3 ways to use the power of gratitude in your life:

1. Be grateful for everything you have received in your life (past).

2. Be grateful for everything you are receiving in your life (present).

3. Be grateful for what you want in your life, as though you have already received it (future). 

#achievetoday
#gratitude

The key to getting exercise as a family is to get the kids involved. Make exercise a game and before you know it everyone will be exhausted while getting an awesome workout at the same time!

Here are some ideas. . .
Disguise exercise as a game. “The ground is lava,” “who can do the most cartwheels,” etc. Have fun with it! 

“Backyard Olympics” with tinfoil medals. You can inspire your kids with great feats of strength: push ups with a kid on your back, hikes with a kid riding piggy back, whatever. Heck, you can even do pull ups while your kid is on the swingset, or teach your kids to do handstands!

Go fly kites. The less wind the better because the only way they can get their kite to fly is to RUN! They won’t even realize they are wearing themselves out.

Try geo-caching. Kids of all ages love it! (It's a treasure hunting game where you use a GPS to hide and seek containers with "treasures" inside).

Got a stubborn teenager who doesn’t care about exercising? Find a good hiking spot, like a waterfall, cave, scenic overlook, ect. Even teenagers love the outdoors – so do things outdoors where they can get moving and get their heart rate up in a way that's fun. Exploring, climbing, swimming…these are all good options.

One final thought: you’re a superhero to your family whether you realize it or not. You are your kids’ biggest hero; how you act will determine the health and habits your family builds too.

They will do what you do, not what you say to do.

If we can instill the habit of health, fitness, and happiness in ourselves, our families are more likely to grow up healthy and not deal with the health issues that come with being overweight and out of shape.

#achievetoday
#exercise
#family

What are the statistical chances of catching a baseball in the outfield of a Major League Game?  I don’t know the exact answer, but my guess would be extremely low.   Those lucky individuals that are the exception always become the object of other fan’s jealousy.  What those individuals do with their prize varies from keeping it for themselves, to actually throwing it back in the field of play if it is the visiting team’s ball that happens to invade their hometown space.  What you rarely see is a lucky fan that catches the once in a lifetime prize give the ball to someone around him.

Well, on May 18th, 2014 at Yankees Stadium this exact thing happened.  But what happened after that was such a statistical anomaly that Karma had to be lurking in the wings to make it a reality.

On May 18th, 2014 I happened to be at the particular game mentioned above where the Yankees played the Pirates of Pittsburgh.  I was sitting down the first base line about halfway into the outfield.  We were essentially sitting directly to the left of Alfonso Soriano, the Yankees Right Fielder, about 10 rows up.  

The game started with a flurry of scoring in the first inning.  The Pirates second batter Neil Walker crushed a home run ball.  The Yankees then scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 1st to lead 3-1.  After scoring again in the 2nd inning the Yankees led 4-1.   By the end of the 5th inning the Pirates had scored 2 more runs to trail 4-3.  Well not much excitement (scoring wise) happened after that, but something amazing happened in the bottom of the 6th that I doubt has ever happened in the history of America’s Greatest Pastime.

Brian McCann was up to bat.  The 3rd pitch came inside and Brian cranked it into the right field foul ball area.  For a minute my heart started racing as the ball appeared to be coming to my section.  My mind danced as I quickly planned how I might catch it if I was indeed lucky enough to have that opportunity to scramble for that ball.  Sure enough, it sailed a little to the right and about 5 rows back into the hands of a very lucky fan.  He bare handed the ball and before he could even sit down this young man handed the ball to a young boy that was sitting on his mother’s lap.  Well, there is a belief that Karma will do unto you what you have done unto others.

Now, catching a foul, fly ball isn't completely uncommon.   I think we’d all agree that it is extremely rare.  Obviously the chances of a season ticket holder who attend every home game are much higher than the occasional game attendee.  I’m sure the statistics exist, but what I witnessed 3 pitches later had to be a once in a billion chance of ever happening.  Picking all the correct winners in the NCAA bracket has nothing on this! :) 

At this point in the pitcher/batter exchange, Brian McCann was down on the count 1-2, needing to ‘protect the plate’.  The next pitch after the foul ball was a ball putting the count at 2-2.  The next pitch was a foul ball straight back.  I would not have believed what happened next had I not seen it myself.  That next pitch had the wings of Karma as its pilot.  Sure enough, Brian swung with all he had and the ball once again set sail for my neck of the woods.  The excitement rose again quickly, only to turn to disappointment as I realized it wasn't coming to me.  However, as I watched the ball sail over my head again, I turned and saw the ball land in the hands of the exact same fan that caught the previous foul ball by the same batter.  At that point, the entire 2 sections at Yankee stadium ahhhed in amazement as the fan once again took the cherished prize and handed it to a young fan in front of him.  The sections erupted in cheers, applauding this young Yankee fan’s luck and charitable acts.  

What a great thing to witness.  Once again, I’m not sure what the statistical odds would be for the same guy to catch 2 fly balls from the same batter in a 4 pitch sequence.  I’m sure it off the charts low.  Somehow I wonder if Karma played a part.

