I am P-ssed!

You know I don’t know if I can even say “I am P-ssed” but I am going to anyway. I am so P-ssed off right now I can scream. I know it has been sometime since I have written any articles and that is just one of the many reasons I am p-ssed off. Let me list why I am so mad right now:


• I am p-ssed at myself for not raising my standards to meet my outcomes.

• I am p-ssed at myself for letting people influence some of my decisions.

• I am p-ssed at everyone I talk to that tells me all the bad things in their life.

• I am p-ssed at business owners who would rather tell me what they can’t do than what they can do.

• I am p-ssed at all the people out their blaming everyone else for their challenges in their life.

• I am p-ssed that government is for the government and not for the people anymore.

• I am p-ssed that we as a society choose to be average instead of great.

• I am p-ssed that we encourage kids to be like everyone one else, instead of being their own person.

• I am p-ssed that individuals and organizations want results but don’t want to do the work to reap the rewards.

Think you get the picture. Often times I coach people to not let their anger take over, and for the most part that is true. But there comes a time when you need to use it, channel it and let it explode all over the map. This is that time for me. This is the day that I refuse to lower my standards to meet someone else’s expectations. Gone are the days of letting someone say “I wish it was easier” and then me agreeing with them. The quote the late great Jim Rohn “Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better.” Stop complaining about how bad it is and do something about it. Raise your standards beyond your expectations of life. Deliver more than people ask for or even expect. What kind of world would we have it that was the norm instead of the exception. Not too long ago this world was built on the idea that anything was possible, new discoveries, new lands and new adventures. I am p-ssed that it took me this long to feel this way, but exhilarated at the opportunities that lie ahead of me.

Remember be positive, be real, and life you life In The Zone.

The difference between pain and injury

Often times in sports, you’ll hear someone say there’s a difference between Pain and Injury.

The problem is, they never explain what the difference is. Pain, as we define it, is an unpleasant feeling or discomfort. Injury is defined as damage or harm caused to the structure or function of the body caused by an outside or force.

Sports metaphors mirror life so often it’s nearly impossible not to use them time and time again.

I meet so many people that mistake pain for injury in life. Everytime I talk with someone, they lay out to me all of the unpleasant feelings or discomfort they have in their life. They take the pain they are experiencing and turn it into an injury that sidelines them from moving forward in their life.

Pain is a natural part of life. You can’t have pleasure unless you go through the pain.

Injury by definition is caused by an outside force. More so often than not, we immediately want to point out that our life is where it is by circumstances and outside forces against us. The harsh reality that we refuse to look at, or even take responsibility for, is that it is our own fault. Believe it or not we would rather fake the injury in life than take on the pain of what is real. Now I know that what you are asking yourself right now is: - “That is easy for you to say. You have no idea what my life is like”.

Well that maybe true, but it also may not be true. While there may be no real way to know, the reality is that we fake injuries to avoid the pain of what is real more often than we care to acknowledge. Being real with ourselves is one of the most painful things we may ever take on. But it also yields the biggest pleasure you may ever experience. From time to time we will all experience pain, which is a part of life. Understanding the difference between pain and injury is a critical factor in the decisions we make with our life. An injury keeps you on the bench watching and wishing you could be out there. Pain is unpleasant but still allows you to play, and most importantly Win! If you don’t play you can never win. What do you want to do? Fake the injury or play with pain?

Remember be positive, be real, and live your life In The Zone.

Breakthroughs

My Mentor and now Professional Colleague Tony Robbins has a new TV show called “Breakthroughs” Tuesday nights on NBC.

In the show, he breaks down extremely difficult challenges certain individuals are facing in order for them to have the breakthrough needed to see it from a different perspective. The reviews are all over the place, from one person saying it is a glorified infomercial to another saying: “Breakthrough with Tony Robbins is a fantastic show that inspires and I highly recommend you watch this with your family and loved ones.”

Wow! Talk about total opposites.

But, if you dig around enough, you will see more reviews are negative than positive. So I started to read more reviews. The more I read, the more I found it interesting. Each negative review always came back to the same statement or two, “unrealistic” or way to optimistic”.  I am hoping in this article someone, somewhere can help me understand, because I am confused? What is so unrealistic about hope? What does way too optimistic mean?

Our culture today is so out of touch it is almost too hard define anymore. We see thin people and think they are self-centered; we see fat people and think they are undisciplined. Someone starts a Business in this economy and they are crazy (then we wait to see when they close up). Another closes a Business and we get mad that they didn’t do all they could to make it work.

