Thought For Day - Don't Be an Injustice-Collector

"Don't Be an Injustice-Collector"

You know the type, they create an identity based on how people have screwed them over, They become professional victims. All they get is attention but of a negative type. Don't be a professional victim, don't be an injustice-collector. Don't do it......

I owe the term "Injustice Collector" to Alexander Therox who used it in a review of the memoir "Closing Time" by Joe Queene . He uses it to describe how Joe collects all the injustices done to him by his father. I love the term.

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos 2009 # 2 - Angela Bofill

Another Bronx Thing.....

I saw her live on Bleeker Street in the 80's and she was my favorite singer in the day....

Sundays Eclectic Music Video - 2009 # 1 -Sophia Ramos

It's a Bronx Thing.....

Saturday's Motivational Video - Leadership Gold

Thought For Day - Be Your Own Damn Light

"Be a Lamp Until Yourself"

Shakyamuni

"In other words, embrace your light. or better still, Be Your Own Damn Light"

Chris Gardner

Thought For Day - Everything is Not As it Seems

"Everything is not as it seems; nor is it otherwise"

Luca Bercovici

Thought For Day - Success

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Personal Ramblings - "The Great Drake"

I received this book from an old friend, Dee. She contacted me and mailed it to me as a gift to read. It was gift out of the blue and yet I am glad she thought of me and I had a chance to read this book,

It was written by her dad Mario Cappelli I read the book the first night I received it. Reminiscent of Jonathan Livingston Seagull it is a allegory that tells a tale of the Great Drake and the journey of his flock through the Great Storm. Yet it's about so much more including courage, character, vision and leadership and the role it plays in our life.

It's a small book and an easy read. i intend to read it again with my 11 year old daughter. it's a beautiful story and has a great message about leadership and doing the hard and right things especially when it isn't easy and maybe even dangerous. It's a story for today when the need of real leaders who look out for the greater good and not their own interest is needed more than ever. We need more servant leaders and this book is a reminder of that.

I recommend you find the book, read it, share it with your children and pass it on to a friend.

If you want to find the book or other books by Mario Cappelli

http://mariocappelli.com/





Thank you Dee Cappelli........

Thought For Day - You Are Here to Serve

"You finally become an adult when you realize you are here to serve and not to be served!"

Ken Blanchard

Facebook response

"Parents do not teach children to be adults. Children teach parents to be adults. Service and self sacrifice change us inside and make us stronger people."

Andrew N Little

Personal Ramblings - Success

My 11 year old daughter competed in her 1st horse show away from her regular stable. She was nervous and anxious before the show. I shared with her my point of view that all she needed to do was focus on doing her best and enjoying the experience. I told her as long as she did that and learned from it so she could improve in the future she would be a success.

I'm a believer in competition and I believe losing can be a good thing if you use it to improve. Of course winning is a great thing in it tells you what you did right. I also believe you need to enjoy the process win or lose. So we went to support her and enjoy her riding.


She rode in five events @ the Rainbow Ranch Horse Show and got 2 - 1st place ribbons, 3- third place ribbons and received the Champion of the show ribbon for best performance overall.

She did fantastic and of course I'm a proud father. I'm especially blessed to watch her live her passion for horses and riding,

Success is living your passion.

John Duffy

Thought For Day - A Real Decision

"A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided. "

Tony Robbins

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos 2009 # 2 -Hit the Road Jack

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos 2009 # 1 - Trouble

Saturday's Motivational Video - 5 Extraordinary's

Personal Ramblings - Top 5 Books - Transformation / Personal Growth

I've read over 500 Books in the fields of Personal Growth, Transformation, Motivation, and Leadership. These are my 5 favorite books that I reread regularly.

Thought For Day - Happiness

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." .Albert Schweitzer

Thought For Day - Hell

"Hell begins on the day when God grants us a clear vision of all that we might have achieved, of all the gifts we wasted, of all that we might have have done that we did not do!"

G.C. Menotti

Thanks to Lisa Lockwood

Thought For Day - You Make a Life by Giving

"You make a living by getting, you make a life by giving"

Montel Williams

Thought For Day - What Do You Deserve?

"We cannot achieve more in life than what we believe in our heart of hearts we deserve to have."

James R. Ball

Thought For Day - Better to Fail at Something You Love

"I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate. "

George Burns.

