Dream Big!

Mark Andrew Marvel

Andy 4-30-1959

Happy Birthday to my big brother!

When I think back to being kids he always believed in me.  I don't know that he ever understood me, but he stood up for me.  There are several great memories that come to mind such as our deal when we were early teens-we agreed to never judge the others for their decisions.  So if he wanted to do something, unless I tried it, I should not place my opinions on him.  And if he were with friends, and they tried to get me to do something out of my character he would put me in front of his friends.  He would tell his friends to stop.  That could have been one of the most life changing things a big brother could have given his younger brother-freedom to make his own decisions based on his wants and needs.

A few years after I had graduated from high school and was somewhere in the world in the Navy I talked to my brother and he was so excited to tell me that he had met someone out of town that knew me, and how proud he was of what all I had accomplished.

So thank you big brother for the things you had given me that helped shape who I am.

Love you, and talk soon.

Happy Birthday!



Believe

You must believe to achieve! 

Start with the right attitude, and know the direction you want to go!

What are your goals, what is the end

results of your actions. 

At some point to move forward you  must take a leap of faith, otherwise you will remain exactly where you are today.

So religion, work or home they all require Faith.  Where do you want to be today, tomorrow, next week or next month?

My hope for you is that your attitude allows you to make those choices.

Don't let fear hold you back and challenge yourself.  The end results will give you something to be proud of in the long run.

So have a great attitude and

challenge your self today!

Life is full of seasons..

 

Life is full of seasons.  There are people that belong in your life for a time (season).  They are gifts placed there to  help you past an event .  There are times when the event passes and we have learned our lesson and we must move on.  That is why people move in and out of our lives.  Is there someone that is bringing you down?  You get to chose who you spend your time with, make wise choices.

Surround yourself with people that you want to be around, with goals like yours.

Set yourself up for success!

Its all about attitude, and it is your choice.

Making choices

Most choices should not be difficult to make.  The important thing to remember is that choices eliminates options.  Choices also free the mind and they clear the clutter.  So if your days are filled with worries about stuff, it sounds to me like you have some decisions to make.  Make your decisions from your heart.

And once you have made your choice move on.  Don't second guess yourself!

That is the part that is great, you don't have to keep reviewing your decisions, make them final.

Clear the cob-webs, and have a great attitude today!

Belief in self

What you believe is 100 percent reality!

We all own our own perception, and that is our reality.  Can we change that by our thoughts?

Do you confine yourself to your thoughts or do you allow yourself to think out of the box.  Do you believe others when they tell you that you cannot do something? 

Here is reality, if we believe we can, or we can't, your right either way.

We must believe we can accomplish a task or just give in..

Here is the truth, if I were setting goals that I did not feel I could accomplish they would become self full filling thoughts.  The first sign of trouble my mind would allow me to say that this is the end.

Some time we need to "Act As If" we have accomplished something in order to move past it.

Golfers envision a shot before they take it.  Even if you don't like golf watch Tiger as he gets ready to tee off, or putt.  He stands back and envisions that shot going exactly where he wants it to go.  He does not live within the walls we have created.

You don't have to either.  Believe in yourself.  Have the attitude that you can do it!

Thomas Edison failed thousands of times and kept trying until he figured the light-bulb out, but we only remember him for his success!

It is all in how you look at it..



The world is an Attitude looking for direction.

You get to decide,

is it a begining,

or an ending?

My attitude is that it is a great begining!

Smiles are contagious

Smiles versus frowns..

I would take 1 smile over 100 frowns..

I believe in the 10' rule.

Acknowledge anyone that gets within 10 feet of you with a smile and a polite gesture.

This will ensure you a great day!

You never know who's day your going to make.

Smile and have a great Attitude today!

Prayers for my puppy.

  

Say a prayer for Blanca. Her back is giving out. She has been full of love since day one 17 years ago.   We love her. Pray for her health. 
Thank you. 

No Re-Do's

Do you know anyone that always has STUFF going on.  They are so busy that they don't seem to enjoy life.  When you talk to them they are in such a hurry they don't seem to enjoy anything.  We live in a busy world with a lot going on.  If you are young you have school, sports and friends.  As we get older we add a job and family.  And we think that working harder and more hours we will get ahead, we just do it. 

