Thursday 30 January 2014

Clarity

I am driving home. The air is crisp, the temperature has dropped to -15. With the colder weather a calm falls over the area. The sun has been shining all day and everything is clear. As evening is coming upon us the crisp clarity continues, almost peaceful. I soak it up take in my surroundings and appreciate the moment. As I drift into my evening I am feeling energized and ready to go. But somewhere in the evening I start to get tired, I start to lose my focus, I become agitated. My temper becomes short and I just want to shut down for the night. I know I can't though, I have been feeling so strong, so focused, I know if I let into this feeling it will grow, and it will be here in the morning and into tomorrow. I grab my music and try to break out into my own world once I have a moment. Its not enough, its helping but I know its only a cover up. There is nothing particular that has set me off, everything is good, but something somewhere is pushing my buttons. I sit for a minute and don't want to get up. Finally I push, I stand up and hit the treadmill, music turned up I am going to break through this fog. From a day that started so clear so great, the fog it like a late fall day and took away that beautiful sun, but the sun is mine to have, I will break through the fog and find that clarity again, find that focus and find that new person I am becoming. Within minutes of my run I feel energy coming back, I feel a rhythm coming into my body and the fog starts to clear from my mind, I smile and see the sun again.
It is so easy to let ourselves slip back into old habits. With as busy as we are in today's world it is easy to give in to exhaustion, frustration and weakness. But if we want to succeed we have to stand up, we have to find our sun and let it clear our vision and give us focus and clarity. If you can't see where you are going it is tough to be motivated to want to get there. Break through the fog, see the sun and let it shine.

Monday 27 January 2014

The Truth Hurts!

Welcome back to reality, your on the floor, embarrassed or ashamed. You stepped outside of your realm, you pushed too hard too soon! Reality check, your pride is bruised and you are flat on the floor, your human, you have weakness, you can bleed and you have flaws. 
Back up a second though, the reality is, you didn't push to hard or too soon, there is no realm that cannot be yours, if you are alive you haven't pushed too hard. Pain is a reminder of your humanity, our humanity is what makes us great. Use your pain, don't lose yourself in it, let it motivate you. For some reason we fear the truth the reality of humanity, or weakness, don't numb the truth or the pain, accept it. When your on the floor don't look around for pity, don't reach around for scraps, pull yourself up and walk away strong. Look for advice from those that knocked your down, don't see them as the enemy, see them as a competitor, and if you can, as a mentor. If you are bested it means you have skills to build, you wouldn't have known that if you had not tried. Some days the best thing we can do is hit rock bottom, it reminds us why we are trying so hard to move forward. But as time shifts forward we need to change what rock bottom is. Next week, next month, next year, what we once saw as success will now feel like rock bottom. Pain is relative, it is based on what we know and what we have to compare it to. If you have felt deep pain, you will never forget it, but you never want to go there again, you set your bottom one step above that. And when you are put in your place, when you are knocked down, you can stand up knowing you are still above your weakest point, you are stronger then you were before. Sometime we will not see what we were missing until we are laying on the floor taking a second to stand up and gather ourselves. Take the truth and listen, let it sink in, let it hurt, and adapt, don't make the same mistake twice, grow and get stronger. Our best motivator is pain, our greatest focus comes when avoiding feeling that pain again. Be inspired by the Truth and drag yourself off the floor and stand strong!

Friday 24 January 2014

Happiness

Happiness comes from within. We need to find it within ourselves, when we are happy with ourselves we can be happy with others we can inspire others to share the happiness we feel. To find this happiness we must hold those happy moments close, keep them for quick reference on the top of your mind. The moment that you step outside and the warm sun strikes your face, warms you from head to two. The moment you are embarrassed by a loved one and everything feels right. The moment you realize victory is in your reach and every ounce of your strength will be used to taste success. These moments define us, they are our life blood, our inspiration not only when we are strong but more importantly when we are weak. Even if are happy points are fewer then our moments of grief we still have them, we can still reflect, take a moment to remember that feeling, and then strive to have it again, have that moment more often and have it be stronger. The stronger the feeling of happiness the longer it will last, the deeper the inspiration will root itself and the stronger we will be. Happiness is the greatest drug we can access, as we feel the inspiration of happiness, endorphin's run your body and give you an out and out physical motivation, clear focus and a rush like no other. When this happiness is sourced naturally through success, through inspiration and through love there is no greater feeling. Find happiness, experience happiness, and replay those moments again and again. Every day life will become a greater experience and you will have the strength to do anything. Live Happy!

