What Christmas Means To Me

It’s almost here, that wonderful day filled with excitement and happy faces. Christmas is a special day for so many people, especially me. It is a day I look forward to every year. I enjoy every bit of the Christmas season, which for me begins the day after Thanksgiving. It officially kicks off at the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade with the arrival of Santa.

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The Meaning Of Christmas

The most important thing about Christmas is I celebrate the birth of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Every year when I was growing up my parents would recite the story. Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem only to find out there was no place to stay. A kind innkeeper making room in a manger where she gave birth. They told us about the star that guided the three Kings who arrived bearing gifts. To me, this is the true meaning of Christmas.

Christmas has brought so many wonderful memories. One is how much I loved it when my mother would begin decorating our house. She would bring out all the beautiful Christmas decorations that I hadn’t seen in almost a year. My favorite was her nativity scene and I would help her place the little figurines in the manger.

Shops At Christmas

We would go out in the cold evening to the little shops downtown. I loved how everything was lit up. As I got older, shopping malls took the place of those small shops. I got a job in one of the malls and loved coming to work during the holiday season. The store I worked at played Christmas carols. Everyone seemed friendlier as they were enjoying shopping for gifts.

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Merry Christmas

The Catalog

One of my favorite memories as a child was the day that the JCPenney Christmas catalog would arrive. We would fight over it and immediately go to the toy section and start our list to Santa. Visiting my grandparents was very special.  I can remember some of the foods that only appeared during Christmas. Foods like peanut brittle and eggnog, always with a scoop of ice cream in it. Then there was a fruitcake, why I don’t know, it was awful, but it was there every year.

Children

As I got older and had children, my excitement turned from me to watching them. There is no better sight than the joy of a child on Christmas morning. I remember working late into the night putting together toys and building bikes. Then as soon as the sun came up being jumped on by children eager to show you what Santa brought.

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Today, I don’t have little children around and our two daughters are currently away at school. This season is a time of coming back together as a family. It is time to remember how important my family is to me. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my family. I will enjoy every moment that we are together until they have to leave again.

What Christmas means to me is a wonderful time celebrating Christ and reliving memories from the last 60 years. There are so many wonderful memories of this season. I am looking forward to making many more Christmas memories in the future. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

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Episode 21 – Simplify Your Life In 2021

This is a summary of my Podcast Episode 21 – Simplify Your Life In 2021. Why do we complicate everything? We tend to complicate all things, especially those that are important, relationships, creating wealth, or getting healthy, pretty much anything. My grandmother could simplify anything. If you went outside and it was cold, go put on a jacket; if you went outside and got wet, you might need a raincoat.

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Episode 21 – Simplify Your Life In 2021

Everything nowadays seems so complicated that we need to break it down into its simplest form in order to understand it. When I was in the jungle, I carried the explosives we used two destroy the cocaine labs. Trying to understand the scientific facts of how explosives work can be complicated. It wastes a lot of time looking at formulas, trying to figure out the best locations to place the dynamite.

We didn’t have a lot of time to do that. I learned in my training the simple fact is energy caused by the explosion always travels along the path of least resistance. If you wanted the explosion to travel in a certain direction, he just had to pile rocks and other heavy objects against the charge on the side opposite of the direction you wanted the explosion to travel. You don’t have to complicate things in order to obtain great results.

Iron Man Does It

The character Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr., in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, when faced with a problem calls up his computer and several holographic computer screens appear in front of him. These screens are loaded down with a plethora of scientific data and it might take someone days to try to figure it out. Tony Stark looks at all the data in front of him and immediately starts capturing a screen and swiping his hand to the side to eliminate it. He continues to do this until he is left with just one screen on which he finds a solution. He just simply broke everything down to its simplest form. That’s what we need to do to accomplish our goals, break down our plan to its simplest form.

Paralysis By Analysis

When we first start something, it can look so complicated that we don’t know where to start. We then never commence to doing anything and our goal is left unfulfilled. This is called “Paralysis by Analysis.” We just get too much information, over-analyze this information, and never get started. We don’t take the first step. If you’re trying to do something and are frozen by fear or are having paralysis by analysis, break it down to its simplest form and just do it.

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You can accomplish anything that you set your mind to as long as you don’t get paralysis by analysis and never get started. In the military, we are taught early on the K.I.S.S. principle. That’s Keep It Simple St****. Break it down to its simplest form, do it, and build on it until you succeed.

