Author: martyjreep

Speaker, Coach, Author

BelieveDo (ch 7) – Are You Where You Want to Be?

Posted on by martyjreep in Motivational

[The following is an excerpt from the motivational book, Believe. Do. And Follow Through!, that I co-wrote with Isaiah Whittaker]

Chapter 7

Are you where you want to be?

Wow! What a topic to think about!  This one topic can cause so much inner turmoil inside of the average person.  To truly answer the above question, you have to be really honest with yourself.

Have you reached a state of self-fulfillment, or are you just getting by from week-to-week, telling yourself, “things are going to get better”?

For example –
“Most people I know are living in the things-will-get-better state.  I found myself there, once in my life, until I took a painful journey of dealing with reality.

The first thing I had to do was identify my current state.  I was not happy with myself or my marriage.  As much as I wanted to fix my marriage and keep it together, my spouse did not…

I had finally woken up from a 13-year fantasy to face reality.  In addition to my marriage situation, I was not getting things in life accomplished the way I expected them to be accomplished.  I was floundering in acceptance of my situations.

What happened next was a true miracle, in my eyes.  My counselor, Julie Ramsey at the time, asked me a question that unlocked everything that was holding me back.  It was like someone had lifted a 100-pound weight off my chest!

After 13 years of my current situation, I could finally see all aspects of my relationship.  It was like I was totally naked to the truth.  The sad part of this was I realized that I was living a lie, and I was nowhere near where I wanted to be, in life.

The question she posed to me was, “You do realize you can’t make somebody happy if they’re not happy with themselves, right?”  

I was stunned! How could this be true?  That was too easy of a revelation of the simple truth.  How could I have not realized this before now?   My mind and heart were racing as I tried to make peace with this bit of reality.  What this meant to me was that I needed to face my situation without any excuses.  

For the first time in my life, I was about to greet reality face-to-face.  On that very day, I made up my mind that my life needed to change.  I needed to take the steps toward making this change.  

…talk about a sobering reality to deal with…  I had to face someone who had been a major part of my life and tell her that my life was about to change – that she was a part of this change.  At this point, I had to ignore everything but the facts and deal with the situation, or this change could never take place.

I sat down and defined my goals.  I had to do some research and figure out what it was going to take to make them happen.  A painful piece of the change meant getting a divorce and starting over.  It meant maybe living apart from my sons.  It meant going back to school for more education.  It meant sacrificing my weekends in the name of making me a better person.  Was I really up for this challenge?  Could I really pull this off?  I must be crazy to think I could actually get where I wanted to be in life.

The more I thought about the situation, the more it made sense to me.  I had to do this to be a better person, to be a better father, and to achieve the rest of my goals.  I can tell that you the road was tough, and it was an emotional journey I do not wish upon anyone – but it needed to happen.  Your situation might not be as drastic as mine, but it will still take being honest with yourself and answering the question in this chapter’s title (question) – without any reserve.”
-Isaiah

Are you where you want to be?

BelieveDo (ch 6) – Mental Magnetism

Posted on by martyjreep in Motivational

[The following is an excerpt from the motivational book, Believe. Do. And Follow Through!, that I co-wrote with Isaiah Whittaker]

Chapter 6

How do you utilize the universal principle of attraction in your life?  By thinking about and focusing on the best aspects of life and continuously dwelling on them.  When you do that, a smile will appear on your face.  Then, others will see it in your eyes, your smile, your attitude, and your overall demeanor.

Whether you realize it or not, every day, you promote and live out what you focus on.  What you occupy and preoccupy your mind with is what you wind up seeing and being drawn towards.

If you focus on trouble and problems, you’ll see and experience more trouble and problems.  If you focus on successes and great things, you’ll see and experience more successes and more great things.  So, if what you’re currently drawn to is what you really want in life, then good – way to go!

If not, then you can do something about it – change your thoughts!  Change your focus!  Adjust your position to something so that your perspective is different.  When you get in the right position, all sorts of things become clear and in focus.