A long time ago we were a nation dedicated not only to making sure our families were taken care of, but our neighbors were as well. It was not about keeping up with the Jones’ or condemning them because they have more than us. It was about community and mutual respect. Those items, when mentioned, are treated like relics that you would see in a museum now.

This country, our state, even our community, will never achieve greatness again until we realize that we all need hope. We all need to be optimistic. Because the alternative is not working. This show is widely built on a principle that everyone seems to be missing; so let me point it out to all of you right now. Get off you’re butt and do something about it, whatever it is. Tony Robbins, myself or whoever is not going to show up at your door and deliver it to you. It may look that way on TV but that’s not how the real world works. Can I or Tony help you? Yes, but how would we ever do that if you don’t seek us out. How can anyone help anyone if you don’t ask for help? How do you get what you want? Do something about it.

The good life so to speak is not a miracle pill you buy and swallow. It is hard work and dedication to being better than you are today. Most importantly being better then you are tomorrow as well. I am sure all of you have heard this phrase before “Life is a journey not a destination”? But upon examining that I would like to change it a bit to read more likes this: “The good life is a journey of challenges, not a destination of despair”

Remember, be positive, be real and live your life In The Zone.

This time of the year is the height of high school graduations. In that spirit, I would like to take this time to write to all those young adults and future leaders of tomorrow. The topic I choose today is one that is simple, yet, often times, missed as we go through life. "Don’t wait" is not just a statement, it is a motto to live by. I encourage all off you to go out and volunteer in your community. Go to an elderly home and ask the question: “If you could share any piece of advice with me what would it be?”

The answer will be the same across the board, DON’T WAIT!

•Don’t wait to see a sun set.

•Don’t wait to tell your Mom or Dad you love them.

•Don’t wait to go after your dreams.

•Don’t wait to travel.

•Don’t wait to help a complete stranger.

•Don’t wait to call your Sister or Brother.

•Don’t wait to have lunch with an old friend.

•Don’t wait to travel through Europe.

•Don’t wait to find the perfect job.

•Don’t wait to start your own Business.

•Don’t wait to say I’m sorry.

•Don’t wait to tell someone you love them.

•Don’t wait to start exercising.

•Don’t wait to have kids.

•Don’t wait to live life fully.

•Don’t wait to…………………….

I think you're starting to get the idea. So if you wait to do any one of these things, the sad truth is, you never will at all.

I will share one of the greatest pieces of advice I can give you at this point in time in your life: If you wait till the time is right, if you wait till you have enough money, one day, 70 years from now, someone might ask you the question: If you could share any piece of advice with me what would it be?

You will say in a shallow voice ……DON’T WAIT.

Remember be positive, be real, and live your life In The Zone.

What makes a role model?

Font size:

Some say all public figures are role models.
Others say that it is parents that are the only true role models.
I say that we are all role models.  The definition of a role model: A person who serves as an example, whose behavior is emulated by others.  Tell me then if you were the CEO of a company and wanted your employees to act a certain way, wouldn't it mean by definition you should emulate a behavior that serves as an example to them?  Or do you think it means you are the boss and you can do whatever it is you want? That’s the “do as I say not as I do” approach. Role models come in all shapes, sizes, job titles, and expertise.  The true example of being a role model is not just holding others to a higher standard, but, more importantly, holding ourselves to a higher standard.  The mark we leave on this world long after we're gone is not measured by money or worldly possessions; it is measured by the examples we leave behind for others to follow.

Whether you are a 15-year-old high school baseball player or a 64-year-old worker at the post office, you have an obligation to be a role model to the people you come into contact with every day.  Whether you believe it or not, you make someone's day better or worse far more often than any of these athletes and musicians we hold in such high regard.  Making the decision to be a role model is only as hard as we make it.  I am not here to say you need to be on the evening news doing something huge. That’s not it at all.  Being a role model is so much more than that. It’s doing something that no one knows about but you. It means taking the time to help someone, taking extra time to explain something to someone and taking the time to show someone you care.  Those examples will be measured far more than anything else in life.

David F Muraco is a certified life coach, motivator and radio talk show host who lives in Oneida. In 2004 he founded "In the Zone", a business dedicated to helping people reach their goals.  To contact David, email him at davemuraco@in-the-zone.biz or visit his website at http://In-the-zone.biz