Focus: Positive Attitude



Welcome to the First Edition of MotivateUs.com's Newsletter



Dear friend,

Each month I hope to inspire and motivate you to be the best you can be by sharing what I and others have learned in life. The format here is casual and evolving, like we all are, and hopefully fun. Remember, life is too serious to be taken so seriously.

In order for this newsletter to have value to you, personally, I would appreciate it if you would please share with me what you want to discuss or know more about. Whatever is on your mind, might be on others too.

Everyone is important here. It doesn't matter to me who you are, where you live, what you do or how old you are. YOU ARE SPECIAL and have insights that maybe the rest of us don't. So don't be shy, share :-)

Marlene Blaszczyk, Editor & Publisher, MotivateUs.comBefore I go any further, let me start by telling you a little bit about me. My name is Marlene Blaszczyk and I have the honor and privilege of being "the heart" of MotivateUs.com.

As creator, editor and publisher I wear a lot of hats and have a lot of hearts helping me. Over the years I have truly learned how many good people there are in this world, willing to share to help others and that everyone needs encouragement, regardless if they are successful or on their way to success.

Though each of us must walk our own path in life, none of us walks alone. There are always others who help us along the way, whether we recognize their help or not.

As a true adventurer, when I started MotivateUs, I admit I didn't know what I was doing, but I was determined to learn, to grow, to risk, to fail and try again and again. Perhaps you've experienced something like this in your life too?

Many days were rosy and many were dark. But through it all my stubbornness wouldn't let me give up, even when that little voice inside wanted to argue.

Since 1997, I must say that publishing MotivateUs.com and connecting with thousands of great people through email and phone has proved to be one of the most humbling and inspiring experiences of my life.

Each day I am excited and want to do better for you and for me. Thank you to everyone who has sent a comment or note. Your kindness helps me to know that the site has helped you. I also want to thank our visitors, contributors and supporters for making MotivateUs.com the best site on the Internet for encouragement and positive thoughts.
I appreciate all of you!

The way I see it, no one walks this path alone. Not you, and definitely not me. And together we can learn, grow and encourage each other to be great.

This month's selections honor you.



A Story To Ponder:

A Positive Attitude Makes Everything Different

Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant.

The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.

I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations.

You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life."

I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers.

While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body. I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices:

I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressionson the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared.

I read, 'He's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything." "Yes," I replied.

The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled,"Bullets!"

Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."

Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything.

--- By Francie Baltazar-Schwartz



Something To Consider:

Dream Big Dreams

It has been proven that we gravitate towards the targets that we set ourselves. Just ask salesmen - studies have shown that if they are set a target they usually get there or close to it - but very rarely exceed it. If you set your financial targets 100% higher than you think you really need - then you will have a better target for your subconscious to aim for.

Action Point: What is limiting your belief that you cannot earn as much money as you want? Set yourself a target of a pay-raise that is double what you would normally aim for. Look at people who are earning as much as you want and look at what they do (and how they act) differently from you. Spend just 5 minutes every day applying this knowledge and you will be amazed at how this, in conjunction with your higher target, will move you forward.

--- Submitted by Ramesh Madhava --- India



A Quote To Inspire You:

Here's a motivational quote I wrote during my transition to civilian employment for all my fellow employees. They were going through rough times at work and I made this into a small poster for them. I worked! It helped inspire others also.

Every day I will wake, look at myself in the mirror and say: "There is no justice. I may be the victim of many unfortunate circumstances in life of which I have no control over. Regardless, I will not make excuses. I will not whine and complain. I will not feel sorry for myself. No!

Instead, I will find solutions! I will encourage others around me to think more positively. Most importantly, I will reconcile myself to a life of action, the kind of action that will set an example for others to emulate.

I will push myself beyond the limits of what I felt was possible before. I will remember the phrase: 'If I believe I can, or if I believe I can't; I'm probably right!'

I will not be afraid to take the challenge. Because of that, I can. I WILL SUCCEED!!!"

--- Copyright © 2000 James P. Findlater


Until Next Time, Remember:

We are put here on earth to help one another.

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 Marlene Blaszczyk, Editor & Publisher, Motivating Moments
Marlene Blaszczyk,
Creator, Editor & Publisher
MotivateUs.com