2014 New Years Expectations

I now present part two of my personal blogs about where I’ve been in 2013 and what I wish to see for 2014. I refuse to call this a list of resolutions. I have learned that resolutions are goals that you hope to achieve (and many times don’t). Instead, I will call them expectations. I have learned that when you expect to accomplish something you generally do.

I counted on this being an easy list to create. After all, I enjoy making and striving for goals, and I have a good idea what I want to accomplish. However, as I looked at my past years lists, I realize that the goals I set were quite general. Things like avoid procrastination, see the best in everything, etc. Great goals yes, but difficult to pinpoint. This year I wanted to make more specific, measureable goals. This made the list a bit more difficult.

One more thing before I share my list…I read a great book recently by Russ Harris called, “The Confidence Gap”. One of the main themes is to live by your values. I have taken his advice and determined my core values, and I use these as a guide to set and accomplish these goals. Some of these goals may seem simple, but in past years I set some extra lofty goals that I didn’t achieve, and wanted to make some more reasonable.  So for anyone interested in viewing one human being’s goals and expectations for 2014, here you go…

1. 30 minutes a day of personal growth. I have grown in leaps and bounds over the past few years, and I am closer to God than ever. One goal this year is not only to continue that momentum, but apply what I’ve learned to empower my life and the lives of those around me.
2. Exercise at least 1 hour a week. You may think one hour a week is nothing, and many of you probably do that in a day. However, as healthy as I am, I still often don’t do the physical exercise I need to do. To break this down to 4 15 minute blocks a week will not only inspire me to reach this goal, but probably go beyond it.
3. Encourage many people each day. This goals seems like my previous general ones. However, I set up a plan to actually track the number of people I go out of my way to serve and encourage. I will use these notes to set further goals.
4. Be the family leader I was created to be. My marriage is not the best, and I feel much of that rests on my shoulders. I have very good relationships with my three daughters, but I don’t feel like I focused as their well-being as much as I should have. As noted above, I will actually track my interactions with them to hold myself accountable in being the father and husband according to God’s words that I can be.
5. Double my income. I’ve tried this one several times and came up short every time. I am trying some new strategies, one of which is knowing instead of hoping that this goal will be realized well before the end of 2014.

There you have some thoughts behind the head of this writer. Once again, I thank you immensely for reading if you’re still here at this point of the article. Every once in a while I like to share some personal thoughts like this to provide a basis for the rest of the information I provide here during the year.

I encourage you to share any of your goals, or whether we have some in common. I hope that for every one of you, 2014 is one of your best years ever. Enjoy the blessings : )

How Was 2013?

There are only two posts a year where I talk about just me. The year end and year start versions. It’s kind of a way for me to look back (and ahead) and track my progress. It’s my space so I can do that, right?

So how was 2013 for me? It was just like 2012, 2011, 2010, and 2009. I learned and grew a ton, but didn’t take the steps into the promised land and get to that next level in life I am seeking. It’s amazing how these years all blend together like that. In every other 5 year cycle of my life there is at least one great year, and at least one difficult one. I can’t say that about any of the past five. They were all good and could have been better. I will say that in 2013 I feel like I learned, grew, and progressed more than I did in any of the previous four years.

As I look back on 2013, here are some accomplishments that put a smile on my face:

• This blog – When I began the year, I had 4 followers and about 2 views a day. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to continue, not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because I didn’t have the time to dedicate to it. In February I decided to make the time and not accept no for an answer (one of my original New Years intentions). I am happy that the numbers have increased drastically, but most thrilled that I am being told first-hand by my readers that it is accomplishing its main purpose – having a positive impact on others. Thank you to all of you : )
• I published my first e-book, “30 Days to a More Powerful Life”. For time and procrastination reasons it took almost three years for this to happen, but it did.
• Gratitude – Early in the year I read a book called, “The Magic” by Rhonda Byrne. The book takes the reader on a 28 day gratitude journey. I took this journey, and it continues today. I never realized the true power of gratitude until doing this, and it has impacted my life in a positive and powerful way.
• My ultimate goal is to work from home and make an excellent income by positively impacting the lives of thousands. I am not there yet, but I was offered two free courses that brought me much closer to this possibility. I received an official Law of Attraction certification which I hope to use to guide and coach others.
• Spiritual Growth – Through all of these “blended” years, my relationship with God has grown and remained strong. However, it has never grown more than the past few months. I have never realized how much God’s spirit is actually a part of me and how much it guides every step I take. The power I have experienced has been immense.
• Life Coaching – As mentioned above, it is my goal to ultimately help and coach others take their lives to the next level. To get an idea of how this works, I decided to regularly visit with a life coach myself to help me take the next steps and bring my own life to the next level. Why I waited so long, I don’t know. However, in November I began meeting with someone on a weekly basis. This person is a gem, and holds me accountable to take the necessary steps to achieve my goals. It’s another reason I feel much closer to reaching them.

There were some struggles to the year too. My marriage is surviving by the bare skin of its fingernails, and this has put a strain on our entire family. I am unsatisfied with my current job, and still frustrated that I haven’t grown in other areas. However, I know I have grown a great deal because instead of letting these things bring me down, I am using them as motivation to find solutions and help me grow. Let’s just say I am very thankful for 2013. The blessings far outweighed the struggles.

If you’ve read this far I sincerely thank you for taking an interest in this one of many person’s life this year. It is my goal that I can put a smile on your face and impact your life in a positive way. I wish you a very Happy New Year!

Making Room For The Blessings

How much clutter do you have in your life? If you are like me, certain parts of it or certain places are filled with it. Our garage for example, is a disaster area. People have offered us some very nice items that we’ve had to wait or completely reject simply because we have no more room.

