Author: CLFurlong

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

This proverbial phrase suggests the encouragement of optimism and a can-do attitude in the face of adversity or misfortune. Lemons suggest bitterness, while lemonade is a sweet drink.

So when life does give you lemons (and it will), what will you do? You have a decision to make. Here they be:

When life gives you lemons,

• throw them back
• keep them, they are free lemons
• make lemonade
• throw them at someone
• grab some tequila & salt
• unless life also gives you some sugar and some water, your lemonade is going to suck
• say thank you
• plant a lemon tree
• spice up your meals
• learn to juggle
• sell them
• share them

The point is; life will give you lemons. Sometimes you will be able to use the opportunity and surprise the world, sometimes the lemons will have limited options and sometimes you may feel like there is no options and throw them away. But reality is (as shown above), there are a number of choices you can make and even more than the ones listed. You need to decide whether you will take hold of the opportunity and make it work somehow. Or you can simply throw them away or right back at someone. But how you handle this, will define you in that very moment.

Three things define you. Your words, your actions and your attitude. – Anil Sinha

Keeping track of crucial elements in your life through the utilization of lists, is a perfect way to help you also grow your memory, or feeble recollection.

Below I have a number of lists which have been found perfect to track achievements and ambition.

A List Of Goals

These should consist of all the items that you deem are necessary to truly respect yourself. They will be the list of things that you will want to complete in order to feel truly accomplished. Without such a list, you lose direction of where your life is heading, and we all need some inner guidance to focus on.

What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals. —Zig Ziglar

A List Of Tasks

Tasks are all those milestones that lead up to a specific goal and completing these tasks would mean you have completed your goal. Depending on the size of your goal, you may have daily task lists, weekly tasks lists or a range of task lists.

Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best. —Theodore Isaac Rubin

A List Of Contacts

If you think you can do it all and this journey we call life all by yourself. You are wrong. However at the same time a flawed relationship can result in some unwanted outcomes as well. Finding friends and a partner can prove to be a challenge in this world. What I can guarantee you is; you will meet people who may inspire you. Truth be told, it can be arduous to forge strong friendship bonds, but having important acquaintances and becoming an important acquaintance is very much possible. This is where your list of contacts comes in. Having a list of your friends and family is important, but expected. Having a list of people you meet with skills and talents you may require assistance from, these should be in your contact list for future reference. You never know when you may need a lawyer, a programmer or a handyman. Make’s sense right?

Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit. — Aristotle

A List Of Expenses

Money comes in and goes out. Knowing the in’s and out’s and understanding how and what you are spending your dollars on is one way to ensure you are being financially healthy. There are two types of expenses: those that are necessary, (bills, taxes, food) and those expenditures used for indulging some personal cravings.  By making lists of all the monthly expenses we are obligated to pay, we’ll have a clear overview with how much resources are there at our disposal. Without the list and self-control, we can lead ourselves into a state of financial suicide. Financial success is measured by the amount of wealth and without adequate spending tactics, you prevent its accumulation.

A wise person should have money in their head, but not in their heart. — Jonathan Swift

A List Of Useful Tools

Society today vastly depends on technology which are usually the vessels of our details and information. Having these just stored plainly on your technology such as a phone or computer, means they can be lost. Useful tools can help avoid this problem and they also make the job easier when it comes to storing information. Using the right apps and tools can make up for our lack of skills in a particular area, or simply help us manage our daily life and work life in a more timely manner. The only problem is… there are so many tools and if you use them all you will forget which tool has what information. The key here is to have a list of your tools that you are using.

If you’re the type of person who has to fulfill your dreams, you’ve got to be resourceful to make sure you can do it. —Vin Diesel

A List Of Self Improvements

This is an important and personal one. We all have things we want to improve about ourselves and this is ok. With a healthy goal we can overcome and grow into greater success. Think about yourself, make a list of all the things you would like to improve or change, (these are some examples) then consider how to implement those changes. But I am sure you will have your own. The list is there simply to remind you which improvement to prioritize, and build up your confidence after each completion. Refusing to change can either result in lack of confidence and depression, or becoming an overconfident and self-absorbed person that no one will tolerate for long; both of these traits will have impacts to your quest for a successful future.

The minute that you’re not learning I believe you’re dead. — Jack Nicholson

A List Of Creative Ideas

Some of my best ideas come to me in the shower – these are important to write down and save to your list of creative ideas. You may not know how to complete this item at this point of time, but having it written down, will allow you to pick up the details and run when the time is right. Not sure what it is a creative idea? For an idea to be classified as creative, it needs to be new, it needs to make sense, and it needs to have some sort of use. Letting your good ideas slide is only a wasted potential that will put your progress in a halt.

