Day 30 Complete!

I have completed my 30 day challenge and My Miracle Morning is now a habit where I enjoy waking up at 5:30. This is a big deal for me and a significant life changing event has occurred. I have set a goal, I have completed and it feels really good. Just like life, some days went extremely well and other days could have been much better but it is completed. I have done a lot of reading and reflecting and one book has really challenged me.

I have been listening to an audiobook called, “The 48 Laws of Power,” by Robert Greene. It has revealed some things to me that I have had some difficultly in processing. It is a very good book and it is filled with great stories from history. I recommend the book with one caveat, if you start it then finish it. This book has helped me with realizing how things I have said and done may have affected others in my life.

The insights in this book have really made me rethink past experiences and current relationships in a very good way. In applying these insights to my life, I think about how I can improve my relationships and how I can replace my bad habits with new much better ones.

So now I have to figure out my next 30 day challenge. I have an idea and today is a good day to do some prep work. I am thinking that I will spend the next 30 days writing the first draft of a book that I have always wanted to write. I found that I waste my free time on youtube and facebook. Therefore, to have more time to write, I will be cutting out youtube and facebook from my life. I will continue to write any posts as updates and post them but I will not go on needless net surfing.

Thank you to everyone for your support! 

Day 25 Still going!

Central Park on Saturday

I heard something today that I never heard before.

"I hate to start a day when I have even the slightest amount of stress, anxiety, fear or worry. All of these, for me, are rubbish emotions which we have been trained to accept as normal, but they are not normal; and they actually hold you back from moving towards your goal." I always thought those emotions were normal. Many times in our society we hear things like, it's normal to feel that way, or everyone feels that way. Hearing this statement, of how negative emotions are not normal, is a challenge for me because of what I have heard the opposite my whole life.

On Saturday, I went to the Metropolitan Museum of art and they had this special exhibit called Ink Art. One of the pieces there had a powerful affect on me. It was called Family Tree.

Here is the explanation:

What is written on his face is an ancient manuscript for predicting someone's future based on their facial features. As he wrote more and more of the manuscript onto his face, he is completely lost under the ink. You no longer recognized the artist because of all the layers of writing that is on his face. I believe the same thing has happened to us. We have lost our identity, or it is difficult to discover who we are, because of the different levels of societal expectations that are placed on us. We believe the many things people have said about us. We take their words, write them on our soul and can never let go of them, especially the horrible and false comments made about us. Very few people have actually realized that they can erase the writing and chose to write something. We can write, " I am beautiful." or "I have value." or "I am a life-giving person."  If our soul is infinite then we have an infinite canvas to write anything we want to become or in which direction that we want to grow. We can always change for the better and it can start by washing our souls clean of the garbage people have said about us or what we tell ourselves.

If you could make that change today, what would you want to write about yourself?

Day 21 Tell Someone You Love Them

Spent most of the day in the hospital with my grandma who is not doing well :(

Tell someone whom you love that you love them...

Day 20 Eat that Frog Baby!

I had to spend my afternoon filing some paperwork at my job. I wanted to spend the time the best way I could and took a pen, paper, phone, headphones and went to YouTube to find an audio book. I have heard of Brian Tracy before from many different authors. They reference him as a great resource for time management. I have heard of this book from the Miracle Morning and I wanted to read this book. I spent over an hour and a half filing paperwork today and the whole time I was listening to a book on what is the best way to spend your time. The one tidbit I would like to share is what I believe is the main premise of his book.  He believes that the two greatest advantages that successful people have over others is this: they think in long term and they know how to prioritize. He says that developing the ability to look at a task and see which will produce the greatest pay off in the long term is essential to being successful. This can only happen when a person has goals already established and makes a list of all their tasks to accomplish those goals. A person who can do this has a huge advantage over other people especially when they learn to focus on tasks that have a large pay off as well as accomplishing those tasks quickly and well. 

He then goes on to say that another great skill to have is knowing how to prioritize. He says that many people who choose to be successful make that a goal that they physically write down and define what that successful goal looks like or what actions are need to complete that goal. For example if you want to be at a certain weight then write that goal down, think of all the steps needed to accomplish that goal, make a plan of action and give it a deadline. The one thing I would say different from this author's method would be that if you want to introduce a big change in your life a small step WOULD be the priority. A small step is not unimportant; it is just not as overwhelming as a huge implementation that you have not prepared yourself for yet. If one does not become open to the idea and does not have the discipline to enact a large plan then pursuing smaller steps would be better way to make yourself open to a new habit. You cannot walk up a staircase if the steps are too big. Smaller steps are much more manageable and can ensure a better chance for positive change then a massive change in one's life without proper support.

