want to encourage you to choose wisely. Regardless of what or where tomorrow leads you, choose to have a great attitude. One of my local favorite restaurants I take my family to has a sign on the wall and it reads: “Ask yourself a question, is my attitude worth catching?
Have blessed Friday everyone.
Scott Stewart
Author, Speaker and Inspiring others to a life of greatness.
scott@lovelossandgrowth.com
541-343-3614
Friday, September 24, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
What are you telling yourself
Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and heard them say: “I am such an idiot” or, “I can’t believe I was so stupid to have done that.” I know I have heard it and I must say I just cringe inside every time I do. Not only do I cringe but my heart almost skips a beat. That is a pretty strong statement to say, especially to our self.
Just last week I found myself in this kind of situation. I was carrying on a meaningful conversation with a gentleman whom I have know for a few years when all of a sudden, right out of left field he says: “Dang it… I am such an idiot, how could I have forgotten that!” Of course I stood there in shock, almost in disbelieve of what I had just heard. But, being the kind of person I am I just had to know: why did he say that about himself. So I asked and like I thought he might say, his response was one of light hearted, no big deal answer. I however, do believe that it is a very big deal. Calling yourself an idiot? No big deal? Really?
The fact is that it is a very big deal, much bigger then you can realize. Our subconscious minds are always in the mode of taking in information that it hears. Things we say and the things we hear others say. Every day, all day, everywhere we are. It’s main function is to take in data and store it so that it can use it later. If you have ever read any books on human psychology and human nature, you know exactly what I am talking about. This can be though a curse and a blessing all at the same time. A curse because everything it hears and hears enough of, it takes in as “truth” and “belief.” Yes, I said EVERYTHING.
The blessing is that through this sub conscious mind, we have the ability to change the way we think and what we believe. This alone should give everyone of us a hope that regardless of where we have been or where we come from, we can alter our current path and even re program our thinking to gain a different result in our life. I know for me… this is what I had to do to overcome my past.
What you and I tell ourself, each and ever day is critical to where we will be, 2, 5 or even 10 years from now. Our self image and self esteem is dependent upon it. I know this first hand because I was one of those people who beat myself up verbally when I screwed up or made a mistake and the problem I constantly faced was that I always felt bad and not worthy after I said it yet I could never figure out why.
Don’t kid yourself here. Your subconscious mind is well aware of what it hears. If you are someone who has been guilty of repeatedly saying things like this, you might want to stop consider what it is that you are doing to yourself. Your self esteem and your self image are on the line. Simply put: It will believe and become what it is told. We need to be careful of what it is that we are saying. To our kids, our spouse and especially to ourself. Our minds are a lot like a computer program. What we put into them, is what will come out.
Have a great Friday everyone, be blessed.
Scott Stewart
Author, Speaker and Inspiring others to a life of greatness.
scott@lovelossandgrowth.com
541-343-3614
Just last week I found myself in this kind of situation. I was carrying on a meaningful conversation with a gentleman whom I have know for a few years when all of a sudden, right out of left field he says: “Dang it… I am such an idiot, how could I have forgotten that!” Of course I stood there in shock, almost in disbelieve of what I had just heard. But, being the kind of person I am I just had to know: why did he say that about himself. So I asked and like I thought he might say, his response was one of light hearted, no big deal answer. I however, do believe that it is a very big deal. Calling yourself an idiot? No big deal? Really?
The fact is that it is a very big deal, much bigger then you can realize. Our subconscious minds are always in the mode of taking in information that it hears. Things we say and the things we hear others say. Every day, all day, everywhere we are. It’s main function is to take in data and store it so that it can use it later. If you have ever read any books on human psychology and human nature, you know exactly what I am talking about. This can be though a curse and a blessing all at the same time. A curse because everything it hears and hears enough of, it takes in as “truth” and “belief.” Yes, I said EVERYTHING.
The blessing is that through this sub conscious mind, we have the ability to change the way we think and what we believe. This alone should give everyone of us a hope that regardless of where we have been or where we come from, we can alter our current path and even re program our thinking to gain a different result in our life. I know for me… this is what I had to do to overcome my past.
What you and I tell ourself, each and ever day is critical to where we will be, 2, 5 or even 10 years from now. Our self image and self esteem is dependent upon it. I know this first hand because I was one of those people who beat myself up verbally when I screwed up or made a mistake and the problem I constantly faced was that I always felt bad and not worthy after I said it yet I could never figure out why.