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. – Waldo Emerson

A List Of Future Plans

Similar to your first list of goals – having a list of future plans which can be both personal or just important things that are to occur in the future. These can all range from stating you want to get married, to stating you want to keep up with the current trends of technology. This list can and will grow, so be flexible with it.

The future is uncertain but the end is always near. – Jim Morrison

A List Of Contingency Plans

Be ready for when things don’t go as planned. This is all about developing a good plan B. To elaborate on this more you can read some further details and examples here: being prepared for the aftermath is always a good and necessary thing. Whether the contingency is for work, finances, life, medical or family related – these should be thought about and listed.

You pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too. That’s a part of it. — Denzel Washington

The Bucket List

Like your goals – your bucket list should be the list which ultimately should cover your life from end to end of what you want to do, experience or encounter. Now, these wont necessarily require a task list, but this list should grow and be reflected upon regularly. It may change due to circumstances, but ticking these items off will vary through time and in seasons. 

Like any Monday, I suggest you tackle it head on, tackle it with the intention to own the week. I understand it can be tough, but don’t forget…

“Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.” — Marilyn vos Savant

Today I wish to share with you some mantras/some small motivational pieces, to help get your week super boosted and energized. But just remember, you are essentially the only one that can make your day and week great. You are in control.

Read these and see if they can inspire you to aspire further today. All you need to do is BEGIN:

• Be better than you were yesterday
• It’s never too late to be who you might have been
• Life does not need to be perfect to be wonderful – Annette Funicello
• Trust your guts
• It is a good day to have a good day
• If I fall, I will get back up. If I am beaten, I will return.
• I am STRONG and I am MOVING FORWARD
• Start doing things you love
• Live your life, live your purpose
• Inspire, Motivate, Encourage
• No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life. Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs. – Unknown
• Start today
• Own the day

Remind yourself to be thinking positive each day

It will take some hard work, some determination, strength and willpower, but through it you can and will overcome. Being negative is a common trait we use to be harmful to ourselves. However once we have made a decision that we wish to overcome this, it is a matter of fighting for it, by countering or redirecting your thoughts to a positive thought. In doing so, you will begin to find more positives in the negatives and it will become easier as you progress.

Consume positive material

You know what they say:

What you put into life is what you get out of it. – Clint Eastwood

Reading positive affirmations will help give you the motivation, the inspiration and encouragement you need to begin changing your mindset. You can read a book, you can use Google, you can even get some good old posters to hang around at home. Whatever it may be, consume the good stuff and that’s what you will begin to see and get out of life more.

Spend time doing what you like

When you are excited and looking forward for something, your mind instantly becomes proactive. You will feel fully alive, pumped and ready to go! So the secret is to plan a day – each day to include the things that make you feel happiness. Life is too short to be doing only what you are forced to be doing. You can do anything and usually what makes us the happiest is following our heart and dreams.  

Have a little faith

Just remember, you can do anything you set your mind to, but it takes action, perseverance, and facing your fears. – Gillian Anderson

Sometimes it just takes a little faith and belief to make it happen.  If you think you can’t change your thinking, then it’s likely that you won’t. However, with a positive mindset, just about anything is possible. Just believe that good things will happen, look for the good things and these things will start to become more obvious.

Remember nothing is ever permanent

Nothing is permanent — that’s one fact that nobody can undermine. Change is here to stay. That is life.  Nothing is set in stone and you can work on changing the things that you are unhappy with. Whether it be your relationships, your health, your professional life — there are things you can do right now to be happier in the future. But will you decide to take action today?

Embrace the negative and the positive

You need to be a perfectionist

I can promise you that there is no one out there that knew it all, had all the answers or had everything accounted for before they took action. Sometimes we just need to stop making the excuses about not having it all ready and just start and take action.  Embrace the learning process along the way! For example:

Traci Des Jardins, a well-known chef, was trained by some of the best chefs and restaurateurs in the world. Traci launched her own restaurant Jardinière in San Francisco in 1997. When she expanded her restaurant empire, her biggest challenge was raising money. She had no formal training in business, so she leaned on a business partner to help her figure it out.

You need to have every detail planned out

Like the above, you don’t need to have all the details accounted for, however the more details from the beginning can be insightful and help with decision-making, however these details can delay us from every starting.