I really recommend listening to this book in your free time. It is very helpful and practical.

Day 19 Supporting Others

When I applied to the seminary I had to take a psychological test. Around that same time I became fascinated with Greek Mythology specifically with the figure of Atlas. I remember thinking, "Wouldn't it be cool if you had a pillar of the titan Atlas holding up a book; similar to a type of podium. I wanted to design that image and I ended using that design in a gift for my mother. She loved it.

So what's the connection? One of the sections of the psychological examination was to draw a picture of a man. I drew what I knew and that was Atlas. The psychologist came back to me with the results and said, "Do you have any idea how narcissistic that image was that you drew?" Needless to say I needed to work on that. I have tried to work on that by focusing on other people and where they are at in their life. Listening to other people, being with them when they laugh or suffer, being able to be vulnerable with them so they can be honest for a brief moment in their life, and ultimately just trying to be there for another human being has helped both of us tremendously.

One of the blessings from this lifestyle change I committed to over the past couple of years is that I have developed a love for supporting other people. I really enjoy that, especially when a person is sincere in their growth. I think if I had to redraw that image today it would look like the one above. It would be me trying to help someone else carry their burden that feels as heavy as the whole world.

Day 18 Don't Stop Me Now

There really is something to completing a habit for 30 days. It really does rewrite something in your brain. I see this clearly in my writing. I wrote for over 30+ days and I really enjoy writing. There are some days when I can be very tired and I do not write. On those days I feel like something is missing, like my day was incomplete. It is really interesting how this happens. I am reading a book right now that is called One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by: Robert Maurer and it really good. 

It is about understanding our fears that arise when we are presented with change. He talks about how making a huge change can kick in our fight or flight response. He then goes on to say that Small Changes bypass the fear mechanism, but the change will still occur. It really can help if you want to change something but fall into the cycle of Change-> backing out-> Regret-> No Change. Consider changing something small and it will have a bigger impact in the long run than doing a complete 180 degrees immediately. 

Day 17

I have been sticking to my schedule and I have been thinking about failing; about being able to move on specifically. It is such an important skill to learn how to move on. I do not know how the thought became implanted in my mind. The thought explicitly is that if I fail at something then I should quit. I wonder if it was something I learned as a child. As when someone says just give it up already. Maybe I decided to listen to them and think that there must not be anything here for me. That kind of thinking is applicable in a very few situations but not in all. So how come I apply to many others? Take exercise for example, choosing to exercise is a lifestyle change. It is not something I do to get to an ideal body weight goal and then stop. There is a goal and it does not finish after the goal. It is a concept I never thought of before. It is not a massive question that I have to answer but more like a thought to remember. Am I choosing to make my life better or  am I looking to fix a problem over and over again?

Day 13 and Day 14

I needed help today because I was not following my Miracle Morning as best I could. So I did one of the best things I could do for myself. I asked for help. I was listening to Hal Elrod's podcast and he was talking about the Miracle Morning Community. He went on to say how important it is to have people that can support you when you need it. He is absolutely right. I was able to connect with someone, and I hope we can help each other in deepening our individual levels of personal commitment. I think what I do is that I take on too much, then get frustrated, and then I give up. Then I feel bad and do something to make myself feel better. I want to learn to keep going. To keep reaching for my goal because that is the only way I will be able to build a healthy, successful, and life giving life that I can share with others. Here is to recommitting and living and excellent life!

Day 12 The Meaning of Life

Today I was able to enjoy some time with good friends and laugh a lot. I was thinking about heaven one day and I remember thinking that heaven must be a giant dinner with friends where everyone is eating great food, laughing til we cried and drinking really good wine and/or beer. That sounds awesome, like really awesome. I look at this cartoon and I think that the meaning of life is to enjoy the life you have been given while making the lives of others better. Maybe that is my own meaning, but it just seems right. The way I show God I love Him for the life He gave me is by sharing it with others. That is what it means to be a life giving person. I believe when a person engages in personal development they come to a point where they want to share much of what they learned so that other people can improve their life as well.

Day 11 Exercise

Exercise. Exercise is something that was not my thing. I don't know what is the exact reason but I believe laziness is probably the largest factor. It is simply easier not to do something. I was speaking with a good friend yesterday and he reminded that most people to do not want to go the gym. It is not until you start working out that your body wants you to keep going. I thought about this morning because I was definitely feeling that way. It was great to remember that as long as I start that my body will want to finish.  I am not sure if you have ever seen this before but this is called a Wheel of Life.

