LEBRON'S DECISION

Even if you don't follow sports, it would have been nearly impossible to avoid hearing about LeBron James, last week, and which NBA team he decided to go to. Was he going to stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team that represented the state he grew up in, a team that he's played for for the entire 7 years he's been in the NBA, or would he take advantage of free agency and go to another pro team where he would likely have a much better chance of winning a world championship title.

Well, LeBron decided to go to the Miami Heat, a team that already has a superstar and in the same week of James' decision, managed to recruit another amazing player.

The decision LeBron James made has created quite an uproar. A number of cities, especially Cleveland, are very upset with James. The owner of the Cavaliers went so far as to publicly call LeBron a cowardly traitor. Some other cities like New York made sacrifices, over the last few years, with the hopes that LeBron James would be a part of their roster for the upcoming season. And while this angst takes place in some cities and among many people, most of the city of Miami and their fans rejoice in what looks to be the makings for a dynasty.

No matter how you feel about LeBron's move to Miami, the bottom line is he made that choice based on what he feels is best for him and his family. I always talk about how vitally important loyalty is to me. It is a necessary quality in all of my closest friends. That said, James is a grown man. He is not a machine or owned property. If he weren't the phenomenal basketball player he is, all this fuss wouldn't be made over him. If he suffered a catastrophic injury, even if he stayed in Cleveland, they wouldn't want to keep him. LeBron is taking full advantage of a great opportunity.

That is the lesson in all of this. If you haven't already, you will come upon a major crossroads, and those roads will lead to two totally different destinations. When you choose a road, make sure it is the right road for you ... because you are the one that will have to live with that choice.

Nothing good ever comes easy and nothing great ever comes without a significant sacrifice. This applies to life-changing decisions that all of us must make, either now or later in our lives.

Get Rid of the Clutter

No matter how organized you think you are and no matter how much you get done each day, you will be much more organized and you will get things done much more efficiently if you get rid of any clutter that surrounds you.

Clutter is so easy to accumulate, but it can be so hard to get rid of. You can always find a reason to keep things that pile up, like old magazines, bills from previous months, shopping bags, old clothes, boxes, and so much more. Here's a basic rule you can work into a routine to keep things filed, clean, and neat. If you haven't used something in three months, you can probably throw it away without a worry. In the case of clothes, whenever you buy something new, give the same amount of clothing away to a worthy charity. They have receptacles all over the place, including some shopping centers.

Take a look around your work area, in your car, and around your room, house or apartment. Do you see a lot of crap strewn about? As an experiment, completely clear the items away from a specific are, say, your computer desk. Now, work or do something in that area. You should immediately feel the difference. You should feel the freedom of movement, which can also heighten your energy, creativity, and desire to get important tasks done. After at least two to three hours of keeping the experimental area clear, put the piled up items back where they were. Now, try to work or do whatever you were doing in the same way you were when it was clear. You're not able to are you? Of course not. You got used to functioning in the clean and clear area.

The biggest challenge you will face won't be getting rid of junk and clutter in an area. The biggest challenge will be not replacing it with new junk and clutter. However, if you make the decision to be clutter-free and stay clutter-free, your life will never be the same.

What a Summer!

I know I previously said I would do a much better job of keeping my blog updated and posting more frequently. I believe I also wrote a post called "No Excuses." I make no excuses, now, for not posting in almost a month, yet I do feel my readers will understand why no new articles have appeared in the last few weeks.

At the end of May, I reconnected with someone who meant the world to me and the last time I talked to her, heard from her, or saw her -- get ready for this -- was 30 years ago! Yes, three decades passed with no communication, no pictures, no messages or anything between us. I won't go into the details of how we reconnected or the circumstances that caused the communication to end, but I will tell you it has been the most mind blowing experience I have ever had. I'll also let you know that my friend is just as happy that she reconnected with me. God has thoroughly blessed me with this event.

Along with my fabulous and stunning news, I'm hearing about so many great things happening to my closest friends, this summer. Good news is always so much more enjoyable to hear when you have good news of your own to share.

I do hope all of you have some sensational news to share with those that mean the most to you.

ACCEPTING CHANGE

One of my closest friends recently sent an email to some of her closest friends about the difficulty she had dealing with a temporary change of work stations at her job. The change came suddenly and unexpectedly due to some IT issues. My friend was open and honest about how the necessity to uproot was very disruptive to her and nearly caused a panic attack, though everything worked out well.