 “When people do nothing but execute a plan, they lose the ability to innovate and adjust to the changing waters of business.” – Garrett Moon

There has to be the perfect time

There will never be the perfect time to take action. We may have an advantage or come out quicker due to circumstances, however, if you spend all the time waiting for the perfect moment, you will miss out altogether. As the perfect time does not exist. No matter what; thick or thin, push through and you will come through in the end.

You don’t have the time

If it isn’t the right time to start, maybe you feel you don’t have the time to actually commit. Now there is a thin line for this and it comes down to priorities. You will always have time, but it is how you prioritize your time.  Let’s not forget that there are plenty of successful and busy people out there who manage. For example a CEO would know what it is like to work non-stop. Now if they decided to stop this kind of life for the sake of their own sanity, they could. It is possible to still manage a company, have a family and look after yourself. It is not about not having the time, it is about managing and prioritizing your time.

You need a lot of resources to begin

You think you need to have all the right resources in check before making the leap.  Like the common excuse “I need money to make money”. I get it, resources and money make things easier, they remove barriers and obstacles and they help whatever it is we are doing become that whole lot easier. But if you start whatever it is you want to do, if you take action and do it with the minimal, you will learn to adapt, to make do and to find ways to work around the lack of resources. In time, the resources will become available and you will have the option to apply these, but who knows, you may be happy and content with doing it the way you have managed all this time.

You need to control everything

When taking action and starting something new, we tend to become control freaks. We want to make sure we know the in’s and out’s of whatever it is we are doing. I get it, we want to make sure we have everything in order. But sometimes to have control and to have power, actions and tasks need to be delegated and segregated. Asking for help and having assistance  highlights the importance of giving up control in order to build a successful dream, as it allows us not to rely on just one person – ourselves. Don’t get me wrong – self motivation and determination will always get you far and maybe even further. But support, encouragement and even direction from a mentor, will also go a long way.

Many people struggle with making a start due to being clouded by the myths listed above. The best way to combat these is to commit to not falling into any of the above mentioned.

Every story I create, creates me. I write to create myself. – Octavia E. Butler

Wake Up Earlier

Waking up early can be the key to more than just happiness, it can be the start of something even greater. As I have posted in the past indicating that getting up earlier and embedding this into your routine can have amazing benefits. It allows for more time, for more activities, for better schedules and even healthier bodies. This does not mean being a night owl is worse off. It just means that if you utilize our morning strategically and with a well-rounded routine, you will be jumping out of bed and kick-starting your day at a whole new level. The best part is, you are kick-starting the day with ‘me time’, which you can;t get much more exciting than that.

A Date With Netflix

Sometime’s it can be good to just switch off your life and pause whats been going on and just have a date night in with yourself and Netflix (or the TV). Just you and the remote control, no-one else commenting on the plot or asking you to rewind a joke three times. Look, you may even end up falling asleep, but the point is, you are in control, you can relax and just wind down.

Tech Detox

Turning off the gadgets and gizmos for a period of time, will enable a distraction free zone – but it also enables you to focus on other things at hand. Who knows what you might do, learn or experience in a world without technology for a small period of time or even a day. We rely on them so much, that without them I wont be surprised if you will be a new and different person. 

Distraction Free Working

Similar to the tech detox, eliminating all your distractions so you can focus will do you wonders. ‘Me time’ regardless if it is for business or pleasure, distractions can always decrease your ability to focus and get the results you are looking for. So eliminate these, then focus on your ‘me time’ by doing whatever it is you are doing and just see how productive you are. Noise cancelling headphones will help do the trick too.

Short Walks In Breaks

In a busy world, finding some ‘me time’ can be proven to be quite the challenge. But why not challenge yourself. When you have a chance to take a 10 minute walk, take it. This would be in your breaks at work or school. Take the time to just go for a stroll, stretch your legs and clear your mind. If you have more time, then go for a walk taking a different route each time. It’s like a mini adventure.

Airplane Mode For A Single Hour

Like the tech detox go into airplane mode. Turn your phone off or messages/calls off and sit back for an hour in peace. This includes emails and other notifications. If you’re not on call as a doctor or firefighter or similar, these notifications and incoming messages can wait. Whether you are doing this while you are trying to focus on a task, or simply just to have some real ‘me time’. Regardless, this will always make whatever it is more focused and productive.

Hobby Time

If you don’t have one – find one! Using your ‘me time’ wisely is so important as this can be limited due to being distracted doing life. Find a hobby that you can invest in, that gives you an experience. A good book, a musical instrument, video games, a sport or even some gardening. There are thousands more too. This time should be about focusing on your passions and dreams.