In the Wheel of Life you mark how satisfied you are with different aspects of your life on a scale of 1 - 10. My lowest areas were Finance and Health. These are the ones I want to focus on. I want to be much more satisfied with my health and the Miracle Morning has helped me to realize this.  

Day 10 Any Growth is Better Than No Growth!

Not gonna lie... I thought I woke up an hour early but APPARENTLY I did not. I forgot about day light savings time and so I was not able to do my miracle morning today. I was about to meditate this morning though which I am finding as so essential for thinking clearly. I was able to sit and push out any excess thoughts. This has been tremendous for me. It helped me form my day and think about my CCD class that I teach. I was very grateful for at least having that little bit of time to center myself. I decided that since I was not able to do everything in the morning that I would do what I could throughout my day. I wrote for about an hour and half as I sat in church today. I was also able to exercise by practicing my basic form of Tai chi. Before I go to bed I am going to read a little, do some affirmations and visualize how I want tomorrow to unfold. Any growth is better than no growth! If you forget to do what you have told yourself you would, try to rectify that as soon as you can! Do not fall into the temptation of thinking that I will just do it tomorrow. It very rarely, if ever works.

Day 9 Weekend Extended Miracle Morning

Today I Extended my Miracle Morning and it was wonderful. I spent more time exercising as well as reading. Since it was nice out I was able to go out and sit on the porch. It was so nice to be able to read without the feeling of having to run around. I had given myself plenty of time for my growth and it was really an excellent feeling. I set out goals for yesterday on how I wanted to spend my day and I met them. My big goal was that I want to deepen my relationship with my family. I went out to visit my cousins and spent a really awesome day with them. An unexpected joy that came my way was that I took my younger cousin bowling. It was great to spend time with him and to be able to see him growing up. I thought about when he was younger and now how he is as a teenager. I see the good natured person that he is and I am really lucky to be related to him. We laughed so much together. I really like laughing. I know that might sound like an unnecessary statement but I feel the need to say it regardless. I am so grateful to God for giving me such a beautiful family full of loving people!

Day 8 Reading more

I have been reading much more since I have stopped playing video games. It has been a wonderful experience being able to read again. I used to enjoy reading but never really for entertainment though. I would read more for learning and understanding. It has become a wonderful way to use my time. The books I have been reading are fantastic.

My most recent reading list has been from Jim Rohn. He made a suggestion of what books a person should read. He recommended the Richest Man in Babylon, and this book called How to Read a Book. They have been very good so far, and now I know why he has recommended them. He has also mentioned the 7 Lessons of History. I plan to read that one very soon.

I am looking forward to completing his top 5 recommendations.

Here is my next 5 Reading List:

1) How to Read a Book by: Mortimer J Adler

2) How to Speak/ How to Listen by :Mortimer J Adler

3)The 7 Lessons of History by: Will Durant

4) The Jetstream of Success by: Julian Pencilliah

5)The Complete 101 by: John C Maxwell

I hope to encourage anyone out there to read excellent books!

Day 7 Maybe too much?

I woke up pretty early yesterday and I ended up crashing hard yesterday lol. I came home from work and slept for an hour. Then I woke up, watched American Idol with my dad and went to bed at 10. Did not get a chance to do my Miracle Morning but I did do some of it. So my advice today DO NOT TAKE ON TOO MUCH! I know for me I can get too excited and want to put all my chips in one basket but sometimes a little at a time is better than a crash and burn. As I read in the book, The Richest Man in Babylon by: George Classon,

BETTER A LITTLE CAUTION THAN A GREAT REGRET

Getting back on the horse tomorrow! Wish me luck!

Day 6

Trying to wake up at 5:30 from now on:

Let's see how this goes!

Day 5: Six Minutes to help anyone!

So I know it can be a challenge waking up an hour earlier for yourself and Hal Elrod's solution is to give yourself 6 minutes of your day in the beginning for you. 

http://themiraclemorning.com/6-minute-miracle-morning/

I think we all need that time to collect ourselves before the day gets really hectic. This is an excellent way to start. Hal's strategy is very good, and I find it is helping me in many ways. I believe it has helped me in that, I have always wanted to do things like meditate, pray, read, write, focus on my goals, and exercise but I never had the umphf! This gives me a way to put my growth first so I can then be better at serving and leading others. I hope you can take care of yourself today so you can then help others go further than where they are now. 

