Tag: positive attitude

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motivation

What is the Strangest Secret?

man wearing black blazer
Photo by Caleb Oquendo on Pexels.com

In 1955, Earl Nightingale recorded a spoken word album that became a bestseller called The Strangest Secret. He asked and answered the question, “What is the strangest secret in the world?”

I heard parts of the recording many years ago. In August 2022, Dan Miller on the 48 Days podcast issued a challenge to listen to the recording for thirty days. I decided to take the challenge. It couldn’t have come at a better time for me!

Here is a link to the original recording:

“The Strangest Secret” by Earl Nightingale

This last month has turned out to be one of change for my wife and me. She has been offered an amazing opportunity. As a result, we will be moving soon and starting a new chapter in our lives.

The challenge also involved writing how the recording affected me. The following is my response to The Strangest Secret Challenge. I took the challenge. My answers are below.

Continue reading “What is the Strangest Secret?”
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motivation

The Benefit of Problems

“Expect problems and eat them for breakfast.” Alfred A. Montapert

Happy Monday! Are you dreading it? Do you have a feeling there will be problems today? On one hand, I hope this day will go well for you. But on the other hand, I encourage you to embrace the benefit of problems, for there are a few.

“Expect problems and eat them for breakfast.”

Alfred A. Montapert

That quote may not sound optimistic. You may be asking, “Why should I expect problems? Aren’t they the reason I’ll have a bad day?”

My answer is that we need problems to grow. Every problem is a challenge and every challenge is a learning experience.

strict female teacher with book pointing at scribbled blackboard
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

We have this mistaken notion that when we are in school, our goal is to answer enough of the questions on a test so that we never have to solve another one. Where did that come from? When school is done well, it prepares us to answer problems. A test in the classroom can prepare us for tests out in the real world.

Problems Exist

Problems exist, and that is good! Every opportunity came from a predicament that needed to be solved.

  • Thomas Edison had no need to invent the light bulb if gas lights were safe and efficient.
  • If a horse and buggy was fast and cheap enough, there would be no need for automobiles.
  • If humans had brains as fast as computers and we could handle all the data ever created, there would be no need for the electronic kind

That doesn’t mean all trouble is good or that it will make us feel great. There are some headaches that are out of our control. But there are others that have an answer within reach if we remain determined to stick it out and address the issue.

When trials come, consider if this is an opportunity. Is it something that requires a short-term or long-term solution? Instead of dreading them, let’s embrace the benefit of problems and eat them for breakfast!

Categories
motivation

Do You Spend More Time in the Past or Future?

Do you spend more time in the past or the future?

Neither the past nor the future is a reality right now. The present moment is what we have today. Yet, it’s strange, isn’t it? You are reading this after I spent time in the past writing it. An action I did in the past results in another action right now.

I am thankful for my past. But like everyone, I have my regrets. There are things I would’ve done differently if given the chance. I uttered words and did things that in light of today, weren’t the best choices. I have grown from where I was. After all, the insight of a ten-year-old is much different than that of a forty-year-old!

I can’t change the past, but my perception of it changes over time. Science tells us our memories may have been distorted over time. We reminisce about the good old days but forget the challenges we had then.

The future is hazy. No one can predict it with one hundred percent accuracy. If a pandemic taught us anything, it’s that the future is far from certain. We can make plans, but they are always subject to change.

I tend to think more about the future. I can’t change the past, but I can make investments that could pay off later. An encouraging word in a blog, a helping hand to someone in need, and a positive growth mindset can pay off later. It’s not certain, but the lack of any kind of future investment certainly is.

If you sow seed in the present, at least some of it will bring a harvest in the future. Some may succumb to bad conditions. That is the risk you take. But not sowing seed is certain to bring a barren season.

So while I honor my past, I will use the present to sow investments in the future. And I hope you will too!

Categories
Attitude motivation

Courage and Mindset

Courage and Mindset: KevinSpear.com

Courage takes a positive mindset. Whoever said, “This is going to go badly. It inspires me to do more!” No, that kind of thinking inspires no one.

We get inspired by the story of the person who marches on against all odds. Is it because they’re the smartest or most talented? No, it’s because that person can envision a better outcome than everyone else. The odds may not be in their favor, but they move ahead with courage and faith.

Mindset matters! If you are certain the project will go badly, what’s the point? If you know there will be obstacles, but believe they can be overcome and there will be a payout, you are much more likely to do what is required to make that project a success.

Are you negative about something that must be done? Change your mindset! Look for ways that could make the project successful. Find a way through the obstacles. Look at the obstacles as challenges that can be overcome. You may be surprised to find the answer was there all along but a pessimistic mindset blinded you… until now!

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Blog Articles motivation

When things change, find a new melody

As I get older, it’s fun to see friends and peers reinventing themselves. Pivoting has been essential during the COVID-19 pandemic and many people have done just that. I wrote this article about two musicians that found their place during the pandemic.

Jay and Amy Rouse Find a New Melody

I especially like one piece of advice Jay gave to musicians. It is something we can all benefit from.

Jay encourages [musicians] to plan, but be flexible. “It’s everybody’s motto these days. And it’s never been truer: live with open hands.”

Article: Jay and Amy Rouse Finds a New Melody

Our best-laid plans were upended in 2020. Everyone has had to find a way to live and work in an alternative way. Some of us have struggled while others have been able to make it work. Resilience and the willingness to change have made a big difference when it has felt like the world was falling apart.

Life rarely goes the way we hoped it would. There are happy surprises as well as unpleasant ones. The future is rarely as predictable as we would like to think it is. Even as there are signs of improvement in COVID vaccines and the economy, we will face some setbacks along the way.

Live with open hands. Find a new melody. Be flexible. It is great advice now and will be great advice in the near and distant future.