Self-Discipline

Self-discipline has been called many things, among them, "the master-key to success". Certainly, lacking some measure of personal discipline will keep you from maximizing your potential. Consider the extreme... people who don't exert any self-discipline frequently end up with their lives a mess and often destroyed. Look around you, think of the people you know... you'll soon know what I mean.

Discipline is has two essential ingredients... desire and confidence. You obviously have to truly want what you're going after in order to exert any discipline. The other component is confidence (or belief). It's imperative that you believe you'll be successful to access that wellspring of discipline. You may want to be a millionaire (or have 0% body fat or write "The Great American Novel" or whatever) but if you don't think you'll get it done, you'll flounder... you'll stumble right at the starting gate. This is the primary reason why self-confident people are, as a rule, more successful in most endeavors than the population as a whole.

Imagine someone denigrated on a frequent basis, frequent enough that they would lose any and all belief they could accomplish anything. This poor beleaguered soul would unable to bring forth the discipline required to be successful in pretty much any endeavor. When you don't believe you can do anything, you won't actually do anything. Simple as that.

Just because someone is not taking action towards a goal, that doesn't mean they don't want it. It's likely that they don't beleive it's possible for them. One way to overcome this issue is to focus on the process rather than the objective. I have a close freind who would like to get physically fit. He goes to exercise classes here and there but has trouble sticking with the sustained effort required. My sense is that there's something of a tunnel vision on his part... he has a nice vision of his future fit self, but it seems so far away, almost unobtainable. I have another freind who takes fitness classes a number of times a week, jogs, etc. She's able to derive pleasure from the workouts themselves and take pride in the little milestones along the way. This is a good example of the phrase, "the journey is the reward". Savor each stepping stone and revel in the fact that you're a better person simply by virtue of your effort.

Developing one's self-confidence is also a great boon to self-discipline. There are a number of ways to do this. It was suggested to me once to list my good qualities. When you put some thought into such a list you'll find that you have actually more positive qualities than you imagined. What's been even more helpful (to me anyway) is the realization that others have succeeded and overcome some pretty tough odds, others that might not have had all the advantages I do. The day you can ask yourself the question, "why not me?" and suddenly all your old negative answers fall flat... that's the day your self-discipline really kicks in.

You should realize that your self-discipline is like a muscle... you have to exercise it frequently or else it will atrophy and grow flabby for lack of use. Setting small goals is great for this. Try getting out of the house in the morning in thirty minutes instead of forty-five. Have two cups of coffee instead of four. Watch only one hour of TV tonight rather than three. I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Each time you exert that self-discipline muscle it grows even stronger than before.

Mastery of your self-discipline is, in the end, mastery of yourself. Once you're a truly self-disciplined person there's simply nothing you can't accomplish.

HOPE

Look into the face of a child. What do you see?

Innocence.

Wonder.

Curiosity.

Hope.

What (hopefully) you don't see is at least as important. I'll talk to some of my adult freinds and I see eyes full of disappointment, faces etched with cynicism and shoulders that bow under the weight of their many burdens... things I never want to see when graced with the presence of a child.

When I look at my own children I see the best of me... both in what I am now and what I could become. I see hope for them and me as well. It's as if all the best aspects of my personality have been dispersed amongst the three of them.

Peter, my oldest, is intelligent, thoughtful and sensitive. My hope for him is that he continues to develop his gifts and learn that his emotions are his to control and not someone else. I also wish for him to always use that amazing imagination of his, yet not forget to live in the real world.

David, my oldest twin, and therefore my de-facto middle child, is mature, responsible and confident. I hope his core of confidence never becomes twisted into arroagnce, as I've seen happen to so many. I can see him becoming a leader one day, and I want him to lead others to do good and achieve great things.

Joanthan is positive, happy, upbeat and loves animals. I hope that he is able to temper that positivity with some degree of pragmatism, while never, ever becoming cynical and negative. I wish for him to continue to love all creatures, animal and human. People may, at times, be harder to love than a cute kitten or an adorable puppy but ultimately they can give so much more back to you.

Most of all I wish for my three boys to be the best they can and learn to be strong in the face of any adversity and setback they may yet encounter. I hope that they truly live their lives and not hide all they have to offer the world. I'll do all I can to be a role model for them. That inspires me to be my best and to truly live my life as well.

Reaching me...

Should you wish to get a hold of me, might I suggest friending me on Facebook. Just do a search for me, Jim Moens. You could also comment on this blog. or send me an email at jim.moens@gmail.com.