Thursday 23 January 2014

FIGHT!

I am pinned to the ground, struggling to move, trying to find a weak point in my opponent. My breaths are getting shorter, I know I will have to tap soon. Suddenly I hear my name "THOMAS". I look up, our guest Sensei is standing over me, he makes direct eye contact, an intense stare, in one motion he brings his arms forward, moves his body ahead in a small lunge, and in his heavy Japanese accent says "THOMAS HUUA". that was it, eye contact was never broken, a stern look never left his face. Such a small gesture but suddenly I could move. My mind focused, in an instant I had a clear assessment of my position. I shifted, dug my feet into the ground and pushed myself off the ground, in a moment I was free, and the spar match continued. That moment is burned into my memory, I was ready to tap out, I was so caught up in my weakness that I forgot my strength, was it the words, was it the look? Yes and no, it was the intensity of the message. Sensei had trained in Judo all his life, every aspect of him worked together in sync when he engaged in a match, even in his short message everything was in sync. This training, this focus, this commitment can only inspire. It is inspiration we can all draw on. When we prepare, when we train, our mind and body learn to work as one, we have a better sense of our surroundings as we don't need to think "what is my foot doing right now" our body knows, it senses everything. Watching either Sensei fight you can see that they not only know their own body but can sense the body of their opponent by only holding onto their gi. This is focus, this is inspiration and this is years of training, both have lost many fights and will lose more in the future, but they learn from every match, they learn about themselves and about there opponent. Both are at the top of their field, and win many more fights then they lose. Open your senses to your surroundings, learn to listen to you body and mind, find you balance, find you sync and build your strength. For me whenever I am feeling defeated the face our guest Sensei jumps into my mind and I hear "THOMAS HUUA", and I fight.

Wednesday 22 January 2014

The Voices

You can make it! Just a few more steps! I know you can get there! We are here for you!
You don't have the strength! This is not your thing! Just give up now!

No matter where we go there are voices chiming in, they may be right beside us or they may be memories from the past. Or it may be your own internal voice weighing in on the situation. Some voices are loud and clear others are quiet, we barely notice that they are there. But every single voice has an impact on us, from the time we are young everything we hear finds its way into who we are. Our subconscious is built on those voices from the past. But the good thing is, if we are not built on confidence, we can be rewired, we can adjust out internal voice by choosing what external voices we listen to. We need to surround ourselves with positive voices! When we are hit with a negative voice we need to use it as encouragement. Take the "You will never make it's" as a challenge. Take the "Just give up now's" as a marker that you have to push harder if you are going to finish. Let the positive voices be your guides to success, your focus your inspiration to motivation, let them keep you warm when your cold, hold you up when you are weak and drive you forward for those last few steps. Take the negative voices and make them your fuel, let them hit your mind and change their meaning. We reflect those that are around us, and let them build us to be who we are. Even if we start out slow, start our weak, we have the strength to get stronger, we have the conscious to surround ourselves with those that will help. Hear the voices and make them your own. Knowing this be the change factor, be the voice that rings true and creates a positive tone in the room.

Sunday 19 January 2014

Be the Rock.

Deep down I am cold inside, I am angry, I want know the answers. Sometimes the things we need are out of our reach, out of our control. We need to find a way to keep standing. Sometime tears will fall, that's fine, that is life. What we need to do is find the drive to pick ourselves up, move forward and make the best of everything we do have. Until we know the answers there is nothing else we can do, we have to hold on to the strength we do have. Once we are able to obtain and move through the information we were searching for we can carry on. Life isn't always easy, life isn't a perfect ride. But if we learn to manage through the harder points, then the high points will be even greater then we could imagine. Every step is an important part of this journey. Deep inside we HAVE the drive, we HAVE the motivation to move forward and we NEED to hold that. Drop, drop for a moment, take your time, but DO NOT let time take you. Live your life, carry forward, deep inside you have what you need, you have to find it,
you have to hold it. Do not let the weak moments take control of your life. You have made it through struggle before, so be the strong individual you are inside, show those around you that you have the strength to carry them, to help them through when times are tough. Be the rock and be the strong individual you know you are.