It’s like using binoculars.  When they’re out of focus, you don’t see things clearly.  But, when you adjust the position or the focal point, everything becomes crystal clear!  …Amazing how that works.  …just like in life!

Dwell on the things, ideas, emotions, and parts of life that you want and are interested in.

Thinking about things is an automatic part of your daily existence – it’s part of your overall build as a human being.  But, you have control over the content that you think about.  You attract or magnetize things to you, automatically – both good and bad.

Then, how do you attract only the good things?  …by focusing more of your thoughts, actions, reactions, and energy on them.  As you do, the bad things will fall away, since less energy is being utilized towards them.

To better understand these concepts, think about magnets.  Magnets work on the principles of attraction: North attracts South, South attracts North, over and over again, in a linear and circular series.  It may seem that North and South are opposite, but in fact they are simply two different parts of energy that are intertwined throughout all aspects of life.  One cannot exist without the other.   They balance each other and hold each other up.

If you take those intertwined forces of energy and utilize them on emotional, physical, and psychological levels, amazing things will happen.  When you deliberately and purposefully act and react with good intentions in all the different aspects of your life, you’ll be amazed at the wonderful things that will happen – you’ll start attracting the kind of people you want to you; things will start to seem “easy”; and “doors” will open that were closed before.

If you focus internally on the positive aspects of life, then outwardly conducting your life in the same way will be simple to do.  In time, your life will change for the better.

Remember, you’re not going for short term, overnight changes… you’re working on things that will carry you through the rest of your life.

What you focus on is what you experience.

BelieveDo (ch 5) – Daily, Living Leadership

Posted on by martyjreep in Motivational

[The following is an excerpt from the motivational book, Believe. Do. And Follow Through!, that I co-wrote with Isaiah Whittaker]

Chapter 5

People ask us, “How did you guys become so successful?” Our reply is usually something along the lines of, “Well, we came up with an idea, and we did it.  We kept telling each other that we could do it, and we didn’t listen to anybody who told us otherwise!”  We took all of our other experiences in life and parlayed them into greater ones.  From those came a myriad of ideas for books, videos, seminars, and other things to help people.

Once in a while, imagine what you would see if you could sit out in space and look at the whole world.  Think about what you would want to change, if you could – and then start with yourself.  We’ve done that very thing over the years, and it’s worked!

In organizations and groups, some people look around at everyone else wishing that the others would “shape up,” “change,” “improve,” or “be different.”  Instead, why don’t YOU BECOME the kind of person you wish others would be?  Then, by example, you can spur others on to greatness with your daily, living leadership.  Will you do it perfectly?  Never.  But, shooting for greatness and failing will still land you and your colleagues/friends/family in a much better place than before.  By combining your servant-heart with your leader-heart, you will learn to master servant-leadership on a daily basis as you do the things that you need to do.

Life doesn’t happen all at once, thank goodness.  It happens one day at a time.  So, use that to your advantage – meaning, during your 24 hours today, positively work towards your dreams, goals, and ideas.  Hopefully, you already do that and not just when you’re reminded to, because some major thing happens in your life.

Part of the reason that major things happen to us is to jolt us awake from our sleepwalking through life.  Some people forget to wake up (mentally) when they get out of bed in the morning.  One of God’s ways of reminding us to live to our fullest is to allow exciting, big, and sometimes scary things to happen to us.  Those things jolt us enough, hopefully, to help us “get the lead out,” and to get moving in the right direction, again.

Success breeds success, and greatness attracts greatness.  When you launch out and do something inspirational, other like-minded people will contact you and want to be a part of what you’re doing – not that they couldn’t do things on their own, because they do – but because they know the amazing power of collaboration and combined force.

You may go through some hard times with people you collaborate with, but one of the greatest things that will come out of it is friendship.  We all have a deep need for friendship – for positive relationships – and the more you invest your life in others, the deeper and richer the rewards will be for everyone around.

So, BELIEVE in what you’re setting out to do.  Live adventurously, and let your leadership shine to others.  They need it as much as you do!

Live out leadership, every day.