Unfortunately, when our lives are filled with too much clutter, the same thing happens. Potential blessings and gifts are lost, literally because there is no room for them. For example, your mind can be cluttered with negative, inhibiting thoughts that leave no room for positive edifying ones.

I am learning more and more the value of removing the old clutter for new blessing. It happens in nature every year. We just went through Fall here in upstate New York. The old, brittle leaves have fallen off the trees. We need to wait several months, but the bareness will soon be replaced with beautiful, green, fresh growth.

I have been reminded often lately that if we want something new in life, we need to get rid of the old. Want new clothes? Get rid of the pile of old, unused ones you have stored away. Looking for more money? Spend and give away (within reason of course) the money you have instead of hoarding it. Want to be happy and free? Get rid of the negative, unforgiving thoughts that are harboring in your mind.

The above examples are a few of many. Regardless of what blessings you want, you need to make room for them. Clear out the stuff you don’t need or that’s holding you back, and you will be a witness to blessings pouring into your life. It’s the way life works. When you give something away, you are making room for more of it to arrive. There’s plenty of room for those blessings to come into your life, as long as you keep making room. It’s a lesson I’ve been blessed to learn. Have a great day : )

A Simple Way To Get Ahead…Even If You Don’t Have The Time

I find it frustrating sometimes when the business of life’s obligations gets in the way of what I really like to do. My job (both of them), along with yard work and other obligations have prevented me from writing on this site. I also like to read what other bloggers have to say, and have not had time to do that either.

It’s great how, when I need answers to questions, God takes me directly to the source I need. I read an article that talked about this very frustration. How do we beat this endless cycle? I want to do other things in life, yet there are currently no ways around the necessary obligations. There’s simply not enough time to pursue those opportunities.

What I read in the article was something I’ve been told countless times. It’s funny how I’ve also given countless other people this same advice. Here it is…seek first the kingdom of God, and all else will be added unto you. (Matt 6:33). It’s a matter of focus. When you focus on God and His power within you first, all else seems to take care of itself. All of a sudden there is time because the opportunities are presented to you on a silver platter. Things start to happen on their own, and the right situations present themselves as well as the time to pursue them.

If you are feeling that helpless feeling of wondering how to get further ahead, but seem trapped in your current circumstances, I recommend you maintain your focus on your Creator. Let go and let God do His thing. Do your best in your current circumstances and fulfill those obligations, regardless of how “in the way” they are. Focus on God and have faith, and the details will take care of themselves. Then when the opportunity presents itself, act on it and enjoy the success.

I’ve seen the benefits of seeking God first many times in my life. That’s why I often suggest it, and I know that’s why I was reminded again during my difficult period this week. You too can experience the benefits of seeking God first in your life. You’ll see how much more He can accomplish than you, and how the time you are missing all of a sudden becomes available for you to prosper and succeed. I promise! Enjoy the blessings : )

Appreciate Your Beauty

I had a difficult week this week. I returned to work, took on some new responsibilities, the work load was non-stop, and I did not sleep well. As a result, I didn’t get some things done that I wanted to. When this happens, I sometimes get down on myself and return to my days of doubt and incompetence, rather than faith and determination. It seems as though countless other people around me are also going through difficult personal times.

The following is a chapter from my e-book “30 Days To A More Powerful Life”. As I thought about my situation and the hurting people around me, God immediately brought this concept to mind. I do not exaggerate to say that, when I re-read this and reflected on it, all of the difficulty from the past week was washed away. I hope the same happens for you, especially if you are going through difficult times or doubt yourself….

One of the most fun and rewarding jobs I ever had was as an announcer for a Christian radio station on Long Island in the early ’90s. During that time I was able to meet several Contemporary Christian Music artists. The one that stands out the most is being able to, not only meet, but spend an entire day with one of my favorite artists at the time named Michelle Wagner.

I was recently reading a book by Joel Osteen. It stresses throughout the book that, because we are creations of God, we are “beautiful” and should see ourselves that way . It reminded me of that day with Michelle Wagner and one of her greatest songs called, “You’re Beautiful”. The song is based on I Peter 3:3-4 which says “your beauty should not come from outward adornment….Instead it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit which is of great worth in God’s sight” It’s main message is that, as long as we are creations of God and remain close to him, we are beautiful and of great worth to Him.

The chorus goes like this…

You’re Beautiful
Like a diamond in the sun you’re so beautiful and you’re becoming brighter
You’re Beautiful
And the world needs so much to see all the treasure in your soul
You’re Beautiful

At that time I led a youth group and gave several talks about this song and its theme. I had the kids think about something they created. A picture or painting they did, a sculpture, anything. Then I had them think about how proud they were of their creation after they completed it. Maybe not everyone thought it was great, but nothing could take the beauty out of the eye of the one who created it.

God feels the same way about us. Maybe not everyone sees us as beautiful. In many cases we don’t see ourselves that way. However, our Creator is very proud of the one of a kind creation He has made. He sees us as beautiful, and as someone that can make a difference for Him.

We are beautiful in God’s eyes, so let us see ourselves that way in our own minds. Let us also use that Godly knowledge to show that beauty to those around us, and remind those in our lives about their beauty as well. With God’s help we can and will make a difference and make this world a “beautiful” one.

Action Plan: Spend several minutes a day focusing on your beautiful, positive qualities. Focus on them throughout the day. Before long, it will be automatic, and you will soon realize others are seeing that beauty in you as well.

I remind you that a free copy of this e-book is available for download on this site. Feel free to check it out and share it.

If you really want to be inspired, I recommend you check out the song and corresponding video here. Have a beautiful day : )