Sundays Eclectic Music Video - 2009 # 2 - Katzenjammer

Sundays Eclectic Music Video - 2009 # 1 - Wagon Wheel

Saturday's Motivational Video - Someday Syndrome

Cutting Edge - The Economy, Science and the Future

Interesting talk by Juan Enriiquez @ TED. Makes you go Hmmmmm.....

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/juan_enriquez_shares_mindboggling_new_science.html

Thought For Day - Respect

"Always look people in the eye, always keep your word, and always take pride in everything you do. Do this and you will always have the respect of all those you work with. "

B. H. Hall Sr. - Founder (1910-1988) Ireland

Thought For Day - Be Healthy

"You've got bad eating habits if you use a grocery cart in a 7-11"

Dennis Miller

Put Down That Big Gulp and Step away from the counter......

Thought For Day - Go For it....

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go."

T.S. Eliot

Thought For Day - Character

"Character is what you do when no one is watching." Uh, oh.

Robert Horvath

Thought For Day - How Do You Use Your Time?

The only difference between a rich person and poor person is how they use their time."

Robert Kiyosaki

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 2 - Shine

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 1 - From My Heart to Yours

Saturday's Motivational Video - Facing the Giants Movie

Support Global Day of Solidarity with Iran - July 25th

CAN YOU HEAR IT ?

DON'T FORGET IT!

IT WILL RISE AGAIN!!!!!

Thought For Day - First Steps

"Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps, down new roads, armed with nothing but their own vision."

Ayn Rand

Thought For Day - Live a Life of Meaning

"Life Is Not About Success Or Failure; It's About Meaning. Decide what is most meaningful for you & invest your days & life in it."

Tony Robbins

Thought For Day - Improve the World

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment
before starting to improve the world."

Anne Frank

Thought For Day - Dance in the Rain

The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have. and they know 'Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain'

Thanks Martha @ Entertainment Post - http://www.entpost.com/

Thought For Day - Your Worst Day Can Be Your Best Day

“Crisis and extreme stress can be useful for growth, learning and determining what matters most to us. Sometimes your worst day can be your best day if it produces a change.”

Tony Robbins

Frank McCourt - Rest in Peace

I, like many Irish-Americans read all of Frank McCourt's books and watched the movie of Angela's Ashes and it broadened my understanding of his personal experience both in Ireland and in America. I enjoyed his writing and as I struggle to write my memoir I am inspired by him and by his writing. There is a quote by Frank McCourt that is so true not just of his life but so many of our lives especially in America. I know it is true for mine. Frank McCourt said "F. Scott Fitzgerald said there are no second acts in American lives. I think I've proven him wrong," So true. He taught English for thirty years, went on to write three books, win a Pulitzer Prize and see his book turned into a movie. What a life. I know he had more stories and books in him but he leaves us with a great legacy. Rest in Peace Frank McCourt, you will be missed but you enriched our lives by your contribution.........

Irish Central Coverage:

http://url4t.com/ddB

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos 2009 - # 2 - Take You There

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos 2009 - # 1- Bronx Wanderers

Saturday's Motivational Video - Possibility and Achievement

Thought For Day - 45 Lessons

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, "To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written."

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:


1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Remember that I will always share my spoon with you!

Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves.


Thanks to Tom Hill's Friday's Eaglezine

Thought For Day - Don't Buy Other's Illusions

I don't buy into other people's illusions about who I am, I know who I am and that's what matters."

Carlos Santana "

A Daily Must Do - Not A To Do List

Here is a time management tool I created and use daily to manage my day and my time.

Thought For Day - No Excuses

"There are a thousand reasons for failure, but no excuses."


Don't ever make excuses.....

Thought For Day - New Endings

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending”

Maria Robinson.

Thought For Day - Be an Original

"We are all born originals. The tragedy is that most of us die copies."

--Howard Thurman


Be an OriginaL........

Thought For Day - Get Up on the 1......

"Get Up on the 1,
You Don't want them to count 2,
'cause then it's easy to count 3
while you go on being down. Always
Get up on the 1"

Virginia Euwer Wolff - From young adult book "Make Lemondade"

I was reading the book with my daughter and discovered this. A great philosophy for life. Get up on the 1......

Sunday's Eclectic Music Video 2009 # 2 - I Will Remember You

Sunday's Eclectic Music Video 2009 # 1 - Blowing Away

Saturday's Motivational Video - Chris Gardner

Thought For Day - Walk the Path

"There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path."