Thanks!

OVERCOME

You may have been knocked on your ass by a divorce or a rough break-up, maybe a job loss. I've been through all three in the past few years (the latter two pretty much at the same time). I've had my ass handed to me in a variety of ways. I've battled depression. I've looked at my life and seen nothing but a mess... some of it my fault, some of it not. I felt defeated. I felt like a loser.

Now it's time to fight back.

You may say it's not fair... others don't have to fight like this. Others don't have to start from square one or maybe even farther back than that. You're right. It's not fair. But if you don't fight back (and fight hard) you're letting those events and people conquer you. So are you really going to let your ex-lover or former boss dictate to you your mood, the course of your life or whether or not you pursue your dreams with a vengeance?

Hell. No.

You and I are made of stronger stuff than than to just fold whenever things get tough. You and I can decide to move forward, push the pain and own our lives again. We can and we have to. It's criminal to waste all that potential you and I have.

Also, let's be mindful of just what we have to fight for. For me, it's my kids, first and foremost. I want to provide a better life for them and be a role model of strength, positivity and discipline. There's also a few people out there who look to me for inspiration. They may be down (but never out!) and need someone to show them the way home.

I also have some dreams and goals and they deserve my best shot... no holding back.

You'll win.

It won't be right away. The path won't be smooth. You may take two steps forward and one step back (or some combination thereof). You may stumble or even fall flat on your face at times. You have to remember to keep moving forward even (or especially) when it's tough. You'll have to call on previously unknown and unused reserves of patience, perseverance and discipline. You can do it, because others have. In fact, you have to move forward. As above you owe it to your loved ones, yourself and your dreams and goals.

Moving forward with your life and moving towards your goals are far and away the best means of taking control. You do that and the steering wheel is now your hands. You control your destiny.

I'm winning.

I was depressed and unemployed for almost six months. Now I have a new job (what's more, a new career) and I'm respected and appreciated by my peers and superiors. It seems I've captured the affections of one of the great women of the western world. I've soundly beaten my former employer via the legal system. I've become a published writer.

I did it not without struggle or heartache. I exerted those reserves of patience, perserverance and discipline. I wanted to give up, to just fold, more times than I could count.

But I didn't and neither will you.

Forge ahead and overcome. You'll win too.

Star Trek Movie Review

I have a long history with Star Trek, dating back to the original series. Being something of a geeky young lad, I eagerly followed the adventures of Kirk, Spock and McCoy. I got older and my interest shifted to other things (uh… girls), but I would still visit the 23^rd century from time-to-time. I watched The Next Generation periodically and enjoyed that, but I never really got into the other series. I have to say that I enjoyed most of the movies, even the ones that were not so well-regarded.

It was probably a couple years ago that a new big-screen Star Trek was announced as sort of a Batman Begins style reboot. There were many who felt that the Star Trek franchise had run its course and re-starting the series was exactly what the doctor ordered. The last TV series floundered and the last couple movies had died a quick death at the box-office.

Many hard-core Trek fans (Trekkies? Trekkers? Whatever) were unhappy with the choice of J.J. Abrams, an avowed non Star Trek fan, as director. I thought it was a brilliant move. There’s always a sense of fun and drama in whatever he has his hand in and I was confident the same would be true with his new Star Trek movie.

I was right.

The new Star Trek movie is everything a big summer Hollywood blockbuster should be… by turns funny, thrilling and at times even moving. Abrams had me from the very first scene in fact, a surprisingly emotional set-piece that puts the rest of the story into motion. It should really be seen in a theatre… the audience when I saw it was clapping, cheering and laughing at all the right parts, a communal experience that made it even more fun. You don’t need to be a Star Trek fan, or even a science-fiction fan to have a great time at this movie.

The leads are all well-cast. Chris Pine captures that James T. Kirk swagger and bravado (and lustiness) without resorting to a William Shatner impression. Zachary Quinto also impressed me. His portrayal of Spock manages to show that undercurrent of passion and humanity beneath that Vulcan logic. Karl Urban is an actor who I’ve always liked and he did justice to his role as well, as Dr. Leonard McCoy. I was especially impressed by the gorgeous Zoe Saldana as Uhura… she was strong, confident and all-business, but she had a sensitive side too.

The story is exciting, involving, fast-paced and effectively “resets” the Star Trek universe while paying homage to what has come before. The biggest surprise to me was, as I alluded to above, how emotional this movie was, an element that was sorely lacking from some of the last few incarnations of Star Trek.

