Learning The Game Of Golf

That’s right, my better half and I are learning the game of golf. I never took the time or had the patience before to take up the game. Why would we take on this challenge at this point in our lives? First, I believe that age is just a number. Ask anyone over the age of 50 and, most will tell you the same thing. I use my age as a reason and not an excuse. Second, it is something we want to do. It’s that simple.

Get A Printable and An Editable Planner For Free. The Planner Includes A Gratitude Pad And Journaling Pages. Also A 12 Month Fillable Calendar.

It Is Not Easy Learing The Game Of Golf

We signed up for a clinic at the beginning of the year. I was thinking most people taking the clinic would be young and we would look out of place. Boy, I was wrong. Most people are my age or older and, the majority are women. I found out that many seniors begin learning the game of golf. Seniors pick up the game faster because we have more free time to practice.

My approach to the game is like a baby learning to walk. The baby doesn’t get frustrated when they fall. It is just the opposite; they laugh and try again. They keep trying until they can stand, then they take a step. Soon they don’t fall as much and become consistent. They keep walking, wobbly at first until they achieve balance. It is not long before they look like they have always been walking.

First Golf Lesson

On our first day, while waiting for the lesson to start, we met a few people who asked how long we had been playing. When we told them this was our first day, I kept hearing the word frustrating. “You must not have enough frustration in your life,” one woman said to me. Another quipped, “get ready to be frustrated.” You know, I didn’t get frustrated at all that day. Later, I realized these women focused on the outcome and not the process.

learning-game-golf-course-three-golfers-on-green
https://unsplash.com/@cs0915

Sofia and I were there to have fun, nothing more. We didn’t have any certain outcome in mind. We were having fun and, there is no frustration in having fun. Our only goal was to become more consistent in hitting the ball. We are enjoying this new journey we have set out on.

Remember Why You Started

Learning the game of golf is frustrating only if the game controls you. Like anything, remember why you started playing in the first place. Was it to have fun? If so, go, have fun regardless of where the ball lands. Did you want to meet people? Golf is an excellent way to meet people for personal or business reasons. Go, play and make new friends.

I am glad we are learning the game of golf even though we are not very good at it yet. On our travels, to Colorado, we met a vibrant and energetic 80-year-old woman. She golfed, skied, hiked, and did anything she wanted to do. I learned from her to give up all excuses and start doing those things that I want to do. There’s nothing I can do about my arthritis and bone spurs from previous injuries. The fatigue from my chemotherapy treatments will always be there. My body is always going to hurt if I’m lying in bed or learning the game of golf. I no longer use any excuses. If it is something I want to do, it will be done.

Go, Do It

If there’s something that you would like to do in your life, go, do it. Don’t hold back or wait too long. Dump all your excuses and go live the life you want to live. I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my blogs. Don’t forget to like, comment, and follow. Go, be the best you.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@lgtts

https://unsplash.com/@cs0915

a-simple-thing-like-gratitude-start each-day

A Simple Thing Like Gratitude

The power of giving thanks is enormous. Once you have decided you want a better life, begin to give thanks for everything. Begin a habit of giving thanks every morning and throughout your day. Soon you will see how powerful a simple thing like gratitude can be.

Get A Printable and An Editable Planner For Free. The Planner Includes A Gratitude Pad And Journaling Pages. Also A 12 Month Fillable Calendar.

Gratitude Is A Simple Thing

To get what you want in life, you must appreciate and give thanks for what you have. You cannot expect a better life if you are not appreciative of the life you have been given. Do not complain about your current situation. Experience the power of a simple thing like gratitude by giving thanks for everything you have.

My daughter will graduate from the University of Alabama in May. When she moved off-campus her sophomore year, she began driving one of our older cars. She describes her car as junk and a POS. I have told her that is the wrong way to go about the situation. She will not get a better car until she is thankful for the car that she has.