Morpheus

So true......

Thought For Day - What the Mind Can Conceive

"Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe,
it can achieve. Thoughts are things! And powerful
things at that, when mixed with definiteness of purpose,
and burning desire, can be translated into riches."

— Napoleon Hill:

Thought For Day - Make a Difference In One Life

The Starfish
By: Author Unknown

An old man awoke just before sunrise, as he often did, to
walk by the ocean's edge and greet the new day. As he moved
through the morning dawn, he focused on a faint, far away
motion.

He saw a youth, bending and reaching and flailing arms,
dancing on the beach, no doubt in celebration of the
perfect day soon to begin. As the old man approached, he
realized that the youth was not dancing to the bay, but
rather bending to sift through the debris left by the
night's tide, stopping now and then to pick up starfish,
and then standing up to heave it back into the sea.

He asked the youth the purpose of the effort. "The tide
has washed the starfish onto the beach, and they cannot
return to the sea by themselves," the youth replied. "When
the sun rises, they will die unless I throw them back into
the sea."

The old man surveyed the vast expanse of beach that
stretched in both directions beyond eyesight. Starfish
littered the shore in numbers beyond calculation. The
hopelessness of the youth's plan became clear, and the old
man said, "But young man, don't you realize that there are
more starfish on this beach than you could ever save before
the sun is up? You cannot possibly expect to make a
difference!"

The youth paused briefly to consider the old man's words.
He then bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it
as far as possible into the sea. Turning to the old man, he
said, "I made a difference to that one!"

Thought For Day - Don't Look For Heroes

"Don't look for heroes; be one!"

Tony Robbins

Thought For Day - Swim Out to your Ship

"If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to meet it!"

Jonathan Winters

Sunday's July 4th Eclectic Music Videos # 3 - Star Spangled Banner

Check it out - An American Dream Story

Matthew Knowles - Beyonce's Dad

http://www.realamericanstories.com/mathew-knowles/?curpage=1

Sunday's July 4th Eclectic Music Video 2009 # 2 - God Bless America

Check out the Nathan's Hot Dog Story - An American Tradition

http://www.realamericanstories.com/nathans/?curpage=0

Sunday's July 4th Eclectic Music Video 2009 # 1 - God Bless the USA

A weekend of patriotic music celebrating America





Check out - Grucci Fireworks An American Tradition

http://www.realamericanstories.com/fireworks/?curpage=0

My American Dream - July 4th Independence Day

The American Dream is alive and well this 4th of July. My life is just one of many stories of the ongoing strength of the American Dream. I was born in St Francis Hospital in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx. I was the second and youngest son of two Irish immigrants who came to American in 1928 in search of a better life. My dad enlisted and served in WW II and made his own personal contribution to freedom and America.
I lived in the pictured apartment building - 400 E 141st St for eighteen years during the worse years the Bronx experienced. We were poor and got poorer when my dad died when I was four years old. My mother raised us and it's funny I never wanted for anything and didn't really realize how poor we were. I loved my neighborhood and I had a fun childhood with many good friends that I'm still in touch with to today. But life wasn't easy and I quit school when I was fifteen and it took me a long time to discover how to create a successful life. I had no successful role model. But I eventually figured it out and I did create a successful life and the opportunities were always there. I just needed to find them and put in the work to make it happen.

There are so many American success stories I could highlight today but because I grew up in the South Bronx I will just note some of the many Bronx success stories. You may be familiar with some or all of the following individuals who grew up in the Bronx and went on to create successful lives. They are all different and yet they have their Bronx roots, their participation and their contribution to the American Dream in common.

Colin Powell
Jennifer Lopez
Danny Aiello
Tony Curtis
John Patrick Shanley
Dion
Chazz Palminteri
Cuba Gooding Jr
Al Pacino
Sonia Sotomayer
Nate Tiny Archibald
Willie Colon
Regis Philbin
Geoffrey Canada
and many more......

There are also many, many others who while never becoming famous created successful lives, successful families and lived the American Dream. And to take off on an idea by Roger Simon, America and the American Dream wasn't just shaped by the great deeds of great men and women but was also shaped by the great deeds of ordinary men and women.

So today and in the future no matter how difficult things may appear or become let us not forget we all have been given a gift and we are blessed and we must make our contribution to make it even better. So this July 4th let's also celebrate the American Dream and continue to pass it on to the next generations.......

