Will Smith’s Wisdom #keepgoing

 “You don’t try to build a wall.  You don’t say I’m going to build the biggest wall that’s ever been built.  You say you’re going to lay this brick the best possible way a brick can be laid.  And you do that every single day. And soon you have a wall. Lay one brick at a time.” – Will Smith

The Victor is the man who thinks he can! #keepgoing

The Victor
by: C. W. Longenecker

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you like to win but think you can’t,
It’s almost a cinch you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost.
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will.
It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think you are out classed, you are.
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of your-self before
You can ever win the prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.

#keepgoing

Olympian Derek Redmond: It’s about finishing! #keepgoing

Gold medalist, Derek Redmond, didn’t finish in first place at the 1992 Olympics in the 400 meter.  He didn’t finish in second, or third, or fourth.  He and his father, finished dead last.  But he, and his father, FINISHED!

#keepgoing

are U learning something new? #keepgoing

 If you Keep Going, you too can learn how to ride life’s bicycle!

 

#keepgoing

Simon Cowell kicked out of TV Network Offices! #keepgoing

American Idol, by far one of the most successful TV shows in US history, was originally REJECTED by the US networks. In 2001, the relatively unknown Simon Cowell, flew to LA to meet with US TV executives and was literally thrown out of the building!!! The experience was “horrific” Cowell said. 

“I did go back to England with my tail between my legs to be honest with you, but every single negative can lead to a positive. ANY negative situation, don’t get too down by it, we’ll work it out!”

#keepgoing

Impossible? #keepgoing

Have you ever had a moment in your life when you were so excited about something, to dream about it, envision it, to attempt to make it real and someone around you told you it was impossible or it would never happen?  Do yourself a favor, don’t listen to them.

“People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you, YOU can’t do it. You want something? Go get it. Period.” (from the Pursuit of Happyness)

#keepgoing

Don’t Quit! #keepgoing

I first saw this poem about 15 years ago. It’s funny how some words never lose their meaning…

DON’T QUIT (#keepgoing)

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is odd with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–
You may succeed with another blow .

Success is failure turned inside out–
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- Author unknown

#keepgoing

We are our biggest competition! #keepgoing

Whenever we doubt ourselves, we become our biggest competition.  Whenever we consider stopping the pursuit of everything we’ve originally set our sights on, we become our biggest competition.  Every time we use others as an excuse for why we are not where we want to be, we become our biggest competition.  

My father once told me, when we point a finger at others, there are always four more pointing back at us.  That stuck with me because it meant that no matter what we want to focus on outside of us, at the end of the day the difference is made within.  

So today, erase the thoughts of competition as it relates to others and assess the mindset you embody within.  Is it self-empowering or self-defeating?  Be your biggest believer, your biggest supporter, your own champion.  Believe in yourself, and accept responsibility for everything that occurs good or bad.  It is all a part of the path.  

Lock in on your dreams, lock in on your visions, surround yourself with positive people and energies, and always, #keepgoing.

Jj

#keepgoing Foursquare: Persistence pays off!

Here’s a really great story.  I love stories like this.  A good friend of mine sent this over to me today and I just had to share it with you all.  He actually thought it would be a perfect story for this site and I couldn’t have agreed more.

How many of us have considered emailing or calling someone regarding an opportunity we truly desired and never actually got around to contacting them simply because we felt we would never get a response?

And how many of us have actually gone through with contacting those people but then gave up because we didn’t hear back after the first or second attempt?  

In this post, Tristan Walker shows us why not the third time, but the eighth time may in fact be the charm.  We will never hit the pitches we don’t swing for.  If you want it, figure out a way, and go after it.