Find The Good

Be thankful always. No matter what your situation. You will not change it by complaining. If you don’t live in the nicest house, give thanks. You have a roof over your head. If you are drowning in debt, give thanks. There are ways to pay off debt.

simple-thing-like-gratitude-woman-waking-stretching
Wake Up and Be Grateful

I begin each morning tapping into the power of a simple thing like gratitude. When I wake up, I say I am thankful for yesterday. No matter if it was a good day or a bad day. I am grateful for today and the possibilities a new day brings. Next, I begin every morning writing 10 things I am thankful for in a gratitude pad.

You Are Blessed

No matter what your current situation is, be grateful because you are blessed. You are here and have the opportunity to change your situation. As you learn to give thanks, you will be blessed, and your situation will change.

Back in February, I went through a rough patch. I began experiencing many negative things happening in my life. I have written about them in previous blogs. Despite all the bad things that were happening, (there were a lot), I gave thanks. I knew that it was just another challenge that God or the universe was putting me through.

Now I am being blessed far above the turmoil that I went through. I continued to be grateful for my situation and think positive thoughts. I changed my circumstances through the power of giving thanks and was rewarded. A simple thing like gratitude is amazing.

Ask God

What circumstances are you going through? Find peace in knowing you can improve your situation. Give thanks for your present life and everything that you have. Ask God or the universe for whatever you want. Believe it will happen. See the life that you want in your mind as real. Feel what it will be like living that life. Continue to do this every day until you develop faith.

Will it be easy? No. You will have to conquer the fears and doubts that come along with change. You must develop patience and persevere to overcome. Patience is a virtue. With patience and perseverance comes faith. Faith defeats all fears and doubts. Once you have faith, you will understand the power of giving thanks.

If you are going through any negative situation, I hope my article helped. If you have any questions, please leave a comment in the comments section. Don’t forget to like, follow, and sign up for my email list above.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@iyunmai

Create Balance

It has been 11 months since I had a major disruption in my life. I unexpectedly ended up in the hospital, eventually undergoing a surgical procedure. After I was released from the hospital, my life was thrown completely off balance. At the time, I didn’t know how to create balance and become the person I was two weeks earlier.

Get A Printable and An Editable Planner For Free. The Planner Includes A Gratitude Pad And Journaling Pages. Also A 12 Month Fillable Calendar.

Create Balance In Your Body

Let me set the scene for you. In December 2020, I had completed a self-analysis and set my goals for 2021. January came, and I was off to a great start. I was full of energy, creativity flowed, and I was inspired to write daily. Several blogs and podcasts were scheduled on my site.

In late February, I went to bed feeling normal but woke up around midnight vomiting. If I ate or drank even the smallest amount, up it would come. It went on for two days, causing my visit to the hospital. Long story short, I was there for two weeks and had my third major abdominal surgery. I wrote a more detailed post about my ordeal last year.

Something Was Off

After I was released during the first week of March, everything had changed. I didn’t feel the same, and I didn’t know why. The doctors had told me it would take three months to recover physically. That’s not what I’m talking about here. I wasn’t the same person mentally as before I went in.

I didn’t know that my issues were more spiritual than physical. All I knew was that I had no inspiration, creativity, or energy. My life had changed negatively during those two short weeks. The only thing I knew to do was to get back on my schedule of daily gratitude and prayer.

Drawing A Blank

Even after getting back to my normal schedule, I wasn’t the same. I couldn’t find my desire and inspiration. I would sit down to write and just stare at the blank page. There was nothing there. What I didn’t know at the time was I was unbalanced and needed to create balance within my body.

I am a neophyte when it comes to spirituality. That instruction had not been imparted to me. I did not know about the energy centers in our bodies. Living spiritually appeared on my radar and jumped to the top of my priority list.

Read, Read, Read

A good friend recommended a few books to read. I purchased them and dove in headfirst. The book that started the journey was the untethered soul, by Michael Singer. Singer talked about opening your heart to activate inner energy. He touched on the energy centers of our body, also known as chakras.

create-balance-stones-balancing-lake-mountains
https://unsplash.com/@vjgalaxy

Ahhh….Bookstores

A few months later, I wandered into the newly reopened Barnes & Noble. It is the only true bookstore in town. I do love bookstores and miss the small mom-and-pop ones you use to could find in every town. Not planning on purchasing anything, I just browsed, enjoying the atmosphere.