Read A Book Or Two

Like your hobby time – using your ‘me time’ as reading a book will benefit you in so many ways. Books are full of information, opinions, ideas and stories. Basically, they give your mind a chance to stretch and grow. They will make you think, dream and explore the what if’s of life. Reading can be slow and not that exciting when starting out, but once you have broken into a routine, this ‘me time’ will become a favorite I think.

Exercise

Don’t think of it as a punishment or a chore. Exercise is meant to be something you want to embrace and enjoy. Why? Well it is a step to healthy living, an important factor to anyone’s life. You can do exercise in so many ways, you can find a way that makes you feel comfortable and excited, or you can find something that will challenge you and really intensify the experience. Regardless, embracing this time to grow your mind sets and stretch your body limits will benefit you.  

Alone Time / Me Time is meant to do the below:

• Reboot our brains
• Help us unwind
• Improve concentration
• Make us productive
• Self discovery
• Deep thinking
• Problem solving 
• Relationship enhancement

Avoiding failure is to avoid progress – New Beginnings

I’ve had set backs, I’ve had failures, good grief I even thought I would have been further down the track by now. But I am not. I have come far, so far, real far. But I still have plans, bigger plans. Usually when I find, think or see a new and rising opportunity, aside from the excitement kicking in, I start to prep for what I believe is going to be my next big gig. However, I have been wrong. Barrier after barrier, wall after wall, delays, economic downturn and I’m sure I can think of other reasons, these have all turned me to another direction to another path untraveled. Who knows, maybe this path untraveled will be the new path I have been looking for, the new path everyone will want to follow down. That is why I won’t give up. I won’t let the set backs be my end, or be my finishing. All it does, is direct me to something else, and something more.

Don’t believe me? This is just as evident as described here in the book: Getting to Plan B: Breaking Through to a Better Business Model

To succeed, you must change the plan in real-time as the inevitable challenges arise. In fact, studies show that entrepreneurs who stick slavishly to their Plan A stand a greater chance of failing-and that many successful businesses barely resemble their founders’ original idea. – John Mullins

The same goes for you. You need to stand strong. You need to fight the fight. Keep on keeping on. Don’t give up. Don’t let the set backs, the unexpected changes bring you down. Don’t give in and give up. Fight back, adapt and try again, and try something new. Keep doing this until something sticks. Like any good exercise, the more you do it the more your body adapts, adjusts and becomes accustomed to it. The same goes for your success. Keep wearing it down and wiping off the fatty things in your way. Soon enough you will be tight, toned and doing things you would have never imagined. 

But like anyone, as you continue to grow older, these dreams became more serious and more realistic. As we grow we become more aware of the environment and the implications of our actions. Although, there is nothing wrong with that, but our awareness of our actions and how it can affect our lives, can hold you back. Ironically, just when you become capable of reaching your dreams, you end up stop doing the something to achieve it.

You start to second guess it all, you start to wonder what if you had done this, or done that. If you are realizing that you are not happy with the decisions you have made, that you are not following your dreams or on the path to achieving them. There is still time to start fresh. You can start your journey today! Take action today!

Here are 3 tips that you can put into practice which can help you in reaching and living your dreams.

Who Cares What Others Think

When it comes to chasing and living your dreams, the key is not worrying about what others think. By nature we depend on other people and we tend to rely on what others have to say or think about the decisions we have to make. I get it. We all want to be liked and accepted. But like I noted in my recent blog:  (11 Ways You Can Be Awesome And Embrace It) It’s all about the confidence, the charisma and the happiness you have, all rolled into a single existence and how you can be awesome by living it and embracing it. (Your passion) 

We work so hard to fit in and impress the society around us. We become so worried, concerned and confused by what people are thinking – so much that we focus more time on trying to be right for everyone, that we put no time into doing what is right for us. If you spent the same time and effort in living and making your dreams come true, forgetting what people think, you would be a lot further along the track than you thought.

You may not conform to the majority but it is your happiness that you are seeking… not theirs so why should you worry about not pleasing them.

Risks Are Important

Another major factor which is limiting you from going from here to there, from A to B or from the same to new; is the hesitation to work towards our dreams because we are too scared to take a risk and fail. Fear is so controlling, so demanding and can ruin opportunities. You need to understand – if we cannot even believe in ourselves, who else is going to? Or why should anyone else? Never let the fear of failure get into you. 

