Category: Motivation

One should always compose oneself and watch one’s temper, but there are many times when it’s okay to be upset.

You might have righteous rage, which is feeling angry about unfairness or injustice and wanting to make things right.

Or you might be upset about something in your life. This could mean you’ve found something that you’re passionate about and would like to change.

That’s the key. The feeling of upset should lead to a positive change. So if you are upset about something, embrace it and use that energy to make a difference.

The other day, while scrolling on social media, I came across a video of a baby falling and bumping their head. The gist of the video was that depending on how the parents act, it decides how the baby will react to the situation. In the video, instead of reacting alarmed or super concerned when the baby hit their head, the parents reacted lightheartedly and laughed as if the small bump wasn’t much. The baby, in return, laughed and did not cry at all.

Yesterday, I had a similar situation. My baby rolled from her stomach to her back, something we have been practicing for a while and encouraging her to do. It was a rough roll, and she kind of bumped into a few toys and other things surrounding her. Instead of reacting all alarmed and frightened, my wife and I clapped and congratulated my baby for rolling over. She, in return, smiled, and you could tell she was proud of herself. Had we reacted differently, she may have cried.

The same goes for us and how we live life. We might experience a few bumps and bruises along the way on our journey of life. We may experience shortcomings or even witness someone experience some kind of shortcoming or “bump” their head. It’s how we respond to those situations that matters the most. It’s key to keep a positive attitude. We can’t change what happened, but we can decide how we respond. How we respond decides how we learn and move on from that situation.

The same goes for when we are supporting others. It’s crucial to make sure our response to others’ situations is positive and supportive. Many parents need this reminder when dealing with their kids who are now young adults or adults. You should want the best for your kid, and of course, you never want anything bad to happen. But when problems do arise, make sure you are supporting them in a productive way that will give them confidence to continue pushing in life. Also, provide a sense of security so that when the next problem arises, they feel comfortable coming to you again for help and guidance.

It is crucial to strive for self-integration, where your thoughts, actions, and words align cohesively.

When your beliefs, intentions, and actions synchronize, you present a more authentic version of yourself. Inconsistencies in these areas can lead to problems.

Personally, when my actions don’t match my words, I feel uneasy. The same applies when my thoughts and actions aren’t in harmony. I observe others in the same way, checking if their thoughts, words, and actions align when something feels off.

In sports, when a player takes shortcuts or doesn’t give their full potential, the common advice is, “You’re only cheating yourself.” While it may sound cliché, it is indeed true. Cheating yourself in sports and training hinders progress and potential for growth.

This principle extends to life as well. When your words and actions aren’t aligned, or when you pretend they are, you’re only cheating yourself. Stay true to yourself and focus on fully integrating your thoughts, words, and actions. It is possible.

Age and time don’t matter as much as we often think when it comes to success and achieving things. Regardless of the situation, when we compare ourselves to others or compete against them, we often think, “Well, they are older than me, so they should have more experience, a higher salary, or better skills, etc.”

I used to think that way too. These thoughts started to fade away when I entered college for football. I had teammates and opponents who were much older than me. Some of them were so much older that we weren’t even in high school during the same years.

In the NFL, I played with guys who were decades older than me. Age didn’t matter. They didn’t treat me differently because I was younger, and I didn’t treat them differently because they were older. It simply didn’t matter. What mattered most was the present moment.

You might see someone making a lot of money at work and think, “They have x number of years of experience, and they are older than me.” However, that truly doesn’t matter. Our lives don’t follow the same timeline. We achieve things at various ages. We learn things at different stages of life.

Martin Luther King Jr. died at 39 years old. Imagine if he had thought he needed to be older or have more years of experience before he could begin to serve his life’s purpose and make a change. Some kids graduate from high school at the age of 13 or 14. They don’t need to wait until they are 18 like everyone else.

Whatever it is you want to do in life, know that the time is now. Patience is important, but also remember what Malcolm X once said, “No man is given but so much time to accomplish whatever is his life’s work.” So, anything you do today, consider it urgent.

Change is inevitable.

Reflect on all the years of your life, and you will see that.

We can either deliberately take the actions to create the change that we want or simply sit there and let change happen, then try to react afterward.

Reflect on all the years of your life, and you will see that.

A lot of things we want in life require delayed gratification, such as the dream job, body, spouse, mentality, or overall life satisfaction. Whatever it may be, it necessitates present effort and work for future rewards.

However, this doesn’t mean you cannot find happiness in the present moment. Once your mind is set on a goal and you are committed to following the necessary steps, find joy in it. Express gratitude in advance.

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “You can chain me, torture me, even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind.” Even when physically confined, one’s thoughts, dreams, and imagination remain free and unaffected.

Though you may not be where you desire to be currently, you can still cultivate the habits, mindset, and vision of your future self.

Today can mark the beginning of whatever achievement you aspire to in life. Even at the start of a journey, maintaining a sense of gratitude, confidence, and excitement for future accomplishments can provide motivation and fulfillment. Give it a try and experience it firsthand.