#keepgoing

via www.justtristan.com

http://www.businessinsider.com/this-email-got-one-stanford-student-a-huge-job-at-foursquare-2011-7

Jesse Jones #keepgoing: The Benefits of Being Uncomfortable

(via www.u-ology101.com) 

I recently took up Yoga. Like, very recently. It’s been just under 2 weeks. I’ve done 3 classes to date and after intense muscle soreness and surprise I’m close to being hooked on a new (for me) form of both full body workout and relaxation that I didn’t know before. It’s something new for me that I’ve embraced, and surprisingly I’m loving it. But, it didn’t start there, in fact on the very first day I decided to go, I got to the room, saw a full class of women and almost chickened out, saying to myself, “there’s no way I’m going to put myself in this situation, not knowing what I’m doing and having to learn as I go along in front of all of them, no way!” (Note: I’m chuckling to myself as I write this because in hindsight the moment I’m describing is kinda humourous) My pride, whether at the time it be “masculine macho pride” or not, literally almost got in the way of experiencing something that has turned out to be pretty positive and beneficial to me.

The initial situation was incredibly uncomfortable. Even though I had already made my mind up about trying yoga out, I had thought about it for months prior, read and heard about all of its benefits and had decided that yes I am going to go try this thing out. Even with a prior commitment to it, I was there, looking into the room as the first class was about to begin and I was considering turning around.

Why?

Because I was uncomfortable.

I actually even walked back to the change-room and was considering doing my regular workout regimen for the day. As I was walking back to the change-room though something was speaking to me inside. Something was telling me that I came to the gym to take that class, and I should follow through on that commitment I had already made in my mind. Even though I was pretty uncomfortable about putting myself into unknown territory, and didn’t know everything there was to know about where I was about to go. There was also the group of people in the class I considered to be “experts” whom I felt I would look ridiculous in front of because I “didn’t know what I was doing”. All of these factors almost lead me to lose out on an experience that two weeks later I’m finding is contributing positively to me in ways I didn’t even consider originally.

I use the above examples to say this: How many times have we neglected to go in a direction in our lives simply because it felt a bit uncomfortable to do so? Perhaps pride got in the way, or maybe it was just the fear of the unknown that stopped us from pursuing that desire. What’s crazy is that, the unknown is only one step away from being “the known”, and even though there’s just one step between the two, one has to actually take that step, and make that leap. To illustrate my point, I’m making use of a simple yoga example, but my “yoga” story may be your “desire to start a small business” story, or it may be the new job opportunity you want to pursue, or that new place you’ve wanted to travel to for some time now, or that new project you’ve been meaning to start, or that passion you want to pursue. All things we’ve already thought about, considered, and decided in our minds we’d love to do at some point, but because the time isn’t perfect, just haven’t gotten to it.

My father once gave me a quote he heard that’s stuck with me forever and it reads: “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the possible.” And let me tell you, those words couldn’t be more true. The “perfect time” never comes. There will always be reasons not to start on your dreams. Always. In fact there quite often may be more reasons not to start, than to start! Comfort is a heck of a thing. It’s said to be the thing we should all strive for, and while I believe comfort is a great thing, I also feel that at times it does us a huge disservice. Because too much comfort, can sometimes lead to a lack of new experiences. We get comfortable with life’s “workouts” and we feel we are completely okay with just that. Thus we shy away from experiencing the new “yoga classes” around us. The unknown makes us, uncomfortable.

I know it’s hard sometimes to go out on the limb, but (at the risk of sounding a bit cliché) that’s where the fruit is. I’m experiencing this as we speak, as I embark on this crazy new chapter of my life as an entrepreneur where I’m literally putting myself out there with endeavors I’ve never before taken on. To be completely honest, most days I feel very uncomfortable, but that feeling doesn’t last and many great things have come and are coming from my decision to take a chance on things that I deeply believe in, and just go for it. I know I’m not alone on that either. Many of you can probably say the same for experiences you’ve had in your own lives. I’ve always said, two things are for sure. We will all die one day, and we’ll always be sure to fail from time to time. I can’t come back from death, but I can most certainly come back from failure. I’d rather try, and fail, than to not try at all.

So with that I ask this: is there a “yoga class” that you’re on the outside looking into? Are you literally standing at the door of life’s “yoga studio”, on the fence about whether or not to go in, simply because the unknown and uncomfortable nature of it all make you nervous? If so, open the door, walk in and take the class. Because you never know, you may gain a sense of flexibility you never even knew you had.

#keepgoing

Jj