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Quote of the Week - November 25, 2013

11/26/2013

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Short one this week due to final exams going on. I actually got this from one of my students' blog posts. It really hit me as to how right on Ralph was. I have heard a few times that the most important two days in a person's life is the day they are born and the day they figure out what they were meant to do with their life. Ralph Waldo Emerson reminds us that it's up to us. I'm here to help you to understand that this process is a huge journey that takes most of your life.

Sometimes we figure out what we were meant to do early - but then it still could take a lot of time to get it going and figure out how to make it happen. That's where I am now. I've figured out about making a difference with people; mainly young adults, athletes, teachers, coaches, parents, etc. Now I'm on the part of the journey to make that happen.

What part of your journey are you on? It's easy to figure out - as one of the two important days has already happened for us. :-)

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Quote of the Week - November 18, 2013

11/19/2013

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"You can't stay around if you're not getting better. You have to constantly be looking for ways to improve your value." - Cal Ripken Jr

If there was one guy who always looked to get better, it was Cal Ripken Jr. He had to do just that if set a record of playing in 2, 130 consecutive games. This is one thing that I always try and mention to my students every year, and of course I try listen to it too; and that is to become a person of value. To your friends, your family, to your employer, everyone!

In today's world there seems to be more opportunities to get better and improve ourselves but for many reasons it seems more difficult too. Lot's going on with the economy, pay-cuts, job loss, technology in all parts of our lives, the negativity out there in society, politics, etc. There sure are a lot of distractions that's for sure. That is probably the best reason to listen to Mr. Ripken. In today's world, more than ever before we MUST look to improve and get better due to all of these things going on around us. There is an old saying that says if we are not improving and moving forward - we are really moving backwards in life. Even if we think that we are "doing pretty good", or "I'm better off than 'ol so and so neighbor of mine", that type of thinking won't create anything that is worth working hard for.

For me, as I get a tad bit older here, I know this has to be the case for me. I can't afford to not get better. This has to happen in my marriage, me being a father, a son, a brother, an uncle, a teacher, a coach, a Christian, a neighbor, a friend, a nephew, a cousin, a brother-in-law, a son-in-law and all the other hats I wear in my lifetime. These things is who I am. Like Cal says - if I want to stay around, I always have to look for ways to get better and improve. Every single day. How about you? What does Cal's quote mean to you? Always looking to learn from others... leave me a thought or two.

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Quote of the Week - November 11, 2013

11/12/2013

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“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” -- William Penn

When I saw this quote, it came on the heels of watching a FANTASTIC movie with my wife on Sunday night. We saw "About Time" and then saw a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony and then we made our way to dinner. The movie was one of the best ones I have ever watched as it had so many important messages that I guess I needed to see and hear at that time in my life. The messages are similar to others that I've had before, but I guess it stood out to me more at that time than ever before.

I tell my students over and over again that time is really our most important resource. Unlike most other resources, including money that can be re-used or we can get more of; time is not like that at all. Once it's gone, we can't get it back. As we walked out of the movie I remember thinking that I wanted to really notice what was going on around me. I looked a little bit more at things going on around us that night. At the people, the kids especially - their faces, what they were saying, the gentle smiles that were all around at this outdoor mall's Christmas Tree lighting ceremony.

The dinner that Sunday night with my wife - one of the best we ever had at TGI Fridays no less. I had to fight back the tears that started as I watched the movie (and as I am typing this now) as I thought about how blessed I am and what I have in my life. Like the movie (without giving too much away) - we all have our issues, but the one thing that we have for such a brief period of time it seems is our families and friends, both young ones and the older ones.

First off... see this movie. Secondly, see how you spend your time throughout your days and nights. How we do that dictates a lot of what happens in our lives. The one resource we can't get back is the most valuable to us. We see that some times too late. The key is I think to realize that as we are in those moments so that we can enjoy it while we are in it. Then looking back we will hopefully have less regrets and worries on how we spent those years that seem to go by oh so fast. I sure wish I spent a lot of my past years differently than I did, but I've learned from them that's for sure. What about you? Spend some of your precious time thinking about how we spend it. Then start making some changes; in our thinking, what we say, how we react to others, how we spend our time on our own and with our loved ones. Such an in depth topic here, I know I need some help in some feedback discussions - so, what do you think? Let me and others know.

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Quote of the Week - November 4, 2013

11/6/2013

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“No one limits your growth but you. If you want to earn more, learn more.” -- Tom Hopkins

In today's world where it seems many people want to blame others for their problems, Tom Hopkins brings up a great thought about one thing that we totally have control over. Our ability to choose to learn more can make all the difference in the world for not only ourselves but everyone that is around us too.

We tend to get in the way of ourselves a lot when it comes time to accomplishing things and growing in life; at least I know I do for sure. This whole mindset about we really do have control over so many things in our lives simply by the way we choose things and our ability to think and control our own minds - it's amazing when we really stop and think about it.

I've been listening to a lot of Napoleon Hill lately - by the way which I recommend getting some of his books and audio recordings that are out there for everyone. It is one of his central teaching points that we should work to have control over our own minds and the way we think because that connects to everything we do in our lives. We should look to learn everyday about things that interest us along with those new ideas and ways of thinking that can help us help others. Being a life-long learner is the way to go as I've figured out the learning never stops. As we get into the busy holiday season coming up - I will be trying to remember the fact that I need to continue to learn more, grow, get better and keep moving forward towards dreams and goals that I have along with helping those around me do the same. I don't want to get all caught up in blaming others for my lot in life.

Remember, earning is not just about money. It's about earning more relationships in life, earning more peace of mind, earning more positive energy, etc. What are your thoughts? Any to share with me and the world? I'm always looking to learn more from others as I know I don't know everything other than I know I need to be open to learning more to keep getting better and better in all I do.

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Quote of the Week - November 25, 2013

Quote of the Week - November 18, 2013

Quote of the Week - November 11, 2013

Quote of the Week - November 4, 2013

Coach John Daly

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