Bryan Parady's Blog, page 22

The Challenge

Life can throw some crazy curves. It beats us down till we are left hanging on for dear life, hoping the craziness leaves us alone for enough time to catch our breath. How we respond to those times is super important. I’m still learning this.

I have a tendency to see the negative parts during these storms (ironic right with hosting a motivational blog?) But focusing on the negative does not just make the situation worse, it turns you into a very disagreeable person. For real.

I’ve got a list of things hanging on my desk. It’s a list of things to be thankful for, it’s a reminder to focus on the positive when my circumstances are hammering me into the wall.

Remember the good things, remember why you started. Remember that you are at this place in your life because of a choice you’ve made in the past. At one time this choice was what you wanted, and you have to hold on to that original reason.

Failure and dissapointment don’t come from bad circumstances they come from our response and attitude towards the circumstances. Remember that the next time you are faced with something smacking you in the face. Hold onto the good, the bad will pass. You’ve got this. You really do.

Make Life Happen

Life is in large part what you make of it.  You can either wallow in it and think of all the times you’ve messed up or all the times people did you wrong, or you can rise above your circumstances.  You can defy the odds, and wave goodbye to all those who said you couldn’t.

The path that leads to living out your dream isn’t fairy tales and rainbows, it takes sweat, it takes grit, it takes baring your teeth, and dragging yourself along  by sheer willpower sometimes.

Is it hard to live the life you’ve wanted?  Absolutely.  But if it was easy every one would do it.  Be more.  Rise above.  Don’t fall into the statistics, don’t fall into the trap that everybody does.  Don’t listen to people who drag you down. Don’t listen to those who don’t believe in you.  Go for it.

You Are Capable

When people hit a certain point in life, they tend to think they can no longer pursue their own dream.  It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that you are too old, have too many responsibilities, or simply missed your opportunities.

But  the truth is you are never too old, and it is never too late.  Don’t listen to what naysayers say.  Listen to what’s inside you.  You are you, no one else knows the thoughts or feelings inside you. No one else has the passion that burns inside your heart.

No one else has the vision you have.  So go for it.  No matter your circumstance, no matter your age, no matter who is telling you, you can’t. You can.  You are capable.  You are strong, and you can live out your dream. Take the leap and go big. You’ve got one life.

But

The Grip Of Fear

Fear has a really tight grip.  It latches on like a leech and doesn’t ever want to let go.  It can paralyze and keep us stuck like nothing else.

I’ve felt it’s grip before and learned the only way to fight it is cut it off.  It’s super painful too. Fear is something that comes in so subtly that we often mistake it for “common sense”, we mistake it for “safety”, and “comfort”.

But in truth it’s anything but those. It is a prison, a prison that we allow to be built around us. A prison we allow to cut us off from our dreams, our goals, and the things we know within ourselves we were born to do.

Stop flirting with fear.  It’s a deadly game.  Run from it, jump into the unknown, kicking and screaming but being fully alive.

What is Greatness?

What is greatness?  Having a ton of money?  Being wildly successful?

It’s a question that keep me awake at night.  On one hand I have the world that screams out fame, fortune, and success is greatness. But then I watch as those who have all those things destroy or take their own life.

Maybe they were searching for it too.

On the other hand I hear that greatness is becoming the least, that greatness is doing the things that most wouldn’t consider doing. That greatness is something to be given up, rather than sough after.

I fully believe in making the most of your life.  I don’t believe God gave us talents and abilities to squander and never do anything with.

It’s a question I continue to seek the answer to.

I Want To Be Better

I confess I can be a very selfish person sometimes.  I can get my head so wrapped around my own issues and I lose sight of the bigger things in the world.  I get so caught up in striving for my gain and I lose sight of those who need me to stop striving and to stop and help.

If there is one thing needed it’s kindness.  It’s self sacrifice.  It’s caring enough to stop and help.

It’s taking the time to look up from my screen and see the world around me.  Taking a step back and looking at what is around me. Because I all too often miss it.  Not just overlook it, but miss it completely.

I forget there are kids who will go to bed hungry tonight, or scared of what may happen to them while they sleep.

I forget that somewhere a man doesn’t know where his family’s next meal will come from. I forget that someone is contemplating living because they can’t remember the last time someone was kind to them.

Simple things. Simple things that I so often overlook.

I want to be better.

Never Ever Give Up

What does it take to be a winner?  It takes failing.  Everyone fails in life at certain points.  But a winner is the one who fails and gets back up.  Never stay down.

The Long Haul

Life is very fast paced. Appointments, deadlines, work, family, kids, college. It gets busy. Then there’s the gym. The gym is such a part of me that I feel really weird if I miss 2 days in a row.

    Is it a discipline? Absolutely.  Even after the years I’ve worked out, I still have days I don’t want to go. But it’s kind of like work.  Sure some days I don’t want to. But I have to.

     With the fast paced life we want fast results in the gym. We want to get our “beach body” by going to the gym 2 weeks befor summer.  But it just doesn’t work like that.

    It takes time. It takes sacrifice, it takes pushing yourself when you don’t want to and it takes eating good.

    If it was easy everyone would do it. But true results take time. Be patient ad stick through  it.  Day by day. Week by week you can do this. Work hard and it will pay off. You’ve got this.

Focus

There are days when life goals seem a really long way off.  It’s super important during those times to stay focused on today. 

   Goals are very important. We have to always remind ourselves why we are doing what we are doing, but at the same time things take time. And if we get so caught up in the fact that we aren’t where we want to be we can drive ourselves crazy. 

   This is why it’s necessary to focus solely on today. Focus on getting through today on owning today and doing the best you can today. The rest will follow.

Giving Up

Have you ever hit a spell in your life when you really want to give up.  When you are utterly exhausted and want to give up entirely?  When you are mentally exhausted?  You feel like you’ve given pretty much all you can give.

I’ve hit those time too, when I’d rather just give up.  When I doubt, when I question, when I wonder if what I’m doing is worth it at all.  Life in general throws us these questions and it’s perfectly normal.

The most important thing during this time is to remember the why.  Why did you start?  Why are you doing whatever it is you are doing it?  There was some drive, some push to do more.  Remember that. Hold on to that. Regardless of how much you don’t feel like it’s worth it, hang on to it.

The goal you have is worth it.  You can make it and this too shall pass.  It will.  It always does.  Giving up leaves you feeling empty.  Giving up kills your motivation.  So don’t give up, don’t turn around.  You’ve made it this far and you can make it to the end. You’ve go this.