John Duffy

I Believe in Our America - Dr Nido Qubein

This 4th of July I share this interesting article by Dr Nido Qubein. I saw him speak once and was impressed by his story and his life. I just discovered Dr Qubein's speech and find it very inspiring.

Nido Qubein is the son of a Lebanese mother and a Jordanian father. He came to America when he was eighteen. His mother, told her children that being poor was a temporary condition. "You may be poor in your pocket," she often said, "but you can always be wealthy in your heart."

It’s hard to be anywhere these days without hearing the anguished voice of uncertainty in people all around us. Everyone, it seems, is talking about the bad economy and the financial markets. Everybody, it appears, is worried at some level.

To someone who is out of a job, life is difficult. The future seems uncertain. A good standard of living is less likely. It’s heartbreaking to see a family in need, a business in trouble, a country in constant debate about what to do, where to go, who to blame, and how to get back to normal again – soon.

Yes, these are scary times. They can test our faith. They can try our will. They can sow seeds of doubt. But, one thing I am absolutely sure of: these times cannot destroy our spirit. They cannot demolish our soul. They cannot confuse our brains. When things get tough, the tough must get going.

America has travelled down the path of adversity before. On lots of occasions. Really bad recessions and one atrocious depression – all within the last 80 years. People got hurt. Some were even wiped out. But life, somehow, miraculously went on. Our faith in God Almighty, our genuine support of each other, and our deep belief in the very fundamentals of our system of free enterprise helped us to march on. To hope for a better day. To try and try again. To refuse to be defeated. To allow ourselves to be disappointed but to never be discouraged.

I speak every day to our students and their families. I visit with friends in High Point and around our nation. This recession has touched everyone in different ways and at varying levels. It has touched us all. We may ache because we lost money, a job, an opportunity. But we also ache when we see friends and neighbors suffer in any way.

In spite of it all, I believe in our America. A resilient nation with hopeful people. An innovative country with unlimited possibilities. I chose to become an American. I am proud to be an American. I am grateful to be an American. I thank God every day for my good fortune. I love my country even when I know it is not perfect. I appreciate the privilege of work even when it comes cloaked in cumbersome and stressful clothing. I rise every morning knowing that my Lord won’t forsake any of us. That “this too shall pass.” That tomorrow will be better than yesterday. That recessions come and go but our beliefs and values are constant. That most people still have jobs now. Life still goes on. The sun still rises daily in the east.

At High Point University, we are proud to be patriotic. We are committed to our Christian faith. We strive every day to plant seeds of greatness in the hearts of hopeful students. It is clear to us that we cannot teach values, but we surely can model them with our attitudes, our actions, and our aspirations.

Let us all, dear friends, keep joy in our lives even when it seems difficult to do so. Let us climb the ladder of success even when failure tries to pull us down. Let us remember that we are created for a purpose – grander and better than any human can valuate. Our life cannot be measured by success; it must be measured by significance. And significance is never measured by fans, fame, or fortune. It is measured by commitment to our faith, dedication to our family, and loyalty to our friends.

Somehow, I believe better things lie ahead. Meanwhile, let us be positive when it’s easier to be pessimistic. Let us be faithful when it is simpler to be doubtful. Let us help each other when it seems more convenient to worry about ourselves. This is America. Land of the free and home of the brave. We cannot forsake our tradition and forget our legacy. We can only pray and hope and work and persist . . . and look forward to a rainbow that surely lies on the horizon.

Onwards we travel.

http://www.highpoint.edu/

Celebrate July 4th - Celebrate Freedom

Happy 4th of July





And Don't Forget Those Who Don't Have Freedom Today

Freedom Is Calling in Iran



CAN YOU HEAR IT ?

DON'T FORGET IT!

IT WILL RISE AGAIN!!!!!

John Duffy's Success Tip # 15 - Master the 3 F's and the 1 C

"Master the 3 F's (Family, Fitness & Finances) and the 1 C ( Career) and you'll get an A in Life. And life will reward your efforts. So Just Do It !!!!!!


John Duffy

There are many things in life to master if you accept that mastering areas of life is up to you. And while there are other areas of life to master I would suggest that if you master these areas you will have a good or great life.

