I just saw the first real review of Suck it up, Buttercup! online...you can review it for yourself at the following link.
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2009/07/studies_in_crap_19.php
Like I said, it is a fair assessment of the book, but don't take their word for it, read it yourself.
Rob
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
momentum builds MOMENTUM
You know it is true...have you ever watched a team on a hot streak? It is an awesome spectacle to behold! there is nothing like watching a person, team or situation that is going horribly awry, only to see the momentum shift and to see an overwhelming victory take place. IT'S AWESOME!
Each and every one of us has within us the opportunity to change our own personal momentum. By thinking the the right thoughts and remaining positive, especially when things are going against us, we can and often do, overcome towering heights. I have seen it and experience that on a regular basis. Most people experience it at some point in their lives, but rarely attribute it to their own doing...make no mistake about it, there is divine intervention in there as well, but YOU have a lot to do with it too.
There is something that is absolutely inspiring and uplifting about looking problems in the eye and defining yourself by the way you handle the toughest problems in life. I have little to no tolerance for victims in life. I have had enough things happen to me to call myself a victim, but you know what? I brought on, as most of us do, the problems in my life...There are some exceptions, but most of us are directly responsible in one way or the other for the things that happen in our lives.
You may not believe that, and I am ok with that, but there is one thing that is hard to argue with and that is the fact that we are absolutely in control of how we react to the things that happen in our lives. We are also responsible for how we interpret the events that happen in our lives. So, in a round about sort of way, we are all responsible for our own momentum.
If you want to feel the awesome power of your own potential go look in the mirror and if you wear glasses, take your glasses off. By the way, you may want to do this when nobody else is in your house because they will think you are losing your mind. Go look yourself in the mirror and look deeply into your own eyes. Then ask yourself...out loud, if you have what it takes to be "________________________" (that means you fill in the blank with whatever you aspire to be) Whether you believe you can do it or not...answer the question (out loud) with a "Hell Yes!" and when you do that, do not take your eyes off of your, well, eyes! Stare yourself down and look deeply into your eyes until you believe you can do it...get focused and chant "Yes, Yes, Yes, YES, YES!" It may sound corny, but I love to give myself a gut check to see if I am ready to handle all that the world is going to throw in my lap today.
You see, I believe in creating my own momentum (with the help of Divine intervention) and I can do it on a dime. If you are ever wondering when a good time to start building momentum is, then that is the right time. If you are already operating out of momentum, then gather speed. If you have negative momentum ie. you are moving backwards, that is the best time to practice this. If you can create forward momentum out of negative momentum you are a master! But once you even try, you are better off than before.
That's about it for the moment, I am so damn fired up I can't stand it!
Rock On!
Rob
Each and every one of us has within us the opportunity to change our own personal momentum. By thinking the the right thoughts and remaining positive, especially when things are going against us, we can and often do, overcome towering heights. I have seen it and experience that on a regular basis. Most people experience it at some point in their lives, but rarely attribute it to their own doing...make no mistake about it, there is divine intervention in there as well, but YOU have a lot to do with it too.
There is something that is absolutely inspiring and uplifting about looking problems in the eye and defining yourself by the way you handle the toughest problems in life. I have little to no tolerance for victims in life. I have had enough things happen to me to call myself a victim, but you know what? I brought on, as most of us do, the problems in my life...There are some exceptions, but most of us are directly responsible in one way or the other for the things that happen in our lives.
You may not believe that, and I am ok with that, but there is one thing that is hard to argue with and that is the fact that we are absolutely in control of how we react to the things that happen in our lives. We are also responsible for how we interpret the events that happen in our lives. So, in a round about sort of way, we are all responsible for our own momentum.
If you want to feel the awesome power of your own potential go look in the mirror and if you wear glasses, take your glasses off. By the way, you may want to do this when nobody else is in your house because they will think you are losing your mind. Go look yourself in the mirror and look deeply into your own eyes. Then ask yourself...out loud, if you have what it takes to be "________________________" (that means you fill in the blank with whatever you aspire to be) Whether you believe you can do it or not...answer the question (out loud) with a "Hell Yes!" and when you do that, do not take your eyes off of your, well, eyes! Stare yourself down and look deeply into your eyes until you believe you can do it...get focused and chant "Yes, Yes, Yes, YES, YES!" It may sound corny, but I love to give myself a gut check to see if I am ready to handle all that the world is going to throw in my lap today.
