"How" do you MEASURE UP?

If you stop to think about it, it is truly scary how much of our days/lives are wasted on "Measuring" ourselves against a plethora of factors with the goal of understanding our true worth!

We are constantly taking measure of our "perceived" value, worth, attractiveness, likability, success, etc and constantly judging ourselves against external variables!

Now, some might say this is natural and a way of competing and charting progress - and that has some truth to it indeed.

What I wish to impart on you is that the notion of constantly measuring yourself against external factors is a "NO-Win" Situation!

We like to advocate "Win-Win" situations and this is clearly the opposite!

Why? Because NO MATTER how great you are, how attractive, thin, fast, rich, beautiful, intelligent you are - there will ALWAYS be someone MORE "X" than you! It is inevitable!

In the case of a Tiger Woods - he is on Top now - but like every other SuperStar athlete, singer, actress -- at some point EVERYONE gets passed by another person.

And if you base your whole life and value on being "Numero Uno" -- this cannot be a very happy experience on the downside of your talents!

If you are basing your entire Net Worth, Self-esteem, and Values on this type of Measurement, is it not clear that you are setting yourself up for eventual and inevitable failure?

To clarify - We STRONGLY BELIEVE in striving for excellence, growth, success, and to reach the heights in every single endeavor you undertake! This is a given and we do not mean for you to EVER cease in your pursuits with all the passion and effort you can muster!

Absolutely not! ALWAYS drive for Tiger Woods-like excellence and accomplishments!

All we are trying to make you aware of is that to base your own self-worth and values on constantly measuring yourself on "external factors" will only lead you to disappointment and sadness.

So keep striving to be the BEST at whatever it is you seek to do -- throw EVERYTHING at it and Do Not let up --- just make sure you are measuring yourself ABOVE and BEYOND the materialistic and external factors that so often define "success" in our culture!

Try to gauge where you stand in the following categories:

Friendship --- Are you a good friend, sister, brother, husband, wife, etc? Are you there for your "brothers and sisters" so to speak?

Compassion -- Are you compassionate and understanding with others in your life?

Kindness -- Where do you stack up when it comes to being kind to others and helping others in need?

Support -- How do you measure in the "supporting" people in need category? Are you supportive or detrimental to other's goals and wants?

These are just a few examples of what I mean by choosing carefully what you use to Measure Up in this crazy world!

Bank accounts, nice cars, big houses -- all of these are lovely and important in this world.

However, are these the types of things that you will let drive YOUR happiness factor? Do you think these things will truly bring you JOY?

Remember -- history is paved with people of phenomenal wealth, opulence and material possessions who died alone, unhappy, and miserable!

Balance your choices -- and THINK CAREFULLY the next time you take stock in your "value" on this earth -

What "Measures" Are You Using for "success"????

Keep Striving for Excellence -- it is yours if you can just envision it -- and Stay Strong!

"What are the Rules"??

Let's play a game!

What if I told you we were going to play a game whose length of play is variable and unknown. We will play this game together, but we can team up or go it alone or do a little bit of both. There are many different interpretations of how best to play this game, but everyone plays the game differently and at their own pace!

Here is the only catch --- I can only let you know the Rules of this Game AFTER the game is completed!

Have you ever played a Game like this before?

You have and it is called 'LIFE"!

Think about how crazy life is --- We all set out on the same path with a destination ahead and we are given multiple possible ways/rules to utilize in this "Game" of life - but no one knows for sure if they are playing the game properly, correctly, in line with the way it was intended, etc!

We have many guides, parents, mentors, teachers - ALL of them with their own ideas of how the game ought to be played - but the TRUTH of the matter is that none of these people really UNDERSTAND the Rules and even more importantly - do not know the OBJECTIVE of the Game!

So what occurs?

People adopt their own rules and objectives! Everyone identifying the way they want to play and hitting the field running!

So what path we choose - what Rules we choose - and what we interpret as the Objective of this Game is completely up to us to divine and pursue!

Remember - -we will not get the true Rules of this game until we are finished - so my tip to all of us is that no matter what path or set of rules we pursue -- make sure they include 'Kindness"!

I hate to have to quote Jewel but she nailed it -- "In the end, Only KINDNESS matters" -

So Play the Game you want to play -play it with the best of your abilities - but do not forget how the RULES you choose to play by AFFECT the other people in your lives!

"In the end.. Only Kindness matters!"

And I have Faith that when the Rules are finally discovered - Kindness to your fellow "players" - i.e., our neighbors, family, and friends - will play a MAJOR role in how we are viewed as having played this game of Life!

Stay Strong!!

Take Action!!!

A tremendous component of being Strong in Spirit, Mind, and Body is our need and ability to ACT!

While the Mind is critical to managing and recognizing our emotions as discussed earlier - it is not enough to change our lives if we do not ACT as well!

Now - say you want to be in better shape - you do not have to go out and run a marathon your first day! Want to make more money - well put together that resume and send it out! Want better relationships?

Well just hoping and wishing will not make it happen!

You have to get into positive frame of mind and GET OUT THERE!

It is perfectly fine to take "Baby Steps" toward your Goals -- but the KEY is to TAKE THAT FIRST BABY STEP!

Woody Allen famously stated "80% of all Success is Showing Up" -- and it is True!

You have to "Show Up" - i.e ACT - to make any progress! and that includes the smallest of Baby Steps!

Start today - get a piece of paper and LIST out your Goals! Then - directly across from the Goal DEFINE an ACTION STEP you VOW to take IMMEDIATELY to put you on the path to that Goal!

