You Aren't Dead Yet!

Had a thought today:

I'm tired of running into people who feel like they're at a dead end in their lives. They spend too much time saying things like "I'm a bad person," "I'm not good enough," or "I don't deserve ___." I also can't stand it when they act and talk like they know what they want, and yet never do anything to make it happen. There are people walking around, saying they're positive--but really, they're not, because they lack self-belief and they don't ask God for help. 

As Catholics/entrepreneurs/people who want to be great in what we do AND great at life, we know we aren't perfect. We know we have to keep pushing forward. Always. Always feeding our minds. Always taking risks. Always looking several steps ahead or just plunging forward when we know we have to. We do what we have to do when--or close to when--we have to do it.

I think we should encourage other people to do the same. We should encourage other people to break their own molds. If there are people around whom you usually bite your tongue, now is the time to charitably speak up--or walk away.

If YOU are one of those people who need to break out of feeling stuck financially; who keep making the same huge mistakes; who feel lost in your own mind; who feel discouraged because you think you lack luck or "good karma"; if you aren't where you want to be--if you feel like you aren't good/smart/successful enough--FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO CHANGE, and never stop reaching for where you need to be.

Les Brown memorably said: 

“The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry our their dream.”

YOU ARE NOT DEAD YET. You are not what happened to you, and you, through God's grace, control who you are in the present and future. Stop making excuses, and stop settling for mediocrity.

(This is me standing outside of Notre Dame about 24 hours before ISIS attacked Paris. I'll be writing a post about all that soon...I hope.)

I honestly feel like I had a close shave coming out of Paris. I know that God got me out of there right on time for a reason--I also think he let me experience that kind of scare for a reason. He reminded me that he MADE me for a reason, and that I shouldn't spend my life living in a bubble of mediocrity because of my own lack of self-belief.

He made you for a reason, too. Break your mold today! You are meant for more. 

What Gives You the Right?

So many people these days don't do what it takes to change where they're at financially. They boldly, with no real reason other than fear or comfort, refuse to take action or accept the opportunities that come their way. They act like they have a choice. They act like things are going to just keep falling into their laps and that their parents will never stop supplying their every need.
That is DELUSIONAL. And selfish.
What gives you (and me) the right? What makes us think we have the right to reject opportunity? To avoid risk? To avoid doing necessary things that scare us? To refuse to work harder and faster and smarter?
If you're a lay person (a man especially), married or single, it's your responsibility to take advantage of opportunities and make money. Why? Because money is a real way to contribute. To your family and to people in need.
Stuff happens. People get sick, houses burn down, storms destroy villages, children are born--What are you doing to make sure you're ready?
Money gives you options. Especially if you have a lot of it. I don't want to be stuck, scratching for a dollar, when I could be somewhere else, doing something meaningful. I'm doing what I can now to build wealth because, soon, I want to have the choice to drop everything when necessary, to go and be of service to other people--instead of being too stressed with being broke to think beyond how much money I wish I had in my wallet.
Hope that made sense.

Post Breakup Struggle Tip #4: You Are Not a Victim!

This is the part where you start to realize it--although I hadn't thought of it this way until one of my sane, close friends came out and told me so!

You are NOT a victim. It doesn't matter what happened. Don't think of yourself in that way. You're already making a come-back, you're already making plans, you're already improving yourself and positively impacting the people around you. You are a dynamic human being. 

There are no impossibilities; only challenges! Why settle for victimhood when you can be victorious?

Feedback: Have a victory story? Feel free to share it in the comments!

Post Breakup Struggle Tip #3: Transform Your Emotional Energy

If you're crazy, hurt, sad, frustrated, and/or confused after a breakup, then odds are you have A LOT of emotional energy. Not physical. Emotional. All kinds of stuff is thundering around inside, and it's probably excreting in the form of depression, garrulousness, over-eating, rebounding...

STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

You're a human being, and, as such, you're capable of taking control of your thoughts, actions, and energy flow. Breakups are awesome in that they can supply you with a lot of emotional energy, which, when combined with a vision and focus, can result in major, positive life changes and progress. The last (and I hope it's the last) time I found myself in the immediate post-breakup zone, I saved hundreds of dollars, traveled to three different states, visited family, shadowed at two PHC's (pregnancy help centers), attended a huge business conference, made new friends, read new books, and started/restarted a few projects.