Start at home and master your relationships with your family. Strive to be the best and create the best relationship with the people you love the most and who love you the most. F = Family

Take on mastering your fitness and health for a long and productive life. Living a healthy life is key. Recognize that your body is your most important vehicle to get you through life so work to make it the best one. Create life long habits of exercise and movement and be careful of what you put in. Don't put sludge in the gas tank. F = Fitness

Now take on your finances and learn how to be the master of your finances and work towards creating financial freedom and independence. F = Finances

Lastly, create a career that you are passionate and if you are so lucky create a career that feels like play and that you would do for free. C = Career

Do all this and you get an A in life...... Go for it and May You Make Your Life a Masterpiece.

John Duffy's Success Tip # 14 - Understand Life Is Not Fair

" Understand Life Is Not Fair. So what, just more challenges to overcome. The stronger the wind the stronger the trees. Be Strong"

John Duffy

Life isn't fair! Say it again Life isn't Fair!!! Now depending on how lucky you are, yes lucky it might be less fair or more fair. Were you born in the 1st world or the 3rd world? Were you born into a poor family, a middle calls family or a wealthy family? Did you have loving supportive parents or abusive un-supportive parents, Were you born healthy or sickly? And the list goes on.

I was born into a very poor Irish immigrant family with parents with only a partial grammar school education. I was raised in the ghetto of the South Bronx. I dropped out of high school at fifteen. I didn't think life was fair at the time and I blamed others (the rich and the government) for our situation and at times I took on a victims mentality. It didn't help me to believe those things and it did nothing to make my life better.

Later I would begin to search deeper for answers to creating a more successful life. I came to realize the issue of whether life is fair is not the question I needed to ask but I needed to ask myself, given the reality of where i was starting out in life, what did I have to do to become successful no matter what obstacles life put in my path. Now that question got me busy taking actions that improved my life.

So I've come to realize "Life isn't Fair" but Life Is What It Is, and of course it's relative, it could be better but then again it could be worse and the important question is what am I going to do to make it better.

The same question faces you........

John Duffy's Success Tip # 13 - Go For Your Dreams

" Go For Your Dreams. No, I Mean Really Go For Them"

John Duffy

This is a tough one I know. Some folks have never figured out what their dreams are, some have let their dreams die, others have postponed them to "someday", and some are working towards them but keep losing focus and energy on the journey.

Few are pursuing their dreams with passion, energy, focus, obsession and drive.

Where do you fall in these categories?

I know I have fell in all of these categories at different times in my life. I aim to be in the last category most of the time but at times I find my self bouncing back and forth between working towards my dreams and truly pursuing them. I need to keep reminding myself of where I stand at the moment and where i need to be .

I encourage you to find a path to pursuing your dreams with passion and Really Go For Them......

Remember it's your life and your dreams. Don't sell yourself short.....

John Duffy's Success Tip # 12 - You Are Responsible For Your Life

"You Are Responsible For Your Life. So Take Responsibility"

John Duffy

Years ago when I was acting someone stated, "why would you expect your agent to work harder for you than yourself when they get 10% and you get 90%". That statement made a lot of sense and it is true for your life in general. Why would you expect your employer or the government to be more concerned or responsible for your life?

News flash, you are 100% responsible for your life and you are 100% responsible for the results you get or don't get in life. I know that might be tough to swallow and accept but it's the fact Jack. If you truly accept this it is very empowering for your life.......

Take 100% responsibility for;

Your Life
Your Relationships
Your Family
Your Finances
Your Health

Now just Do It............

John Duffy's Success Tip # 11 - Keep Learning

"Keep Learning. You Can Stop Learning When You're Dead"

John Duffy

I recommend you commit to being a life-long learner. Studies vary but they state that the average American read from 1.5 -to 5 books. 27% admit to not reading a book. I find this fact both amazing and depressing.

I've never been average in this area. I dropped out of high school when I was fifteen but I had a passion for reading and learning even then and probably read 15-20 books that year and the number of books I read just increased every year. Ten years later I went back to school and I've always been a passionate reader. Today I read 50-75 books a year and dozens of magazines. of course I also read constantly online as well.

My idea of heaven is a giant bookstore where I get to read every book ever written. Ok, I admit I'm different.

Seriously, commit to learning and growing and you will be rewarded in life........

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 3- Stand By Me

Stand By the People of Iran

Freedom's Calling in Iran

CAN YOU HEAR IT ?

DON'T FORGET IT!

IT WILL RISE AGAIN!!!!!

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos 2009 - # 1 - Time For Change

Saturday's Motivational Video - Chris Gardner - You Drove Here

John Duffy's Success Tip # 10 - Laugh at Life

"Laugh at life, laugh at yourself. Life ain’t all that serious until it is."

