Motivational Tid Bits

Just a few thoughts and "tid-bits" to get your fall started right...

> First and foremost, life is never about the mistakes you make, have made, or will make way down the road. It's about the lesson(s) you take from them, and the journey they place you on. If a mistake placed you on the road to destruction, know that while mistakes can't be changed, the actions and/or results in/ of their aftermath can be altered. You write your own storyline. Plan and choose to write a successful one.

> Maximize your potential as an individual. Scan over your dreams, your hopes, and creative desires that you have. Don't let any hidden talents escape, and worse yet don't let any hidden talents sit unused. Your hidden/ unused talent(s) could be the things that bring you forward into a brighter era within your life. Don't be afraid to hone and fine tune your talents either. Everyday should be a day of betterment. Train yourself and your talents if necessary, give them the soil they need to grow.

> Know the different types of motivation and adjust accordingly. There are two general branches - intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation refers to the motivation driven by the interest in, or the enjoyment of the activity itself, rather than external pressures. Extrinsic is just as it would sound - a motivation that is derived from the external environment of an individual. For example; rewards, coercion, threats, prizes, and recognition. While not all extrinsic motivations are bad in nature, try to focus on the things that come more natural, and thus are likely intrinsic to you (internally based).

> Plan out a realistic timeline for your future, whether short-term or long term, and stick to it. This can give you internal motivation to accomplish whatever goals or complete whatever projects you have out there. This can also serve as a source of optimism if you're lacking.

> Always enable those who surround you if you plan to succeed yourself. You cannot have constant success if your growth stymies those around you. Growth should be done in conjunction. Growth amongst your surroundings will lend itself to more growth; whereas you growing yet breeding a stagnant atmosphere around you lends to your eventual upending.

> Remember that your struggles are polishing you up for a better place. Don't get distracted, distraught, or disorderly when things don't work out as they should. Unfortunately, they never do. With anything, expect the unexpected but don't let it bend you out of shape. Maintaining a positive attitude even in chaos usually makes the struggle not so bad, and makes it pass you by just a little faster. Keep your mood together and push forward.

> Comprehend, communicate, achieve, succeed. And as always, live unconquered despite your circumstance, not conquered because of.

- J. Junior II
9/21/2011

Your Enemies Have Eyes

This week, I’m going to tackle the notion of defending yourself from negative attitudes, people, and perceptions – because in this day and age, they are all around you. Moreover, you must always maintain a course of integrity, because your enemies have eyes that are always watching. In mere seconds, one small mistake can cripple the mightiest dynasty build over decades. Your enemies have eyes, lots of them, that are always watching, waiting for you to slip just that once...

On the quest to do better and living unconquered, you will come across many pitfalls. Obstacles in your life are continuous and without end, so the best advice you could be given are to learn how to manage impediments, and progress in spite of. One of these obstacles will be those who seek to pull you down into the muck, speak ill of your labors, and actively attempt to disrupt your advancement. Your enemies, or antagonists if you will.

Always remember that misery loves company, so a miserable person has no better agenda than to cause desolation in your life. That is why it may seem some people are put on Earth just to hinder you; because in a way, they are – it becomes their scheme in life. While truly unfortunate – you would think someone who is truly despondent would instead seek out assistance from others verses seeking to snatch down those within reach, it is the way things operate and something you’ve got to learn to handle. Ignore malevolence, because the biggest fuel you can provide it is to let the source know you’re being affected by their insolent actions.

Try to avoid those who operate with reckless regard, because they’ll be the first to bring down your efforts. You cannot surround yourself with those who live life in contempt of others, because they have no true loyalties but to themselves, and sometimes they can’t even have loyalty for their own soul.

This all leads me to the title – your enemies having eyes. Someone who is an active antagonist to you will always be watching and waiting for the one crack they need to insert themselves (and their "agenda"). It avoid putting yourself into compromising situations. Even if your adversaries aren’t the ones actively watching, they have eyes in the form of minions, vultures, and associates that survey in their absence. Malevolence does not take a day off, so you cannot afford yourself any downtime, or the enemy will sneak in and strike you down.

Do not feel for one second that being on a “righteous” course will repel devious behaviors. In fact, it is opposite. The better you try to do for yourself and those around you, the harder the opposition will seek to bring you down. If you’re running a dynasty, you better run it with humility, because if it falls you don’t want to have scorched all the bridges around you. In this day and age, it would seem that no matter how good one is doing, a cloud of disarray will be lurking close by. All you can do is to ever-increase your “protective force-field” by always operating in truth, integrity, and be accountable. Don’t deviate to a road lesser traveled because it seems easier. Keep your eyes fixated on your goals, but not to the point you lose your sense of reason and ration (because an irrational action is just the “crack” in your foundation your adversaries need). 

Use sound judgment, and always educate yourself. The pool of knowledge is never-ending, so you should always continue to increase your intellect. The smarter you are, the better decisions you will make, and the more awareness you will have. Make sound and steady decisions on a constant basis, and no matter how many eyes your enemy has, you will be protected from their debauchery. Don’t let them bend you out of shape, but let them shape you. Better be than the disorder they promote. When all of your foe’s eyes are fixated on you, blind them with your brilliance; send them running into the cowardly shadows they belong, and continue on your quest to live unconquered.

Make it a great week.

J. Junior II

6/6/2011