You will be amazed at the POWER you will feel just identifying these Goals and then ACTING on them!

Remember the Poem "Gods in the Chrysallis" posted below (http://staystrong4life.blogspot.com/2008/06/gods-in-chrysalis.html) ??

Re-Read it NOW -- and TAKE THAT FIRST STEP! NOW!!

Get that paper and pen and Take Your Life Back!!

You will never feel so alive and in control!

Stay Strong!!

Release...

Living in arguably the busiest and most stressful City in the World can present many challenges, situations, and opportunities for our Enemy # 1 & 2 --- STRESS and FEAR!!

And even if you live in rural America, STRESS and FEAR threaten our daily existence and are always lurking and seeking an opportunity to PARALYZE and STOP our ambitions and DREAMS!

The Good News is that we ALWAYS possess the POWER to squash FEAR and STRESS - 24 Hours a Day - 365 X 7 as they say!

Here is one Tip to focus on as the "Stress and the Fear" chip away at us and attempt to make us capitulate to their intended results:

RELEASE the outcome!

That is right -- Simply "release the outcome" to a Higher Power (whatever Power that may be to you - God, Allah, The Universe, etc...).

Now you may be saying many things in response to this tip -- "How do I do that?" or "That is an old cliche" or perhaps "That cannot work"...

Well, I will ask you to reflect on this for one second.

The current state of all of our lives is a direct result of the DECISIONS, ACTIONS, THOUGHTS, and CHOICES that WE HAVE ALL MADE ON OUR OWN!!!

Now ask yourself - are you 100% satisfied and content with these decisions and choices that have put you where you are today???

Well - if the answer is "No" to the question above - it begs the question "If you see the results of YOUR decisions and actions - based solely on your own judgements, isn't it worth a chance to leave the next decision to a Higher Power?"

What do you have to lose? As TOT stated, "Once you are in a Hole - STOP DIGGING!!"

Well -Next time you are in a stressful situation - or a fearful instance -or a Cross-Roads that calls for a judgement or a Decision - Release the decision to a Higher Power!

Have FAITH that the decision and path will reveal itself to you - do not impose YOUR OWN OLD JUDGEMENTS on this one -- try a new tack!

No one is against you -- BELIEVE and HAVE FAITH in what is to come!

Release!

This is the way life was intended to be led --- so get to it and start enjoying your LIFE!

Stay Strong!

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Control any Situation in Your Life... NOW!

See things as you would have them be instead of as they are.

- Robert Collier

So much of our existence is based on the "unknown" - in fact we spend most of our lives searching for answers to so many questions that we often forget to LIVE our lives!!

We cannot let that continue!

What if I told you that I can show you a fool-proof way to add more control to your human interactions, your work day, your personal time, you career, your "playtime", etc! A way to pre-pave results that you WANT - and will come to EXPECT - as opposed to firing away and hoping for the Best?

The concept is a sort of "pre-planning" exercise that you do prior to any interaction, meeting, conversation, event, etc.

It does not take long to master once you have the hang of it -- and it is based on a key concept we advocate and strongly believe in -- VISUALIZATION!

Here is how you do it --- Prior to any meeting or event that you want to succeed, you must take a few moments and pre-pave what you WANT to come from that meeting or event.

As an example, say you are meeting someone for the first time - say for an interview for a job. As the interviewee and job seeker, your goal is to IMPRESS the other party in order to possibly land the job.

Prior to the meeting - close your eyes and visualize HOW YOU WANT that meeting to go. Picture yourself calm, poised, in control, confident - the pure IMAGE of a Winner!

Continue to visualize yourself speaking of your accomplishments, your skils and talents- and picture the interviewers reactions as you calmly and confidently stride through the interview - never losing your composure, always thinking through the answers briefly before answering.

Picture what you will wear - see yourself dressed to perfection and impeccable -- and see yourself walking out of that interview satisfied, confident that you did your best and see the interviewer impressed and wanting to hire you!

Really visualize it clearly in your mind -the MORE DETAILS the BETTER- the sounds, smells, sights, emotions - release all of the FEAR and UNCERTAINTY and really experience how it will feel to get that job offer!

Practice this in everyday meetings - set the goal in your mind as to what you WANT to come from your interactions - and the stronger and better visualizer you will become!

You WILL see a difference in your results quickly!

Try it today -- Trust me - it works!

Monday?? So What - it is just another day to experience the beauty and challenges of life - and it has NO HOLD on your emotions UNLESS you allow it to!

Deep Breath - step back and enjoy your day --- PRE-PAVE what YOU WANT in your Head first- and the rest of it will be DELIVERED to you!

Stay Strong!~

Fallon O'Toole McIntyre 2002-2004

Tomorrow marks the 4th year Anniversary of my niece and God- Daughter Fallon's passing.

She of the amazingly deep and beautiful blue eyes! We miss her every day of our lives and it is hard to believe it has been four years since she was taken from us!

Her love and the AMAZING STRENGTH she displayed as a two year old battling a horrible disease serves as an inspiration to us all and Fallon's lesson and legacy live on even STRONGER today!

During your wonderful and hopefully peaceful weekend, please take a few moments to stop and say a little prayer of Remembrance for such a strong, beautiful and courageous little girl who, although she was with us only a short while, had a purpose and a lesson for all of us! Love and be loved and take each day for the beauty that it brings!

We love and Miss You, Fallie!

To meet and learn about Fallon's legacy and story please visit her Memorial Site and sign her Guest Book at the bottom of the page -- > http://www.fallon.freewebsitehosting.com/

Gods Bless and Stay Strong!