While browsing, I found myself drawn to The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. I walked away twice, but the draw was too strong. It is a powerful book which I’m reading for the second time. Tolle also discusses chakras briefly.

Spirituality

I decided to learn more about spirituality and downloaded books on meditation and chakras. The answers were right there in front of me. During this life disruption, my chakras had become unbalanced. My mind and body didn’t feel right. You know that feeling that something isn’t right, but you just can’t put your finger on it.

This revelation only happened a couple of months ago. Inspiration to write had returned much earlier, but it wasn’t the same. I didn’t know how I lost my inspiration, but now I knew exactly why I was feeling the way I felt. The proper way to put it is probably; I wasn’t feeling the way I wanted to feel; the feeling I had before the disturbance.

Knowledge

Knowledge is power. Knowing why my energy centers became unbalanced and closed gave me the power to create balance in my life. I am happy to say I am feeling great now. If some unforeseen circumstance disrupts my life in the future, I will know how to find my balance again.

I am continuing to learn about living spiritually, and hopefully, I will have more great experiences to share. There are some great sites on WordPress that have a much better grasp on spirituality. Check out my friends, Cindy at Uniquelyfitblog.com, and Sheila at takeituponyourself.wordpress.com. If you are feeling unbalanced, like something is missing, try getting in touch with your spiritual side. Create balance in your life.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@sushimi

https://unsplash.com/@vjgalaxy

eliminate-negativity-cell-phone-facebook-scratched-out

Eliminate Negativity

I want to eliminate negativity in my life. Unfortunately, that is not possible and might not be possible for you. Therefore, you have to learn to ignore negativity you cannot eliminate.

Get A Printable and An Editable Planner For Free. The Planner Includes A Gratitude Pad And Journaling Pages. Also A 12 Month Fillable Calendar.

Eliminate Negativity

What I am talking about here is negativity from family or coworkers. You might find that you cannot cut these people out of your life. You have to keep seeing them, and when you do, they will spread their negativity around you. Ignore negativity coming from these people.

Negativity in your life will hold you back and keep you from reaching your full potential. Your life will improve once you learn to eliminate or ignore negativity. Here are five tips to ignore negativity.

  1. Turn off your television and phone.
  2. Identify and cut loose toxic relationships.
  3. De-clutter your life.
  4. Exercise daily.
  5. Focus on you.

Sources Of Negativity

For me, the vast majority of negativity in my life came from the television and phone. Media and social media inundated my life with negativity constantly. I stopped watching the news and became selective of what shows I watched. I did the same thing with social media. Becoming selective about which platforms I use helped me tremendously.

Like many people, you might not want to eliminate watching the news as I did. If it is negatively affecting you, watch it to be informed but ignore the negative opinions/agendas. The same can be done for social media. Ignore the platforms or posts that tend to spread negativity.

People

Everyone has people in their life that they can do without. If you have someone at home or work you consider toxic, cut them loose. If you cannot cut them loose, learn to ignore their toxicity. Understand what they are doing and how it is affecting you. Immediately after interacting with this type of person, do something positive.

eliminate-negativity-tree-lined-road-autumn-leaves
https://unsplash.com/@d3waj

Unclutter

My life can get very cluttered, and I spend too much time on negative things. Do you find your life is the same? Periodically I like to take a look at my life and de-clutter it. I throw out whatever is not helping me grow as a person. If it is not something positive, I do not need it, and out it goes. You will want to eliminate or ignore these things that clutter your life. Doesn’t it feel great when you’ve gotten rid of clutter?

Exercise

One of my favorite things to do to reduce negativity is exercise. I exercise daily; while doing so, I think about positive situations. The negative stuff is not allowed in my mind. Set small goals during your workout. Reward yourself as you hit these small goals. While exercising, listen to music that makes you happy. Get back to nature and take a walk/jog outside. Being outdoors, soaking up the sunshine, and breathing fresh air are very positive.