I replied to the email and later on my dear friend and I talked about how change can impact our lives in a phone conversation. We shared some thoughts and she gave me a very high compliment when she told me how she admired how I handled big changes in my life. She brought up how, during one span of five years or so, I had several different jobs while she still worked at the same place. I appreciated the compliment and let her know that those changes in job or career didn't always come about by choice. I was never asked to leave any of those jobs I had, but something was going on that told me I needed to move on, and I did.

The key to handle major changes in your life, be they professional, financial, or social, is to accept the fact that the change happened. After that, it is a simple matter of figuring out the best way to move on and move forward. All change isn't good, yet all change brings with it some type of opportunity to make yourself better.

KEEP AN EYE ON THE CLOCK

I enjoy playing video games. I play them for fun, to relax, as well as to get my strategic and productive juices flowing. My favorite games to play are the sports games, primarily football and basketball because though the rule of the game stay the same, you control the dynamics of the team, including who is on your team and how your team meets challenges they face.

While playing these video games, there are times when I allow my mind to drift and I only pay attention to the plays on the field or on the court. By doing this, I may end up missing out on a great opportunity to score because I run out of time. I'm not talking about time running out for the game, I'm talking about time running out in a quarter or in a half. When this happens, I only find out after the fact and there's no going back.

If I stay focused on the game and also constantly keep myself aware of the time I have left on the clock, I can adjust my strategy properly to make the best use of the time available to me.

Apply this lesson to real-life issues. Whether working from home or in an office, whether playing on a team or playing a video game, we all have clock we have to keep track of because we all have deadlines and due dates for important matters in our lives. Keeping an eye on the clock will help you be a more aware and more responsible person.

DON'T GET MAD, GET GLAD!

As a kid, I can remember commercials for Glad plastic bags. "The Man from Glad" character was super-cool. I also remember a catchy slogan from some other Glad commercials that said, "Don't get mad, get Glad." The story behind the slogan was that instead of getting upset that your cheap plastic bags didn't hold your food properly, you could use Glad plastic bags, and your items would stay securely in place.

This lesson hit me hard, this week, as I canceled two services I subscribed to. With one, I had been a loyal customer for over two years. The reason I canceled the subscriptions is because I didn't think I was getting what I felt was my money's worth from them. I also discovered that I could subscribe to another service, where I wouldn't get the exact same thing, but I would get a much better value for a much smaller monthly charge.

At first, I was really upset with myself, thinking of all the money I wasted on the other services and how I could have used that money for other things, or better yet, how I could have just saved that money. But then it came to me that I got what I perceived to be a great value from those services for the time I had them. I used both services to help me with my personal development and I received great customer service while I had them. Now, I have a new subscription to something that serves my immediate and future needs much better for a much lower price.

The most important lesson learned: Instead of continuously kicking yourself for a mistake you made or lapse in judgment you had, praise yourself for taking control, ridding yourself of what's not working for you, and putting yourself in a more promising situation so that you don't make those same mistakes, again.

THERE'S ALWAYS A PRICE

I'm sure you've heard the expression, "You get what you pay for," many, many times. Well, it is true.

If you reverse that thought, it is also very true. You pay for what you get. Even if you don't do something that would bring about a desired result, say you don't study properly for an exam; you are paying a price for that. The price could be earning a high grade. The price could be just passing the test. But those are the types of "fees" you will by charged by electing to do something else with your time and not doing what you know you needed to do.

I was very proud of myself for getting all of my online students' mid-term grades posted 12 hours before the deadline professors were given. What is most important to remember with that accomplishment is that in order to do that, I had to sacrifice and miss out on doing some other things and while I was grading, commenting and posting, I couldn't allow myself to get distracted.

It's not enough to know what you want. You have to also decide what you're willing to do, as well as give up, to accomplish it.

FOCUS

I just started a new book called "The Power of Focus," by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Les Hewitt. So far, the book is great.

Do you ever stop and really think about where your focus is? From the time you wake up in the morning to the time you lay your head on your pillow, you are focusing on something or someone. It's unrealistic to think that all of your thoughts can be positive or that you can stay totally focused and never get distracted each day. However, you can do your best to focus on what is most important to you. You can train yourself develop productive habits that keep you in line with what you are striving to achieve.

I developed a new personal policy that helps me immensely with my focus. When I am working on activities for my profession, I only allow emergencies to take me away from completing what I am working on at the time. Not only does that put the necessary action into getting my tasks completed, it also sends a message to others that I won't tolerate interruptions during my work time. After all, there are times when they don't want to be disturbed, and their time is no more important to them than my time is important to me.