How did I do it, and all in less than three months? I transformed my negative emotional energy into positive emotional energy. What are some of your projects? What can you start or get involved in? What are your dreams and goals? Who can you meet/help/share with? Where can you go? Start imagining and planning. "Write it down, make it happen!"

In short: Realize your potential. Something that you'll come to see is, that, perhaps, your ex-girlfriend or boyfriend wasn't meant to join you in your greatness, although they may have given you a push toward it. You'll begin to see, too, that God is leading you in a certain direction, and them in another. 

Transform your energy. Take this advice, and you'll start to feel more like yourself than ever.

Post Breakup Struggle Tip #2: Don't Over-Examine the Details

After talking to a few good people and getting a handle on the situation, you have to commit to not over examining the details. Don't think about your relationship, don't think about your ex. Remembering detailed scenes and conversations will only intensify your sense of loss and increase any negative feelings you might be dealing with. Don't look at old messages or pictures. If you are sure--without a false hope--that the relationship is over, delete/hide/destroy (whatever the case may be) everything. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, phone number, email, everything.

Why?

To teach yourself to let go and eliminate an attachment that has now become unhealthy. It won't take long for you to feel glad that you took this bit of advice.

Delete friends and avoid certain social scenes and circles, if you have to. You want to be even-tempered and focused on having a good future--not one spattered by the wreckage of a relationship that, actually, no longer exists. The details have lost their worth. Besides, forgetting makes it easier to forgive.

Q6:"What is your long-term goal?"

December 17, 2014 marked my first anniversary as an entrepreneur and college drop-out. I invited friends to ask me about my journey. Here is the sixth of the series of questions and my response:

Q6:"What is your long-term goal?"

Freedom. I'm pretty sure I knew that when I was a kid, but throughout the ambiguity of my teenager-hood to adulthood, my goal in life became rather unclear. I think I've spent the last two years digging it up again, and now, whenever I remember it, it takes me by surprise. Losing your dream for a while also makes it hard for you to believe in it, so I'm working on that, too: I believe I am meant to be free!

(Me posing at the "My cause is" wall inside the Amway Headquarters in Ada, Michigan, October 2014.)

Let me tell you what I mean by "freedom." I mean that I want to get to a point where money is no object and where I have time to do things that I actually care about instead of spending most of my time working on making money. The more money you have, the less time you spend worrying about how you're going to pay the bills next month. Money gives you options, the freedom to act on your dreams. 

(Read more here.)

When I get my freedom, I won't have to say, "I can't afford to go on that trip" or "I can't afford to build a house" or "I'll never be able to help other people in the way that I want to." There are hundreds--maybe thousands--of good, wealthy people out there who have that freedom, and the difference between us and them is that, while we're busy doubting ourselves, they're asking themselves, "Why not me? Why not now?" Ask yourself those questions, then ask yourself what freedom means to you.

(Click on this video to let Jim Rohn ask you a few important questions.)

These days we hear a lot of people talk about how rich people are evil and the poor are being cheated out of getting a piece of the wealth the rich enjoy. We hear a lot of people talk about how they think Communism is the answer and how Capitalism doesn't work. If you happen to be one of those people, I'd like to invite you to let Earl Nightingale change your mind. 

(Click here to let Earl change your mind.)

Need more convincing?

 

(Just in case you needed more convincing...) 

So, basically, if you aren't rich yet, it's nobody's fault but yours. And one of the best way to help other succeed is to help yourself succeed first. The best way to help someone climb a mountain is to lead the way. 

Aside from the common sense perspective provided in the excellent talks posted above, I'd like to explore the Catholic perspective with you a little bit. 

(Read more about St. Josemaria Escriva here.)

I myself have much to learn, but I get the idea that God wants us to take it upon ourselves to become saints, and sainthood isn't acquired by faith alone. It comes, in part, through works. "Works" doesn't just apply to charitable works (ie. Corporal Works of Mercy), it also applies to the work that we do to make money. So we must sanctify our work--offer it up for the glory of God and make sure it aligns with His Will. Perhaps God has led you to the work that you are doing now. If that's the case, quit wasting time, because He's waiting on you to make things happen. It is through us that He accomplishes many of His own works. Zig Ziglar says that he believes God wants you to succeed. 