BelieveDo (ch 4) – Developing Right Attitudes and Keeping Them

Posted on by martyjreep in Motivational

[The following is an excerpt from the motivational book, Believe. Do. And Follow Through!, that I co-wrote with Isaiah Whittaker]

Chapter 4

Whenever you go into a new situation, do you think, “They’re out to get me,” or “I bet everything’s going to be great”?  Whichever one is in the back of your mind will determine how you approach the situation and how you react to what happens in it.

Make sure that you have right attitudes about life in general, not just when starting something new.

Why?

Because…

1.    You’ll be happier.

2.    You’ll be less stressed.

3.    Walking around smiling is more fun than frowning, right?

AND

4.    You’ll live longer and healthier!

Think about some of the people you’ve known or met during your life.  Remember the people who seemed to be happy most of the time, no matter what?  And, do you remember any grouchy people?  Which of those two types inspired you?  Maybe both did, but just in different ways.

If we model our lives after others who we want to be like while still being our unique selves, we will live successfully every hour of our lives.  There’s no way around it.  Each of us can live out our personal best, if we’ll remember to do so.

Right attitudes make a difference.

Mind Expansion, mind control? – Storing Data in DNA

Posted on by martyjreep in Thoughts

If you encoded all of Shakespeare’s works into DNA and injected it into a person, could you turn that person into another Shakespeare?

http://www.npr.org/2013/01/24/170082404/shall-i-encode-thee-in-dna-sonnets-stored-on-double-helix

Would the same work with music, art, inventors, athletes, etc?

Could the concept be used to make people smarter – by adding tons of data to their minds or bloodstreams?  Dumber – by taking away knowledge from their DNA… Thought Thieves?

EXTERNALLY, those influences are already in place: tv media, print media, songs, social engineering.

This would move the mind expansion or mind control INTERNALLY, so would it become more powerful in either direction?

BelieveDo (ch 3) – What’s Your “Why”?

Posted on by martyjreep in Motivational

[The following is an excerpt from the motivational book, Believe. Do. And Follow Through!, that I co-wrote with Isaiah Whittaker]

Chapter 3

If you know the “why,” you’ll figure out the “how.”

That’s a curious thought, isn’t it? But, it’s true.  If you know “why” you’re going to do something, then “how” to do it will fall into place, in due time.

That’s just it, though – a lot of people don’t know why they do things; why they’re going to do things; or why anybody else does things.  They don’t have a real reason for reaching a goal – so, a lot of times, they don’t.

However, when you give yourself a task to accomplish, your mind kicks into gear and tries to figure out ways to get it done.  That’s the subconscious mind at work – it doesn’t distinguish fact from fiction – it just absorbs.  On the other hand, your conscious mind has to have a valid reason to do something before it will support the energy necessary to achieve the goal.

So,
• What’s your goal?
• What’s your “Why”?
• What’s the reason that you want to do it?
• What gets you out of bed in the mornings?
• What motivates you to work hard and to press onward when the going gets tough?
• Is it purely personal?
• Does it focus on others?
• Does it have greater depth than you realize?
• Will it carry you forward on its own waves of energy, long after the initial excitement has worn off?
• Is it something worth fighting for?

If it helps, write out your reason for wanting to do something.  Then, think about it.  Does what you wrote say what you thought it would?  If not, think some more, and rewrite it.

When it does say what you mean, then read it aloud so that your own ears hear you say it.  That way, both your subconscious and conscious minds can get to work.

Know your “why.”

Fickle Words (poem)

Posted on by martyjreep in Poetry

Some words I claim I’ll write
Stay often day and night
They wander through my mind
But “EXIT” they don’t find.

I wish they’d come to front
Stand up or pull a stunt
But to the back they go
And toss me to and fro.

Then when they’ve grown to tire
Of things down in the mire
They stand as is if say
“We’ve changed our names, today.”

Ah, phooey!
I think I’ll be a plumber!