You see, I believe in creating my own momentum (with the help of Divine intervention) and I can do it on a dime. If you are ever wondering when a good time to start building momentum is, then that is the right time. If you are already operating out of momentum, then gather speed. If you have negative momentum ie. you are moving backwards, that is the best time to practice this. If you can create forward momentum out of negative momentum you are a master! But once you even try, you are better off than before.
That's about it for the moment, I am so damn fired up I can't stand it!
Rock On!
Rob
Monday, June 15, 2009
क्रेअतिंग रियलिटी
As I become aware of how things really work, I become more and more aware of my actions, words and thoughts. It has been said in many different places by many different experts, gurus, religious figures and philosophers that we are the sum of our thoughts...the older I get, the more I tend to agree with the statement.
So if we believe that...and I do, then it is my responsibility to use my words and THOUGHTS...YES THOUGHTS, with caution and care. Too many people don't understand that their words are capable of producing profound sorrow in the world. Understanding the truth bears responsibility to speak and think with care and concern.
That leads me to our influence on children. I know that I grew up in the 70s and there weren't a whole lot of hugs going around for kids. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining, and I had plenty of love in my life...I am just saying that we weren't as aware as we are now about the way that our words and thoughts affect our surroundings.
As parents, we are creating the realities of our children by the words we choose and the way that we carry ourselves. Try looking at yourself through the eyes of your child and ask yourself what they are seeing. Are you creating a king or a criminal? so much depends on their self esteem...what are we doing to create solid upstanding kids?
The truth is that most people don't really pay attention to what they portray to their children. Most of them are just trying to get by. Unfortunately, there are too many people like that...In the meantime, there are those parents that have figured it out...we are raising leaders of leaders and are doing more than just living...I applaud any and all parents who are out there doing their best for their kids...keep up the great work. You will be rewarded...
In the meantime, suck it up!
Rob
So if we believe that...and I do, then it is my responsibility to use my words and THOUGHTS...YES THOUGHTS, with caution and care. Too many people don't understand that their words are capable of producing profound sorrow in the world. Understanding the truth bears responsibility to speak and think with care and concern.
That leads me to our influence on children. I know that I grew up in the 70s and there weren't a whole lot of hugs going around for kids. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining, and I had plenty of love in my life...I am just saying that we weren't as aware as we are now about the way that our words and thoughts affect our surroundings.
As parents, we are creating the realities of our children by the words we choose and the way that we carry ourselves. Try looking at yourself through the eyes of your child and ask yourself what they are seeing. Are you creating a king or a criminal? so much depends on their self esteem...what are we doing to create solid upstanding kids?
The truth is that most people don't really pay attention to what they portray to their children. Most of them are just trying to get by. Unfortunately, there are too many people like that...In the meantime, there are those parents that have figured it out...we are raising leaders of leaders and are doing more than just living...I applaud any and all parents who are out there doing their best for their kids...keep up the great work. You will be rewarded...
In the meantime, suck it up!
Rob
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Kids
Date: Jun 11, 2009
Great Kids
Current mood:humbled
Category: Life
There has never been an instance where I have met a child where I have been impressed enough to write about them...other than my own children...But I have come across a third grade boy who is incredible.
It's not just one thing either...it is EVERYTHING about this kid that makes him special...I can't believe I am saying this...but...I want to be like this kid. He is polite, focused, driven, smart, respectful and he is a hustler...the kid is constantly hustling around. Oh, did I mention that he is on my son's baseball team?
The reason it is so impressive to me is that there is such a lack of other kids who have it together like this kid. If you ask him to do something...anything, you are likely to hear "yes sir!" and nothing else...WHOA! Where do kids like this come from? Well, I happen to know his father and it is not by accident that he has an awesome son. You see, it takes a man to raise a man and his father is a pillar in the community.