Technically, Star Trek is top-notch in every way. The special effects and production design are first-rate. The musical score is especially well-done… sentimental at times and heroic when it needs to be.

I urge you to go see this new Star Trek film. You won’t be disappointed.

Live the Dream

"We are a community of achievers, champions of success, inspirational leaders and victorious warriors on the battlefields of excellence. Our mission is to place a positive message on our clothing and give greater voice to those succeeding and living their dreams. We challenge you to join us as we publicly and positively dispute the rising tides of mediocrity, and become conquerors, fighters, dreamers, and castle builders. The question is:

ARE YOU PREPARED?"

The above is from the website of Live the Dream, which is actually a clothing company started by a former Abercrombie & Fitch designer.  The clothes put forth a positve message of persistence and strength... for example, they have one t-shirt that says "Action Overcomes Fear".  The founder, Blake Kuhn, and his fiancee Chelsea Brown truly believe in their message of living your dreams, positivity and "fighting the rising tides of mediocrity", as is evidenced not only by their clothing line but by their blog on the Live the dream website.

This is something I believe in too, so I feel that this is a venture worthy of my support.

Their website can be found here...

http://www.golivethedream.com/

They also have a Facebook group you can join if you're so inclined...

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=43618743975&ref=mf

Clarity

I wrote this last night at the behest of an online university that is considering using me as an "adjunct teaching assistant", mostly to help students sharpen their writing skills.  I thought it might be worth posting in this forum.  Here it is...

Success guru Brian Tracy has famously (and repeatedly) said “clarity is power”.  He was referring, of course, to clarity in relation to one’s personal and business success, but the same concept applies to communications, both verbal and written.  A lack of skill and understanding of the rules of grammar and spelling can often have the effect of obscuring the message one is trying to get across.  A misspelled word or misplaced comma can fundamentally change the meaning of a sentence.

There is a well-known book on grammar entitled “Eats, Shoots and Leaves”.  While the book as a whole is an entertaining read and provides a good number of easily digestible grammar lessons the title provides us with a lesson in itself.  Reading the title “Eat, Shoots and Leaves” implies that a character has had a quick bite to eat, perhaps shot someone and then left the vicinity.  Now imagine removing that comma.  The phrase would now be “Eats Shoots and Leaves”.  This brings to mind a rather more benign image of an animal (perhaps the panda on the book’s cover) merely eating some shoots and leaves.

One’s grammar and spelling can also have a significant effect on the perception others might have of you.  I happen to be single and I have spent some time on the internet dating sites that are so popular these days.  I have recently retired from the use of such sites for a variety of reasons.  One of those reasons is that so many of the profiles of prospective daters are riddled with severe spelling and grammatical errors, often to the point of laughability.  These very same women may be as intelligent and well-spoken as anyone else (if not more so) but I certainly have to wonder given the lax amount of attention given to their written communications.  I also am forced to wonder about their attention to detail and personal discipline.  Word processors with spell check that will even give grammar help are readily available so this somewhat begs the question of how much effort or care these individuals have put into their profiles.

The same could be said about perception in an academic environment.  Imagine a student who has prepared an otherwise excellent essay for, say, a business class.  They may have come up with some original, perhaps even groundbreaking thoughts about organizational development in high-growth companies.  They might have conducted endless hours of research and interviews.  Unfortunately, when they turn in this paper with awkward grammar and poor spelling, this will have an adverse effect on their grade and such errors will often obscure the point they are trying to make.

The ultimate intent of following the rules of grammar and spelling is not to be regimented for it’s own sake, but rather to provide a degree of clarity that will enable the writer’s ideas to shine forth, rather than be hidden under layers of poor writing and spelling.  I always encourage people I know to shore up their writing skills as best they can.  This ensures that their letter, resume, term paper or what have you will communicate what it’s intended to and the writer’s ideas will have the chance they deserve to heard.

Acknowledgements

I finished my novel today.

This is a pretty big deal in that I really didn't know that I would ever get it done.  Yet somehow I did it.  I've had my fair share of challenges and heartache of late.  Rather than letting all that break me, I poured everything I could into my writing.  I say this not to brag.  I say this to remind all of you that, the next time your life is full of challenges and you feel overwhelmed, you can use that negative energy, turn it on it's head and accomplish something.  I do know there's still a long road ahead of me.  Many revisions are at hand, I'm sure.  Then there's the issue of (gulp) trying to find and agent and see if some publisher actually might think it worthy. There's the Chinese proverb that says, "the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."  Granted, I have taken a big step, but there are still many miles ahead

I encourage you to read the acknowledgments below.  Whether or not the novel actually gets published I do believe that the people who had something to do with it being written deserve some sort of public kudos, so here you go.