Friday 17 January 2014

Encouragement.

As we travel through our days we will get many forms of feedback. The underlying message of all that feedback sinks in and forms who we are. Most of all the words we say to ourselves will form who we are. When we take on a task what are we saying to ourselves, how are we inspiring ourselves. If we must succeed, if it is our last opportunity to prove ourselves do we go in saying "I will not fail!" or "I will succeed". Such a simple message that really has the same meaning, but the words used will have an impact. If we only understand success then we are going in with a positive attitude. When we use a statement that includes failure then part of us is considering failure is an option. If we do not succeed on our first attempt then we are saying to ourselves "I did fail". If we had moved into the task with the thought of "I will succeed" then if we don't, we can continue saying "I will succeed" we can stand up and try again.
 As I have said before we can take inspiration from anything, but we are the only ones that can turn that into motivation. We must focus on the positive aspect of life. No matter how hard we hit the floor we need to stand up, we need to move forward. We are all allowed time to gather ourselves, and for some it will take longer, but we are built to survive and we need to embrace that. Some days it will be tough, some days we will hurt, and sometimes that is what we have to accept, but from that we need to find our strength. We need to hear the positive statements, we need to give ourselves that strength in the words we say to ourselves. We can step through to tomorrow, someone is there waiting for us and expects greatness from us. Be your own biggest fan, and spread that inspiration to all that you can.

Thursday 16 January 2014

Drum Roll Please!

Drum roll please, let the music play, let the music drive me forward. The tune will settle deep into my mind and take my where I need to be!
Music can be such a great inspiration, it can influence your mood in so many ways. Music has such a deep impact on everyone of us. Some songs take us back to a moment in time and are tied into all our other senses, they can make us feel like we are living a moment again. New music can hit us like a ton of bricks, take us away the first time we hear it, it can stop us in our tracks or drive us forward. Some music will slow us down, add perspective and other music will take get our blood flowing. Choose the music for the moment you are in, let it sink into your mind and help you through. We can take inspiration from anything, for so many of us music is truly a simple answer. When our energy is low turning up the right tune can be just like plugging in. Energy surges, blood starts to pump and your muscles have more juice and your mind finds focus once again. When tensions are high and it feels like nothing will settle you down a good riff can bring you back to your feet. For each of us it is different, some days a good metal song will settle me down other days I need some jazz or blues. Learn yourself, find what drives you, how it connects to your mind, to your adrenalin. Once you know what your source is use it. Shut the world out for a minute, or an hour, turn up your music and find the mindset you need for your inspiration, for your focus and for your motivation.
Drum Roll Please, its what I need to get through this moment, so give me the music and let me ride!

Tuesday 14 January 2014

To stand on top of the Mountain

To stand on top of the mountain we must know that is our place. We must know that is where we belong. We must be focused, our vision must be clear and more then anything we must be confident. When we have a moment of weakness, if we lack confidence, our likelihood of turning back is increased exponentially. There are times we stand back and ask how someone has succeeded, to us they don't appear to be strong enough, or maybe intelligent enough to be where they are. But for that task they knew where they belonged, they saw their end goal, and their confidence carried them through. Surround yourself with success, surround yourself with strong people, seeing these people, hearing their words will give you strength to carry forward. Confidence is built over time, but you don't have to start out confident, build up to it. Take one step at a time, find your motivation, build your focus and see who you really are. Find your inner strength and embrace it. Once you are confident that you belong on top of the mountain you will not be shaken, when people try to cut you down this will become only fuel for the fire inside. You won't weaken when you are questioned, you will hear the words, consider their meaning and let it build your resolve. We all start at the bottom of the mountain, as we stop focusing on the every step and start seeing our goal the distance traveled will start to fade, the final goal will always seem to be around the corner, and then you will be on top of the mountain, looking around at the splendor. Now don't look down upon those that didn't help, offer them a kind word, offer them a hand, be strong on all fronts! When you have your chance and you stand on top of the mountain share the moment, know that you have tasted success and build on that!