— — — — — — — — — — —
Published online at
http://www.MartyReep.com
http://www.scribd.com/mjreep

BelieveDo (ch 2) – Get Rid of “Stinkin’ Thinkin'”

Posted on by martyjreep in Motivational

[The following is an excerpt from the motivational book, Believe. Do. And Follow Through!, that I co-wrote with Isaiah Whittaker]

Ch. 2
Do things from your past still hold you down?  You don’t have to let them do that anymore!  Sometimes, people get stuck in ruts, and they don’t even know it.  They just keep getting up, doing the same thing – day after day – without so much as a second thought.

Ways you can mentally get rid of the past:

1. Write down what happened, and then burn the paper.  …An amazing thing happens when you see those negative thoughts turn into ashes and go up in smoke!

2. Tell somebody else about it, and then tell yourself that what happened never has to happen again.

3. Envision a different past – one that you would have wanted to happen.  …The subconscious mind is an incredible thing – you can dilute negative things with enough positive ones to heal damaged emotions, psyche, etc.

4. Wear a loose rubber band on your wrist.  Whenever you start to tell yourself, “Yeah, but…” pull the rubber band, and let it snap you on the wrist.  When it stings your wrist, tell yourself, “Yes, I can!”  It’ll only take a few times before your subconscious mind will correct itself.  It may take more than a few times… it may take a few days.  But, it’ll be worth the change, in the long run.

NOTE: This exercise is not meant for self-abuse!  It’s to be a brief correction for improving your attitudes in life.

5. Lastly, move on!  Stop telling yourself those things from the past that keep trying to hold you down or hold you back.  Just “Press Delete.”

Change your thinking.

BelieveDo (ch 1) – Believe That You Can!

Posted on by martyjreep in Motivational

[The following is an excerpt from the motivational book, Believe. Do. And Follow Through!, that I co-wrote with Isaiah Whittaker]

“As a man thinks in his heart, so he is,” – an idea written thousands of years ago, still holds true, today.

What you think about yourself and about others will determine your beliefs, your actions, your moral character, and your outcomes in life.  It really will.  Just look around you.  The way that people live – where, how, and with whom – is determined by what they think about themselves and others.

If people think that they can succeed at something, they will.  If they think they’ll fail at something, they will.  Either way, determinations are made with the thoughts they have.

What do you think about yourself?

Along with internal perceptions, each of us has a purpose in life and the potential to fully achieve it.  How do you achieve your full potential in life?  By believing, doing, and following through on some key things.

It all starts with the right mindset.  If you have the right mindset, then the right beliefs and right actions will follow.  If you have in your mind the ideas that will propel you into success, you are on your way to achieving your full potential.

Before you determine what it is that you need to do to become successful, you have to determine what it is that you want:

  • What are you after?
  • What is it that you want to do?
  • What do you want to accomplish?
  • How do you want to live?
  • What kind of person do you want to turn into?
  • What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind?
  • Where do you want to live?
  • Into whom do you want to invest time and energy?
  • Do you see the way you are to go?
  • Does your path seem clear?
  • Who do you need to come alongside of you to give you input, encouragement, and direction?
  • Who can you help as you’re growing in your purpose and determination?

All those things matter, because ultimately, they will help shape you into the person you need to become.

When we wait to do something because we’re afraid, we have just given in to the “screaming abdabs” (internal struggles) that mentally chase each of us.  When you say, “No,” to them and you no longer give them credence, then you have entered into the land of success and are walking on the road you were meant to traverse.

Most people stop short of their full potential by killing off the dreams they have with self-sabotaging thoughts.  But, when you purposefully put forth in your mind the ideas that will propel you along a path of success, you are adding to your belief that you can succeed in what you do.

You may not succeed at first, but if you continue…you will succeed!

Believe that you can!

Love You’ll Find (poem)

Posted on by martyjreep in Poetry

Life has meted out for us
Joys and even still
Ways to see abounding love
Reckoned of free will

It meets us with a blinding light
It meets us in the dark
Yet every time it meets us still
Adventures will embark

People come and people go
Sharing lives entwin’d
Even with the heartaches there
Love is what you’ll find

Allow the universe to speak
To tell you what it knows
Allow it movement in your heart
And love you find will grow

— — — — — — — — —
Published online at
http://www.MartyReep.com
http://www.scribd.com/mjreep