You may wonder about this nameless "angel" that I pour such effusive praise on. This is someone that has had an enormous positive impact on my life.  I was at a low ebb of self-confidence and this person was able to lift me back up, force me to take a good, hard look in the mirror and push me back to where I was truly in the thick of life, a place I had not been in many, many years.  We should all have an angel of our own at some point in our lives, someone who believes in you and is proud of you no matter what, someone who can make you believe in yourself again, no matter what damage the years and miles have wrought.  It really doesn't matter if this person is in your life for a day, a month or your whole life.  They will generally appear when needed.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A great many people have had something to do with the writing of this, my first novel.  I will try to remember all of you.

Always first and foremost, there's my boys, Peter, David and Jonathan.  Guys, if you're reading this, that means you really can do anything you set your mind to.  Told you so!

Then there's my angel... you are forever my best friend, my cheering section and my muse.  You helped me find the best parts of me again, things I thought were forever lost. You taught me how to turn bad into good and reminded me that I actually do deserve to achieve my dreams.  I can honestly say that without you, this novel would never have been completed. I told you that you were going to make me famous and remember, there's always going to be a place in my heart that's yours and yours alone.

To my "little sister" Carrie and her husband Bill, my other best friends.  Your friendship means the world to me. I'd say "may all your dreams come true", but that's already happening.

To Christina and Jennifer, there are parts of this story that are dedicated to you guys. You both know which ones they are.

To my mom and dad...thanks for believing in me and encouraging me.

To Barry Eisler and Joseph Finder.  Your writing continues to entertain and gives me something to aspire to.  Thanks also for encouraging us budding writers and being all-around good guys.

To my Facebook friends, especially Penny, Peggy and Shalom.  Thanks for all your inspiration and encouragement.

To Michelle, the best teacher/ soldier I know.  Thanks for your unceasing positive attitude and research help.

Just as important, this novel is dedicated to everyone who ever wanted to change their life and took the chance to grow through adversity.  I did it and so can you!

Those Dating Sites

I was once a big proponent of these dating sites that are all over the internet.  I've been fortunate in that I've been able to spend some time with a couple attractive, intelligent women because of them.  I even wrote a very positive article about my experiences on such sites.

I think I'm done with them, though.

I'll be honest... I would really like to meet a nice woman.  I'm not asking for much, really.  Sure, I'd want her to be attractive.  Physical attraction is part of the equation to be sure, but she doesn't have to be a raving beauty.  I'd also like to meet someone intelligent.  I'm not talking Mensa intelligent, though that has its charms.  I merely want someone who can put together a coherent sentence, be it verbal or written, someone who has interests and ambitions beyond whatever happens to be on TV any given night.  Lastly, I'd like to meet someone nice... just a woman who is thoughtful, kind and considerate.

So again, I really don't think I'm asking for much.

One problem I frequently ran into is that of communication.  I can't count the number of times that I'd be corresponding with a nice woman, someone I was actually looking forward to meeting, and then... nothing.  I'd often be left wondering what I said or did.  I still have no idea.  I'm respectful, unlike so many of the other men that populate these sites, yet it doesn't seem that I get treated with respect in turn.  I feel it's rather rude to be communicating with someone and then cut it off with absolutely no indication as to why.  I treat people better than that so I would expect the same from others.  I guess it's easy to be rude behind the veil of anonymity that the internet provides.

The other side of the communication issue is that of people's spelling and grammar.  Granted, I'm a writer, so this is something of a hot button for me (plus, I know mine's not perfect), but there are some basics of English that people should have learned in the fourth grade or earlier.  One example... it appears that very few people know the difference between their, they're and there.  Seriously.

My frustration stems, in large part, from my feeling that I have a lot to offer in a relationship.  I'm thoughtful, intelligent, romantic and (I've been told) not bad looking.  I'm not one of these people that feels they HAVE to be in a romantic relationship, but I do know that having a good relationship with a good woman can have a positive effect on my life.  I also know that I deserve to be treated far better than I have been.

Why It's a Good Thing To Fail

There was a day, not so long ago actually, that I had envisioned a very bright future… in fact, it was all within my grasp.  It was taken from me in fairly short order.  I felt pretty much defeated.  When that happens, you have two options…

You can give up and become one of those sad-eyed people you see walking around, those people whose downward stares seem to mirror the trajectory of their lives. 