Entrepreneurs who attain a certain mindset are the ones who ultimately succeed. This mindset has four, intertwining aspects.

Follow your instincts. 
A survey by the Kauffman Foundation found 98% of company founders said the willingness to take risks is the usual stepping stone to entrepreneurial success. Successful entrepreneurs relied on their “gut-feeling” when it came to hiring people for their business.

Stay curious, learn new skills. 
Studies of Stanford alumni have shown that people with a greater variety of roles in in previous jobs are more likely to become entrepreneurs. The smallest lesson learned can make a big difference in business.

Let go and delegate.
A great idea can turn into a great business only when you find and trust the right people to help make it happen. Entrepreneurs need help accomplishing their goals. Hire great people to work in the business so you have the time to work on the business.

Anticipate failure.
Making it big on the first try is a rare story. The path to success is not straight. No matter how meticulously you plan, you’re going to make a mistake. Maybe more than one. Some entrepreneurs, fixated on the idea that they’ll succeed on the first try, give up without a second try. By not anticipating failure, they failed.
#achievetoday
#success

“Before success comes in any man’s life, he’s sure to meet with much temporary defeat and, perhaps some failures. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and the most logical thing to do is to quit. That’s exactly what the majority of men do.” – Napoleon Hill

#motivation

If you feel yourself having a lot of bad feelings about life, yourself or others, it's time to lighten up!

Imagine bad feelings as wild horses you chose to climb on. If you climbed on them you can climb off them too.

You can choose to get off that horse as fast as you jumped onto it!
#achievetoday
#lightenup

4 SECRETS OF SUCCESS AMID ADVERSITY
Adversity is a constant companion in life but learning to push through tough times is a lesson sometimes harshly taught. Here are four secrets that can be applied to succeed at your goals.

BE PASSIONATE
Faced with adversity, it is hard to dream big. Fear and anxiety can be overwhelming. Being passionate about something – anything – gives clarity to dreams, lifts our spirit, sharpens our focus and creates a vision of better times ahead.

FIND A MENTOR
“When the student is ready the teacher appears.” Good mentors don’t just teach; they inspire. They raise the bar not so you will fail but so you will grow, not so you curse defeat but so you appreciate gain. They do not change who you are, they change who you believe you can become.

MAKE A PROMISE
Studies confirm that verbally committing to something programs our mind to hold to that obligation even if it is difficult or dangerous. We take ourselves very seriously.

OUTWORK EVERYBODY
Dreams are a chassis but sweat is the fuel. Imagine a Ferrari in the driveway – nice to look at, but without gas, it sits idle. Success is earned by tuning out the noise and getting to work.

It's important to pay attention to how you feel about what is happening around you. Because how you feel, whether good or bad, is giving off a frequency and will determine the people, events and circumstances that you're bringing into your life. 

To change anything - whether it's the circumstances of money, health, relationships or any subject whatsoever - you have to change the way you feel!

Even if you just give 51% good thoughts and feelings, you've tipped the scales of your life. Every day is an opportunity for a new life. Every day you stand at the tipping point of your life. And on any one day you can change the future - through the way that you feel.

Do you think waking up a couple of times at night is normal? If so, think again. 

It's important that your body is resting enough to ensure recovery and efficient weight loss. So how do you do that with those early morning bathroom trips? It's most likely caused by your late night eating habits.

Having to use the bathroom shouldn't wake you up. Instead your blood sugar is dropping from late night sweet snacks (chocolate, ice cream, sweet cereal, ect.) causing the wake up and once you're awake you realize that you have to use the bathroom.

Replace the sweet snacks with something less sweet (nuts, cheese, crackers, ect.) and in a short time you'll notice you're quality of sleep has improved. You'll wake up refreshed, ready to take on the day and your weight loss goals!

#weightloss
#sleep
#achievetoday

How can you squeeze more productive hours out of your day? Successful entrepreneurs share some of their secrets for getting the most out of the business day...

"No matter what, before the workday begins, I get up and work out."

"Schedule specific times of the day to check your email and only check it then."

"I remove myself from one email list everyday."

"I work when others sleep."

"Learn the computer keyboard shortcuts for your Mac or PC."

"To get cheap airfare, buy your tickets on Wednesday at 1pm."

Try putting some of these to the test, and let us know what strategies you use to get your best work done!

Many of us have a tendency to accept what we hear without thinking critically and forming our own opinions. 

We're exposed to so much information and so many different opinions every day that it's really easy to get lost in the details. Train yourself to learn which details matter and which don't. 

Start by listening to your gut. If something doesn't sound true, that's your first warning sign. From there, you can start looking for other holes in an argument. Here are just a few ways to do that.

1) Think about who benefits from a statement
2) Question the source
3) Look for obvious statements

The more you pay attention to these kinds of details the more automatic your critical thinking will become. The end result is a brain that automatically forms better arguments, focused ideas, and creative solutions to problems.