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Properly Setting Goals For 2021

For December, my weekly posts are about wrapping up 2020 and getting ready for 2021. Last week I wrote a post about five things to change in 2021. December is a great month to ask yourself, “Am I where I thought I would be this time last year?” If your answer is, “No,” then now is a great time to see what went wrong. Think about where you want to be a year from now and what you want to accomplish. Today is the time to start properly setting goals for 2021.

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Properly Setting Goals For 2021

I’ve written a few posts about goals and as always, I like to keep things simple. Goals are simply something that you want. Think about what you want, write it down, put a date on it, and that’s a goal. They’re your roadmap that will keep you on track and get you to your destination.

Many people have goals but never accomplish them. There are several reasons for failing to accomplish what you set out to do. First, you fail because you don’t commit to achieving your goals. Secondly, you don’t have a good plan. Third, you don’t put in the work. There is nothing free in this world, you must put in the work. Fourth, you don’t know how to properly set goals.

Mistakes Made In Goal Setting

Some of the mistakes you make when setting goals are your goals are too general. They don’t have an end date for them. Your goals can’t be measured so you cannot tell if you’re on track. One of the biggest mistakes is you didn’t write them down. An example of a poorly designed goal is, “I have a goal to read more next year.” This is too general; it is not specified what you will read or how much.

SMART

One of the techniques I talk about in my course, Setting Goals That Work, is using the acronym SMART. In conducting research I found that some people like using this approach and others don’t. I believe there is no one cure for everything. Find what works for you and use it.

  • S – Specific
  • M – Measurable
  • A – Achievable
  • R – Relevant
  • T – Time Bounded

Using the example above, a properly set goal will read like this, “I will read 24 Self-Improvement books by 12/31/2021.

  • Specific – It specifies exactly what you’re going to read, Self-Improvement books.
  • Measurable – You’re going to read 24 books.
  • Achievable – If every book averages 400 pages then you would need to read 27 pages per day. This is very achievable.
  • Relevant – If you are looking for self-improvement, then this is a relevant goal.
  • Time Bounded – There is an end date, 12/31/2021, attached to the goal.

Break’em Down

You can also break this yearly goal into smaller goals. Write down how many books you would want to read every month. Set a weekly goal of how many pages or chapters you will read. Also, set daily goals of reading for a specific time or number of pages. This will keep you on track and you will be able to see how you are progressing toward your yearly goal.

Types

This SMART technique can be utilized in setting different types of goals. I always set three types of goals, personal, business, and relationship. You can set goals for wealth building, your health, and improving your relationships. By properly setting goals for 2021 in these areas, your life will change.

Plan

When your goals are set, the next step is to develop a plan to achieve your goals. Set up a time frame of when you want to check your progress and analyze your plan. For a yearly goal, you should do a progress check at least every quarter. If you find yourself off-track and not making the progress you expected, change your plan but never change your goal. If you want to learn more about properly setting goals for 2021, you can check out my course and preorder it above. The course will be published early in January.

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If anyone has any tips or techniques on setting goals or stories on how goals have worked for you, I would love to hear them in the comments section. Don’t forget to like, follow, and join our team by subscribing to the email list.

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“This Train Is Moving on, You Can Get on, You Can Get off, But the Train Keeps Moving on! We Are Going to the Top of the Mountain!”

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10 Tips To Keep Relationships Alive – Ep. 20

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10 Tips To Keep Relationships Alive

This is Episode 20 of my podcast. Here I provide 10 tips to keep relationships alive.

I always enjoy the beginning. The beginning of a relationship, meeting a new person who you know will become a good friend, starting to read a good book. To me, the beginning of anything is always exciting. I’m always filled with joy and anticipation when a new football season kicks off.

It excites me to begin a new challenge. I love the feeling of nervousness and wonderment I get when I ask myself, “Can I really do this?” I start a new business with the excitement of all the possibilities when it succeeds. I’m quickly filled with feelings of frustration and doubt as I have to learn so many new things. As I quickly overcome my fears, it just adds to the excitement of beginning something new. Starting projects are fine, but nothing compares with finding true love. I don’t know if I’ve ever found any better feeling than beginning a relationship with someone that you know will be there for the rest of your life.

