New Years' Resolution Time Again? What you really need to do!

"In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves … self discipline with all of them came first." - Harry Truman.  

Great quote, don't you think?  And how pertinent to New Year's Resolutions. Yes, here we go again...but will 2010 be different?  Whether your resolution involves a habit (kicking a bad one or developing a good one), money, health, getting organized or anything else...there is one commonality. Harry nailed it, self discipline. It's not cool, sexy or fun--but it's what we all need to achieve our goals. We can't buy it, borrow it or wish for it...but we CAN get some help.  

1) People: Friends and family for encouragement or suggestions, professionals like doctors, trainers, financial advisers...pick your appropriate pro... for more hands-on assistance.   


2) Information. Can't pay a pro? the internet is full of FREE info, just google the subject you're looking for.There are websites, blogs, videos and all kinds of great information out there...of course don't fall for any scams or give anyone your personal information or credit card number!  Be discerning and use common sense. I know you will, but just thought I'd say it anyway.



3) Tools.  There are many. Some cheap, some expensive...smokers have plenty of options that they can get from their doctors.  There are a billion ways to get in shape from a treadmill, to a gym membership to  Wii FIT, to joining a local sports league, etc, etc... just some examples.


My point here is not to recommend anything in particular right now. In future blogs I may share what has worked for me and pass along some ideas (and I would love to hear yours!).  My point today is that we are back to self discipline. This is the key to using these tools and most importantly to motivate ourselves. Without that nothing happens.  We've all heard of (or maybe experienced) the treadmill that sits around and serves as a clothes rack. 


So here's wishing you (and me!) plenty of self discipline in the New Year!

Charlie Brown Christmas

In the middle of all of the eating, decorating and shopping...it's nice to stop and remember what we're celebrating. Linus tells it like it is.

Whose Road Is it Anyway?

"People take different roads to fulfillment.  Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost". I'm not sure who said that, but I have always loved that quote. I guess it could also be stated like this, "whatever makes you happy."  Of course being happy, while important, isn't life's only goal. However, it's a big one, so I'm going to park there for a minute.

Why does one thing make one person happy, while the next...well, not so much? Did you ever wonder why God made us all so different?  We look different, act different, have different personalities, like different music and on on and on--I know, thank you Mrs. Obvious! But why are we so different?  How much are we born with and how much is what happens to us in life, how we were taught, etc? I've had enough college psychology and sociology classes to guess, but I'll leave that to the "experts".  My point is much simpler than that.  I think that so much tension --whether within families, communities, workplaces...or even countries-- can be boiled down to our inability to understand and appreciate each others differences. Yes, I know...again, I have a flair for stating the obvious! Maybe, though, it's something we can work on a little...even if only with one person at a time. Next time you're ready to blow your top, roll your eyes, make a rude remark (or whatever) about something someone did or said that you didn't like, instead take just a moment to think about where they might be coming from.  Now, there's a chance that they are fully deserving of your reaction...but maybe not.  If not, there will be a little less angst and a little less stress in your life and theirs...and a little less conflict in the world. It's simplistic, I know...but that's the road I like to travel down---you know, it's how I roll.


 

Making the load a little lighter...

"In life you can never be too kind or too fair; everyone you meet is carrying a heavy load."--Brian Tracy

Today this quote really spoke volumes to me. This morning watching the local news, I heard about Gleaners Community Foodbank's double donations campaign. Some outstanding individuals and companies are doubling all donations made to them today (11/30). If you've got a minute, check out the website and if you're able, make a donation...even a dollar goes a long way! www.gcfb.org. Gleaners supplies food to charitable organizations large and small who in turn give it to those who could use a little help right now. I've had the honor of meeting many of those who work at Gleaners. They are compassionate and caring... and they work very hard to make it an extremely well run organization.

Whether you're here in Michigan or not, there's a good chance you or someone you know is being negatively affected by the poor economy. It does indeed make the load a little heavier--perhaps even more so during the holiday season. When we come out of this--and we will--hopefully we are better people for it. But many can use a little help in the meantime. God Bless the people at Gleaners for making the load lighter for so many.

Can Failing be a Good Thing?

Check out the powerful video below! You may have seen it, I know I've run across it a few times as it's making its way around the internet. You can find it on You Tube as "The Best Motivational Video". I've seen it on friends' facebook pages and posted it myself. It beautifully captures some of life's greatest success stories at the point in those peoples' lives when they and others may have considered themselves to be failures. Imagine people like Michael Jordan, Abraham Lincoln and Walt Disney being thought of that way. Imagine if they had taken it to heart and not pressed on. "There is no failure except in no longer trying," as the quote from Elbert Hubbard goes; and as the end of the so-called "Best Motivational Video" says, "life=risk." Your mom probably told you...if at first you don't succeed, try try again. And she was right. If you're like so many of us, trying to re-invent yourself in this crazy economy, you're going to need to put yourself out there. And like a kid riding a bike without training wheels for the first time, you're probably going to fall down a few times. Maybe even many times. Just keep getting up. And always try to learn something from your failures and disappointments. I have heard it said, it's a mistake to suppose that people succeed through success; they often succeed through failures....or like the great inventor Thomas Edison said (who is also featured in the video because his teacher once told him he was too "stupid" to amount to much) "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." Whether it's a failure, a disappointment, or just a struggle because of your circumstances. Don't give up....because tomorrow could be just they day that everything changes!

Welcome to Positive Agenda with Sandy Kovach. My goal is to encourage and motivate you to think positive and help others do the same. This is a blog I wrote a while back on another site...I thought it would be a good start for this new series.

I read an article on the CBS News website not long ago called “Teach Your Children To Be Optimists”. It reminded me of the first time I uttered the words, “you have to think positive” to my son. It was when he was first learning to ride a “big boy bike”—you know, no training wheels. His father had put in lots of time with him, but he was still having trouble. The problem was clearly in his mind because he had the skill and the knowledge. I told him two things—think positive and pray. Pray not that God will make you ride, but that he will give you the confidence to do it. After a few minutes of positive thinking and perhaps a little divine intervention, he did it. Now, positive thinking is something we talk about often. In fact, if I’m being negative, I am called on it by my son. Sometimes it’s when I actually seem to be enjoying wallowing in a little self pity and negative thinking (do you ever do that?) and he’s there to remind me to snap out of it.

But what about this optimism and positive thinking as it relates to our kids. It can have a profound effect according to the article. Researcher Karen Relvich of the University of Pennsylvania is quoted as saying optimistic children have fewer symptoms of depression, less anxiety and are better at problem solving. She also says it’s a “skill” that can be learned.

I guess, though, the best way to teach optimism is probably by example. We need to show our kids that we can be optimistic even if things don’t seem to be going our way. I think we can be honest when we are disappointed about something, but remind them that things will turn out okay. Maybe we can tell them that we’ve learned from any mistakes we may have made, etc. We can be honest and be real. I think our kids will get more from that than if we pretend that we are perfect. Remember, by teaching our kids to be positive we are helping them gain skills that will last a lifetime. And as for us grown folks-- by working on it ourselves, we also benefit greatly.

Thank for reading my blog...have a great day...and don't forget you can get Positive Quotes Daily...follow Positive Agenda on Twitter.