Day 4 Still Not Enough Time!

So I find that even though I wake up earlier I still wish I had more time. Maybe if I had more hands I could get more done! Now I know how important it is to schedule your time and to stick to it. If you want to take advantage of every minute so you can make the most of it then you need that schedule. 

Today I spent my morning meditating, exercising and reading. It has been extremely helpful. It is a great challenge to make the most of something so I can become better in the future. In my search to become better my reading list has been expanding. One of the books that I have been devouring is this one:

This is a great book about basic financial principles that are in short story form. Excellent! Great for teens and for people who were never taught about money. I am finding the format to be a great way to share his lessons. I am going to bed y'all! Keep on striving for being better!

Day 3 Silence

I learned about the importance of silence in the monastery, and I am just beginning to start putting that into practice. One of the things that Hal Elrod suggests to start your morning of right is silence. Whether it is meditation, or prayer, or a breathing exercise, just begin to sit in silence. He says to start with 5 minutes, but I am starting with 10. I enjoy the 10. I have been reading about meditation for long enough, and it is starting to click. Maybe it is an entry level form I have, but whatever it is, it is working. There is a clarity to my thoughts now. It is as if I have filtered something out and I can now begin to see more clearly in my mind.  I also feel calmer and more at peace, especially when I am not rushing out my house. 

Day 3 is down and I am going so can wake up tomorrow better than I did today!

Day 2

So tired tonight. I woke up did  a modified morning miracle. And now sleep... I will write more  tomorrow. I gotta get used to the new schedule. 

Day 1 Proof!

See I did it!

DAY 30 COMPLETE

I totally feel like this right now! 

Wow! I feel awesome! I am really excited that I was able to Stick to my 30 day challenge of playing no videos games and replaced all that time with writing daily! It is very awesome! Enjoying today and tomorrow starts my next 30 Day Challenge! I will be doing the Miracle Morning where I will getting up an hour earlier everyday. So I will be up at 6AM tomorrow! Wish me luck with this and I will continue writing everyday on my new 30 - day challenge!

Here you go!  You know I had to!

Your Welcome!

Day 29 Prioritize Your Day

  I hope he can Speed Read.

For the last two days I have been making lists and checking them off. Every time something new comes up I ask the question, "Is this a priority?" What I started to realize is that every new thing suddenly became a priority and everything else suddenly became not important. That is not the best way to think. I am not sure if I have been trained to think that every new issue that arises is a priority or maybe I have so many other people do this I just assumed that is the way it is supposed to be. Regardless. When I write a list down I can still see all my tasks and rank them according to importance and time consumption. Some items can be just a phone call at anytime or some have to be a face to face conversation. To reflect on what is in front of you and say this has to be done first in order for other things to happen is essential. I see this with things in my job and with wedding planning. My life tends to go smoother when I have a goal and a list of things that need to be done. It is very simple too. 

The funny thing is that I was NEVER like this. I usually would have just went with the flow and not in a good way. I used just let whatever happened just happen to me. I thought that I was being in tune with everything. That just meant that I had no purpose but I would tell myself is that I am just enjoying life. What is funny is that I am enjoying life more now than before. It feels really good to get your stuff together and say what is the next thing I need to do. 

I guess I would rather feel like:

Than like this:

So I have to ask everyday: which would I rather be like?

Day 28 Tai Chi? Yeah I'll Try Something New

Yesterday I tried something I always wanted to before. I took a Tai Chi class and it was really awesome. It was a very powerful experience and I learned that I need more control over my body. In listing many of my goals over next couple of months health is one of them. It helps tremendously to when you have a goal in mind. As my boy Jim Rohn says:

"If the vision is clear and powerful, people will pay any price."

This is very true and I think this connects to the power of visualization. I wonder if dreaming is considered the same thing. I mean dreams of what you want to become or where do you want to go in your life. Visualizing can be very powerful but if it is not combined with disciple nothing will happen. What helps me in challenging myself is sitting down and actually writing out how I what to grow in a certain area. Making the right steps to achieve something you have clearly defined is a much better formula for growth than just hoping it will happen. 

Day 27: Life, The Great Grindstone

I just finished reading The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod and it was excellent! I highly recommend that book to anyone who has always wanted to make a change but might not be sure how to begin. This book will take you from where you are, walk you through a process and give you some tools to make a change for yourself. At the end of his book I felt really excited about my life. I remember having this feeling only one other time after reading a very good book. It was this one:

Now I know it is subtitled, A Black Choice, but this book is for everyone. His main focus is to encourage Black people to make positive changes in their life by using famous successful Black people as role models. He talks about how Oprah grew up in horrible poverty, how Fredrick Douglas was so gifted in speaking he toured Europe as he was buying his freedom, how George Washington Carver was a brilliant scientist and so much more. This book is a great buy! 