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The Beginning

The beginning of anything that we do is exciting. For me is exciting because it’s a time filled with possibilities. These possibilities are endless and keep our minds from focusing on the nervousness, frustrations, and fear of beginning to learn anything new. Once you begin anything there are no guarantees of success. It’s going to take hard work and persistence. If you don’t feel happy and excited about your new venture, then you’ll never start it. The fear of failure will prevent you from ever taking that first step. Excitement and anticipation of the success you will have will help you to control that fear and choke out those little “Doubt Demons” that are hiding and waiting to come out.

As Stephen R. Covey wrote in his best-selling book, The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People, “Begin with the end in mind.” Begin your business, relationships, or projects with a vision of the outcome you will achieve. I didn’t begin my relationship with my wife thinking, “I hope this doesn’t end in divorce.” I see us growing old together. Don’t start a business wondering if it’s going to work. Know it’s going to be a success and visualize how it is going to change you.

When we first met

Tips

How do we keep going after those initial feelings of excitement fade? How do we keep our relationships spontaneous and joyful once we settle into our daily routine? Here are a few tips I can offer:

  1. Don’t take your partner for granted. Appreciate every day because we are never promised another.
  2. Enjoy the journey. The view from the top of the mountain is magnificent, just don’t ignore all the beauty that you pass by on the way to the top.
  3. Be thankful. Openly express gratitude for what you’ve been given even when you’re facing some of life’s challenges.
  4. Follow the Golden rule. Treat your significant other as you would want them to treat you.
  5. Write down your goals together as a couple. Discuss your hopes and dreams and construct a plan to make it happen.
  6. Always begin and end each day with love and gratitude.
  7. Do something new that neither you nor your partner has done before. Get out of your comfort zone.
  8. Take long walks and enjoy each other’s company and conversation.
  9. Travel and make new memories. You will live tomorrow on the memories you make today.
  10. Always remember WHY you started in the first place. I’ll never forget the first time I ever saw my wife.

New Car Smell

Even though excitement and euphoria fade, whether it be a new job, a new opportunity, or a new relationship, you don’t quit on it. You don’t get rid of your car right after it loses that “new car smell.” You honor your commitment to it. Those feelings when you first start something are very thin and fragile. They fade away all too quickly. It’s the true feelings down deep inside you that give you the strength to weather the storms.

These are 10 tips to keep relationships alive. Do you have any other tips or techniques that has helped you keep your relationship alive? If so, leave a comment and let me know what they are.

I hope that every one that is looking to make a change will make that decision, commit to their decision, and put it all into action. If you’re looking for help, I have developed some courses that might be just what you need. Just click on the button above and go check them out.

A Tribute To My Friend

This is a very hard post for me to write, but I wanted to write a tribute to my friend. I’ve been absent from WordPress for the last couple of weeks for a few different reasons. Normally I’ll spend a couple of hours a day reading and commenting on different blog posts. Recently, several things have happened that have gotten in the way of my normal day-to-day activities.

Firstly, one of my other businesses has become busy and I’ve had to write some rush reports and meet some quick deadlines. Secondly, I’ve been dealing with a torn meniscus and arthritis in my left knee. It is very painful and has limited my activities. I’ve had to stop my morning walks which gives me the energy and inspiration for the rest of the day.

The main reason is, I’m dealing with the unexpected death of a friend. Last month, I wrote about how he was in the hospital fighting for his life. He recovered, was released from the hospital, and seemed to be back to his old self. On Thanksgiving afternoon, he was rushed back to the hospital and we were told Friday afternoon he was gone.

A Tribute To My Friend

Tom Keller was a great man. Everyone should strive to live their life like Tom lived his. I write a series about inspiring people whom I admire and Tom would definitely make that list. During his Celebration of Life Service, the pastor spoke about how God wants us all to live a life of abundance. Tom was the perfect example of living an abundant life. Tom had an abundance of love, an abundance of compassion, an abundance of unselfishness, an abundance of leadership, and an abundance of joy.

I met Tom 13 years ago when we moved to South Florida. Our daughters were in the same second-grade class. One evening I took my family to the soccer field to watch Tom’s daughter, Chrissy play. I was introduced to Tom and instantly liked him. This will tell you a lot about Tom because at that time in my life I didn’t like many people, especially when I first met them.

