Showing posts with label ignite the fire within. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ignite the fire within. Show all posts

Monday, May 28, 2012

LESSONS FROM A 3 MONTH OLD


The aim of my blogs are to challenge, inspire and motivation you gain a new perspective on certain things and to look at life from a fresh point-of-view. I have no doubt that they will be of great value in helping you pursue and achieve your dreams.

As I mentioned a while ago, our first-born son, Malachi, came into the world on the 29th of February 2012. 

From that very first day of his birth I have learnt several valuable lessons and some things I took for granted before have taken on a deeper meaning and significance. As I write this he is only 3 months old, but he has taught me so much already.


I know you’re probably wondering what a 3 month old baby can teach anyone. A lot – if you are willing to learn and you can see beyond the obvious.

One evening, when I was about to go to bed, I noticed our son, Malachi, trying to reach out to grab my jersey while he was having his bed time cuddles. . The jersey was just a few inches from him and he had his left hand stretched out towards it. He had a look of intense concentration on his face. There were other objects around which were within reach, but somehow the colours of my jumper had caught his attention.Watching him trying to get it, I had no doubt from the look on his face and the way his arm was stretched out that, at that time, stretching out for his object was the only thing on his mind.

I thought to myself “hey, he has started setting goals already!” Yes, I mean that. It may seem small, but when he started reaching for the jumper, to him it was a worthy goal. He decided that he wanted the phone. He was able to focus on it and decide on his own that stretching out was the best way to get it.
I found that fascinating. At 3 months old he was able to decide what he wanted, decide how to go about getting it and even able to focus all his attention and energy on getting it. I don’t know about you, but I think he was doing a lot better than most adults!

Over time he will find he has other means to reach out and get things. Instead of just stretching out he will be able to wiggle on his belly and get closer to the object. One day he will crawl..watch our Zippy!!!(Our Dog)

There is something to be learnt in this. When you decide to do something it is not necessary to immediately think about how to go about getting it. Sooner or later, once you start the project, you will find there are other ways to get what you wanted which you did not and could not know when you started.
Deciding what you want is always the most important step. “How” comes later and, if you ask me, is the easier part.


It did not take long for me to notice, however, that Malachi would lose interest in whatever he had been trying to get soon after getting it. Once he had it in his hands he’d suck on it for a while and then allow his attention to be drawn by something else around him.  

No sooner do you get the car you want and then you decide you want a Porsche next. 

Somehow having the object is not as motivating as striving to get it. Once one goal is accomplished, you want to reach out to the next.
I think that is healthy. In pushing ourselves to get something better we are always redefining our boundaries and pushing the bar higher and higher. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that you should not be happy with what you have or what you have achieved.
I am saying no matter what you have or what you have achieved, you should realize that you can always do better. I think also that you should try to do more, not so much for the thing itself, but for what it does to you when you set a goal and achieve it.



Motivation essay - stretch beyond your comfort zone
Every time you stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone, something about you changes. You grow. Every time you grow, you are irreversibly “stretched” to a new level of thinking and being.
Many people are living corpses today because they have stopped growing. They wonder around in life aimlessly. They could live another 10, 20 or even 50 years, but they might as well be buried today because there is nothing worthwhile they are going to do with that time. They just exist. They’re just passing time.
“I ain’t goin’ out like that.” Every year that I live I want to do something I could not do the previous year. Every year has got to be better than the previous one. Otherwise, what’s the point? That is my philosophy, and I hope you will make it yours if you haven’t already.
Motivation essay - keep Growing
Reach out – set your goal, focus on it until you achieve it and then…set another goal! The harder the better.Never stop reaching out. Never stop growing. Never stop living!


Igniting lives on fire
www.fraserstirling.co.nz




Sunday, April 8, 2012

KEEP GOING

OVER RECENT DAYS I HAVE STRUGGLED TO KEEP GOING...


But thankfully I read, and something I read reminded me of:
The going is always hard on the road to greatness. If success were easy, everyone would achieve it. 


NFL All-Pro lineman Brian Holloway recalled that when he was playing for the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Raiders, there wasn’t a single day when he didn’t feel like giving up because the road was too tough and the sacrifices were too great. 


He didn’t quit, of course; he was willing to pay the price because he was determined to succeed. True thoroughbreds never quit. Competition only spurs them, and obstacles merely reinforce their determination to succeed. If you have not yet achieved greatness in your life, it is because you have been willing to settle for less. You may not cross the finish line first every time you try, but if you stay in the race, you will eventually prevail. 
At the moment I am reminding myself of the importance of keeping the momentum going.


Anyone can quit when the going is hard, but a thoroughbred never quits until he wins.


www.fraserstirling.co.nz


Saturday, December 10, 2011

HOW TO MAKE IT COUNT!!


It is amazing how many times I have experienced success...only because I kept on going.
Most failures could have been converted into successes if someone had held on another minute or made more effort.
 When you have the potential for success within you, adversity and temporary defeat only help you prepare to reach great heights of success. Without adversity, you would never develop the qualities of reliability, loyalty, humility, and perseverance that are so essential to enduring success. Many people have escaped the jaws of defeat and achieved great victories because they would not allow themselves to fail. When your escape routes are all closed, you will be surprised how quickly you will find the path to success. 

Keep going.

Igniting lives on Fire

www.fraserstirling.co.nz