And The Rain Began To Fall

As many of you know I have spent the last year working on myself. Over twenty-five books in about thirteen months. Countless hours of motivational audio. All of this time, money, and work (invested not spent) to accomplish little to no outward physical evidence. So you might ask yourself, "Why would you make those kind of sacrifices for so long with not reward?" My answer is simple, "I have chosen to follow who I was destined to be instead of who I had become by default." I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. This passion has always been inside of me and I have even had times that I started to consider it to become a career but I continued to choose what I was instead of what I could be. 

My first real job, at 16, was at a local grocery store. And since my Mom taught me a strong work ethic, I excelled. I continued to stay in retail and worked my way into a store manager position.vI have since been in retail for over twenty years, and still currently am, mostly because it was what I knew and was good at it. I believe that the fear to take a leap of faith in myself and that fact that I got comfortable and complacent where I was at prevented me from realizing and pursuing my passion.

The first time I was introduced to the world of Motivational Speaking and Personal Development was when I was twenty. I was amazed at the things that I was learning and applying to my life. But having the mentality of "the short fat kid in school", I didn't see that I was destined nor did I feel that I had what it took to pursue that career. Then in November of 2010, and the only way to explain it is, something inside of me snapped. It was like all of a sudden I realized what it was that I had to do with my life. In some ways I wish I could say that it some miraculous event but I'll take it none the less. I knew that I have always been able to encourage and help others with their problems. Throughout my life, friends, family, and sometimes even strangers have came to me for advice. Everytime that I had a chance to touch a life, no matter the outcome, I always felt a sense of pride and peace about what I did because I knew that I shared my heart.

All of this being said, I have now entered into a point in my personal development when the rain has began to fall on all the seeds that have been planted and the crops are just beginning to peek through the soil. I know that what my mind's eye can see isn't even close to the harvest that I will be able to reap. But, I know that this is right where I am suppose to be and my passion is my passion.

Dream Big...Pursue Big...Live Big

What vs. Who

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" We have ask children this questions for decades. We seem to always the the cute answers like, a fireman, policeman, baseball player, football player, doctor, and so on. I believe that it is very important that we keep these kinds of dreams and aspirations alive in our children and ourselves. The importance of a having a dream is immeasurable.

I would like to pose a new question for children and adults alike. This answers to this question I feel are even more important that those of the previous question. "Who do you want to be when you grow up?" Now I'm not talking in the sense of becoming like someone famous because we are all unique and have to become individuals. I am talking about become the person who we desire to be. The person who has upstanding morals and values. The person who is a leader, who is respected by their peers, who gives back to the world in which they live.

We spend so much time focused on our career that we forget about who we are becoming and end up some where else by fault. Sometimes we become exactly the who we don't want to be. Take a good look in the mirror, or better yet, ask a close friend who will be completely honest with you, "Who have I become?" Some of the answers may surprise you. I know that there are things in my life that I am working on to become the kind of who that I want to be. Are we the who we want our children to emulate? Are we the who that coworkers look up to? Are we the who that people can trust and call on in times of need?

Dreams and goals are wonderful things, but who are we becoming in the process. Make becoming the who that you desire to be part of your asperations in life. Become your own best role-model.

I also want to touch on another side note this week and that is, "Take time to smell the roses."  We get so busy with the everyday hustle and bustle of our lives, take time with those closest to you. Invest in your loved ones, because they are  the ones who will hold you up when time get tough. Hopefully they are your biggest fans and supporters. Also, take time for yourself. Sometimes we just need to get away, even if for just a few minutes. Find your inner peace and rest in all that you have accomplished. You and your loved ones deserve the best of you.

Dream Big...Pursue Big...Live Big

Life In-Between

"They pay you just enough to keep you from quitting and you work just hard enough to keep from getting fired." Many of us have been or are currently in this situation with our job. This saying also  works for a lot of situations in life. Maybe it's a relationship with family or friends, your job, or maybe your self image. We get stuck in a life that is in-between what we consider our rock bottom and our potential. We only put in just enough work to maintain the things, relationships, careers, and our self image. We get stuck in a comfort zone. Why do we go through life worried about failing and all that we can do to prevent it from happening and yet we ignore our potential to become more. Sure, going above and beyond what we feel are our limits means taking a risk, but the rewards far out weight the risks. We wouldn't throw ourselves into poverty or a damaging relationship and yet we continually throw ourselves out of the running to live a more fulfilled and happier life. What improvements would you like to see in your life? A new job or career, better relationships, better self esteem? What is holding you back from obtaining it? 


As parents, we try to raise our children to become upstanding adult in this world community. We teach them how to act in public, have manners, our religious views, get good grades in school, and the list goes on and on. In the midst of all that we try to teach our children, we quietly live our lives in-between. Our children learn more from our actions than our words. So what kind of example are we setting about a comfort zone? What kind of world would this be if we began to live our lives outside our comfort zone and show our children how to do the same? We all say that we want the best for our children and yet they see us complacent. 

Dream Big...Pursue Big...Live Big

But I Don't Wanna

Change is a critical element in our existence as human beings. Bottom line is, if we don't change certain aspects of our life, we will cause ourselves and those around us great pain. 

I believe that there are two kinds of change, the have to kind and the need to kind. Both of then elicit different kinds of responses from our body, mind, and spirit. When we have to, it is usually a response out of instinct to prevent us from pain or to better our current situation. If we do this, this will happen now. We change the position of our hand on a hot stove because it causes pain, we will change lanes during rush hour traffic to prevent from getting in an accident, or we will not change jobs and continue to be miserable in the one we have.