Even though we didn’t see each other much, I still considered him a friend. I always enjoyed the times when I would run into him. That’s how Tom was, everyone enjoyed seeing him because he always made you feel welcome. I never saw him when he wasn’t smiling.

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A Tribute

A Godsend

About four years ago, Tom and his wife Livi asked my wife to join their business. I then got to spend more time with Tom and get to know him better. Whenever we were together, Tom asked a lot of questions and was always interested in my opinion on different topics. I always came out of our discussions much smarter than when I went in.

One story that sums up the type of man Tom Keller was, happened about two years ago. I was getting ready to move my two daughters to college. One was moving into an apartment in Orlando and the other into a dorm in Alabama. One day, Tom asked me how I was going to move all their things. I told him that I was going to have to rent a truck because they each had a lot of stuff.

Immediately, Tom offered to let me use his Ford Expedition. I knew he had just recently purchased the vehicle and I turned him down. Tom wouldn’t take no for an answer and over the next few weeks continued to insist I take the truck. As Sofia and I were driving Tom’s Expedition to drop the girls off at college, I looked at my wife and asked, “Who else do you know that would just give you the keys to their vehicle?” My wife responded, “Nobody except Tom Keller.”

Abundance

Like I said before, Tom lived a life of abundance and had so many quality traits. These are a few of Tom’s traits that I’m going to try to emulate in my life.

  • Leadership – Tom was a great leader and was looked up to by many people. He worked diligently with the youth in his church. He always led by example and didn’t mind getting his hands dirty.
  • A Provider – Tom was an intelligent businessman and worked hard to build a profitable business with his wife. He provided for his family and passed on his knowledge to his children.
  • Unselfishness – Tom was the most unselfish man I have ever met. He would help anyone at any time. It didn’t matter where, what, or when, Tom would be there. The story above about Tom giving me his vehicle is just the tip of the iceberg of his unselfish acts.
  • Joy for Life – Tom was always smiling even when I knew he was going through stressful situations. I never had a conversation with him that wasn’t positive. If things weren’t going well, a minute with Tom would brighten your day. Tom loved his family and enjoyed getting the most out of life on family vacations.

I am Truly Blessed

I didn’t know Tom as long as others but I feel blessed and honored to have known him these few years. Even though his body is gone, his energy remains and you can see it in his children. Ryan has his leadership qualities, Lauren has his unselfishness, and Chrissy has his joy for life and determination to succeed. On the program printed for his Celebration of Life Service, it shows his date of birth and date of death separated by a dash. The two dates aren’t nearly as important as the dash which represents what he did with his life. Tom Keller made the most of his dash and will be missed.

He is now with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is home and has earned his wings. I believe that there are angels that walk among us here on earth, Tom Keller was one of them.

5 Changes To Make In 2021

As we are winding down 2020 there are some things you should do to prepare to make 2021 your year. Here are 5 changes to make in 2021. Don’t wait till January to start. Begin developing these habits now. Decide where you want to be in December of next year and commit to becoming that person.

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5 Changes To Make In 2021

The 5 changes to make in 2021 are:

  • Your Words
  • What You Talk about
  • Your Money
  • Begin Writing
  • Time

Words

Begin a habit of listening to the words that you are using daily. By analyzing the words you use to describe yourself or your actions, you will be able to find the words that are holding you back. Do you say the phrase, “I need to,” frequently? If so, eliminate that phrase and replace it with, “I will.” The phrase, “I need to,” tells your brain that this is something unimportant to you. It is something that you will never get around to doing. Saying, “I will eat healthier,” puts your brain in action mode. You will then start looking at ways to eat healthier.

Speaking

Another habit to develop is to take note of what you talk about. A large culprit that holds people back from improving themselves is gossip. Eliminate talking about other people from your subjects of conversation. Focus more on yourself and how to achieve the success you are looking for. Always remember that unsuccessful people talk about other people; successful people talk about ideas. Spend most of your time talking to like-minded people about ideas.

Money

Begin to pay attention to your money. Where is it going? Take time to go over your expenditures and see where your money ends up. Are you spending or investing? Many people will spend $100 on a night out without blinking an eye but will not spend the same amount on a self-improvement course. One is an expenditure and you will never see that money again. The other is an investment and can return that money to you tenfold. Expenditures will make other people wealthy while investments will make you wealthy.

