I LOVE......

"We all have likes and dislikes, we have things we love, like the Dodgers, or the Angels, and yes some even love the Yankees, but then there are things we should love--like ourselves."
Jeff Johnson March 2008

I love _________, can you fill the blank in with something you love? List the top five things you love in some order--tie(s) are acceptable. Was you name on the list? We all list children, pets, neighbors and friends, organizations that have meaning to us, sports teams, and even food items. O.K., everyone should just assume chocolate as the king of all food items. Let's look at how much time we spend thinking about the things we love in a positive manner.

We are creatures of habit. We comb our hair in the same way each time, we brush our teeth in the same manner, we sleep on the same side of the bed each night, and we eat a lot of the same foods each day. Our habits are formed because we like routines and we like to be happy. When we think of ourselves my guess is we look at the things we need to fix versus the things we like. For example, we may say, 'I am to fat or to skinny," I need to do this about myself or if I only had______, I would be O.K.' For each one of those 'I wishes' we place on the 'less than' side of the coin how many 'atta boys' do we give ourselves in return? We can improve our image if we do just a few things. We can feel better about ourselves if we spend more time thinking good about us instead of bad.

Start everyday with saying something nice about you, Maybe begin with "I am a good person, or I am smart, or I did something good today for someone, or I went to work today when I felt bad, or I worked as hard as I could at something today." Praise yourself more by writing things down and place the notes on the refrigerator or the bathroom mirror. Continue to say I am improving instead of I need to change this, say I am worth it instead of I have so many bad things about me. Looking at a positive way to see us is harder than looking at a negative part of us. Everyone has many good qualities to share and be thankful for. Make a decision to always see a positive when looking at a negative in everything. Try to reduce the time spent thinking bad and focus more on good things. Increase the time you think good about your life instead of how much you need to improve. Look up instead of down, and most of all know you are moving forward because you are a FORWARD STEPPER. Life is good, you have wonderful and good qualities, and there is a plan and purpose for your life. Spend more time thinking good about you and live life smiling.

I believe in you because YOU ARE WORTH IT,
Jeff
P.S. MAKE SURE YOU READ SUNDAYS BLOG--INSPIRATIONAL

MISMATCH

"Our actions sometimes do not match our intentions."

Jeff Johnson March 2008

The other day I put on my socks and shoes and left for work in a hurry---YESSSSSS I was fully dressed otherwise LOL. Once at work, I crossed my legs during a session and noticed my socks did not match. I like to wear socks that have wild patterns, so the mismatch was very noticeable. During the entire day I was uncomfortable and self-conscious about the conflict in my life. What I should have done is to take both socks off so at least I felt more at ease with temporarily improved condition. However, the degree of ill-at-ease was manageable so I lived with the status quo.

Many times we desire to move in one direction, but we take actions in another direction or stay stationary. This inactivity or mismatch in direction makes us feel uncomfortable and self-conscious about our life. In most circumstances of mismatched direction we doubt our original decision, our ability to move in the new direction or towards the new goal, until we change our ‘socks’ and totally match. It is time now to not accept the status quo and make the necessary changes to improve our lives.

Decide today to remove the resistance and barriers to feeling good and start getting your life back. If we are tolerating the comfort level then the barrier can not be that severe. Remove the ‘socks’ now as an acceptable temporary remedy. Do not let the stationary position of trying to go in two directions at once allow you to doubt and stop forward movement. Seek the help you need to move forward—move the obstacle before moving your desire. You are a forward stepper—so continue stepping forward.

I believe in you because you are worth it,

Jeff

HEADLINES

“Many times we are defeated inside our own heads before we even get started.”

Jeff Johnson March 2008

The story is not original when we speak of the 90 pound weakling getting sand kicked in his face from the beach bully. The 90 pound weakling starts a super conditioning program (all without steroids of course) and becomes this super strong man. Then the showdown with the beach bully is immanent. The once picked on 90 pound weakling approaches the bully and draws a line in the sand daring him to cross it—a challenge is created.

Life brings us challenges. Not all challenges are bad, some are positive, but require us to push beyond reasonable limits. But to often we draw headlines—the same lines that are carved in the sand only mentally placed. Some common 'Headlines' are: "It is to hard," I am not __________(you fill in the blank i.e. tall enough, smart enough, pretty enough, just not enough etc.), and my favorite--I just can't do it." When we make the headlines our human nature shuts us down and we stop. In other words, the fight is over, the game reads 'tilt,' and we lose our quarter. Conversely, when things are going well or when we reach a major goal--we stop with, "I have gone as far as I can go." We create our own internal battle before the fight. Now we face the life challenge and our own challenge--two against one.