So many people focus on the bad that is going on in the world, I know I have at times, but so few people focus on the good that people are doing. It is my opinion that whatever we focus on expands...so why in the hell are we, as a culture, fixated on the negative NEWS? To be honest, I have long since turned off the news, and I really don't think I am missing anything. Nope, I would rather focus on kids like Jalen...he is worth knowing and even studying.
I think the best thing we can do is to let kids and parents know that their kids are awesome....there isn't enough good feedback going around or positive encouragement. It's tough these days to raise a good kid, so the parents need to know as well. I do make it a point to let parents know when I see their kids do something nice or good for someone...and why not? The only other times parents ever hear about their kids is when they are in trouble. I want to be the guy who has something good to say about children.
There are a lot of great people out there and when I watch kids like Jalen I can't help but feel like I am watching a future American leader...one that I would get behind. I will keep my eye on him because I know that he is going places...you can't hold back kids like that. In fact, to do anything other than support them and encourage them would be a crime....and I am not speaking figuratively. Somebody needs to bookmark this blog entry and hold onto it for 20 years to see that I was the one who called it. I KNOW GREATNESS and I recognize it not only in my little friend, but I recognize it in his father as well.
His dad is setting an example of what it means to be a man and I respect him to the core for all of his public service work as well as his time in the military. If there were more people like him, we wouldn't have a lot of the problems that we have today. Problems start at home and they can end at home. We all need to take accountability for our selves and our children. But what I am most impressed with is the fact that it takes a solid character who knows himself to raise a young man the way that this father is raising his son. It is not just a firm hand that he is using to raise his son....it is deeply personal, and I suspect spiritual in a way...He is showing his own character through the way that he is raising his son and it is awesome to witness. This is the new way, which was the old way, to raise young leaders.
I have been frustrated by my son's first season of baseball, but I have learned far more than I bargained for and am humbled by the growing spirit of third grader and his father.
Lessons are all around us, and we don't always learn the lesson we were hoping for.
Sincerely,
Rob
Great Kids
Current mood:humbled
Category: Life
There has never been an instance where I have met a child where I have been impressed enough to write about them...other than my own children...But I have come across a third grade boy who is incredible.
It's not just one thing either...it is EVERYTHING about this kid that makes him special...I can't believe I am saying this...but...I want to be like this kid. He is polite, focused, driven, smart, respectful and he is a hustler...the kid is constantly hustling around. Oh, did I mention that he is on my son's baseball team?
The reason it is so impressive to me is that there is such a lack of other kids who have it together like this kid. If you ask him to do something...anything, you are likely to hear "yes sir!" and nothing else...WHOA! Where do kids like this come from? Well, I happen to know his father and it is not by accident that he has an awesome son. You see, it takes a man to raise a man and his father is a pillar in the community.
So many people focus on the bad that is going on in the world, I know I have at times, but so few people focus on the good that people are doing. It is my opinion that whatever we focus on expands...so why in the hell are we, as a culture, fixated on the negative NEWS? To be honest, I have long since turned off the news, and I really don't think I am missing anything. Nope, I would rather focus on kids like Jalen...he is worth knowing and even studying.
I think the best thing we can do is to let kids and parents know that their kids are awesome....there isn't enough good feedback going around or positive encouragement. It's tough these days to raise a good kid, so the parents need to know as well. I do make it a point to let parents know when I see their kids do something nice or good for someone...and why not? The only other times parents ever hear about their kids is when they are in trouble. I want to be the guy who has something good to say about children.
There are a lot of great people out there and when I watch kids like Jalen I can't help but feel like I am watching a future American leader...one that I would get behind. I will keep my eye on him because I know that he is going places...you can't hold back kids like that. In fact, to do anything other than support them and encourage them would be a crime....and I am not speaking figuratively. Somebody needs to bookmark this blog entry and hold onto it for 20 years to see that I was the one who called it. I KNOW GREATNESS and I recognize it not only in my little friend, but I recognize it in his father as well.