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Writing

Begin writing. Write down everything you want to obtain in 2021. Put an end date on them and turn them into your goals. Keep journals around your home or office in which you can write your goals, thoughts, ideas, etc.  Writing things down helps you to focus on what is important to you. It also helps you remember. A scientific study has shown that after two weeks you remember:

10% of what you read;

20% of what you hear;

30% of what you see;

50% of what you hear and see;

70% of what you say and write; and

90% of what you practice by doing.

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A New Year, A New You!

Time

Finally, evaluate how you spend your time. In 2021 you want to maximize your time. Learn to do the most work in the least amount of time. By evaluating and analyzing how you spend your time, you will be able to see when you are most productive. You don’t necessarily need to work 20 hours a day, especially if those hours are not productive. You should maximize your most productive time. For me, I know my most productive time is in the morning. Therefore, I get up very early in the morning and do the most I can before the afternoon. In the afternoon, my energy levels decrease and my brain gets foggy. I try to schedule most nonproductive events, i.e. doctors’ appointments, etc. in the afternoon. Find your most productive time and get the most out of the 1440 minutes you have every day.

Final Thoughts

These are just 5 changes to make in 2021 that will help you become the person others want to be. Do you have any other changes to help people for next year? If so, leave a comment and let me know what they are. I hope that every one that is looking to make a change will make that decision, commit to their decision, and put it all into action. If you’re looking for help, I have developed some courses that might be just what you need. Just click on the button above and go check them out.

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“This Train Is Moving on, You Can Get on, You Can Get off, But the Train Keeps Moving on! We Are Going to the Top of the Mountain!”

Persistence Equals Success – Ep 19

This is one of my most important podcasts, Persistence Equals Success – Ep 19. In this podcast, I talk about the importance of being persistent. Anyone who has accomplished anything has had to persist through some tough times. They learned to embrace their failures.

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Persistence Equals Success – Ep 19

In my post, Success Doesn’t Wear a Watch, I talked about the WHY, and how your WHY HAS to be big and emotional. You have to dig down deep to pull out your WHY. Why do we want to do anything? Why did I want to start a new business doing something I’ve never done before? At my age, why would I tackle something that I had no experience doing, or, I thought, that I had no skills to be good at it? I had to keep asking myself WHY, over and over again, until I found the answer.

My answer came from deep down, it was emotional. I felt that millions of people could use my knowledge, experiences, and lessons that I have learned while traveling around the sun 59 times. That is my WHY. I will help millions of people to be happier, lead better lives, and pull out those gifts from God that everyone is born with. In turn, every person that I help will help millions of others. When I take my last trip around the sun, I will do it with a smile on my face knowing that I played this game of life and I have left it all out on the field.

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Persistence

I have gotten to where I am and will get to where I’m going all because of one word, persistence. I just kept moving forward. You see, the journey to accomplishing your goals and being successful is not linear. It doesn’t happen in a straight line. You move up, then you stumble. You get back up, brush yourself off, and start off again. Some days I get out of bed and I feel so energetic that I don’t think my feet touched the ground all day and I take great leaps forward. Other days I move forward in smaller steps and there are few days where my journey gets blocked and they make no progress.

Goals

My journey to where I got to today has followed this path: set a goal; make a plan; work the plan; fail; learn; redirect my efforts; success. This path repeats the failures become less frequent, my learning increases, my plan becomes better, and I succeed. You will face a similar path on your journey to success. I believe the number one attribute that you need to have in order to succeed is persistence. You just have to continue to work your plan persistently until you see small victories.

If you are persistent and you will rejoice in your failures instead of using them as reasons to quit. You will start to look at failures as opportunities and you will learn from each failure. Take the lessons you learn, look at your plan, and rework it if necessary. Look deep inside yourself and make sure you are doing everything you need to be doing to succeed.

Great Quote

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not. The world is filled with educated derelicts. PERSISTENCE AND DETERMINATION ALONE ARE OMNIPOTENT.”

-Calvin Coolidge

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Here We Go!!

This Train Is Moving On. You Can Get On, You Can Get Off, But The Train Keeps Moving On! We Are Going To The Top Of The Mountain!