And then we "blink" and something happens.

We turn 40, lose a loved one, get fired,  or have some type of other life changing event and we are shattered.  We step far enough away from our daily grind that we see what we have become.  Not that we have created bad people, but sometimes we forget important events and people in our lives. 

When you set your goal, or review your goals think not only about how to become successful at work, but at home too.  It is easy to work so hard that you forget other aspects of your life.  Time goes far too quickly so slow down and enjoy some of what you create in your life.  There are no re-do's.

Have a great attitude today!

Have you ever felt like your shoes were on the wrong feet?

 

Well I got up this morning in a hurry!  Normally there is plenty of time to get ready.  But this morning was a little different.  Now it could of gone any direction, good or bad.  Got myself ready to head out the door running behind the clock, you know what I mean (30 minutes for a 45 minute drive).  I am looking at the computer, typing away, and elect to slip my shoes on that are under my desk (we have all done this if you have an office in your home).  Left your shoes under the desk that is...  Well, they felt a little tight in the toes and it was not until I stepped away from my desk that I saw what I had just done, yep!  Put em on the wrong feet.  I can tell you as an adult that has never happened to me before.

I had a choice right then to go back to bed and accept that today was doomed.  It was going to be a bad day.  Or Laugh at myself and imagine what was a funny look on my face.

I can tell you it did not mess my day up, it actually made my day a little brighter by thinking of how funny it felt, and I'm sure looked.

Have a great attitude, and put your shoes on the right feet!

Dreams versus Fears

Sometimes we focus on the wrong thing...

Do you sometimes worry so much about what could happen if we do something instead of just doing what you know is right.  Fear will paralyze you and freeze you and your thoughts.  Action overcomes fear.  So if you seem to be spending so much time in fear, start focusing on your dreams not your worries.

Have an attitude of success! 

What is your story?

How often do we forget to look past the exterior of some one's appearance to see the real person inside.  Sometimes if we are all honest, we have crossed the path of a homeless person and been scared.  How many of us have been approached for a handout?  How do you know who to help?
Here are my rules that I give by, first I never give money.  When I travel if I see someone outside the restaurant I will buy two of what ever I am having and share one with them.  My belief is that some people can not handle cash due to addictions.  I do not want to judge, and still want to be helpful when I can.  So just buy them a meal, and give them a smile and a wish for a good day.  Do what is right in your heart.  A few bad choices and that person could have been me.
Do we judge people we work with? 
Do we judge anyone? 
Why is it wrong if they are different then we are? 
Just think about it with the right attitude...

There is a good time for voice mail...

You ever struggle with the past.  Think about it, if it is the past there is nothing new to be collected let it pass through your mind like a bad song.  What do you do when you see one of those people that drain your energy out of you calling on the caller ID?  You ignore the call and let it go to voice mail.  You can do the same thing with the past in most cases.  When your ready to deal with the information listen or just delete it if you chose. 
If your working on your attitude you have a choice on what you allow in your mind.  Just remember your brain is like a computer;

Junk in, Junk out...

Make it a great day, it is your choice!

Expectations...

Have you ever tried really hard to play within the rules of the game or office and lose out to someone that was a little "creative" with the rules?  I would say that is frustrating at the very least.  It happens to all of us. 
Have you been surrounded by "yes men".  Kind of hard to gut..
My advice when making decisions is do the right thing.  It does not matter if it is at work or at home.  And yes, I have heard the saying "it is never wrong to do the right thing".  And you can say that but you best understand a few things.  First be grounded.  Understand your enviroment.  You must have real expectations of your enviroment.  If you hate going to work, and don't enjoy your co-workers then you should make some decisions about where you work.  That situation long term would be a difficult one for anyone involved and you could surley find a better fit for yourself.
Attitude fixes a lot of things, but not everything.  Sometimes you have to use a little common sense.
Your Attitude, Your Choice.

Life is short

Juat a short saying to remember today-

Positive Thinking does

not allow you

to do anything.

But it does allow you to do

Everything better than

Negative thinking.

 

 

Old wise saying..

