When life give you lemons, we’re supposed to do make lemonade right? I’ve noticed that there are actually a lot of people who attempt to live this out and they try to make the best out of everything. If you are one of these people congratulations! You are one of few, we all have a point where we get weak. How do you fix this?

                           Many of us attempt to use words to present an image that we are focused or on the right path, when in reality we haven’t done anything today to make tomorrow better. Words like Boss, Focused, Working, Busy, Moving, Motivated. Are you really working? What are you working on? What did you do today that is going to change tomorrow and how? I am  guilty of this too. What is your measure of progress? I personally measure progress by the amount of work that I have completed today. It may not be a pay day, but I have completed something that will make either tomorrow better or make tomorrow easier or will change tomorrow based on what was put into place today. What does the word Boss mean to you? The definition of boss is “one that makes decisions or exercises authority.”  Are you making decisions or is someone else making them for you? What do you have authority over? If you don’t fit the definition that is okay, you have identified an area of growth for yourself. What does the word focus mean to you? The definition of focus is the center of interest or activity. What is the center of your interest? Answer honestly, no one is listening.  Are you focused on the right things? Once again if you’re not it’s okay, you have identified another area of possible growth.  If you’re motivated, what are you motivated to do, is it something that will move your life in the direction of your choosing Some of the synonyms of motivated are inspired, driven, encouraged.  The definition of motivate is to stimulate someone’s interest in or enthusiasm to do something. What are you honestly enthusiastic about? How will the area or your life that you are enthusiastic about improve your life or push you towards your goal. Busy is another one I see, however the definition of busy is to keep occupied. This does not mean that being busy is progressive. If your busy, are you busy making forward motion in your life. Or are you busy saying you’re busy? What are you working towards? Or are you busy working for someone else?

                     Social media has given us a false outlook on the life of others. Giving false images and outlooks of the life of others. Even the person making over 6 figures is living check to check. The amount of people not living check to check are less than 15% of the population and that is just an estimate. These folks don’t live that way because of discipline, the choices that they have chosen to make in their finances. Not because they have loads of money to spend. Do you have a savings plan? Do you have a retirement plan? Do you have an emergency plan? I know and can totally understand it is very hard to come up with those kinds of plans and still make sure the bills are paid. However, have you thought about your standard of living are you living with the bare minimum probably not. If you have bare minimum in some areas I’m sure you have excess in others. Everyone has an area in life they over spend. Whether it is a habit like cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs? Or shopping and luxury dinners? Each household and member has a habit? What is yours and are you willing to eliminate it to open up some extra funds for spending? How much is that habit worth to you? I challenge each person that reads this blog to count your habit funds for the past year. Pull your 2016 bank statement and filter on the item that you can eliminate. Honestly, this could be anything that you do in excess. Everything should be done in moderation. That is how you keep a balanced life.

                      Eve Within recently wrote about life being one happy mess, check out her blog (https://evewithin.com/2017/01/07/life-is-one-big-happy-mess/ ). I also read in a book another revelation of life being about cleaning up the messes and being happy with that. How do you feel about cleaning up the messes? Do they overwhelm you or do you look at them as a challenge? This is why I use the word challenge instead of problem or issue. A challenge is a chance for us to be victorious, like a contest. Why do we refer to life lessons as problems? A problem is a chance to fix something or adjust something. A problem is not defeat or a failure, it is a chance to adjust your method or perspective. Take a moment and look at whats going on, assess it, why did it happen, could it have been avoided, can you change it. The last question is the most important question and sometimes needs to be the first question you ask yourself.  I list this question last because as humans we are curious, most of us have a natural curiosity to know the answer to the rest of those questions, first. This question tells you if this your challenge. So, can you change it? If not, what more can you do? Nothing and that is what you should do, absolutely nothing. Something you can’t change is now totally out of your control. Oh ok, so you can change it. Ok, are you willing to do what needs to be done to change it? How much is the value? Choices and options you need to make, not anyone else. Not depending on what someone else needs to do, only depending on what you are willing to do. Have you extended yourself completely? If you haven’t, will you? If you have, then you know what you need to do. Nothing!?!?  

                  We desire to reach goals and have certain things in life, but we need to place a realistic value on it as well. What is the value of your success?