You can always take the better alternative, however.

Fight back.

Take back your life. 

Soldier on. 

Call it what you will, but ultimately I’m talking about not giving up, no matter what.

Today I had to deal with the fallout of one of the aforementioned defeats.  It was something I had been dreading, one of those things I had put off for far too long.  I did it, and you know what?  It wasn’t nearly as bad as I had anticipated.  In fact, I would daresay I’m a better man for having done it.  That doesn’t change the fact that I had to spend the remainder of the day dealing with some rather strong emotions and regrets… that was to be expected.  Consider it dealt with.  I can now look in the mirror with no small measure of pride that I finally did the right thing by myself and the other parties involved.

It was mid-morning, just today, and I logged on to Facebook.  I saw a post by a good friend of mine that really hit home for me.  It was as if she knew what was going on and posted this for my benefit.I left her a comment…  “Thank you for posting the exact perfect thing at the exact perfect time. Amazing.”

I’ll let you read it too.  Shalom, the floor is yours…

 (These are some thoughts I wanted to share, after a recent discussion with some business colleagues)

"Failure will either kill you or make you stronger."

I think it's good to fail, to feel the pain and loneliness of having your dreams dashed and your hard work turned to dust...and then look around you and realize that no one can build you up again, except yourself and you can either sit in your ruins and cry forever or you can make something of yourself. Something different. Something better. You won't make the same mistakes you did before and although you may fail again, it won't be to such great degree as it was before. With each failure, you come back 10x stronger. But you have to be willing to cut off the dying parts, if you want something better to grow there (think gardening - plants pour a lot of regrowth energy into newly trimmed/pruned parts and the whole plant gets healthier over time - every time I pull a dead leaf off my geranium, a new bud grows in it's place).

They say that the the definition of "insanity" is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

How this relates to business: the key to getting sales is really simple - having products people WANT at a price they are willing to PAY and creating paths for these people to FIND YOU. If you aren't selling, it's because one of these 3 key ingredients is missing. It may be painful to admit that to yourself, especially if you have been working hard, but nothing's going to change until you accept that fact and move on.

Having failed many times at various different things, I speak from experience. I haven't "arrived" yet, but I'm a lot farther along than when I first started out in this business (4 years ago) and I've learned to separate my "artistic emotions" from my business instincts. It really has made all the difference in the world.

-Shalom-"

In addition to being wise beyond her years, Shalom is also a talented artist.  You can see (and maybe even purchase!) her works here...

http://www.shalomscottagehome.com

Best Day Ever!

Yesterday I found out that one of my short stories, "Dark Matter", will be published in the next edition of Foliate Oak, the literary magazine of the University of Arkansas at Monticello. This is a pretty big deal, as that will be my first published work.
That evening I was invited to Nan's Piano Bar in downtown Davenport, Iowa. I had the rare opportunity to listen to (and meet!) local jazz legend Manny Lopez. He's on the trumpet.

I will try to get a video up soon.

2009: So Far

Back in December I proposed we all “press the reset button” and start anew at the advent of the new year. I proposed we make this the best year we possibly can and certainly strive to make it better than 2008. I made no secret of the fact that 2008 was not my best year ever, for a variety of reasons, so making 2009 better wouldn’t be all that hard a task... at least not in my case.
So how are we doing?
I would have to say that I’m doing quite well. It turns out that I’m made of much sterner stuff than I had imagined. I faced one challenge that I honestly thought would turn me into a piece of human flotsam and pretty well conquered it. All it took was some heaping doses of emotional control and positive psychology.
So yes, I’ve been mindful of and taken control of my attitude. I’ve learned the lessons I needed to from my mistakes and setbacks. There’s no doubt I’m on the right path, it’s merely a question of how long that path is and what’s at the other end. Ultimately I’ve wrested back control of my life from the emotional ups and downs and negativity of myself and others. Simply put, I’m starting to win.

I should probably also address one other blog post, the one entitled “Good Guys and Bad Guys”.
I was talking to a friend of mine, bemoaning the fact that the “bad guys” in my life seemed to be winning. She reminded me that they don’t win in the long-term. Turns out she really was right after all.
One of these bad guys I was alluding to recently had his ass handed to him in such a severe, spectacular fashion that even I feel sorry for him (and given the circumstances, that’s really saying something). As a matter of fact, all the individuals I referenced have since experienced some sort of metaphorical beatdown. I may not yet have the vindication that I want or need, but I can at least have some sort of satisfaction that the universe is starting to right itself somewhat.