If you have 10 minutes and want to great inspiration here is a video of Dennis Kimbro speaking:

He's got a really funny story at 4:15.

Don't worry I will be writing about The Miracle Morning for the next month or so! So I will be getting back to you about it!

Day 26- That is Just Not Me

One of the biggest impediments for change is that we believe we cannot change. We like to tell ourselves, "this is just who I am ." I have been thinking about this because I never thought I would be able to do a project like I did yesterday. I would have told myself that I am not that organized and that is just not me. And then I funny thought came into my mind.

Poop.

That is right poop. I was thinking about what it would have been like for me to hear for the first time that I had to use the toilet. Someone at one point told be I need to poop in a toilet. My initial reaction probably would have been, "No. I'm good. I poo in this diaper and that's who I am. I have no reason to change. I'm good, really."

I would have resisted and probably thought, you can't expect me to do that. I can't do that. And sure enough I did. I was someone who pooped in a diaper before and now I am someone who does not. I changed and have become different and better. It was a process but most importantly I needed to change how I thought about myself. Now people helped like my mommy and daddy but after a while mommy and daddy won't be there to wipe your butt anymore. I have to make a decision everyday to grow and change and transform my life and how I see myself. What helped me to changed is that I need to see who I want to become in order to change the way I currently am. I guess I really need to learn is how to DEPEND on myself!

Good night Everyone! I'll be here all night! Tip your waitress!

I will leave you with the same words my mother told me when she got sick of changing me:

GO CHANGE YOURSELF!

Day 25 Project Complete!

I finished my project. Not going to lie, I have never done something like this before. I created a Three Year Youth Ministry Program! I spent the day celebrating and really enjoying a victory! It felt like a big win. This is kind of day when Old Louis never thought this was possible and New Louis accomplished it. The Impossible became accomplished. I just had to share that joy with whomever! Tomorrow I will be writing more about Personal Development tips but as for now I am enjoying the moment! Good night y'all!

Day 25 is complete! I am already thinking of my next 30 day challenge!

Project is Almost Done!

I will have completed my project by this time tomorrow. I will have completed my Three Year Youth Ministry Proposal by this time tomorrow. I am about 50% done with the presentation and it will be finished by tomorrow. My brain is totally spent! 

Day 23 of no games is complete. And to think on how much life I would have missed out on if I would have been playing games!

I will be writing more as soon as I finish this project.

Project is Moving along

I did not take this pic but I wish I did.

Sometime when I get that idea in my head I need to flush it out. This Youth Ministry Project is just running out of my head. I feel like Pooh! (get it?) Winnie-the-Pooh looks tired in that picture... and its a pun as well... never mind. Day 22 is wrapped up and I need sleep. I am already thinking of my next 30-Day challenge. I have a little over a week and when I finish I do not want to go to back on video games. Good Night all!

My First Project to Manage

I want to begin putting into practice some of the Project Management skills I have gained from these classes. I have been thinking about starting a Youth Group and  an opportunity may have presented itself to me. It is a three year commitment. SOOOO my Project Management challenge will be to make a three year Youth Ministry program where I will have every week planned out for the next 3 years. I will be listing goals, movies we will watch, and ideas for forming leaders in the group. I am very excited about this project. I want to challenge myself to do this and plan this out. Even if I fail and only plan out 33%, I still would have planned out a whole year. So I looking forward to this endeavor. Jim Rohn says to pick your goals for what it will make of you to achieve it. This will require a lot of me and most specifically it will require vision. Vision and discipline are what I desire grow and master in my life.

So Much to Learn

Today I was given a very special reminder. It was something that I needed to be reminded of every once and a while. I was reminded that there is so much in life that I do not know about. I love to meet people who know more than me and are willing to share some information. It helps to remind me to become better and admit that I need to learn to more. 

On a side note, my bedtime intentions were very helpful yesterday and I am looking forward to keeping these intentions in the front of my mind tonight again. I want to share with everyone a helpful resource in making a change in your life: Inspiration.

This is Hal Elrod. He starts off by saying we should give up the need for being perfect for the opportunity to be authentic. It is a powerful message and I hope you find his talk helpful. Day 20 of no games has ended!

How to wake up better!