EXCELLENCE

A thought hit me, today, and I’m giving myself credit for it because I don’t remember hearing it anywhere else.  Here it is:  Excellence is its own reward.

Excellence is a topic that almost everybody can relate to because we all can think of someone that we think is or was excellent at what he or she does or did.  We can also think of a product, service, result, activity, or thing that we believe is excellent.

But when it comes to ourselves, how many areas of our lives would we rate as excellent?  How much of what we do or provide would we say is excellent?  It is true that nobody is perfect, yet we can always strive for excellence in something.  By attempting to do or be the best you are able, you have already rewarded yourself by the fact that you gave it your all.

And What Are You Complaining About?

Two days ago, a deadly tornado ripped through the state of Mississippi, leaving massive damage and killing 10 people.  The conditions are so bad, the governor of the state declared a state of emergency.  Our thoughts and prayers should be those who have suffered because of this awful event.

Why am I mentioning the Mississippi in my blog, especially since most of you already heard about it on the news?   I'm writing about it because when we sit down and really think about, most of our troubles pale in comparison to the woes of others.  Does this mean we should never complain?  Of course not, but what it does mean is that we should put the issues that we gripe about in perspective.  No matter what you or I are going through, there are millions, and I do mean millions, of people elsewhere who would love to trade places with us.

One tornado victim I saw interviewed said, "I lost everything.  Everything I had.  It's all gone."  Think about that the next time you feel your situation or your life is so bad.

What Are You Giving?

Any great relationship, whether romantic, friends, or associates, should be about giving as much as it is about taking.  Too often,we forget that other people close to us have just as many needs, desires, and troubles as we do.  Yet we can chew their ears off with talk about ourselves without so much as asking them about things that are truly important to them.  And then, actually listening to what they have to say and responding with genuine interest and concern.

Next time you make call, send a message, or extend an invitation to someone special in your life, ask yourself this question:  What benefit is he or she going to get out of this?

NO EXCUSES

As much as I can't believe it's been nearly three months since I last posted on my blog, it has been.  So I won't attempt to offer any excuses.  Sure, I've been busy with a lot of stuff and putting out the little fires that will flare up in life, but so have most other people.  The bottom line is, I didn't post.

Though I will not make any excuses for myself, I will apologize to my readers for not having  regular entries for them to read.  I don't ever want to let you down, again.

I can tell you that my writing is going in a different direction as it generates a direct impact on my career goals.  With that said, my Forward Thinking blog will remain but the entries will be much shorter and focus more on inspirational and motivational thoughts, quotes, and ideas.  My hope is that you enjoy what you read and the words move you to think more, do more, and be more.

WHAT ARE YOU OFFERING?

Be it your profession, your aspiration, or your obligation, think about what you are offering to others.  What we can give to others isn't always something tangible.  It can be support, love, encourgement, advice, and more. 

I love quotes and often I read a quote from the signature of someone's email or something they post on Twitter.  No matter from whom I get it, no matter who originated it, that quote can make the difference in how I set the tone for the day or go about taking care of an important issue.  Or, the quote may just simply put a smile on my face.  But all those reactions are good things.

Yes, we all have hardships to bear.  Yes, we get bombarded with bad news.  Yes, times are hard.  Yet, there is so much to be thankful for, especially in a country that offers so much opportunity.  With that in mind, make the effort to share something good with people you know and even people you don't know.  Even if you never get a thank you.  Take joy in sharing what you have to offer..  Don't just think about what you don't have or what you didn't get.  The true gift is in the giving.

Though you may not even seek it, the more you give to others, the more the universe will give you.

WISHING DOESN'T MAKE IT SO

No matter how good your intentions, how much you study and focus, and not matter how much you visualize a goal and/or a promise to yourself, it will never come to be without you taking appropriate action.  Did you notice how I didn't just say to take action.  I wrote that you must take appropriate action to reach your desired destination.

Since I was a little boy, I always wanted to play the guitar, and I still do.  I even had lessons when I was about 10 -- the guitar case was bigger than I was.  I talked my mother into letting me stop my guitar lessons and it was right when I was learning chords.  I can't remember what reasons I gave her, but the truth was that I was just tired of going.  I think my teacher may have also told her I needed to come twice a week instead of once a week.

I'm all grown up, now, and I have a folk guitar and an electric one -- I gave the one I took lessons with to my younger brother, who, by the way, is a professional musician -- and their safely stored away in their cases waiting for me to pull them out and pluck out some of the simple, single-note songs I learned to play as a child.  And that will be all I'll ever be able to play ... unless I take the appropriate action to learn more.