I hope you enjoyed my podcast, Persistence Equals Success – Ep 19. If so, leave a comment below and let me know. I always enjoy reading your comments. As always, I appreciate all the likes and follows. Don’t forget to subscribe to my email list. Just click on the button above and leave your email address. Also, my courses are out and you can check them out here or above.

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Inspiring People Whom I Admire Part V

This is another installment in my series Inspiring People Whom I Admire Part V. A few weeks ago I wrote about the inspirational story of Irene Sendler. Today I want to continue that theme of inspiring women in the World War II era and tell you the story of Sophie Scholl.

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Inspiring People Whom I Admire Part V

Sophie Scholl was born on May 9, 1921, in Germany. At the age of 12, she joined the League of German Girls as did most of her classmates. This displeased her father who was an ardent Nazi critic. Initially, she was very enthusiastic but eventually also became critical of the Nazis. Her brother Hans, at one time, eagerly participated in the Hitler Youth program became disillusioned as well. Hans was even arrested in 1937 for participating in the German Youth Movement. Seeing her brother arrested affected her deeply.

Disillusioned

After graduating from secondary school, she became a kindergarten teacher. She had hoped this would be recognized as an alternative service to the National Labor Service. Unfortunately for Sophie, it wasn’t. National Labor Service was a prerequisite to be admitted to the University. Therefore, Sophie served six months of auxiliary war service. The military-like regimen of the Labor Service caused her to change her initial views of National Socialism. She would eventually begin to practice passive resistance.

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Sophie Scholl

In 1942 she enrolled at the University of Munich and attended with her brother Hans. During the summer, Sophie, Hans, and their friends began to question and resist the principles and policies of the Nazi regime. They adopted passive resistance strategies that were being used by students in the United States fighting racial discrimination.

White Rose

The group called themselves, White Rose, and co-authored six Anti-Nazi Third Reich political resistance leaflets. These leaflets instructed Germans to passively resist the Nazis. During school breaks, Hans and some of his friends were conscripted into the military and sent to the eastern front. There, some of the group witnessed a group of naked Jews shot in a pit. They were horrified and it emboldened their efforts when they returned to school.

Sophie was an invaluable member of White Rose. As a female, her chances of being randomly stopped by the SS were much less. Between June 1942 and February 1943 they prepared and distributed the six leaflets. In January 1943, the White Rose, using hand-operated duplicating machines, produced, and distributed between 6000 to 9000 copies of their 5th leaflet, “Appeal to All Germans.”

Resist

Readers of the leaflets were urged to support the resistance movement in their struggle for freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and protection of individuals from the arbitrary action of the criminal dictator state. The leaflets caused a sensation and the Gestapo initiated an intensive search for the publishers.

Arrest

On February 18, 1943, Hans and Sophie brought a suitcase full of leaflets to the University. They dropped stacks of leaflets in the hallways for the students to find when class let out. After dropping off the leaflets they discovered that some copies remained in the suitcase. Not wanting to waste a single leaflet Sophie grabbed the copies and ran up the stairs to the top floor of the building. There she flung the copies into the air over the railing.

Unfortunately, Sophie was observed by a custodian who supported the Nazis and notified the police. Hans and Sophie were taken into Gestapo custody. Eventually, the rest of the group was arrested, interrogated, and charged with treason. Sophie assumed full responsibility in an attempt to protect the other members of the White Rose.

Mock Trial

In the People’s Court on February 21, 1943, Sophie was recorded as saying:

“Somebody, after all, had to make a start. What we wrote and said is also believed by many others. They just do not dare express themselves as we did.”

No testimony was allowed for the defendants; this was their only defense. Sophie and Han’s defiance, in the face of certain death, gained them the admiration of many people.

Last Day

On February 22, 1943, Sophie, and Hans, along with their friend Christopher Probst, were adjudged guilty of treason and condemned to death by guillotine. A few hours later as she walked to her execution, still brave and defiant, she uttered her last words:

“Such a fine, sunny day, and I have to go… What does my death matter, if through us, thousands of people are awakened and stirred to action?”

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Legacy

After her death, a copy of the sixth leaflet was smuggled out of Germany to the UK, where it was used by the Allied Forces. In mid-1943, they dropped millions of propaganda copies over Germany. The leaflet was now retitled, The Manifesto of the Students of Munich.