"Your first thought in the morning is usually the last thought that you had before you went to bed."

- The Morning Miracle by Hal Elrod

Tonight I want to go to bed with these thoughts:

1) I am looking forward to tomorrow. 

2) I will wake up refreshed and energetic.

3) My body will only need 6 hours of sleep.

I wan to see how this works and write about it tomorrow. The main thrust of Hal Elrod's book is that whatever you with your first hour of your day will set the tone for the rest of the day. If you work on your personal development then you can attract success to you by changing yourself. 

I think it is worth a try! What have I got to lose? Good night y'all!

Day 19 done!

Too Much Studying...ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzz

Day 18: Done

Did you play games: No

Did you study too much: Yes

Are you going to bed: Yes

Did you pass your class: Aww yeah!

How Do You See This?

Day 17 of no games is complete. I have been using my time very well and I am excited about that.
And then this happened:

This came out yesterday. What an excellent show. Now I need to see if I can watch this without binge watching this show like I normally do.  I mention this because I want to be honest about any goals I set up. I do not want to develop the mentality that I have worked so hard that I can take a break. Jim Rohn talks about only resting when it is necessary, rest is not a goal. What an interesting thought, to rest when necessary. That is a whole perspective change. I used to just rest whenever I could. It was probably more out of boredom than anything else. But I think I will watch this show and really enjoy it. I want to see plot devices, character development, beautiful cinematography, and some of the best actors giving their best performances. I can look at this as just something to waste time or I can look at this as  something to enjoy and learn from an incredible human achievement in story telling.  Perspective really does change a lot!

Change Your Perspective, Change Your Outcome

This was this morning.

And this was this morning while listening to "Happy" by Pharrell Williams

I learned an important lesson today regarding perspective. I hate the cold. I do not like winters. Maybe it is because I would rather be comfortable than inconvenienced. If you had to go through the storm today then you know what I am writing about. I usually getting angry at this experience but today I decided to listen to something good and uplifting. I chose to listen to "Happy" by Pharrell  Wiliams. I chose not to listen to the people complaining about how they would have to exert more energy today than they normally would. I do it too and I want to break that negative habit. I changed up what I normally do and I did not have to travel this morning like most people did. Many people looked angry and defeated. Tomorrow, change your perspective, how you view things, and watch a change unfold in your life!

The Miracle Morning!

Very Excited!!!

This book just came in the mail! 

The Morning Miracle by: Hal Elrod

Ever since I heard Hal's story I wanted to read this book. Here is one powerful sentence from his book:

And, as a result of choosing to be genuinely grateful for all that I had, unconditionally accepting of all that I didn't, and accepting total responsibility for creating all that I wanted, this potentially devastating car accident ultimately became one of the best things that ever happened to me. 

-Excerpt from The Morning Miracle

Here is a bio for Hal Elrod:

At age 20, Hal Elrod was hit head on by a drunk driver at 70 mph, broke 11 bones, was dead for 6 minutes, and his parents were told by doctors that if Hal ever came out of his coma, he had permanent brain damage and may never walk again. After 6 days in a coma, not only did he walk, he became an “Ultra” Marathon runner, hall of fame business achiever, international Keynote Speaker, Success Coach, hip-hop recording artist, and multiple time #1 bestselling author of “The Miracle Morning” and “Taking Life Head On” — two of the highest rated and most acclaimed books on Amazon.com.

Take some time today to get inspired and listen to his story: 

http://www.knowledgeformen.com/podcast-hal-elrod/

I listen to him and I want to do something which I do not do to often and that is list what

1) A loving and supporting fiancee
2) A loving and supportive family
3) A heart that desires to know God
4) A mind that desires to as much as it can
5) Friends who keep me on track!

Be Grateful and open your heart to a better life!

Add Value

Really referring to bad habits not so much people lol

One of the areas I want to work on in my life is professional development. I am currently taking a Project Management course online and it has been excellent. I have learned a lot so far about people, team dynamics and I still have tons more to go!

I heard a great line in one of the class that said "If it does not add value, don't do it!"

I thought my God... How profound is that! How often do I perform actions in my life that are not beneficial to me? How often would I rather do nothing than learn something. It is painful to admit but many times I choose nothing rather than something.

I used to work with the homeless and one of the most difficult challenges I had to face was dealing with their addiction. I found most people were aware that the addiction was destroying their life. They would make resolutions and would stick with them for a while. Then the boredom would get to them. They would spend most of their time thinking about drugs and trying to get drugs and what they could sell to get drugs and cause me to write run on sentences. They would get rid of a bad habit and not replace it with anything good. They would create a void in their life and they would not be able to stick to their resolve because they were not able to fill the void. So the void fills itself. 