Monday 13 January 2014

Build the Habit.

How do we make change, in life, in our life, in the life of others? First we get started, they say every little bit helps, but that statement has it flaws. Sometimes the only difference a little bit makes is to mess things up. If we can't engage long enough to finish the job then often it is not worth stepping in. One needs to know what they are getting into, there is always a learning curve, a time to learn to work with those around you. I believe this comes down to focus. If we can't focus long enough then we are only that person standing around "looking for something to do" instead of that person with there hands dirty moving things forward. We may have had the motivation to get involved, but if we can't focus long enough then we will lose our desire as we will always feel as if we are not making a difference... because we are not. They say it takes 28 days to build a habit, so plan the time to make change, it is not a one day, one time event. Once we learn to engage, to focus then motivation comes easy as we know we can change, we know we can make a difference in ourselves and around us. Start with the small steps, if it is something you have never done before make it the only thing your are focusing to change. If you have done it before, think about why you stopped, was is a quick stop, was it a gradual loss of desire or was it a necessary change because of other life events. When you understand why you stopped, figure out your new approach and stick to the change until if feels natural, until it is so natural that if you miss doing it you feel like you have wasted your day.
Find the motivation, stay focused, and build the habit.

Saturday 11 January 2014

A good jog!

 A few years back a friend was up to visit. He had been through a rough patch and he was trying to turn over a new leaf in life. So the one afternoon he looks at me as says "lets go for a jog", I agreed I really enjoying jogging and running but never got out enough. So we got our runners out and headed out. I take off like normal and find he is not keeping up, I look back and see he is not keeping up. I slow down to a walk and find with a quick step I can easily keep up with his jog. I look at him and say "what is this? warm up?" He doesn't say much and we keep going. Finally the pace is not picking up and again I ask, "when are we going to start jogging?". Without missing a step he says "You have to start slow. This is my pace right now, if you have a problem screw off!". I kept pace with him and didn't say much else after that. 5 years later he has lost over 60lbs and is out pacing me every time I turn around. In the end jogging wasn't his thing, he owns three bikes (a downhill, a cruiser and a commuter.) What did he do different, I think it all comes down to that day. He took small steps, focused and kept motivated. Where as I jumped out, tried things at full speed, next to no warm up, just wanted to go from rookie to pro. I lost the drive as I overloaded myself right off the bat. He took it slow, found what worked and what he enjoyed, as he learned to enjoy his new lifestyle he embraced it and it moved from trying to get in shape and lose a few pounds to trying get new personal records and finding new ways to push himself. The small steps made everything come together. Though I didn't see it at the time I now look back and think "what a jog" if I had taken that approach I could be in the same place he is. When step at a time, one mindset at a time everything will come together if we stay focused, no matter what the inspiration we have to start at the right pace.

Friday 10 January 2014

Collect yourself before the fall.

I hear a crisp voice break the air, all seems silent when the booming voice stops. I shrink down a little when I realize that was me! I had meant to be stern but the realization that I just lost my temper and let out a booming yell strikes through me like nothing else. There is nothing that cuts my focus like realizing I have lost control, though only for a second it feels like it has taken everything apart. I need a moment, I need to step away from everything for a moment, a moment long enough to get perspective again. To keep direction we need control of ourselves! When everything around us is chaos we can concur when we have control of ourselves. We can see through the smoke, see through the people and understand the core of the situation. Without control focus is gone and really there is no reason to be motivated as we will get no where. So I step back, sit for a moment and take a deep breath, all is calm for a moment, the noise around me fades and \I am within my mind for a moment, a moment to bring calm and know that I have the strength to overcome. Now I sit down call my two little girls to me and give them a hug and speak to them in a calm voice, before anything else letting them know that I love them and didn't mean to yell. Though it is rare, the moment of weakness feels like a great crack in my foundation. Learning to keep control, stay calm and see through the chaos is key to any situation. For me the only ones that can really shake me are my family as I love them more then anything in this world so the strike to my deepest emotions. The best step is to step back before we break free from our composure. Step back and see the world around us and make it ours.
Step back, take a breath and keep the focus. Calm and collected will always have the strength to win the race. Just like a great river collect yourself before the fall!