In addition to daily exercise, another way I ignore negativity is to set aside time for myself every day. I do this early in the morning; it starts my day off right. Take some time for yourself. Go to a quiet room where you are alone in a positive environment. Control your thoughts and only think positive as you meditate. Fill your lungs as you slowly breathe in and out. Get into a relaxed state and speak positive affirmations. The negative will melt away.

I hope you enjoyed this article and it helped in some way. Set up a plan to reduce negative aspects of your life. Do not forget to like, comment, and follow. I appreciate everyone who reads and follows my blog.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@thoughtcatalog

https://unsplash.com/@d3waj

Destiny Is A Farce

2022 is off to a fast start for my family and me. Good things have been happening, especially in my wife’s business. With good things seems to come the bad, for example, resistance. Resistance happens to everyone and comes in the form of bad news, petty arguments, or other things that happen. Before I would’ve chalked it all up to destiny and that I was not destined for great things. Now, I know that destiny is a farce. Any negative that comes with the good is just life.

Get A Printable and An Editable Planner For Free. The Planner Includes A Gratitude Pad And Journaling Pages. Also A 12 Month Fillable Calendar.

Destiny Is A Farce

I now have the tools to fix resistance when I feel it and see it happening. By keeping my heart open, and letting everything flow through me, I do not allow resistance to stay. If a family member holds on to negative feelings, I tell them to “Let It Go.” I want to live in the Now, not in the past.

Our thoughts and how we handle life are based on our past experiences. The brain, being wired for survival, will establish a comfort zone based on our past teachings. The future will be in the confines of that comfort zone unless we change it. If we believe in destiny, then we believe our lives are set. We are destined to live as we live now.

Destiny Keeps You Stuck In The Past

Destiny keeps you stuck in the past. In my past, I always dreamed of wealth and helping others. I would search out ways of making money which always led to failure. It would leave me back with my paycheck to paycheck existence. As miserable as that was, it was my comfort zone.

It is by choice that I lived in debt and not with my promised abundance. I chose to live that way because of my experiences and beliefs. I always thought that was the way it was meant to be. It was my destiny to live a good life but never a great one. Abundance and wealth were just not in the cards. That was for the select few in the world, not for me.

Always A Dreamer

I believed that I was destined to always be the dreamer, but never live my dreams. The person who dreamed of exploring the world, but never left the dock and waved goodbye to the real explorers. That is how I thought in the past.

destiny-farce-explorers-ship-greyscale
https://unsplash.com/@museumsvictoria

Knowing now that destiny is a farce, this is not how I will live the rest of my life. I am created for better things. I am made by and from God, and everything I have done was done by God. God gave me the ability to make money and use my abundance to help others. It is my choice whether I believe in my abilities or not.

Stop Believing In Destiny

For anyone reading this who thought as I did, stop believing in destiny. Create your own destiny! The only difference between the explorers and the people on the dock is the explorers know destiny is a farce. Great writers and artists became great because they picked up a pen or brush and let their creative juices flow.

They didn’t believe it was only for other people to be great; they knew they could. If they were taught about destiny, they ignored the teachings. They dreamed, pursued their dreams, and became great.

The breath of life was given to you to be great, not just good but great. There is no predetermined destiny for you. You and only you can choose to pursue your dreams or not. Destiny is a farce.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@krisroller

https://unsplash.com/@museumsvictoria

definition-growth-mindset-man-yoga

Definition Of A Growth Mindset

The definition of a growth mindset is you believe your talents can be developed through hard work and good strategies. In comparison, the definition of a fixed mindset is you believe your talents are innate, they cannot be improved upon.

Get A Printable and An Editable Planner For Free. The Planner Includes A Gratitude Pad And Journaling Pages. Also A 12 Month Fillable Calendar.

Changing To A Growth Mindset

Change is inevitable. You go through many transitions as you advance in life. There are some changes that you cannot control, for example, aging; we are getting older by the minute. Other changes are completely under your control. A good example is your financial situation. By learning to control your thoughts, you can control your bank account. You have to go through different transitions before this is possible. Changing to a growth mindset take time, but it is worth it.

If you are happy with your current situation, whether that be financial, spiritual, or just life in general; great. God bless you and keep doing what you’re doing. If not, then you will have to go through transitions to a growth mindset to change. I have gone through many transitions in my life. They all have one thing in common. See if you can figure out what that is.