Replacing my time spent on video games with taking a class or listening to audio books has been a very beneficial way for me to spend my time. I encourage you that if you would like to make a change in your life then create a new discipline to fill your time. That way you ensure you move forward and not backwards. 

Day 14 complete! Week two is now over!

It's Not the Circumstance, it's YOU! Let's Work on YOU!

My God, for years I believed the opposite. "Why do I have to change? I am fine! There is nothing wrong with me! If only things were different... If only I was appreciated more... If only I was loved... If only I was skinnier... If only I wasn't Scottish..." Whatever the excuse maybe, it is certainly an excuse. I do not want to live my life hoping things will get better. I want to live my life being a catalyst for a better change in myself and others. I have listened to this positive stuff before but this guy, Jim Rohn, is different. He is a realist. I do not remember too may other authors who would say that I am in this very situation because I messed up. I remember reading a lot of different advice that would always factor out accountability. I am seeing how important accountability is. Sometimes I need someone to tell me, "Louis, that was not smart what you did. You are much smarter than this." And I can say, "Yeah I messed up and please help me move forward." No shame involved. I truly believe mistakes are not sins. 

Open the door yourself.

In looking at personal development, growing on purpose and living on purpose, a whole new world appears here. A world where doors open up because you attempt to open them and not just wait for the doors to magically fly open. To sit and wait for help seems foolish. We do not have a flat tire with no cell phone service in the middle of no where. We can be like prisoners with our prison cell key in our hand waiting for someone else to open the door. The change inside must occur in order for the changes outside to occur. Open the door and live your life, no one will tell you what step to take. Accept it and move on! Don't waste another minute!

Day 13 of not playing video games is complete!

Your Turn! Do It!

The only thing standing between 

your intent and your accomplishment 

will be your ability to 

discipline yourself 

to get started. 

-Jim Rohn

As I wrap up Day 12 I want to encourage you to start something new today. Recently I started journaling on top of writing my two blogs and it is because I forgot how much I love to write. A lot of people have provided such great feedback and this is a passion for me. I am almost upon the halfway point of my challenge and I have learned a lot about my self and different things. I want to ask whoever is reading this to think of something you always wanted to try and do it.

If you need some inspiration try this link: 100 30-day Challenges

Here is a cool one: Take a picture on your way to work every morning for 30 days and if you want post it on Facebook or send it to me!  Just take out your phone and snap a pic! Look at life differently for 30 days and see if there is a change in you! The 30 days will pass by anyway so why not do something with it! Here is a 3 min video talking about the challenge that might help to inspire you:

He starts off by saying: A few years ago, I felt like I was stuck in a rut...

I am there and I am getting out of that rut! Come on DO IT!

Bound By Choice

Men are anxious to improve their circumstance but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound.

As a Man Thinketh

By: James Allen

What does it mean to remain bound? It is a very symbolic concept that I do not believe too many of us have experienced. Imagine a person, a soldier, whose army just lost the final battle in a war. Now, the enemy is searching the battlefield for any survivors to take the prison. As he runs into what he thinks is freedom he lands straight into an enemy scouting party and they yell at him to stop. "Stand where you are or we will kill you!" The man has a choice to make - either run away and die, or be captured and live a life of pain. Unable to make the choice, he is paralyzed with the weight of having to make a decision. The enemy seizes him and ties his arms and legs together. Upon returning to the capital city for what he believes is his torture and execution, he is placed in a cell with an older man. There was something about this man... He was sweating profusely, mumbling to himself, rubbing his hands together and every 20 minutes he would yell, "did they come yet?!?!" They stopped answering. 

"How long have you been here?" the soldier said. 

"Twenty-eight days. They say on the thirtieth day they bring you outside. Once outside you can enjoy the sun for 5 minutes, eat your last meal and meet the priest, for after that you will die." 

"Are you ready?" 

"Am I ready?!?! Are you kidding me?!?!" And the man remained silent, staring at the wall where he marked the days off. 

The soldier woke up the next morning and thought, "all I have 29 days left" and he began revisiting every regret he ever had. 