Thursday 9 January 2014

Burn the boat!

Every direction we turn in today's world there are options. More options then we have ever had before. Everything is simple, quick easy and disposable. If it doesn't work the first time, get a new one! On one hand this makes it an amazing world to live in, anything we want is within our reach, on the other hand true motivation comes from commitment and focus. When something doesn't work the first time we need to learn to re-assess, approach from a new angle and try again, adapt to the situation and concur. Don't stop until you know success, or know that you can give absolutely nothing more, that every option is exhausted, then try one more time!
There is an ancient battle that I have read about many times in which the army had to travel over waters to meet the opponent. Upon landing on the shore of the enemy the commander ordered that the boats be burned. The army was going into battle out numbered, but now they had no option but to win, their only exit strategy had been reduced to ashes. The soldiers were literally fighting for their life, and they won! When we move forward in life we need to take that approach, move forward as though we have no other option but to succeed. With this approach we are not questioning whether we have exhausted all options, instead we are focused on the result, knowing that we will succeed and we cannot step away if it doesn't work the first time. There is no better motivation then truly believing success is the only option.
So I say, as we move ahead from here, BURN THE BOAT, don't consider that failure is an option, push through for success!

Wednesday 8 January 2014

Footsteps in the snow

I step out to quickly shovel a path in the snow, it is still dark I am rushing out the door to make it to a meeting on time. I am not late, but not giving myself much time to spare. As I get to the end of the driveway with the shovel I see footsteps in the snow. It is 6:45 am, it is snowing, it is around -5C and still dark out. The footsteps are breaking through around 4 or 5 inches of fresh snow, it is majestic to see, not a single vehicle track on the road, just a loan jogger breaking trail in the morning, focused on the road ahead, all else has faded into the background as they focus on each step, each breath and drive forward. In moments it will all be gone as vehicles pass and leave their tracks leaving the motivated joggers story a faded memory until tomorrow. They were not running to leave the track, not to inspire me, but for personal reasons, I am left wondering what inspiration motivates them?Do  they run for health, do they run to compete, do they run just to have a moment to themselves. Anyway I see it I know they are motivated, they break trail and drive forward! And then there is me, barely stepping out in time to get a path shoveled in the driveway. I think to myself we all need to be the one making the tracks in the snow, driving forward, motivating ourselves from the core, not the one standing with the shovel wondering what if!
Step out, break the trail and find motivation and stay focused!

Tuesday 7 January 2014

Its still dark out.

I wake today and don't want to jump out of bed, no surprise, most of us don't, a warm bed, a cold house and it is dark outside, the sun wont be up for almost another 2 hours. Whether I stay in bed for another half hour or get up now I still have to get up. I can find a million reasons in my mind why staying in bed is the right direction and why it will "make me feel better" today. Finally my rational mind come into the picture and I know I need to get up, need to move, once I am up the reality and impact of staying in bed too long will come to mind. The sun isn't up until almost 8am at this time of year, my mood sinks easy and I struggle to motivate myself. As I go about my morning trying to find my energy, remember why it is important for me to keep moving my oldest daughter (3 and a half) wanders out of her room, and in an excited voice goes, "daddy I woke up and its still dark out!". It hits me! It's a good thing to be up before the sunrises, I am up before many others, can start my day and be ready to go when the sun shows up. The light of the day and the human mood are closely linked. On those days that it feels like the sun will never rise we need to remember the best thing we can do is jump up and seize the moment. Find our own sunshine and make it another great day. See the sun through the rain. (After my daughter let me see the sun I have to say the coffee helped too!)