Fall seven times, stand up eight. — Japanese Proverb

Failure is normal… you get upset about it but then you have to let it pass, stand up and try again. Remember that behind every failure is an opportunity for you to grow and be better and these can help you reach your dreams.

Focus On The Now & What You Can Control

Planning is crucial, as without it things can go wrong quickly. However, this does not mean we shouldn’t embrace and focus on the moments now. Focusing too much in the future can hold us back in trying out things that can make us live a meaningful present life.  Working hard for your goals and dreams and pushing yourself to your limits in order to make it in the future, can sometimes overwhelm and even suppress ‘the very moment’ situations which could actually bring you closer to your dreams. Life is all about taking chances, so take the challenge and hold on to your faith. Remember, the road towards fulfilling your dream is rough. Along your journey, there will be roadblocks and if you live your life holding back you will never achieve the genuine happiness you are seeking for.

Awesomeness – what exactly is it and what does it take to be it?

Being awesome is about living the life you are meant to live. It’s all about the confidence, the charisma and the happiness you have, all rolled into a single existence.

So how do you unleash it? Simple. 11 Simple Ways:

Find Passion

What floats your boat? What lights your fire? What makes you happy? What is it that you could be doing, as nothing else matters to you? 
But how do you find passion? Easy. Write down and list everything that makes you tick. Try them until your heart and mind clicks. You will know when you have found it has you will feel it.

Live Passion

Now that you have found it. Live it. But it shouldn’t be some pastime or a hobby you just do when you have the time, passion is something to identify you. You need to live and breathe this in your everyday living. Even if it is in the little things you do. If you have a passion for something, don’t be shy to stand up for it, to embrace and to show it.Passion 24/7.

Healthy Eating

How can you be awesome, if you are feeling disgusted by what you are consuming. Eating well will GREATLY improve your mood, but will also take your mind and body places you cannot go on an unhealthy diet.

Exercise

With a low energy level, how can you expect to be awesome. With no energy you will be lazy, miserable and soon enough a couch potato. By exercising, you are improving your physique (which is awesome), which will cover the area of helping you look good. Which by the way, no makeup or outfit can make you look better than a fit and clean body.

Sleep Enough

If you are constantly falling asleep, due to the lack of sleep – this isn’t very exciting. You should always sleep enough. If you want to start your day on an AWESOME level, you need to be able to get up. Find your sleep routine which you are content with and which enables your body to operate. With a hint of passion you will be jumping out of bed in no time.

Toxicity No More

Your happiness, your mood, your inspiration and your awesomeness is largely derived from the people you surround yourself with. People who put you down, are not the ones who will inspire you and lift you higher into the zone you thrive off. How can you expect to be awesome, if all the people are doing is bringing you down. People who have the best intentions for you, these are the people who will inspire you and help you become AWESOME. (They too are probably awesome). Hang around these folk.

Positive Thinking

Positive thinking, usually helps create a positive life. Optimism is a choice and it is a way to get through the thick and thin of life. What you think is what you get. They are your reality and how you perceive the thing around you. You want to be HAPPY? Well you better start looking on the bright side. Help shape your own reality, be grateful and happy all the time. People will see the excitement and the positive outlook you have and that right there is AWESOME.

Spontaneously Fun

Life is too short to be stuck in a box. Over thinking, can limit our ability to experience, to feel and to live. Yes there is risk in everything. Even waking up and going to work. But risk can be overcome, as you should never be bound by it. Stop worrying about the things that can go wrong and get out there and grow, learn and have some fun. That there is an AWESOME life. Do this and you inspire others – as others like to worry too and you will be the change they need.

Work Already

If you do the work you will have the sense of accomplishment sooner. Finishing and accomplishing a task will always be uplifting and will inspire your happiness to arise. Awesome isn’t it? If you discipline yourself to have a growth mindset (to always be growing) and always progressing towards your goals. Each time you achieve them  you will be leaving another positive mark on your life.

So if you want to be AWESOME, do the work.

Helping Others

Be kind, show compassion and help those who are in need. Helping others will help you stand out. BUT DO IT WITH INTEGRITY. Make the world a better place, but don’t go out of your way to make it a big deal, do it in everything you do. You’re doing it to help, not to look good.

Choose It – Embrace It

You need to choose to be AWESOME. Choose to EMBRACE it. It is a little mode you can toggle on at anytime you want to. The rest will just influence, fuel and grow your awesomeness. By nature and design you are AWESOME. You alone are AWESOME by being you. Will you own it?