A Fork in the Road: Change

Welcome back from what was hopefully a great weekend! We love weekends because they give us the opportunity to take some time and just think, relax, and enjoy all that we have around us without the extra added stress of work. We have covered a lot of material on this blog and often times even hit on one subject more than once. Today, however, we felt like digging into a new topic: change.

“Life can either be accepted or changed. If it is not accepted, it must be changed. If it cannot be changed, then it must be accepted.” – Winston Churchill.

We could write for pages on the topic of change but for today we want to keep it simple, define change, the importance of change, and what stops of from changing. According to dictionary.com change is, “to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone.” Change can be small or change can be very big, but change always requires one constant thing: action. So in order to change anything, be it ourselves, our environment, a habit, the pair of shoes on our feet, we must first be willing to take action. That action can be simple or very complex – it can be a one step process or take multiple months but one thing is certain; we all need change in our life.

You may be asking yourself why we need change. We here at PowerWithinUs have found that change is also the process of learning. We need not always make large changes in life, but change often challenges us to step outside of our comfort zone and try something new which leads to growth. We aren’t saying everyone needs to change constantly but look around and find an area in your life where you know you aren’t fully satisfied. What could you change in order to increase that area of your life? Why haven’t you done it?  What is holding you back?

There are a lot of reasons we decide not to change and one of the most encountered reasons we find is fear of failure.  Let’s face it, no one wants to fail yet we all do at some point along the way. Failure is determined in numerous ways and will be personalized to each individual experience; no one can tell you, you failed, except yourself. No matter what experience we have from change we will undoubtedly learn from it, be it failure or success. Each outcome will result in a learning experience and can be made into a positive.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” - Winston Churchill

So as you go throughout the week and rest of the month ask yourself if there are changes that can be made, big or small, and what action do you need to take to make that happen. Don’t let something that you don’t want to happen stop you from changing something, rather make a decision based on what can happen. Change is better made than not changing due to doubts, fears or distractions. What are you going to change? You’re ready!

What do you have?

HAPPY WEDNESDAY! As a midweek mini article we wanted to write share some insight around the following quote:

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” – Epicurus.

Here at PowerWithinUs we are constantly setting goals and looking toward the future but we do also know how important it is to stop and take a look around. Relish in your current successes and those things that you had hoped for before, that are now realities. Maybe it’s that your child can now read a book on his/her own, or that you haven’t touched a cigarette in 6months or that you and your husband laughed so hard you cried; whatever it is, acknowledge it and enjoy it. Find things every day to celebrate about, because today is as good as any day to smile. As you go throughout your Wednesday we challenge you to take time, look around and find things to be thankful for. We know you're ready for this one! 

*Passion*

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." - Howard Thurman. 

We here at PowerWithinUs love this quote as it leads us into one of the most pivotal principles we teach; find your passion, reach your vision. So then comes the question, what is your passion? Think about what makes you smile, what fills your soul with energy, what causes your voice to rise when you begin talking about it? Remove the excuses, doubts and fears to dig deep within and be honest with yourself when answering. Now ask yourself - how often do I get to do that? For some of you it may be every day, for others it may be a handful of times a year either way continue to strive and make it a part of your life. 

We all need to have something in our life that we consider a passion, be it our family, a hobby, an activity, or any countless other options – we need something. That passion is the fire within us that helps do as Howard Thurman said, come alive. Now that you have thought about it and come up with what it is you’re passionate about we love this next quote…

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

So what are you going to do today, tomorrow, next week, next month to incorporate your passion into your life. The first step is setting a written goal. Take out a sheet of paper, or type it up and share it. Share your passion with those around you that you love and care about – your enthusiasm will be contagious and they will help keep you accountable. Finding ways to incorporate what you are passionate about will only lead you further in achieving your vision. There are things we must do in life and there are things we choose to do in life, choose to have a passion, choose to live it often, and choose to share it with others. Some things we are passionate about we can do often, like enjoying reading to our children at night, other things like traveling take time and planning but no matter what by living our passion as often as we can we will increase our happiness and the happiness of those around us. After recognizing your passion and setting goals in order to incorporate it into your life more, the next step is realizing how it can play a role in achieving your vision. When we are fighting for a vision we are passionate about we are much more likely to achieve it. So ask yourself this week what is my passion, how am I living it, and how am I incorporating it into my vision? You’re Ready!