His dad is setting an example of what it means to be a man and I respect him to the core for all of his public service work as well as his time in the military. If there were more people like him, we wouldn't have a lot of the problems that we have today. Problems start at home and they can end at home. We all need to take accountability for our selves and our children. But what I am most impressed with is the fact that it takes a solid character who knows himself to raise a young man the way that this father is raising his son. It is not just a firm hand that he is using to raise his son....it is deeply personal, and I suspect spiritual in a way...He is showing his own character through the way that he is raising his son and it is awesome to witness. This is the new way, which was the old way, to raise young leaders.
I have been frustrated by my son's first season of baseball, but I have learned far more than I bargained for and am humbled by the growing spirit of third grader and his father.
Lessons are all around us, and we don't always learn the lesson we were hoping for.
Sincerely,
Rob
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Perseverance
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Perseverance is a ball buster...
Current mood: strong
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes
Ok, so since about Thanksgiving I have been getting my ass kicked on a regular basis. Business, personal life, you name it. It's as if writing a book called "Suck it up, Buttercup!" is a challenge for the world to see how much crap I can handle at one time...the answer is quite a bit...in fact, the real answer is "I can handle much more crap than I ever thought possible." and I am not out of the woods yet...not by a long shot.
Even though I lie awake at night wondering how I am going to get through the next day and feed my kids, I know that I am on the right track and that in the long term, things are going to work out. It's the short term that is keeping me on the edge of my seat. I mean, everyday is like a shit storm right now and I don't have time to sit down and think everything through. Sometimes I get blasted before I even get to the office in the morning and then my whole day is shot because I am busy reacting.
On the other hand, I am able to get in some planning to make sure my head is on straight and that time is absolutely precious. It let's me put my thoughts down, and I ask myself if this is best for the long-term...sometimes the answer is "no" but depending on the circumstances, I have to do something that won't help me long-term, but will help me right now...if that is the case, then I have to do what I have to do to put food on the table. I try not to wander too far off path or off task, so that I can get back on track and I try to tie everything together, but like the title of this blog says, perseverance is a ball buster!
Nobody said it was supposed to be easy, and it isn't easy right now. there are a lot of folks wondering if I am going to have the integrity to follow up on my obligations and I don't blame anyone for questioning my integrity for the moment. There is only one way to make things right and that is to suck it up, and work my ass off until everyone sees that I am in it for the long haul. It just sucks that there are some good people who are not being taken care of right now because I absolutely hate letting people down.
anyway, as always, I am in it and will do everything possible to keep the drive alive. Thanks for letting me vent.
Rob
Perseverance is a ball buster...
Current mood: strong
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes
Ok, so since about Thanksgiving I have been getting my ass kicked on a regular basis. Business, personal life, you name it. It's as if writing a book called "Suck it up, Buttercup!" is a challenge for the world to see how much crap I can handle at one time...the answer is quite a bit...in fact, the real answer is "I can handle much more crap than I ever thought possible." and I am not out of the woods yet...not by a long shot.
Even though I lie awake at night wondering how I am going to get through the next day and feed my kids, I know that I am on the right track and that in the long term, things are going to work out. It's the short term that is keeping me on the edge of my seat. I mean, everyday is like a shit storm right now and I don't have time to sit down and think everything through. Sometimes I get blasted before I even get to the office in the morning and then my whole day is shot because I am busy reacting.
On the other hand, I am able to get in some planning to make sure my head is on straight and that time is absolutely precious. It let's me put my thoughts down, and I ask myself if this is best for the long-term...sometimes the answer is "no" but depending on the circumstances, I have to do something that won't help me long-term, but will help me right now...if that is the case, then I have to do what I have to do to put food on the table. I try not to wander too far off path or off task, so that I can get back on track and I try to tie everything together, but like the title of this blog says, perseverance is a ball buster!
Nobody said it was supposed to be easy, and it isn't easy right now. there are a lot of folks wondering if I am going to have the integrity to follow up on my obligations and I don't blame anyone for questioning my integrity for the moment. There is only one way to make things right and that is to suck it up, and work my ass off until everyone sees that I am in it for the long haul. It just sucks that there are some good people who are not being taken care of right now because I absolutely hate letting people down.
anyway, as always, I am in it and will do everything possible to keep the drive alive. Thanks for letting me vent.
Rob
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