I admire Sophie, her brother, and their friends for having the courage to stand up for what is right. Knowing that if they were caught it would mean certain death, they were still willing to make the sacrifice. Their small part in resisting the tyranny of Hitler and his National Socialist Party contributed to Germany’s defeat. The symbolic value of what Sophie and the White Rose accomplished cannot be measured. It is because of her courage and sacrifice that I’m proud to include Sophie Scholl in this series of Inspiring People Whom I Admire Part V.

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My Thanksgiving Time Machine

This is a short summary Of Episode 18 of my podcast, My Thanksgiving Time Machine. I hope everyone takes the time to be grateful for what you have whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not.

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My Thanksgiving Time Machine

Every year on the fourth Thursday in November I get to go back in time and relive a special part of my childhood. I call it my Thanksgiving time machine. I was fortunate to be able to spend Thanksgiving with my family, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins every year.

My grandmother was a phenomenal cook and we always had these wonderful meals of turkey, dressing, baked mac and cheese, sweet potato casserole, etc. She passed her recipes down to my mother and aunts. We continued the tradition after my grandmother had passed.

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Yum!!

Passing Down

Luckily my mother passed these recipes down to my wife. All the women in my family are strong and independent. They can accomplish anything they want but also know their way around a kitchen. I am always thankful for the examples they set for me and everyone else.

My Time Machine

Every Thanksgiving my wife cooks these same recipes that I ate as a child and they take me back. Tomorrow I will get to enter my Thanksgiving time machine once again and be transported back to my childhood. The wonderful taste of the food brings back many happy memories. I am thankful for the incredible life God has given me.

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Finally

I hope you enjoyed my podcast, My Thanksgiving Time Machine. Do you have any special traditions your family does every year? If so, leave a comment below and let me know. I always enjoy reading your comments. As always, I appreciate all the likes and follows. Don’t forget to subscribe to my email list. Just click on the button above and leave your email address. Also, my courses are out and you can check them out here or above.

This article may include affiliate links. http://www.inspirechief.com participates in affiliate programs and receives commissions when purchases are made through the links. This is at no extra cost to you.

10 Quotes On Self-Sabotage

Here are 10 quotes on self-sabotage to help you achieve your dreams. Once you can recognize the ways you are sabotaging your efforts you can correct them. Now nothing will stand in your way to living the life you want to live.

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“We need to ascend beyond our own petty Resistance, our own negative self-judgment and self-sabotage, our own “I’m not worthy” mindset.”
~ Steven Pressfield

We all have dreams. Dreams of accomplishing something big or living a better life. The dreams we have started when we were children. We dreamt of being superheroes or being wealthy and driving that luxury car. In our minds, we were rock stars and great athletes. We married our prince or princess and lived happily ever after. As we got older our dreams might have changed. Many times life doesn’t turn out the way we dreamed it would as children. We forget about our dreams and accept life as it is. Have you forgotten about your dreams? Did you lock them away in a trunk and bury it in your dark, damp basement?

“Procrastination is hands down, our favorite form of self-sabotage.”
~ Alyce Cornyn-Selby

10 Quotes On Self-Sabotage

Why do we bury our dreams? A small percentage of the population never does. They continue to pursue their dreams until they turn them into reality. These people persevere and overcome all challenges that life throws at them. They know that they are in control of their outcome. Whether they succeed or fail is up to them. The larger percentage of the population never realize their dreams mainly because of self-sabotage. They allow outside forces to determine the type of life that they will live.

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Making Dreams Come True

For me, I have a dream of helping millions of people, not one or two but millions. I dream that those millions will use what I taught them to help billions. I want to do this through my blog, my podcast, and the courses that I develop. Currently, I have developed courses on self-confidence and goal setting. My plans are to develop many more courses and I am working on that every day. For me to be successful I have to be aware of and avoid self-sabotage. You can use these 10 quotes on self-sabotage to avoid them yourself.

“Self-sabotage is when we say we want something and then go about making sure it doesn’t happen.”
~ Alyce Cornyn-Selby

“Addiction, self-sabotage, procrastination, laziness, rage, chronic fatigue, and depression are all ways that we withhold our full participation in the program of life we are offered. When the conscious mind cannot find a reason to say no, the unconscious says no in its own way.”
~ Charles Eisenstein

5 Ways You Self-Sabotage

The definition of sabotage is an act or process which tends to hurt or hamper. So, what are some of the things that you are doing to sabotage your efforts? These are things that are holding you back and keeping you from moving forward. Here are five ways in which you are self-sabotaging:

  1. Your words and thoughts are not in alignment;
  2. You are speaking what you have;
  3. Not controlling your fears;
  4. Your circle of friends;
  5. Trying to accomplish your dreams alone.