On the day the old man was taken away to his death, he said to the soldier, "Can I give you a piece of advice? You and I are bound to this time and place and we cannot leave this very room ... in one sense. If you are like me, you probably spent yesterday thinking of all the women you should have asked out, and all of the missed opportunities you had. My advice is: do not spend the next twenty-eight days differently! Exercise, practice singing scales, compose a poem, meditate on a passage of the Sacred Scriptures that you remember. Whatever you do, don't waste your last twenty-eight days! My dying wish is that you do not waste the last days of your life! Promise me!" 

"I promise!" Said the soldier as he saw the man taken away one last time. He sat there looking at the courtyard of the prison and saw a very different man than when he arrived. It was a man who was ready to face his death because he was able to impart something significant to someone. 

The next day the soldier arose early, before the sunrise and began to do push ups. When he could not do anymore he would meditate on scripture passages he heard throughout his life. Then he would practice scales in his cell. He secretly wanted to be a singer and always wished he had time to practice. Now he had all he time in the world and could follow a secret passion of his. Twenty-eight days later he was in better shape than when he entered his cell, he felt closer to God and was able to sing beautiful songs. The guards would stop by just to listen to him singing. 

As the guards came to take him to the gallows, they began to weep. They saw a man who focused not on his regrets, but on his opportunity. When the soldier was brought to the gallows, they saw a man at peace. A man who because he truly believed he was free, was free, no matter how thick the chains that bound him were.

Develop the Habit

"The only thing that matters is to develop the journal habit."

-Jim Rohn

I just want to write today. I want to tell you about a cool moment. I am not sure why but I recently started watching American Idol. I never used to watch it before but maybe it is the dynamic of the new judges or the amazing talent that I have been seeing on commercials. Since my dad spends almost all of his time home he watched a lot of TV. So me spending time with my dad usually comes down to us watching TV together. He is the kind of guy who will talk back to the TV and and make really funny comments. It is kind of like Mystery Science Theatre 3000 but with an Older, Cuban man who curses like a sailor. It is pretty awesome. There is something about watching a show where many different people share their hopes and dreams. It is very inspiring to see so many beautiful and talented. I just wanted to share that one of them responded back to a Facebook message. It was a cool moment and it is something I want to tell my dad because it is away we connect. 

So today all I want to say is spend time with someone you love! I did that today with my dad and my fiancee. Days like this are never wasted I just wished they lasted longer.

Good Night y'all

Day 10 complete

Capture your ideas!

"Failure many times is attributed to a lack of information on how to succeed."

-Jim Rohn

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I wanted to share an idea that I heard today. This idea began to connect with different concepts in my mind already there. Jim Rohn was talking about journaling and he mentioned that one function of a journal is to capture great ideas. He talked about how powerful ideas can come and go and said they tend to come with friends. SO WRITE THEM DOWN! Write them together and see the connections. Do not trust your memory with this stuff. 

One thing that has helped me in personal growth is learning new things. The reason why is because I allow myself to be inspired by a new thought and remove self-imposed limitations. Sayingthat can't be done is a sure fire way to fail at something. Here is a crazy though: how could someone build a house out of drops of water? How can someone take one idea and form it into a massive corporation, novel, lifestyle change, invention? I believe it all starts with capturing an idea. I believe it starts with capturing your idea. Follow my thoughts for a sec.

One drop of water. A single idea. It is fluid, life-giving, it always comes from a source larger than itself, and can be used for the benefit of anything that needs it.

Capture the drop of water and it becomes a frozen moment in time. Capture an idea it is recorded and will be expanded later. In and of itself it is very beautiful, but few of us will ever just see just one snowflake. An idea needs a context it needs to be seen and appreciated in its relationship to others. 

Every year in Sweden the Torne river freezes and over 2500 block of ice are carved out of the river. In essence many different snowflakes come together to form a block of ice. Similarly your idea can be part of something larger and once it is combined with others it can form a powerful concept. This concept might be the seed for something much larger than you cannot imagine at this very moment.

In the hand of an artist the ice comes alive. In the hands of a person who can get things done, your concept could change yourself and the life of everyone around you. Become that person who can get things done. Expand your mind and read about as many different ideas as you can and find people with whom you can share! 

You might ended up with something like Ice Hotel in Sweden. This place has got everything. Ice beds, ice bar, animal sheets, art everywhere and it will be melting in April. The hotel is built every year and they have different artist come to use the ice as their canvas. 

Your idea could be like that. It could helped to create company, NPO, ways for helping people to learn, gain self-confidence, grow closer to God, help others to achieve their dreams while you are achieving yours, etc... You are only limited by what you choose to be limited by or you are limited by what you want to be limited by. 

And don't forget even the Ice Hotel was someone's idea first...

Day 9 is done!