Don’t kid yourself here. Your subconscious mind is well aware of what it hears. If you are someone who has been guilty of repeatedly saying things like this, you might want to stop consider what it is that you are doing to yourself. Your self esteem and your self image are on the line. Simply put: It will believe and become what it is told. We need to be careful of what it is that we are saying. To our kids, our spouse and especially to ourself. Our minds are a lot like a computer program. What we put into them, is what will come out.
Have a great Friday everyone, be blessed.
Scott Stewart
Author, Speaker and Inspiring others to a life of greatness.
scott@lovelossandgrowth.com
541-343-3614
Friday, September 10, 2010
Timing...it really is everything
Almost four years ago, I was fortunate enough to cross paths with a gentleman who planted seeds of greatness into my life. This is someone I looked up to and respected. I am sure you know what I am talking about, that many of you at some point have had someone you looked up to, to give you a critical key to life which helped you make a difference. For me, this was a much needed “piece of the puzzle” I was needing.
Steven Fulmer, a life coach and the Creator of LifeQuest Mapping, gave me something at just the right time in my life when I was ready to hear it. He said this:
If you always do what you’ve always done, then you’ll always get what you’ve always got. If you always get what you’ve always got, then you’ll always think the way you’ve always thought. Then if you always think the way you have always thought, you will always feel the way you have always felt. So if you always feel the way you’ve always felt, then you will always do what you’ve always done and so finally, you will always get what you’ve always got.
Yes, it is Socrates and not only did it make a lot of sense to me, it brought me to a whole new level of awareness. Maybe some of you have heard this statement before - it is profound. What I find most interesting about this quote is not just the message it holds but the timing of it and how hard it hit me just when I was ready to hear it.
Since then I have learned that timing truly is everything. I have no doubt that many, many times the right message has been given to me, but I was simply not ready to hear it or know it was the right message or that it was for me. I believe many of us, everyday, are given critical “keys to life and the life we desire” but are simply not ready to hear it. We have all heard the old cliché, “when the student is ready the teacher will appear.” There is a lot more truth to that than most of us realize. Many times throughout my life, the right people have been near and/or around me. Although it was so obvious, I just wasn’t ready mentally or possibly even emotionally.
The more I see, the more I want to see and the more I realize that throughout each of our lives, the timing of certain events are critical. Have you ever heard that opportunity knocks on every door? I believe that statement to be very true. The best and greatest opportunity in the world could be right in front of you. If you’re not ready and aware, it won’t manifest itself in your life and you will miss it. The good news is, it could possibly come back around at some point. However, if you’re not ready, it won’t matter, you will miss it again.
Starting today, look around you and pay attention to who it is that is in your life and who it is that will come into your life over the next 30 days. If you watch closely and seek answers for what your heart truly wants, you might find the keys you need to unlock the next door are closer than you realize.
Have a great Friday everyone and be blessed.
Steven Fulmer, a life coach and the Creator of LifeQuest Mapping, gave me something at just the right time in my life when I was ready to hear it. He said this:
If you always do what you’ve always done, then you’ll always get what you’ve always got. If you always get what you’ve always got, then you’ll always think the way you’ve always thought. Then if you always think the way you have always thought, you will always feel the way you have always felt. So if you always feel the way you’ve always felt, then you will always do what you’ve always done and so finally, you will always get what you’ve always got.
Yes, it is Socrates and not only did it make a lot of sense to me, it brought me to a whole new level of awareness. Maybe some of you have heard this statement before - it is profound. What I find most interesting about this quote is not just the message it holds but the timing of it and how hard it hit me just when I was ready to hear it.
Since then I have learned that timing truly is everything. I have no doubt that many, many times the right message has been given to me, but I was simply not ready to hear it or know it was the right message or that it was for me. I believe many of us, everyday, are given critical “keys to life and the life we desire” but are simply not ready to hear it. We have all heard the old cliché, “when the student is ready the teacher will appear.” There is a lot more truth to that than most of us realize. Many times throughout my life, the right people have been near and/or around me. Although it was so obvious, I just wasn’t ready mentally or possibly even emotionally.
The more I see, the more I want to see and the more I realize that throughout each of our lives, the timing of certain events are critical. Have you ever heard that opportunity knocks on every door? I believe that statement to be very true. The best and greatest opportunity in the world could be right in front of you. If you’re not ready and aware, it won’t manifest itself in your life and you will miss it. The good news is, it could possibly come back around at some point. However, if you’re not ready, it won’t matter, you will miss it again.
Starting today, look around you and pay attention to who it is that is in your life and who it is that will come into your life over the next 30 days. If you watch closely and seek answers for what your heart truly wants, you might find the keys you need to unlock the next door are closer than you realize.
Have a great Friday everyone and be blessed.
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