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Mom always said “In the end it will all work out for the better” and I always struggled with that saying, but the fact of the matter is that situations usually do.  The thought that comes to mind was when I was apartment hunting with a couple of buddies years ago.  We had put down deposits on two separate occasions on places only to learn that someone else had snapped them up a few hours prior.  As it worked out, on our last look around the neighborhood, our realtor showed us a place that came onto the market last minute.  It was much nicer and more spacious and less expensive than any of the other places we had seen.  We snapped it up and had the time of our lives living there.

Remaining upbeat about life has to be one of the toughest tasks to do on a constant basis.  The fact of the matter is that sometimes bad things do happen to good people and remaining upbeat is truly one of life’s tests.  However, being positive and staying positive is essential.  Positive or Negative, which are you?

 The fourth Secret of Life:  Positivity

It is not easy to always be positive, trust me, I struggle with it and I am an optimist by nature.   What is key to realize is that people sense negativity, whether they are conscious of it or not and it directly influences how they interact with you.  Both positivity and negativity are contagious.  This may seem obvious, but needs to be stated.  

What I have learned in life is that staying positive and being positive will yield much better results over life’s long haul.  It really comes down to percentages, the more positive effect you have on the people in your life then the better chances they will return that positivity to you.  No one wants to be around someone that is always negative so I encourage you to find your positive spark.  Positivity may show itself as a job referral, a friendly favor or an introduction to someone special, but no matter what the case, it is always better than the alternative.

“Being positive or negative are habits of thoughts that have a very strong influence on life.”

Sparkit,

Rob

Part 4 of 5 in a series

I remember back in middle school about how The Russians kept setting 5 year plans in order to further their country’s overall progress and how despite  worldwide doubt, they would achieve these plans.  The plans were made up of smaller goals and benchmarks that first had to be achieved, and as each of these was completed the next phase would happen until the overall long-term goal was accomplished.

The lesson I took away from it was that baby steps work.  Baby steps turn into bigger steps and bigger steps turn into miles.  What is your five year plan?

The third Secret of Life:  Preparation and Planning

Unless you start preparing and planning your ultimate goals you really don’t stand a chance.  Think about where you want to be at some point down the road and how you may get there.  The key is to not be intimidated by how lofty that goal may be and to start now with baby steps.  The baby steps will add up faster than you think and if you are enjoying what you are doing it will seem like its happening even faster. 

Unless you are prepared for the opportunities that come your way, you may not even recognize an opportunity when it does land in your lap.  If you won the lottery today, would you know what to do with the money?  It’s a bit of a facetious question, but I think it makes a good point.

Think of the goal and begin to do it.   It does NOT have to be maximum effort everyday, but you do have to make progress, no matter how small, on a constant basis.  Get that spark started and over time it will become a fire and hopefully a raging inferno.   I’ve been doing this for 5 years with my website and even though I may not compete with the giants, I am miles ahead of where I started.  First I got a business license, then a domain name, then some products, then a host,  then a blog, well, you get the idea.  All baby steps that continue to add up.  Trust me, you can do it.

“When preparation meets opportunity you have success.” – Anonymous

Part 3 of 5 in a series.

Sparkit,

Rob

I’m not sure why, but I’ve always been an optimist with a dose of reality mixed in.  I wonder if optimism is more nurture or nature or a mixture of both.  Its weird because I’ve seen people go through the toughest of times and they are still smiling and I’ve seen people who were born with life’s privileges and they’ve never smiled a day in their life.

Figuring out a reason to get out of bed everyday isn’t always the easiest thing to do, but it is something you MUST do.  What gets you out of bed?

The second Secret of Life:  Happiness

Finding happiness, even if its in small doses, really is an essential part of life.  I think a lot of people never put it on their list of things to do.  That is to say that they never consciously say to themselves “What makes me happy? And how can I get there?”  Its not to say that there isn’t going to be tough times, but those times need to be a MEANS to an END.  Why do you work everyday?  I mean really, why do you work?  Is it to pay the bills and do it all over again tomorrow or is it to save bit by bit so that someday you can retire and do crosswords for the rest of your life.

One of the best ways to find happiness is by finding something to focus on.  This can be a lot of different things.  Some people focus on their families, some people till gardens and some people collect seashells.  Today the world is so specialized and fragmented that if there’s something you love to do, and you do it in a unique way, chances are you can make a living do it AND be happy at the same time.

 Oh, and here’s a happiness trick.  Most people don’t know it, but if you smile, you’re body will react in a positive emotional way to the physical act.  Usually, you feel good and then you smile, but your body is conditioned to do the opposite as well.  If you smile, you’re emotions will do the same.  Try it, its proven and it really works.

 “Do what you love and the money will follow”  -Anonymous

“Tough times don’t last, tough people do”  -Anonymous

 Part 2 of 5 in a series.

Sparkit,

Rob

I’ve been examining Life ever since I can remember.  I always asked lots of questions about everything.   Only decades after being dubbed the Team Philosopher by my Little League coach did I realize just how prophetic the nickname was. 

 So for years I’ve been trying to “figure it all out”.   Everything from the meaning of Life to why are we here to what religion is all about.  I’ve been trying to spark my brain over the past few weeks in order to get you to do the same.  I have done my best to articulate it all into a coherent blog to share with you.  Here we go.

 The first Secret of Life:  Relationships

As of now, we only have a finite number of years on this earth and even though life expectancies increase every year, there is no cure for death.  With that, there are only so many things that you have time to cherish and enjoy.  Trust me, the clock IS ticking. 

 What I’ve concluded is that with so little time, you really have to cherish the people in your life that help enrich it while trying to enrich their lives as well.  After all, every relationship is give AND take.  You’ve got to bring something to the table in order to get something.  This is true for any relationship, even a perpetual giver has their limits.

 Don’t waste time with people that negatively impact you.  I like to call this “trimming the fat.”  Years ago, shortly after college, I started to do this.  I had people that were friends of friends of friends that I didn’t particularly care for and they seemed to be lifesuckers.   I made the conscious decision to weed them out of my life over the years and have never looked back.

 Now think about the people in your life that appreciate you and that you appreciate.  These are the people that deserve you and that you deserve.  Cherish these people for they are sacred.  Its only after years of living away from many of my true friends and family that I now realize how important they are in the grand scheme of life.  Believe it or not, with these people in your life, you will be okay.  These relationships are more important than money and materials.  You can’t buy relationships and when it comes down to it they are more precious than any worldly possession.    

“I found out what it was to have a house full of money and how little difference it made in my life.”  - Former Pot Smuggler Brian O’Dea

 Part I of V in a series.

Sparkit,

Rob