The change of need is more difficult to make, even though it will have lasting effects on our life and probably those closest to us. These are the kinds of changes that we procrastinate or probably will never make. We just continue to go through life with the discomfort that not making these changes has caused. We stay in damaging relationships, we continue to work a job that we despise, or we keep doing our unhealthy habits. These types of changes are so difficult because of the fear of the unknown on the other side of the decision. What will our life look and feel like if we make these kinds of changes?


Lasting change causes us to stretch beyond our comfort zone and become something different from what we are used to being. Don't let fear and procrastination control your life any longer. Become daring enough to make the changes that you need to make and go through the struggles to become the person that you need to become. You have all that you need to start that process within you, but only you can take the first step. 


We quickly act on the decisions that we have to make not to lose but we procrastinate actions on the decisions to win.

Dream Big...Pursue Big...Live Big

You Gave Up That Right

So, I am going to start off this blog with a warning. This will not be my usual motivational type post, but more of an in your face reality check about how I view problems in our lives. If your feeling get hurt easily, you might want to stop now. If you continue to read, I hope that this sheds some light on your perception of your problems in life.

You have given up your right to bitch about the problems in your life if you have decided to ignore it and do nothing to correct it. I hear people bitch and moan about how bad things are in their life and how they wished they were better and yet they are doing nothing to correct it or make it better. Let me share a couple of true stories with you:


I know this guy, who a year into his marriage found out that his wife had cheated on him before they were married. This guy understood, once he had taken some time to analyze the situation, that he only had two options. Option one, divorce and move on with his life. Option two, forgive the woman that he loved dearly and never throw it in her face what she had done. Selecting option two meant that they would have to work on their relationship and not just ignore the problems. The guy chose option two and from what I can tell, they have a great relationship.


I know another couple who have struggled financially throughout their marriage. One of the root causes has been a credit card in her hands. She has a tendency to buy stuff that is not really needed or at times went shopping to deal with her depression. This has been a major point of contention in their relationship and she stills complains about their financial situation but doesn't do anything to correct the problem. 


Here is my point, it is an utter waste of time and energy, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, to complain about your situation if you're not going to do anything about it. If you choose to keep your problem, then you only have you to blame for it so stop complaining and live with it. On the other hand, if you choose to deal with it, instead of complaining about it, put that energy into fixing the problem and move on with making your life better. 

When I learned to move my efforts and concerns to the things in my own personal life that I can control, life changed for me. I am a much happier person with little to no stress. Sure, issues still arise, but I understand that I can either do what I can to correct them or live with it. Either way, I have given up my right to bitch about them.


Dream Big...Pursue Big...Live Big

Coulda...Shoulda...Woulda

Michael Jordan was know for his talent on the basketball court, George Washington for his ability to lead, Thomas Edison for his inventions, and Mother Teresa for her compassion. This list could go on and on, spanning centuries, and areas in which these people have excelled. But no matter who you chose, they all have one thing in common, the abilities and talents that they possessed would have all been useless if they had not applied them. They all faced struggles and successes in their lives while applying their talents, but it never stopped them. They were willing to make sacrifices to reach their potential in life because they loved what they were doing. They were passionate about it!

What in your life are you passionate about that you aren't doing? What "coulda, shoulda, or woulda" do you think about when it's quiet and only your thoughts are there to keep you company? What opportunities in life are you depriving yourself of by not pursuing the talents that you were born to perform? Not only does pursuing your passions in life change your life, it also changes the lives of those around you. Conversely, not pursuing your passions in life, holds you back from being truly happy, healthy, and living a life full of the experiences that you were meant to have. 

It's never to late or to soon to start pursing your passion in life. Sure it might be a little harder because of certain habits that you have created in your life, or because of the mediocrity that you have settled for, but what is happiness really worth to you? I can tell you from experience, that after spending twenty years in a career, choosing to pursue my passion was a difficult decision. I knew what it was going to take to make it become a reality and I knew how far out of my comfort zone I would have to get. But the past twelve months have been the best investment that I have ever made. It has changed my life and I can see the changes in those around me. Make the decision, take the action, and don't look back.

Dream Big...Pursue Big...Live Big

The Foundation Has Been Laid

What a great year 2011 has been. Sure, it's had it's ups and downs, but that is just a part of life. The knowledge, experiences, and the people that have come into my life this year have helped shape what 2011 was all about. I can look back and say that there are some things that would have happened but they didn't so I'm not going to worry about it. 2011 was a year that I was able to lay an incredible foundation for all that is going to happen in 2012. I have been able to developed my mind, spirit, and soul for my passion. 2012 will be a great year to start building on that foundation and go from unknown to know, from good to great, and from practice to game day. I believe that I am exactly where I am supposed to be in life at this moment. Over the next few days I am going to take, what is for me, a huge leap of faith. I have shared my passion to become a full-time Motivational Speaker/Life Coach with just a few close friends and family. Ones that I feel I could trust with my goals, ones that would support me, and ones that wouldn't try to squash my dreams. Now, I feel like I am ready to share it with the world. I know that it will come with some criticisms and obstacles, but when a dream/passion goes from your head to your heart, it's almost impossible to extinguish that kind of fire. With the help of friends and family, we will begin to put AIAO Life Coaching on the map. I know that this will get very busy for me this next year and I am sure that there will be obstacles that will test my resolve but I am ready to take them on. Thank you to everyone for your support. I am always open to ideas and constructive criticism, without those two things, AIAO Life Coaching cannot become all that it can be. Cheers to all that 2011 was and all that 2012 will be.

Dream Big...Pursue Big...Live Big.