Have you ever tried to convince someone that your right?  I am talking about the co-worker that is determined that they are going to be more right then you.  So you have a little tiff, disagreement, or argument?  How does that generally end?  Any resolution?  Do you ever end the conversation by saying, "OK, I'll let you be right this time"?  Did anything get resolved?  I'm thinking not.  So how do you have a conversation or should I say argument and get any real resolution?
Our minds have taken in a tremendous amount of information over the years and that is where we derive our reasoning.  Our egos drive us to make firm lines in the sand.  Keep in mind one of the strongest desires of our mind is our need to be RIGHT!  We would rather be right than rich or famous.  So next time you have one of these situations, stop and think about it.  Why does this person think they are right?  Could they have information that you have not heard before?  Have they experienced the situation?  Share facts, not feelings and you will be able to move past many issues that may arise.  It will not ever answer the question "where do you want to go to dinner" that you have with your date or spouse.  That you will have to work out on your own..
Have a great Attitude today!

Are you ready for new stuff...

Here it is, the middle of April!  Spring is in the air here in Texas.  Great time for new beginings.  No, not saying that you should move to Texas.  But I am saying it is a great time to put the past behind you, spring cleaning if you will.  Think about it, many people will clean out closets, wash the exterior windows and clean out the garage because it is spring.  When is the last time you cleared your thoughts.  And how in the world do you do it?
Here is what works for me:
First take a paper and pencil.
Next sit down in a comfortable, quiet place (corner booth in a restraunt, in a park).
And empty your mind on paper of all the thoughts that are racing around.
Take as long as you need to scan your brain for stuff.
We take time to Spring Clean our house.
We purge our business files at least once a year.
We take time to Scan our Computers on a regular basis.
So what do we do with the most important tool that we have(your brain)?
Generally I get a great to do list.
From there prioritize and game plan your list.
And there you have it!
My expectations are reset, and my head is right!
If my head is right, then my attitude is right!
Now I am ready for new stuff....

Are you going for a run today?

For those of you that have known me over the years know that I ran Cross Country in High School and had run triathlons, Marathons and an occasional Ultra-Marathon in the past.  Running defined me for many years and has helped me shape and succeed in life.  What many people that know me now do not know is that running was taken from me due to a bicycle accident 14 August 1998 - 15 years ago.  And I still crave it.  I miss the open roads and the long runs.
Running was a great therapy for me.  It gave me time to think about and process the world each day.
It was a release from the daily grind. When your running alone there is no one there to correct you or tell you that your thinking is wrong.  I could do it anywhere, all I needed was just a pair of shoes and shorts.
I have known people that hate running.  They would always ask me questions like why do you do it?  Or what a waste of time, wouldn't you rather ...?  What do you think about?
It was an attitude!
So if your a runner I am jealous of your ability to strap on a pair of Nike (or what ever your brand of shoe) and take off out the door to explore the roads in what ever city or weather climent you enjoy (or not).  To wake up excited for the road race, or run that your going to experience.  Enjoy it for me!  You never know when it will be your last run,
so enjoy it for you.
Remember running is an ATTITUDE! 
Have a great run today!

Just a quick thank you!

When I started this Blog it was an quest for knowledge.  It started on Feb 14, 2012 with a goal to have 10,000 page views in the first 12 months.

Success!  The actual count was 10,453 for the first 12 months ending 2-14-2013.  2013 the goal was to get to 20,000 page views over the next 10 months. 

Let's just say the goal was underestimated for the past few months and may need to go up.  We are seeing close to 2,000 page views a month.

So THANK YOU for taking the time to read my blog.
Maybe we can hit 25,000 by the end of the year!

What others think...

Have you ever given any thought as to why some people worry what other people think?  It seems amazing to me that we worry about what people that many times we don't know think of our actions or decisions.  Is it our ego that drives these thoughts?

     Give this a thought, what does it matter what others think of your thoughts?  Many times it does not make us wrong or bad and your not hurting anyone.  However, at times we paralyze ourselves with these desires to get acceptance, or acknowledge-ment that are actions meet some one's expectations. 

     Remember, you can only be let down by your own expectations.  You do have an opinion, do you have a goal for your actions?  This is another one of those times when I wonder why more people don't set goals, or standards for themselves.  If I know what my desired results are then why does it matter..