One final note: I’m sorry that I have to address these situations in such an oblique fashion, but I do have to be mindful of privacy issues, both on behalf of myself and others. However, I think it’s important to demonstrate that bad situations can right themselves and that we can put ourselves on a more positive path, both with just a little effort.

I Am So Web 2.0...

I'm all over the place. I just got on the Facebook bandwagon...
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1397110925&ref=name

I've been on MySpace for some time...
http://www.myspace.com/jimmoens

And of course there's LinkedIn...
http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=1166828&trk=tab_pro

Am I missing anything?

"It Should be Impossible For Me to Get Back Up..."

Watch this video the next time things seem impossible for you. Keep trying to get back up... even if it seems impossible.

3-D!!

So you know those 3-D glasses you've been seeing everywhere lately?
They're being distributed so people watching the SuperBowl can enjoy a 3-D trailer for the new animated movie, "Monsters Vs. Aliens", followed by a Sobe Lifewater commercial, also in 3-D. Then on February 9th there will be an episode of the NBC series "Chuck" in 3-D. All very cool, but you can enjoy your 3-D glasses right now, from your PC. Just go here...
http://www.colorcode3d.com/gallery/index.htm
There are a number of links to some 3-D images you can enjoy. This is my favorite...
http://dogfeathers.com/java/hyperstar.html
Have fun!

Injustice

"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and, above all, confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained"
Marie Curie, Chemist

Some time ago a friend of mine went to a fortune teller who told her that she would face a lot of "injustice" in her life.
Well, duh.
We will all face injustice throughout our lives, of different kinds and to varying degrees. That's a given, just as we will all get unexpected bounties in different ways. The point, however, is not whether we will face these things but how we face them. Will we let life's latest smackdown break us and turn us into something less than we should be? Will we go the opposite route and become stronger, better and maybe learn a lesson from what's transpired? This is the proverbial fork in the road... this is a chance to learn what we're made of.
I can't make that choice for you, obviously, it's completely up to you. Just remember what you just read the next time life throws you an unexpected curveball that knocks the wind out of you.

The Choice, Part One

“The last of human freedoms - the ability to chose one's attitude in a given set of circumstances.”

The above quote is from Victor Frankl, who was imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp and subsequently wrote the the classic book, "Man's Search For Meaning".
Please understand that I by no means compare myself to someone who spent time in Aushwitz. I will say that I've had my share of challenges of late, something that I've been pretty open about. I could sit here and be angry and bitter and probably be justified in doing so. I could wallow in self-pity and let you pat me on the back and say, "there, there Jim, that's okay."
Thanks, but no thanks.
I choose the better alternative, the high road if you will. I choose to be positive. I choose to forge ahead rather than live in the past.
You can too.
I've seen too many people who choose to be consumed by bitterness and self-pity, and I've seen what it does to them. I've seen how people live in the past and how it darkens the spirit. Rather than that, use the negatives, learn from them and become stronger because of them (not in spite of them, because of them).
Think of it this way... if Victor Frankl can choose his attitude while in a concentration camp, there's absolutely no reason that you and I can't.

The Choice, Part Two

"I will not sacrifice the Enterprise. We've made too many compromises already; too many retreats. They invade our space and we fall back. They assimilate entire worlds and we fall back. Not again. The line must be drawn here! This far, no further! Captain Jean-Luc Picard, "Star Trek: First Contact"

Yesterday I addressed the fact that we all have the ability to choose our attitude (and by extension, our outcome). I could choose to be angry and bitter about a few thngs, but I'm taking the alternative. Easier said than done, I know. You might have those days where your frustration threatens to overwhelm you, those days when it's very, very hard to maintain that positve attitude.
What then?
You could take a page from the Captain Picard playbook and draw a line in the sand. Use that anger and frustration, do a little mental aikido and turn it on its head. Turn it into determination that you won't take anymore crap, that this is the baseline moment where things turn around.
That little moment right there, that's a big victory for you. When you control your attitude you control your life... that's when you start to win and that's when the people and situations that are trying to get you down lose.
Simple as that.

Literal Videos

First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!
Okay, that out of the way, allow me to present to you three of the funniest things I've seen on the internet of late...

Take on Me: Literal Video Version - watch more funny videos

Then there's this...

Head Over Heels: Literal Video Version - watch more funny videos

Oh,and...

Under The Bridge: Literal Video Version - watch more funny videos