High School

I enjoyed my high school years. I was a popular student, part of athletic teams, and even was elected as a class officer. As good as those years were, I had to transition when I became a college student. Mentally, I had to destroy my high school life. I had to hang up my letter jacket and become a college student.

College

After graduating from college, I became an officer in the U.S. Army. Once again, I had to transition from a college student to an Army officer. I stored my college life in my mind and immersed myself as a soldier.

definition-growth-mindset-man-pushups-track-kettlebells
Lots and Lots Of Pushups

Military Service

After leaving the Army, I became a Special Agent with DEA. For me to become the best investigator I could be, I mentally left the soldier behind. I grew my hair long and stopped wearing military clothing. DEA was about conducting narcotics investigations and going undercover.

DEA

Many agents never accomplished this. They kept the military haircut and clothing. A lot ended up in training because it was like the Army. It was their comfort zone, and they didn’t want to leave it. They weren’t willing to destroy their old self and transition to a new one.

Finally, Retirement

After 30 years, I had to make another transition into retirement. It was difficult, as I had to leave my career behind. My career was my identity. The thing I missed was the daily social interaction and the excitement. I knew that I would have to put my DEA life in the memory bank and move on.

I transitioned my mindset to that of a businessman and opened businesses. My DEA self was destroyed and that life became a memory. People ask if I miss it; my reply is always; no. Like all the other times I changed, they were great while they were happening, and I’ll always have fond memories. To grow, I had to move forward.

Destroy Your Old Mindset

If you want to have a better life, you must destroy your old mindset. You will go through transitions to a growth mindset. It will be necessary to immerse yourself in your new life. Your old life might have been okay, but you will need to give up your old habits completely.

Change Is Not Easy

Beginning to transition to a growth mindset isn’t easy. Your brain is wired for survival and will do everything to keep you in your comfort zone. It will always resist change. For this reason, the transition takes time. I know no one wants to hear that because we live in a fast-food society. You are used to getting your food right away or ordering from Amazon and getting what you ordered the next day.

These transitions to a growth mindset will require you to do a self-analysis. I wrote a post about negative traits which will stop you from growing. Look at yourself and see if you are holding on to any negative habits. One negative habit that will sabotage your efforts is gossip. Stop talking about other people.

Grow

Understanding the definition of a growth mindset will help you improve. To grow, you must transition from a poverty mindset to a mindset of abundance. You know you have a poverty mindset when you’re thinking about the negative things in your life. For example, your primary thoughts are your debt, toxic relationship, or life situation.

To achieve a mindset of abundance, you will go through the process of change.

You will make a decision and commit to it.

See yourself as who you want to be, not as who you are.

Speak positive affirmations daily.

If you have negative thoughts, immediately begin speaking and thinking the opposite.

Don’t expect immediate change.

After time you will see the transitions in your daily life.

You will begin believing in your new life.

Your belief will turn into faith.

You will never quit.

If you have any comments on the definition of a growth mindset, please reply to the comments section below. If you liked it, tap the like button.

importance-perseverance-graduate-sunset-holding-cap-above-head

The Importance Of Perseverance

My family attended the graduation of our oldest daughter from the University of Central Florida last month. Two of the many colleges at the University were holding their commencement ceremonies at that time. As I watched the ceremony, I realized this was a perfect example of the importance of perseverance.

Get A Printable and An Editable Planner For Free. The Planner Includes A Gratitude Pad And Journaling Pages. Also A 12 Month Fillable Calendar.

After the opening remarks and speakers, they began awarding degrees to the graduates. They began with the students who earned their doctorate degrees. Next, the students were awarded master’s degrees. This part of the ceremony went rather quickly. The majority of the students were earning their baccalaureate, and there were over a thousand students.

The Importance Of Perseverance

The first students to walk across the stage or the distinguished students who graduated summa cum laude and magna cum laude. There were only a few of these. I began to think that the students were the only ones who didn’t struggle during the last four years. Studying was easy for them, and they probably didn’t change majors. The rest of the students understood the importance of perseverance.