     Take the attitude that you can do it, what ever the task.  Make a plan and follow your plan.  It is only failure if you stop trying.

     Have a great attitude today...

Respect, Honesty, Trust and Loyalty

When you build character you have many things to consider. Think about it, it takes time when you consider the key areas listed above.
As a matter of fact it may take you years to build a solid reputation and only minutes to ruin it.
Now understand I will never run for an office, public opinion is not at stake.  However there is something much greater to consider.  Something that affects my opinion more than anyone.
That is the opinion of self.
Think about it, have you ever viewed something that you wish you had not?
Have you ever said words that you wish you could take back?
Have you ever been late to a wedding or funeral?
We all have what we consider to be ethical ways to live by, what if we cross that line we have drawn for ourselves?  What if no one knew but us?  You can't just forget it, it is forged into your memory. You know what you have done when no one was looking.  How easy is it to forgive yourself?
Even after you admit your error in judgement and the apology is accepted you still feel bad. 
So the easiest thing would be just "think" before you act or speak.
Things happen, plan ahead, and forgive yourself when it does not work out.  If you don't you will never have the right attitude.

The Little Things-the most important thing you will read today.

When you read the statement above your mind could go many directions.  We may be talking about lunch with your sister/brother, or the quiet 5 minutes in the morning that you actually got to read the paper without interruption.  The truth is we don't know what moments are going to be the defining moments in our life.  It could seem like nothing but with a sudden change of events could become an exceptional moment.  My brother-in-law once told me "the only thing constant in life is change" and he was right.  Nothing stays the same, it is either getting better or headed the other direction.
So the next time you visit a friend, take a bike ride or have a nice dinner remember that all could change in a matter of minutes.
You know this blog is about attitude and challenging yourself to put your mind right.
Have the right attitude and enjoy every moment.  Your attitude is your choice.
Have a great day and take time out for your self.

These should all have their own day

 

When I look at this list every one of these topics could have its own post.

Rodolfo L Garza

I find it funny that from time to time evets happen in our lives and we must search for the silver lining.  My Father-In-Law passed away this week.  That has given me the opportunity to spend some quality time thinking about his life.  He raised his family in a small west Texas town call Rotan.  A small cotten farming town.  Not know for much more, maybe the hometown of Sammy Baugh.

That alone was not so special.  What was special was the kids that he and his wife, Antonia raised. Each one of the 6 children have grown up to be awsome individuals, all of great character.  All with different gifts that they share with an open heart.

Here is where our paths crossed, over twenty years ago one of his daughters came into my life.  So the gift that he gave the world turned out to be one of the greatest impacts on my life.

So as time has passed I find the silver lining in my life to be Rojelia (Garza) Marvel, my wife, best friend, and closest partner in crime.

Thank you Rudy Garza for bringing your daughter into the world, and for sharing her with me.

R.I.P.

Topless Pic

 

What a way to start the week!

Not what you were expecting...

Have a great week.

A great week starts with a smile

and a good attitude!

Easy Job

If you want to make an easy job

 seem hard keep putting it off!

How many times have you put off

filing for a few days too long?

How about updating your computer?

Keep your attitude right,

and that will make it easy to make the

right choices with your time.

Tomorrow's success

Tomorrow's success is the result of

today's effort!

Life is funny, we make choices knowing the outcome and continue to make bad choices.

What did you eat today?

Did you leave early enough for work?

Did you plan your day yesterday so you can hit the ground running, or do you have to regroup before you start?

Think ahead, there are very few true surprises!

Success and Work

Don't you find it interesting that

the only place where "success"

comes before "work"

 is in the dictionary?

Work smart, not hard!

You can't go back!

Nobody can go back and start a new

 beginning, but anyone can start today

and make a new ending. 

Remember, it is about choices you

make every day!

You have what you need

Believe that you have what you need!

Understand that you have an extreme amount of knowledge in your head, use it!

It is your attitude that is most important!

 

Remember that decisions eliminate options!

Make wise choices!

Attitude, Attitude, Attitude!

It gets better by choice

Know where you want to be and  go for it!

Choice is an Attitude.