“Withholding love is a form of self-sabotage, as what we withhold from others we are withholding from ourselves.”
~ Marianne Williamson

Imposter Syndrome

Many times when we are speaking positive affirmations we are subject to a psychological effect called, “Imposter Syndrome.” Imposter syndrome is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud.” We don’t believe what we are saying, therefore, our thoughts are different than our words. The way to defeat this sabotage is by continuing your positive affirmations until you begin to believe. Once you believe in yourself your words and thoughts will come into alignment.

“If you think of something, do it. Plenty of people often think, “I’d like to do this, or that.”
~ Lydia Davis

What Do You Want?

Another way that you are self-sabotaging is that you are speaking what you have not what you want. You tend to focus on the negative when you are speaking. This is only going to continue to bring what you don’t want into your life. For example, if you are currently struggling financially and someone asks, “How are you doing?” How do you respond? Do you tell them what you have, “a lot of debt”, or what you want, “I am financially independent?” Think about the words that come out your mouth before you say them and only speak what you want, not what you have.

“Resistance by definition is self-sabotage.”
~ Steven Pressfield

Fears

Your fears can be a powerful tool for self-sabotage. Fears are something that everyone has and you have to learn how to control them. I already mentioned how your fear of being a “fraud” can sabotage your dreams. One of the biggest fears that will keep you from achieving your dreams is the fear of criticism. Your fear that you will be criticized, or made fun of, will prevent you from doing what is necessary to accomplish your dream. Your dream has to be bigger and more important to you than the opinion of others. Never tell your big dream to small-minded people.

“Like most other creatives, I struggle with self-sabotage, self-doubt, and feeling like an imposter more often than not. I struggle with expressing myself because it does sometimes feel easier or safer not to.”
~ Jeff Jarvis

Small-Minded People

Speaking of small-minded people, who is in your circle of friends? Do they believe in you? You can be self-sabotaging your dreams by simply listening to your small-minded friends and family. For me, I place people into two categories, “Wind,” that will fill your sails and push you forward or, “Anchors,” that will keep you from moving and possibly pull you down with them. I spend most of my time with people who believe in me. I don’t have time, and neither do you, for the anchors in your life. Don’t allow other people to decide what life you will live.

“I craft most of my own tragedies without ever having even the remotest understanding that it is I myself who have done the crafting.”
~ Craig D. Lounsbrough

Teamwork

Finally, don’t sabotage your dreams by trying to accomplish them alone. Everyone needs help. Anyone who has ever brought their dreams to reality did it with a team. Your dream should be big, it should scare you, and it’s going to be too difficult to do it alone. Begin to put your team together that will encourage you and mentor you. People that you trust and believe in you will help you identify these patterns of self-sabotage.

Being able to recognize the ways that you are self-sabotaging your dreams is key in stopping this behavior. Make sure that your words and thoughts are in alignment and speak what you want not what you have. Recognize your fears and work on controlling them. Reduce or eliminate the time you spend with negative people. Begin to form your team and don’t try to accomplish your dreams alone. I encourage you to check out my courses which are designed for your self-improvement. All the techniques that I teach have been proven to work and will help you to reach your dreams. Always think of ways to improve yourself as an investment which will give you a huge return.

“When we are succeeding – that is, when we have begun to overcome our self-doubt and self-sabotage when we are advancing in our craft and evolving to a higher level – that’s when panic strikes. When we experience panic, it means that we’re about to cross a threshold. We’re poised on the doorstep of a higher plane.”
~ Steven Pressfield

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Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed these 10 Quotes on Self-Sabotage. Did you recognize any ways you might be self-sabotaging your dreams? If so, leave a comment below and let me know. I always enjoy reading your comments. As always, I appreciate all the likes and follows. Don’t forget to subscribe to my email list. Just click on the button above and leave your email address. Also, my courses are out and you can check them out here or above.

This article may include affiliate links. http://www.inspirechief.com participates in affiliate programs and receives commissions when purchases are made through the links. This is at no extra cost to you.

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