I still fantasize about playing the strings like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Prince, and Glen Campbell, and that will always be just a fantasy.  However, I can learn to play chords.  I can learn to play songs.  I can learn to play well enough to say I am a guitar player.  But that won't happen if I don't take the proper action with guitar in hand and keep working at it until I make it happen.

Whatever it is you want to do or be, always be mindful that you will need to do something to make it so.

30 SECONDS

When you introduce yourself to someone, what do you typically say?  I'm sure you might give your first and last name, tell what company you work for, and what your job title is.  That's fine for a perfunctory intro, but what will that leave the person you're metting with?  Not much.  At least not much to remember.

Now, consider telling someone you're meeting for the first time who you are and what you are about.  Consider telling this person what your purpose for being on this earth is.  You can do it, and I suggest you learn to do it in 30 seconds.  That's only one half of a single minute, good people, but that's all the time you need to make a lasting impression.

I got this idea from an iLearning Global speaker and will practice it.  Check out the difference between these introductions:

1.  My name is Michael Howard and I am an English professor who teaches online, as well as in the classroom.  I enjoy teaching, learning, and communicating.  Sharing what I know give me a good feeling.

2.  My name is Michael Howard and I am a communications expert.  My mission is to help others discover and use the best resources and methods  to enable them to have their messages fully understood and acted upon.

From the very start of introduction No. 2, you get a sense that the speaker is a person of power and confidence.  When you add the fact that the person is on a mission, you create even more of a presence.

If you want to be overlooked or forgotten, be passive.  If you want to stand out (in a positive way) be powerful ... and learn to tell what you're all about in 30 seconds or less.

HOW IS YOU NEW YEAR GOING?

This is one of the few New Years where I can't remember one of my friends or family members talk about resolutions they want accomplish before 2011. I have no problem with that because I didn't make any resolutions, either.  However, I did make several promises to myself, as I try to do on a daily basis.

In an iLG program, I heard billionaire Bill Bartman say something that I wholeheartedly agree with.  When we set "goals" and come up with things like resolutions, we tend to put undo pressure on ourselves, thus, setting ourselves up for failure.  He suggested, instead, that we make "promises" to ourselves.  A promise to yourself is taken much more seriously because even the word promise holds a very personal meaning to us and our commitment to do something.

Make some promises to yourself for this year.  Write them down and read them out loud, daily.  Feed your subconscious with these thoughts and visualize your promises already coming about.  Do this, and take action toward these promises and you will be amazed at the results.

A UNIQUE CHRISTMAS

This past Christmas was very different for me because it was the first Christmas I can ever remember that I didn't send out one card or buy one gift.  I didn't do it to be defiant or to be a Scrooge.  I did it because none of my family set up a gift exchange, like we usually do, and I haven't sent Christmas cards in a few years, at least not a lot of them.  It's important to state that aside from some delicious cookies from my sister, I didn't receive any gifts, nor was I expecting any.  I did receive about 5 cards and I was very grateful for those.

What I did receive for Christmas, however, was a wonderful appreciation for what the true meaning of Christmas is.  It is for celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.  It is for celebrating family, friends, and the many blessings we enjoy.  The replies I received from the Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays text messages I sent to a select group of friends meant more to me than receiving something in a box wtih decorative wrapping.  Those replies meant more to me because they were written from heart and they were writen just for me.

As we start a new decade, always be mindful of what's most important and that when we treat people as special individuals we give them a gift that is welcome in every season.

PREPARE TO WIN IN 2010

Well, the year 2009 is over and what a year it was.  Far too many major events took place to review them in this article.  What's most important is to ask yourself, what did I learn in 2009?  How did I improve myself in 2009?  What set goals did I reach in 2009?  What mistakes did I pull valuable lessons from, last year, and how will I use those lessons to have a better 2010?

The past is gone forever and there is no need to dwell on events and decisions that can't be undone.  At the same time, if we don't learn from the past, we're doomed to repeat it. 

On this first day of the New Year, you have the opportunity to make a fresh start, to accomplish goals and promises you made to yourself.  The way you go about this is to create a list of specific things you want to do, have or acquire.  It's critical to be as clear and detailed as possible.  If you make a list of goals you want to achieve before the year is out, I strongly recommend you break up the list into groups of things you can complete in less than a year.

Check and ammend your list on  regular basis.  You'll be amazed at how seeing what you want to achieve can empower your reslove to make it happen.

Have a prosperous 2010.