"If you wait to do everything until your sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything." - Win Borden 

March Madness!

Every now and then we will have a post that is seemingly random, this is one of those! We love writing about how to improve areas of your life, or what blocks you need to break through, or give you inspirational tips but today we are focusing on one thing: March Madness! That’s right, we here at PowerWithinUs believe we should all have a little fun every now and then and enjoy life as well and with the start of March comes a whole load of sports, sports and more sports! So laying it out, the end of seasons and the beginning of seasons here is our take on what is March Madness!

For the avid college fan: It’s that time again for the NCAA Men’s March Madness where 68 teams play for the glory to be crowned the #1 basketball team in college. As always there is sure to be the favorites but never to be out done by the Cinderella story that slowly creeps up from nowhere and outs a top dog. We love the energy, passion and enthusiasm showed by the fans at these games and can’t help but tune in every year to get swept up in the fast paced playoff series. Seating is this Sunday the 11^th with the brackets coming out on Monday. We highly suggest filling out at least one bracket – do it however you want, because you like one mascot more than another, or maybe you prefer one teams uniforms over the next, or maybe you’ve watched all season and compared every single statistic – whatever the case fill one out! We promise the fun of watching 8 games at once while comparing brackets can’t be beat!

For the fighter inside: For those of you out there that like fast paced, hard hitting, and sports with amazing stick work – well you know that it’s coming to the end of the NHL hockey season! There is nothing more exciting than watching teams fight it out the last month of March (and early April) for a playoff spot! As teams battle injuries and have finally found their groove the last month inside any NHL arena is sure to be rockin! Crazy fans, fist fights, and playoff spots on the line, there are not many sports that can compare to the March scene of NHL hockey. If you have never been to a game we challenge you to find the closest team to you, look at their schedule and head out to a game – we promise it’s worth your time!

For the Spring Breaker: You have to love a cool summer night sitting in a ballpark of America. That’s right it’s that time of year when America’s favorite past time comes to life in the form of Spring Training. What we love about Spring Training is the opportunity to get out of the cold to see our favorite teams a little early and rub elbows with our favorite players. There is no other sport where this intimate setting happens. So instead of packing up and heading to the beach, or the mountains for spring break this year find out where your local MLB team rocks their Spring Training and we promise your kids will never forget the trip! MLB Spring Training 2012 has officially started.

For everyone else: Well we must admit we are a bit biased here but if you don’t like March Madness, NHL playoff race or the MLB Spring Training there is one thing left for you: NBA basketball! While the season got off to a slow start due to the lockout it is in full swing come March. Not quite in playoff mode with a little over 2 months before playoffs begin there are still a lot of games left to be played. That being said chances are if you’re an NBA fan you are loving the action right now between Jeremy Lin’s magic and rumors of Lebron wanting back in at Cleveland there is always something going on both on and off the court in the NBA. We applaud you for being dedicated to the NBA!

So while the NCAA playoffs are starting up, NHL hockey is winding down, MLB is kicking off and the NBA is still just the NBA we encourage you to enjoy all that March sports have to offer. It’s a fun time around the office and we hope you take the time to find something you enjoy this March, be it sports or otherwise. Oh and for all those NFL junkies out there it is only a short 52 days until the draft – don’t think we forgot about you! You’re ready! 

Power Training is Universal!

Last week we had a group of 29 participants go through Power Training in the Czech Republic as Class 149. We love hearing about our overseas classes here in the United States as it further solidifies our belief that Power Training principles are universal. While the classes are in a different language and the stories are tailored to cultural differences the basic principles of believing in oneself, giving 100%, and setting goals we can achieve what we want. The most intriguing similarities however, come when we bring up doubts, fears and distractions.

Universally people have doubts, fears and distractions that hold them back from achieving more in life. Whether it’s as simple as video games that are distracting you from spending more time with your kids or as complicated as a fear of failing that has led you to not take many promotions, we all have things that are holding us back. When we can pinpoint our own blocks holding us back, we can then make progress by not only removing the block but also being aware and watching for it to reappear again. In Power Training we have a list of blocks to becoming a more powerful person. They are: negative attitude, focus on unimportant things, close minded, wanting to be liked, fear of risking, low self worth/esteem, lack of trust in others, fear of embarrassment, fear of rejection, too critical, lack of vision/desire/purpose, lack of action, lack of commitment, savior, focus on problems/obstacles, lack of accountability/responsibility, lack of integrity, value myself more than others, perfectionism, procrastination.

