I.M. Pei or I.M. Me?

Build your foundation.

Every month, I choose a new quote or saying and put it on a whiteboard in plain view.  All who enter my place are greeted with words of wisdom from various sources.  This month (albeit a little late!) I decided to post this one, by Robin Sharma.  When I saw it in Sam Glenn's book, A Kick in the Rear to Get You in Gear, it sparked my interest and I knew it had to be my quote of the month.

Consider this: what in your past has happened that you feel still defines who you are?  Parents' or your own divorce, educational experiences or lack thereof, socio-economic status, being laid off, etc.  Who cares?  It happened and there is literally NO way to change the event (unless time-travel is real, in which case disregard this post!).  Instead of trying to change the event, focus on changing your mindset to achieve a better result for the future.  It is easy to crawl into bed and lay there bundled in your safety blankets in the fetal position after something bad happens.  Don't be ashamed, we've all done it, but the point is to ask ourselves why?  Does it really accomplish anything, or are we just wallowing in our own self pity? How many high-success-percentage decisions can you really make from your state of self-pity? Really, there's only one that works, and that's to get out from under the covers.  The world does not stop for you or anyone else, and if you're not moving with it, then it is passing you by every second.

If you're allowing yourself to look backwards at something you have no power over, are you exerting power over what you do have control over, or being consumed by something that doesn't matter?  You have control over two of the most powerful entities in this world, YOUR attitude, and YOUR effort.  Those are the building blocks that you use as an architect of your own future, they are all you have.  Everything else comes as a byproduct of those two things--they are the foundation to YOUR future and present. They must be reinforced every day with the steel of your will power.  Allowing your past (whether its 20 years or 20 seconds) to define those two things weakens the foundation of your present and future.  

Find your special reason, break free from the vices that bind you in your past, and create with your enthusiasm, effort, and attitude, a positive and worthwhile present and future.

AR

Reflections on Booker T. Washington's Words

"Associate yourself with people of good quality, for it is better to be alone than to be in bad company."

Booker T. Washington's words echoed through my mind this morning as I pulled up to the high school for a team meeting with my boys.  Understandably so, especially in this day and age of social media, one can easily confuse "friends" for pictures and wall posts, and "friends" for people they associate with out of convenience, not out of choice.  Friendship, association, and relationships are choices.  

Why do we spend time with those that do nothing but bring us to the lowly depths of their despair? It has been said that winners bring reality up to their vision, while losers bring their vision down to reality.  If your vision exceeds the scope of your current reality, are your "friends" helping you achieve the aforementioned winning mentality, or are they bringing their reality to you and forcing it upon you?  Which one are you for others, a vision catalyst or a reality drone?

Associations create perceptions of one's reality...and whether or not one truly is a certain way is irrelevant: your choice to associate with certain people is a reflection squarely upon you.  Your choice to float through life associating with negative and toxic people is a reflection squarely upon you.  That's a heavy burden for most people to face, especially because it involves sacrifice.  You have to sacrifice what is comfortable and convenient to break the chains that hold you back from your inevitable success.  

Part of developing a winning mindset and attitude is surrounding oneself with people who are determined to develop their own winning mindset. Free yourself from the vice that is your current relationships with toxic people and realize, no--understand, that you have a choice to make.  You have a choice of whether to settle for a negative and dreary environment or to allow yourself to be an individual and develop those relationships in which you flourish.  

Reflect upon your "associations," and you'll find that bad company has a way of invading your every thought and decision making.  Finding the winning mentality within each of us begins and ends with the thoughts we control.  Eliminate the distraction of bad company and use the positive associations you have already made (they are there, I promise) to help lift you into a new realm of living.

AR