John Duffy


Sometimes we take life and ourselves a little too serious. We all know people who have no sense of humour and can't laugh at themselves. Maybe someone close to you? Really close?

I remember when I was going through one of the hardest and darkest periods of my life and it felt overwhelming and I decided to find a way to laugh at it and myself. I started to view my life as if I was in a Woody Allen movie and all the challenges I faced as just God having a little joke at my expense. It lifted the weight off of me and I started finding humour in anything life was throwing at me. And Lord knows it was throwing a lot at me that year. Soon I didn't have to work at it but it became my unconscious reaction to see the humour in situations.

One event stands out, I was driving home from the airport with a friend and while waiting for the red light to change a drunk driver smashed into us. We got out of the car and the driver drove off. My car was totaled and we we hurting physically and I started to laugh and my friend thought i was crazy and she asked me what I was laughing at and I replied, "no more car payments". I felt grateful in that moment to be alive and just shook my head and saw it all as a cosmic joke. i got through some worse events that summer and laughing at life and myself helped me through.

"Laugh at life, laugh at yourself. Life ain’t all that serious until it is." And when it is serious and life or death then recognize the difference and deal with it in the appropriate way.....


I continue to laugh at the struggles that I face in life.....

John Duffy's Success Tip # 9 - Perspective

"Put everything in Perspective. Things can always get better and they can always get worse. So no whining, just make it better."

John Duffy

Can you remember the times you felt sorry for yourself? Did it make things better? Probably not. I remember the time I met W Mitchell in Maui at a Tony Robbins seminar. I was really struggling at the time to just survive and at times felt like life wasn't fair. Then I heard W Mitchell speak. He was in a wheelchair. If you don't know his story I recommend you check it out @ http://www.wmitchell.com/.

In summary this is the story I heard. W Mitchell survived first a blazing motorcycle accident and later a paralyzing plane crash four years later, he was burned over 65% of his body and sentenced to life in a wheelchair. W. Mitchell was once a heathy Marine. He chose to overcome these tragic events in his life and ran for Congress using the slogan, "vote for W Mitchell, I'm not just another pretty face" and he went on to build a career as a speaker and motivator.

As I sat there listening to him I felt a shift in me. He put things into perspective for a lifetime. I would never see life the same again.

I leave you with a quote from him:

"Before I was paralyzed there were 10,000 things I could do. Now there are 9,000. I can either dwell on the 1,000 I've lost or focus on the 9,000 I have left." - W Mitchell


Now that's Perspective.....

John Duffy's Success Tip # 8 - Excuses or Results

" You can either get Results or make Excuses. You can’t do both. Your choice."

Human's can be excuse making machines. It starts when we are young and unless we get over this bad habit we sell our selves short. I choose to operate from a place that their are no excuses and I am responsible for everything I create or fail to create in my life. It's more empowering. I choose to get results.......


John Duffy

John Duffy's Success Tip # 7 - Gratitude, Gratitude, Gratitude and then some more Gratitude

"Gratitude, Gratitude, Gratitude and then some more Gratitude.
We all have so much to be thankful for."

I have come to make feeling grateful a habit that I do every day and my life keeps being filled with more things to be grateful for. Strange how that works. Of course I don't list all the things I'm grateful for every day because there isn't enough time. Like many of these success tips I didn't always feel gratitude about life but I'm a good learner, well maybe sometimes a slow learner and life has a way of kicking your a... to teach you. I got stories....

I remember when i first got the idea of gratitude. It was 1989 in NYC and a very dear friend/ex-girlfriend was dying of AIDS and I was spending a lot of time with her. I was going thorough the most difficult period of my life at the time, struggling to not become homeless, getting hit by a drunk driver and having my car totaled and suffering whiplash and a lot more. In the midst of this my friend told me she didn't want me to visit one day because she didn't want to depress me because she was having a real bad day. In that moment of extreme compassion on her part I got it.

She was dying and she was concerned with not depressing me.
This was more that a light bulb moment it was more like a sun lighting up all the dark places in my head and heart. I got it, I really got it.

I realized how much I had to be grateful for and that no matter how tough things were I would always live my life grateful for every single moment. So I offer you the gift I was given in that moment and I pass it along. Make a list of all the things you can be grateful for, large and small and then live every day knowing that you can be grateful for even the challenges as well.