I was not a good student in college. Consequently, I changed my major five times before I found one that interested me. I struggled and was plagued by procrastination, fear, uncertainty, lack of motivation, and even depression. Failing so many times I didn’t think I would ever complete the requirements for my degree. It took me five and a half years, but I persevered and made it.

My Daughter

My daughter struggled as well. She did not have high test scores. While her friends were attending a university she had to attend a local state college. After a very poor start and a “come to Jesus” meeting with me, she did well. She was supposed to stay at the state college for two years. Before completing her first year, she reapplied and was accepted for the fall semester at the University of Central Florida.

importance-perseverance-college-graduation-two-girls
So Proud!

At UCF, her struggles did not end. She had difficulty finding a major that suited her. She would procrastinate in courses that did not interest her. Her grades reflected her effort. Finally, she found her niche in kinesiology, and she excelled. She told me later that she almost quit more than once because it got too difficult. Something inside her would not let her, and eventually, she found her passion. She understood the importance of perseverance.

Reflections

As I sat in the arena waiting for the ceremony to begin, I began to reflect on her life. I was reliving important events of her childhood. I remembered the day she was born, her accomplishments on sports teams, and her high school graduation.

As the music began playing, signaling the start of the ceremony, I remembered a phone call I received. It was from her and she was screaming into the phone. I couldn’t understand what she was saying and thought something bad had happened. Then I understood the words, “Dad, I got in, I got accepted to UCF.”

As the processional of graduates continued, we finally spotted her walking into the arena. I could not have been prouder. It wasn’t that she earned her degree. A degree is not a guarantee of a good job or better life. I was proud because she didn’t quit. She conquered all obstacles.

Never Quit

I’m sure many other graduates went through equally difficult times. They all have one thing in common; they didn’t quit. The sheepskin that all graduates have does not mean that they are smarter or better than anyone who doesn’t have one. It stands for accomplishing what they set out to do four years before. That is the importance of perseverance.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@city_child

leadership-qualities-woman-holding-mug-like-a-boss

Leadership Qualities

Some people follow others get in the way, but leaders lead. No mission gets accomplished without good leaders and leadership. Being a good leader is not easy. It is not for the faint of heart. Good leaders are few and far between. Many people are referred to as leaders yet exhibit no leadership qualities.

Get A Printable and An Editable Planner For Free. The Planner Includes A Gratitude Pad And Journaling Pages. Also A 12 Month Fillable Calendar.

5 Qualities Of Leadership

You can be called a leader, but holding a title does not necessarily make you a good leader. A good leader is someone people will follow. They will perform above their abilities for that leader. Good leaders get subordinates to be better than their skill level. They build belief in people. If the subordinates believe in their leader, they will believe in themselves. Below are five qualities of a good leader.

  1. Humility
  2. Integrity
  3. Intelligence
  4. Innovation
  5. Decisiveness

Be Humble

One of the first things I was taught, when I was training to be a military officer was to be humble. You have to take care of the troops. A good leader ensures that they take care of their subordinates. When addressing subordinates outside, the leader should always face the sun. A good leader is always first to arrive and the last to leave. They make sure all the subordinates’ needs are taken care of. Then they can take care of themselves.

Tell It Like It Is

Another quality of a good leader is honesty and integrity. Lead by example and always do the right thing. Good leaders stand up for what they believe. Telling the truth is paramount, no matter how dire the situation is. I had a great leader tell me once, “Bad news never gets better with age.”

leadership-qualities-group-people-top-mountain-sunset
https://unsplash.com/@nataliepedigo

Read

All good leaders are intelligent. They continue to read and educate themselves. Leaders are readers, and readers are leaders. A good leader develops his/her subordinates. They make sure the subordinates are prepared for the job, mission, etc. Even though it might be easier to perform a task themselves, they will delegate parts of the tasks to others. The delegation of tasks will develop leadership in others.

Think

Good leaders are innovative; they think outside the box. They keep an open mind and are always welcome to new ideas. The old ways of accomplishing the mission are not necessarily the best. They understand this concept. Leaders actively listen to everyone on their team.