We are wired by millions of years of evolution in development to overcome challenges. In the face of death, in the heart of war, through the most perilous times imaginable---we are designed to OVERCOME! Looking at challenges causes us to place a value on our inner and outer strengths as WE perceive them in a given moment. However, The most significant factors in overcoming challenges are identifying the fear we have with the challenge, developing a sense of control over the feared environment mentally, and envisioning alternatives to the anticipated negative outcomes. Instead of looking at the challenge as a welcome mat to fear--why not look at the challenge as a doorway to a new hope, a new dream to obtain, a new path that may lead others to avoid, or to follow out of their fear in a similar situation, or to grow stronger. Instead of stopping at the top of a mountain--why not seek a bigger mountain to climb?

Life has presented us challenges in the past and we have defeated them. Our previous experiences with success are tools to use to sharpen the weapons we need now. STEP FORWARD FORWARD STEPPERS--sharpen your weapons necessary to defeat the present challenge---forgetting the headlines. Besides, headlines are just as soft as the lines in the sand--one small wave and it is just sand.

I believe in you because YOU ARE WORTH IT,

Jeff

FEEL-N-GOOD

"When things are bad we feel bad, but when things are good we feel good. We should look for good in everything so we are feel-IN-good all the time."
Jeff Johnson March 2008

Everyone likes to feel good. It is impossible to have things go right all of the time--except in Pleasantville :-). Each day and night in our life brings opportunity for good and bad things to occupy our attitude. When good things happen to pass our way, do we spend time looking at them to see ALL of the good we can in this event? But, when the bad times come we can not analyze it enough. We have actually practiced studying the bad and really ignore all of the good except for the occasional thank-you card responsive items. Truly, we enjoy feeling good and having good things happen to us versus having bad happen to us and feeling terrible.

Many times we hear the phrase, 'count to ten to calm down before acting out,' when anger is in our path. Sometimes I need to request a double take on this--the first take is the traditional 1-10, my second take is 11-100 LOL. How many times do we take 'ten' when good is in our path so we can act out more expressively, reflect on it, and absorb a deeper meaning? If it is true to hold our thoughts and wrap our emotions around anger prior to acting out then the converse would be true for good things. We have actually practiced dwelling on anger and bad things and take good things for granted--SOME OF THE TIME.

Today, take time to list 5 good things that have happened in your life in the last week. Spend 5 minutes looking at how wonderful it made you feel to have the good things happen to you. Consider what life would be like if those things were absent, and try to locate a deeper meaning from the good--a life lesson to carry forward. Put the 'good' to the same test we put anger. The title of this article is "feel-n-good,' this can be a new beginning and a chance to grow.
Step forward you forward steppers--learn how to feel good in all things--practice makes perfect.

I believe in you because YOU ARE WORTH IT,
Jeff

REACHABLE

"Light can travel infinitely--but headlights and flashlights only provide light to a specific point. Knowing you have unlimited potential and stopping at a particular point can teach us to lift our lights to another point---we have more room to travel--stretch the lighted path."
Jeff Johnson March 2008


Ever plan a trip to a foreign place? Maybe not out of the country or far away, but a new place for you? When you planned the trip did you plan to go farther than the destination or to stop at the end of your plan? Many times we plan to go to a certain point and when we arrive we stop--like in the trip analogy. Sometimes we stay to long at one point and sometimes the original destination where we stop was never intended to be our final stop. We just became comfortable and stopped.

I would like to share a story I heard from someone else--THIS IS NOT ORIGINAL MATERIAL-- I DO NOT KNOW THE AUTHOR--SO HERE IS MY CITATION--the best I can do.
"There was once an African American grandmother in the deep south. She had a large family and everything she made was from scratch. The families favorite item for her to bake were her homemade biscuits. So, one after noon grandma kneaded the dough, formed the biscuits by hand, and placed them in the oven while everyone watched. It was not long and the smell of homemade biscuits filled the house and raised anticipation to a frenzy. When the time came to pull them out of the oven grandma called everyone around. The tray was filled with biscuits, but instead of being high and full they were flat as pancakes. One of the children asked, "What happened to the fluffy biscuits grandma?" Grandma looked at the family and said, "Well the biscuits squatted to rise and then they ended up getting cooked in the squat."" Many times we are like the biscuits--we start out in a beginning position to get started, then just stop--even though our destination is within reach.

We have reachable destinations within our potential. We are created to thrive and succeed. Do not look at where you are as the only place in life that will allow you to stay--look at your place in life as the step you are on now getting ready to move into something else. The stepping stones that lead upward sometimes have flat spots so we can sprint to the finish. Start reaching for new things with enthusiasm and willingness to make it. Set your goals a little higher and when you reach them--set new ones. If the path to making it to where you want to go is dull, boring, old, or covered in "I can't do it," find a kick start today.
Let your light shine in the farthest direction because even though you may not be able to see the end--it does come when we walk towards it long enough. Step out and up forward steppers.

I believe in you because YOU ARE WORTH IT,
Jeff

PS: Make sure to read my Sunday's Easter post!