These common blocks are the exact same blocks we use when Power Training takes place overseas and we know you can find some of these that have held you back at one point or another. These blocks are real and will inhibit you from putting forth your best effort in life if you do not actively remove them. Take time to look through the list and find one or two blocks you are going to focus on this March to remove from your life. Hold yourself accountable to breaking through the block and removing it, we know this will aid you in taking bigger steps toward achieving your vision. As you go through life you will have many challenges, blocks, and distractions; it’s recognizing the issue, removing it and then replacing it with a new habit that will lead to your success in fighting for your vision!

Why Do You Need Power Training?

So every week we write a post that takes a specific principle of Power Training or an area of a vision and elaborates on it. While many of our readers have been through Power Training there are some out there that haven't. This week we want to not only address why we all need Power Training but also provide and opportunity for all who are interested to come and learn more in person. 

As individuals we often get stuck in the routine of our days and weeks, we forget about the big picture and loose enthusiasm for life. Power Training is about breaking out of that rut, finding the passion in what you do and applying it toward a vision you create for your life. A vision that is all encompassing and pushes you to your 100% on a daily basis. Now how do we get you there? Through a series of unique modules that are designed to push you physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually we remove doubts, fears and distractions that have held you back. You are then free to ask yourself, if I could achieve anything what would it be? If nothing stopped me, if I removed all my doubts and fears, what would I have? For my family? For my career? For my community? We love the saying: if you don't know where you are going you'll probably end up somewhere else. We want to help you in creating a a vision, finding the passion to fight for it, and endure until you achieve it. 

As a business or organization often times the culture is pulling ten different ways. When groups of employees go through together not only is there a built in system of accountability for the individual but the organization gains. We help to create a culture that thrives on goal-setting, feedback, accountability and holding yourself to higher standards. Employees, now more than ever, are looking for companies that appreciate and value them as a person. Power Training is a great tool that sets a company apart and says we value you not only as an employee but as a person. Power Training's unique combination of focusing on both personal and professional life allow both the employee and business to benefit. It truly is a 'win-win' situation. 

So now what? Well we know it's hard to eat an elephant in one sitting so we are hosting a Lunch-N-Learn in St.George Utah. Come out and say hi, mingle with other business pros and learn more about our very cool offerings! Plus, we promise you'll also learn something about yourself through a unique activity - all while enjoying a FREE LUNCH! Take a leap of faith, have fun and come put an end to the curiosity, we are ready to answer your questions!

Please RSVP with Name and one block holding you back to kelly@powerwithinus.com or text 435-625-1610.

Say Thank You!

When we write these post we typically stay away from personal stories or experience that make them hard to relate to but last week on Friday I got a text message that said, "Thanks by the way." I was seemingly at a loss, not knowing what I had done in order to deserve a thank you so I replied with the obvious, "For...?" I was pleasantly surprised with the response I got that said, "For making my life easier, not harder." As I went throughout the rest of the day and the weekend this thought continually popped back into my head, pondering to myself when was the last time I said, "thank you."

Those two simple words are often overlooked and underused, yet when received unexpectedly can have a large impact. Many times we get caught up in daily tasks, running at the speed of light throughout the day in order to accomplish a large to-do list that seems never ending. Take a moment now to think about your past week - did anyone help you? Did someone do or say something unexpected to brighten your day? Did a friend call you at just the right time? Now think about how you thanked them. We know that saying thank you continually will add value to any relationship you have. Saying thank you shows others that you not only noticed but that you appreciate them and the act they did. Have you ever done something for someone for no reason at all and then that person took the time to say thank you and let you know that they valued what you had done? How did that make you feel?

As we go throughout life we will have many opportunities to say thank you - take them!

Make it a habit to take time once a week and send out a note, text, or phone call to a few people who has done something positive for you recently. We challenge you this week to look around and find those that you need to say thank you to. We know it will have an impact on them, as well as your relationship. We promise it's worth it and you're ready!