Personal Development Wednesday - "Stuck in a Rut?"

The following are a few words to those of you stuck in a rut . . .


What is it that has to happen in order to change your life right now? One of the greatest quotes I've ever heard is from the movie Vanilla Sky: "With every passing minute, there is another chance to turn it all around." I take that quote to heart every time I think of it. Every moment is another chance that you have to completely change your life. Your outlook on life is the absolute first thing that needs to change in order to begin changing your life. If you want to know what it takes to make your wildest dreams come true, get up from your computer and walk to a mirror. You are already equipped with everything that you could ever possibly need. Ponder this: At what point are you considered successful? Is it when you've reached retirement, or is it when you can finally call yourself "rich", or maybe it's when your kids have become "successful"? At what point have you reached the pinnacle of success? I personally believe that you've reached this platform that we so broadly call "success" when you've made a conscious decision to get there. At the moment in which you have made the decision to be successful, you are then successful. In life you are either working toward your dreams or you are working toward someone else's. One of the other has to happen for you every moment of every day.

One of the most detrimental things that we have is too much time. Because we have so much time, we often forget how truly valuable and scarce our time is. You forget how sweet that first taste of honey is, when you've already had an entire jar.

Time is like our natural gases; until we started running out, we gave it away for pennies.

This life, right now, is your one and only life. We're not just watching previews. You right there at the computer are experiencing your one and only life right now in this moment. Your life deserves your utmost respect, concern, and attention. If you were ever to focus, focus now fully on what it is that you want your life to be. The sky is truly the limit. Allot of us forget that we can do whatever it is that we want to do.
If you want to be a millionaire, be it. If you want to travel the world, go. If you want to have a happy family, decide what needs to happen to make that happen right now. If you want a promotion, go to your boss and ask them what it takes to make that happen right now. If you want to get out of debt, do it. If not now, when?
"There's only one guarantee in life; and that guarantee is that you will not make it out of here alive." Who are you trying to fool? What excuses do you have? Are those excuses potent enough for you not to be happy? What is your happiness really worth to you? How many times would you have to fail, before you decided to be unhappy?
Ask yourself, what is the price on the price tag attached to your happiness? Ask yourself, how many times in the past have you given away your happiness for close to nothing?

You should always be focusing on your goals. It's not supposed to be easy. You can't just take a break at will. You have to always be focusing on your goals. Always! If you are not willing to make your dreams come true, I've got news for you . . . no one else is either. There's no one out there focusing on your dreams and how to make you happy. If you don't do it, it won't get done.

Someone asked me, why am I always talking about success? It's simple. Because my dreams mean more to me than anything else. My dreams are absolutely everything to me. What do your dreams mean to you?

When did you decide that it was okay to be mediocre? When did you decide that someone else could dictate your schedule? When did you decide that someone else could dictate your salary? When did you decide that someone else could tell you what to do and where to live and what to wear? When did you decide that you weren't going to give your life your best effort? Well, I've got some news for you. With every passing minute, there's another chance to turn it all around.


The PD Wednesday Book of the Week is Who Moved My Cheese, by Spencer Johnson, MD.
It is a very easy read. You can sit down and read it in about an hour. It is good to read, if you are interested in changing you perspective on life. It is somewhat fitting, considering the economic turmoil that our world is experiencing right now. One of the most unique things about this book is that it is fitting for people of all ages. If you have kids, I encourage you to share this book with them. In fact, you should be sharing this book with everyone that you know. If they've already read it, at least you've found someone to have a good conversation with.