(John Paul II giving both spiritual and practical advice, as usual.)

So don't settle! Claim your God-given freedom and don't let anybody take it away from you. There's a lot of work out there for us to do, a lot of people out there for us to help, and some really big dreams for us to reach in the process. Decide what your own long-term goals are and, as Dexter Yager says, "Get the heartbeat for freedom!"

Albany Rose, 7 Years Later

In her latest Youtube release, Albany Rose really gets into the details of the REAl results of the abortion she was forced into 7 years ago. I must have heard about her for the first time a little over a year ago when I was searching videos on abortion on Youtube. I watched the video she made 2 years ago, in which she described her abortion experience. I watched it, then I watched it again.

There is a lot to reflect on in regards to her post-abortion experience...

This Facebook comment by one of Albany's followers pretty much sums up some of the things I wanted to say:

"Every time I listen to you speak, I forget how young you are. I get so caught up in what you're saying, the maturity, confidence, and honesty you say it with. When I hear everything you've been through and everything you had to fight against, it is just incredible what you've come through in such a short time. So I forget that you are only 2 years older than me. 

I hope I get to meet you one day. I'd love to actually talk in person with you.

I'm so grateful for your videos. I know it isn't easy to come out and be honest with the world about the icky parts in your past. I wish I could be that brave. But, like you said, it is so important for people to hear. You're making such a huge difference in the world!"


Please watch her video. Please share it.

Cardinal Burke, Keeping it Real

And all he did was stick to the truth.
I can't believe how much we complicate things by trying to be ecumenical and "nice." Burke just stuck to the truth, treated the guy like a human being, and had faith that God would do the rest.
"In 1995, after four years of trying to combine sporadic Catholic worship with fulltime homosexual cohabitation, Hess gave up, and melodramatically “boxed up all my crucifixes and Bibles and dropped them off at the office of the bishop of La Crosse, Wisconsin with a letter renouncing the Catholic faith.”

That would be Bishop Raymond “Ivory Tower” Burke. To Hess’ surprise and chagrin, Bishop Burke responded kindly, saying he respected Hess’ decision but would pray for his return. A self-described “gay activist,” Hess was outraged at the bishop’s “arrogance,” and wrote back to accuse him of harassment and instruct him to never write again. But Bishop Burke did write again, one last, kind letter, promising to obey Hess’ dictate, but also promising, “if I should want to reconcile with the Church, he would welcome me back with open arms.”"

https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/how-cardinal-burke-welcomed-home-a-gay-activist

Why Limit Yourself?

Today, I found myself driving through the afternoon traffic with two complete strangers sitting in my car. This sort of situation actually isn't usual for me. What was unusual was the conversation that took place during the short ride we had together.

They were a couple, backpacking (as made clear by their giant backpacks) across the Pacific on their way to Australia. They'd had a long layover in Guam, so they'd stayed the night at a bed n' breakfast I clean for. The couple had needed a ride to the airport, so I had agreed to take them there before I went to work on cleaning the apartment they'd stayed in.

The man was quite talkative and they were both very grateful for the ride. He was from New York, and she was from Berlin. He asked me if I was from Guam, and I said yes. He asked me if I'd grown up here, and I said yes. Then he asked if I had any siblings, and I said, "Yes. I have ten brothers and sisters."

Typically, when someone gets around to asking me that questions, I'll pause for a moment and think of how to tell them how big my family is. No matter how I answer, however, the usual response is drowned in surprise.

And he was surprised.

But very pleased. They both were.

"That is so awesome!" He said. And she said, "It is! It's beautiful."

It was a pleasant surprise to hear that.

I mentioned how people are usually surprised, and how, sometimes, people wonder, "Why have so many?" 

I think the real question to ask is, "Why limit yourself?"

He responded, "That's how people react when I tell them that I want a big family--like six kids. They freak out. But it's like you said--Why limit yourself, if that's what you want?"

I asked them how many siblings they had. He had one, and she had none. She admitted something that I've heard so many people admit before: "I wish I had siblings."

I'm not married or anything. I'm just one kid out of many. But that's kind of the point. By merely existing, I get to be a witness. I am evidence of something "awesome", "beautiful", and definitely surprising.

So here's my question to you young, married people out there: "Why limit yourself?"