Make A Decision

A good leader is always decisive. They never want to leave their team in limbo. They always make a decision even if it’s not a popular choice. Leaders listen to different ideas from their team and then make the final decision. The decision is always based on what is best for the group as a whole. Not all decisions are the right ones. If their decision was wrong, they take responsibility. They regroup, reevaluate, and make another decision. They always learn from their failures.

These are only five qualities of a good leader. There are many more qualities of true leadership. If you would like to add a quality you admire please do so in the comments section. If you enjoyed this post don’t forget to like and follow my blog. I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my articles and listen to my podcast.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@brookelark

https://unsplash.com/@nataliepedigo

Everything Has A Beginning

Everything has a beginning. When I was a child, and, I’ll admit even now, I read comic books. I remember going to the grocery store with my grandmother and seeing the spinning rack filled with comic books. It was the array of different, bright colors that first drew me to them.

Get A Printable and An Editable Planner For Free. The Planner Includes A Gratitude Pad And Journaling Pages. Also A 12 Month Fillable Calendar.

The Beginning Of Everything

They were all there, Batman, Spider-Man, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc. My brother and I would ask our grandmother if we could buy one. “Only one,” she would say. Spider-Man was my favorite, and my brother always bought Batman. I would read it cover to cover engrossed in their super-heroic adventures.

I was always curious as to how they began their lives as superheroes. As I got older, I sought out the origin stories. Some characters were ordinary people until an event happened that changed them. The character, Peter Parker, was a high school student. One day he was bitten by a radioactive spider on a field trip. That bite gave him powers and turned him into Spider-Man.

For Peter, the powers were both a blessing and a curse. As he was trying to navigate life as a high school student, he now took on the additional responsibility of fighting crime. His powers became an extra burden for him. The one thing that his powers couldn’t provide was a salary.

everything-has-beginning-Spiderman-in-shadows
https://unsplash.com/@tuti_hi

Wealth And Success

When I first began reading comics, the superhero characters were already established. I saw them as they were, not as who they were before that significant event. It is how we see people today. I don’t believe wealth is the only measuring stick of success. With that being said, wealth is an easy way to demonstrate success. I will assume that at some point, wealthy people had a goal of becoming wealthy. Their goal was achieved, which would equal success.

Everything has a beginning. We see people as they are today, the wealthy are already wealthy. Unless we knew them when they started their business or launched their career, we don’t know what they were like. Did they come from wealth, or did they build it?

We see the people that seek the spotlight. They love to be in the public eye. They are on TV being interviewed, and the paparazzi seek them out. Just like the superheroes, I read about, I want to know what they were like before they got in the public eye. Were they just normal people like you and me?

Harry Potter Origin

Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling worked a series of jobs including, researcher and schoolteacher before she published her first book. She conceived the idea of Harry Potter in 1990. Mostly writing in longhand, scribbling on scraps of paper, she mapped out the series over the next five years.

Rowling trained as a teacher and began teaching in Edinburgh after she gave birth to her daughter. Her marriage only lasted a little over a year. Taking on the duties of a single mother and schoolteacher, she continued to write whenever she could find a moment. Her manuscript was rejected 12 times before the original was published in June 1997. Everything has a beginning that looks much different now, including famous authors.

Finger Lickin Good

Harland Sanders is better known as Colonel Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants. His father died when he was six years old, and he became responsible for taking care of his younger brother and sister. At an early age, he held down numerous jobs including farmer, streetcar conductor, and salesman.

At the age of 40, while running a service station, he began cooking and feeding travelers. His famous chicken recipe was born. At the age of 62, Sanders began franchising his chicken business. In 1964, he had more than 600 franchised outlets and sold his interest in the company for $2 million, which was a lot of money then. Everything has a beginning, and it is never too late to start.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@devp10

https://unsplash.com/@tuti_hi

“J.K. Rowling.” Https://Www.jkrowling.com/about/, https://www.jkrowling.com.

“Colonel Harland Sanders.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 24 Apr. 2020, https://www.biography.com/business-figure/colonel-harland-sanders.