Motivation – Page 4 – Life Lessons

What’s Holding You Back?

There are myriad reasons people do not fulfill their dreams, other than some disabilities or incarceration. The main reason is that people never turn those dreams into goals. A dream is just a dream, until your turn it into a goal. You have to use whatever’s holding you back as an impetus to take the next step. In an effort to trigger the alarm, I will give you a few scenarios and viable solutions for each one.

Scenario #1 – I Have Kids
Kids should never hold you back because they are a blessing in itself. They should be the main reason you grind as hard as you do and make certain sacrifices. I know you’re probably sacrificing your own dreams to make theirs come true. Maybe you’re doing it just to provide for them. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. You should. However, if you have to wait until your kids to get out of the house (which can be a very long time, depending on their ages), you may want to consider a flexible source for supplementing your income.

The most flexible way of earning extra money is by working from home. Turn your hobby into your business. If you like styling hair, start charging. If you like doing party favors, turn that favor into a paid opportunity. If you like talking on the phone, telemarketing companies are always hiring. If you like to bake, sweet teeth are not hard to find. You may be surrounded by them daily.

You don’t have to wait until the kids get out of the house to go back to school. You can take the money you’ve raised with your talent and pay for one class at a time. If you earn a handsome refund check each year, you could use a portion of it to pay for your classes. In that way, you won’t have to feel pressured to attend school full time and incur undesirable debt.

Colleges understand your situation as well. That’s why they offer online courses. By the time your kids graduate, so will you. Geez! I wish I would have thought of that when my kids were little.

Scenario #2 – I Work Full-Time
That’s awesome! Several of the unemployed are seeking that opportunity as well. But how are you using your breaks and downtime at work? Are you Facebooking or Tweeting? Are you smoking or chatting? Those are definitely things you should do on your breaks, but you could be making better use of your time.

If you are going to Facebook, search for groups that have like interests. You could gather much information and network at the same time.

Instead of tweeting, visit LinkedIn for business or career opportunities. You can build a professional profile that might capture the eye of a preferred employer.

If you’re a smoker, then you probably have more breaks than the average employee. Instead of lighting a cigarette, light your torch of intelligence by brainstorming ways to fulfill your destiny. Escape that dangerous habit, and get in the habit of exercising your mind instead of frying your lungs.

If you love to talk, initiate career-focused discussions with people who are a few steps ahead of you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and seek solutions. You’ll find that many people who have it together love talking about themselves and offering good advice.

Scenario #3 – I Don’t Have Transportation
Ask for it. You call on your friends and relatives for anything else. Fill their gas tanks each week, and they probably won’t mind. With spiking gas prices, that’s not a bad deal. Don’t say you don’t have the money. You would have to put it in your own car, if you had one. If you really can’t pay for gas, then offer a service. Bartering is a good business practice.

Of course, you can always catch the bus or train, if you don’t have gas money. Ride a bike or walk, if it’s close by. I’m sure you could use the exercise.

Scenario #4 – I Don’t Have The Money
Apply for grants and/or loans. If you are ineligible, now would be a good time to use your gifts and talents. You can do anything you put your mind to.

If all else fails, get a second job and save at least ten percent of each paycheck. If you can, you should save it all. After all, it is extra income.

Scenario #5 – I Just Don’t Have Time
Yes you do. We all have time for what we want to make time for. Budget your time wisely, and invest in yourself.

And remember…
“Make sense of what you do, and make every cent count.”

What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear them.

Submit topic suggestions using the “Contact Me” page.

Photo: Flickr. Chain by Kamil Porembinski CC

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Do It Now

If there is something you really want to do, don’t wait until tomorrow. Do it now. One day, I was having a short conversation with one of my best friends. The conversations with her were always short because she worked one full time job, one part time, and attended school full time, while raising two young girls on her own. Nevertheless, she made time to chat with me while in route to or from one of her jobs or school. Thinking about a typical day for my friend sparked something in me. I thought to myself, “If she’s able to work two jobs and take care of two little girls and still go back to school, what’s stopping me?” At the time, I had only one full time job, four kids, and a husband to help me out. I had so much down time at work that I found myself on social networks, browsing the Internet, and shopping. I knew I could have been making better use of my down time, but I just didn’t know how. Thus, I left a message for an enrollment counselor at the University of Phoenix to call me back. I didn’t receive a call back the first time, so after a second attempt, I was able to reach someone. The enrollment counselor asked me a few questions before explaining my options. He had me all pumped up and excited but nervous at the same time. I had been out of school for a while, and the last time I was enrolled, I failed terribly.

Prior to speaking with the enrollment counselor at Phoenix, I was denied financial assistance the last time I attempted to go back to school in 2004. I think I had sort of given up at that point because I knew I could not afford to pay out of pocket. One rejection set me back by four years because I didn’t fight for it. Anyhow, my goal was to start back in the spring of 2009, but the enrollment counselor talked me into starting right away. At first, I was kind of mad that I let him talk me into starting right away, but I was grateful in the end. I probably would have come up with a million and one excuses as to why I could not start in the January 2009.

On September 30, 2008, I became a college student once again. On June 2, 2012, I became a college graduate! Walking across that stage was one of the best feelings I’ve ever experienced. I have absolutely no regrets! So what are you waiting for? The right time is now! I could have been still sitting in that cubicle at work on social networks and shopping, but instead, I used that time wisely and pursued a degree online…while on the clock. That was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made at the expense of my employer. So whether you want to go back to school, start a business, or buy some property, don’t procrastinate…do it now!

And remember…
“Make sense of what you do, and make every cent count.”

What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear them.

Submit topics suggestions using the “Contact Me” page.

Photo. Flickr. There are times of QC failures by Markus Bahlmann

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Don’t Give Up Just Yet

Giving up is common because it is one of the easiest things to do, besides making excuses. Have you ever tried to put a difficult puzzle together? Or better yet, have you ever tried to solve Rubik’s colored cube puzzle? Seems like every time I got close, I just gave up. Life makes you want to give up sometimes. I said life makes you want to give up sometimes. I know I’m talking to somebody. I can’t be the only one who has every felt that way. Well, I’m here to tell you that usually when you give up on something, you are actually closer than you think. “When you give up on something that is important to you, you set the mark for failure” (I’m GOOD, Chapter 8, pg 125).

It’s easy to get through life without facing obstacles, but those stories are only told in fiction books. I’ve had enough setups and setbacks to make me lose my mind. I thought all my problems would be solved after I graduated from college. Not. Then, I thought I could get away from them by moving to Texas because people seem to flourish there. Nope, not for me. If you only knew how difficult it was solving the puzzle in my own life, you wouldn’t throw the towel in just yet. I’ve had more no’s than yes’s. More failures than successes. More debt than credit. Did I survive? You bet!

As stated in my book, I’m GOOD, to be released in July of 2016, “Whatever is impeding your success, it is creating substantial stress in your life. Winning is never easy, but losing is even harder. Don’t let your losses be an excuse to give up. Opportunity only knocks where there is a door. You can’t be still standing and torn down at the same time. That’s an oxymoron! If you don’t have a plan for success, you can surely plan to fail.” Yep. You will fail because you gave up on yourself. If you really think about it, life gives you more than second chances. It’s not that you kept missing the ball. You stopped going for it.

And remember…
“Make sense of what you do, and make every cent count.”

What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear them.

Submit topics suggestions using the “Contact Me” page.

Photo: Flickr. Don’t Give Up by Alison Phillips

Something captured your interest? Don’t be selfish. Share with your friends!