Monday 6 January 2014

Climb the Mountain

My legs burn, my lungs burn and my drive is slipping. We still have a good 1km to go before we hit the peak... I really hate to fail and my friend is ahead, encouraging me to keep moving... really not giving me an option. Until we get to the peak we have only hiked a trail, once we get to the top we will have an amazing view of the Rockies. One foot in-front of the other, dig deep find the motivation! 500 meters to-go, though this is all for fun I just can't stop I can't turn back, days like this I wish I had this same focus when I was struggling with a problem at work, or trying to get through a challenge at home. Some times it is easier to walk away, easier to "come back later", but getting back to it once you walk away can be the biggest challenge! You know it is going to be a struggle and it is easy to find something else to do.
 To see the top we cannot stop, we can't turn around we need to keep focused on the goal. I know I can stop to catch my breath and take a few seconds but my focus has to be on the peak. As I crest the top I can see for miles, the cold wind whips past me and I feel success, the aches and pains are gone for now and I know I have reached the top. This wasn't the first mountain I climbed and won't be the last. But I know I need that focus, I need to find the motivation within me if I want to clime more. I need to prepare better for next time, make sure I have the physical and mental tools I need to get through the next clime. I can reflect on this day standing with my friend looking over the mountain tops and pull inspiration for the future. Each success is inspiration for future opportunity. The walk down feels like nothing at all knowing I have been to the top.

See the Mountain not the road.

For 6 years I was in a role at work that felt like a never ending road. The view was good and I was learning a lot but I had taken the role to focus on my own development and felt like I was losing my true self. I was focused on helping clients, providing services and keeping them happy. Some of these relationships were rewarding and build great knowledge, but with a balance of all the clients, a growing family and me always feeling like I was staring down a never ending highway I was losing myself. Energy levels would swing, inspiration was there, but I could not motivate myself. By the 5th year I knew I was burning out, I needed a change, but when you are no longer in love with your job you have to work twice as hard to show that you are worthy of a change. I pushed every day, at the same time overcoming some large hurdles on the family side of life. Finally the opportunity arose, it was easy for me to show that I was the right fit for the new role but I was still stepping away from a role that in the end I had disappointed myself in. Though I had maintained a standard level of success, I was not happy as I was stepping out on a low note. I was able to make all sorts of excuses but inside I knew those excuses were not making me feel better. I really had to step back and look at the success I had, see the lessons I had learned from my mistakes and make sure I took as much as I could from every step of the way. Though it was not the role of my life, it was not my best performance I did come out stronger and built skills that will help me in the future. I had some low points but overall kept my head up. Focus on the end goal got me through and kept me Motivated!
See the mountain not the road.

Sunday 5 January 2014

Keeping the Focus.

Some days start rough. Whether it is a tired start or just a crazy day with two young kids some days it is tough to keep a smile and keep motivated. It is easy to just let a day slide by, one grouchy day, one day without much smiling, its only one day!?! But it isn't only one day, we need to get that motivation back right away, we need take a moment and think of all the good things, the things we want to be strong for. Each day needs to be a good day. When we are able to keep our smile on our face we have more energy to stand up and be strong, to be the person that we set out to be when we decided to change our life.
I was inspired the other day when I realized that I am the only person that can motivate me. Motivation only comes from within, there are many things that can inspire us, to give us something to strive for, but in the end that only becomes motivation when we choose for it to be. Inspiration moves us, motivation changes us.
My inspiration comes when I look at my children and two things always come to mind. I see how they smile and love every aspect of life, they smile that truly joyful smile and that same smile creeps onto my face. At the same time I know I want to be here for them, to be a role model, to see them graduate and to support them long into their life. To be that role model, to be here as long as possible, I need to be healthy, I need to be strong and I will be!
So now I think about those moments that my energy drops and I know I haven't slept right for a week, I pick myself up and I muster the energy to get to the end of the day with a smile, feeling strong and being proud of who I am.

Friday 3 January 2014

Motivate

Every year we take a moment to try and focus on January 1st or 2nd. We know what we want and we know how to get there. We lay out poorly planned goals and trek forward as blind as can be. What most of us lack is true focus and true desire. If we had the true desire we would learn how to set attainable goals, we would work to monitor them and we would feel proud to achieve them. Along the way we would continue to refocus and measure our goals. Over the last few months I have been working on this. The first step was to improve my personal outlook as to strengthen my relationship with my family and continue to improve my position at work. This has come with a balance of eating better, working out more and just thinking positive thoughts. This has been small steps, now as we enter the new year I refocus, I read more, I smile more. My confidence is improving and I know I am on the right track. We all can do it, one day at a time.