Gratitude, Gratitude, Gratitude and then some more Gratitude......... It will transform your life.


John Duffy

John Duffy's Success Tip # 6 - It's All About Choices

"It’s all about Choices. You always have choices, make the right ones."

Looking back on my life I can see all the turning points in my life were caused by me making the right choice in difficult moments. I didn't always understand that I had choices in every moment and circumstance of my life. Growing up in the South Bronx I believed I was the victim of circumstances and life wasn't fair and of course the actions I took reflected those beliefs. It was very liberating when I realized I always had a choice to decide what something meant and what i was going to do about it.
And yes life isn't fair and that's a fact Jack but it doesn't matter what matters is what you are going to do about making your life the best.

Understanding the power of choice helped transform my life from initially one of surviving to one of striving and eventually one of thriving. You are truly the master of your life and as Chris Gardner says 'You drove here and you can drive out".
Chose wisely my friends, it's only your life that depends on it.......

John Duffy

Time For a Change - Now More Than Ever

John Duffy's Success Tip # 5 - Be a Leader

"Life needs more leaders not followers. Decide to be a Leader. Step up in every area of your life. Leaders lead by example. Lead on...."

John Duffy

John Duffy's Success Tip # 4 - Never Quit

"Promise yourself that you will never give up, never quit."

John Duffy

John Duffy's Success Tip # 3 - Take Action

"Take action and then take some more action and yes then take some more. You"ll know when you've taken enough if you reach your goal. Get in the Game.... Game on........"

John Duffy

John Duffy's Success Tip # 2 - Daily Improvement (DI)

"Every day do just 1 more thing to improve an area of your life. What would your life be like if you improved 1 thing every day in the key areas of your life?

Family / Friends
Fitness / Health
Career
Finances
Contribution / Volunteer
Psychology / Mindset
Growth / New Learnings
Legacy

Commit to a philosophy of Daily Improvement (DI)........."

John Duffy

John Duffy's Success Tip # 1 - Solutions

"Solutions, Solutions, Solutions.
Okay I've heard the problem now what's the solution?
There's always a way and an answer. Your job is to find it."

John Duffy

Sunday Review - Looking Back - Looking Forward

"Another week has past, so can you look back and say you did your best...?"

James Hayes - Friends of Ireland


Great question. Ask it regularly and step up your life........

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos 2009 - # 2 - Wade in the Water

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos 2009 # 1 - Under My Bed

Courtesy Mitchell Welch

Saturday's Motivational Video - Larry Winget

Thought For Day - Set a Deadline

"A goal is a dream with a deadline."
Napoleon Hill

Thought For Day - Be a Winner

"If you don't see yourself as a winner, then you cannot perform as a winner. "
Zig Ziglar

Thought For Day - Poverty or Success - Your Choice

"If you are born poor, it is not your fault. But if you die poor, it is your fault."
Unknown

Thought For Day - Write Your Story

"You're the author of your story, Do you want to be the Victim or the Hero?"

Write the story of your life you want and live it.....

Thought For Day - Questions

I don't pretend we have all the answers. But the questions are certainly worth thinking about.-
Arthur C. Clarke

Questions generate answers.......... Ask many questions, especially empowering ones.....

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos 2009 # 2 - Nothin Better To Do

Sunday's Eclectic Music Video 2009 # 1 -We Danced Anyway

Saturday's Motivational Video - A Sampling of Motivational Speakers

Thought For Day - You Have A Choice

" For 24 years of my adult life BY CHOICE I have weighed well over 200 lbs. I say BY CHOICE because I have never accidentally eaten anything. I mean it's always been deliberate. And when I CHOOSE to eat too much today, I have CHOSEN to weigh too much tomorrow....... You can CHOOSE to set goals and realize your potential or CHOOSE not to......"
Zig Ziglar

Thought For Day - Lead By Example

"Discover that the most powerful way to help those
you love is to lead by example — and realize
you're leading by example all of the time."
— Joe Caruso

Thought For Day - Gratitude

"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others."
Cicero

What are you grateful for today?

What can you be grateful for ?

Thought For Day - You Are Wealthy

"To know you have enough is to be wealthy."
The Tao

Thought For Day - Part of the Solution

"If you're not part of the problem, you can't be part of the solution"

Recognize your role in a problem and then be part of the solution. Don't be a victim be a player.

Thanks to Tony Robbins