Will I Witness a Space Shuttle Launch Afterall?

April 2, 2011 6 Comments

At the end of February, I’d accepted the reality that I’d never get to accomplish my goal of witnessing a space shuttle launch. I’d tried, and failed, twice. And since the Space Shuttle program is quickly coming to an end, I decided to just give up on ever witnessing a launch. The first time I tried, I bought my plane ticket to Orlando and the launch was postponed. It would’ve cost us more to reschedule our flight than book another, so we went to Florida anyways. We went to Disney and Sea World (before I knew better), and I had a lot of fun, but it would’ve been awesome to have seen a launch.

My second attempt wasn’t as ambitious as my first.

Instead of booking a plane ticket just to sit in a random parking lot in Titusville, I tried getting tickets to the Kennedy Space Center. I wasn’t lucky enough to “win” the lottery for a chance to buy tickets. Did you catch that? A lottery, for a chance to buy tickets. Even if you’re fortunate enough to win the lottery, there isn’t any guarantee that there’ll be a ticket available for you to buy. So, I didn’t win the lottery, and figured the story would remain the same for the remaining launches.

That’s when I wrote the article, my head hung in shame, and admitted defeat.

Almost as soon as I’d published the article, an email from Kennedy Space Center showed up in my Inbox with all the details of when I could register for a chance to win the lottery for a chance to buy tickets for the next launch. Only half hopeful, I signed up yet again. Later that week, I got another email saying I’d been selected…I’d won the lottery!

The next week, tickets went up for sale.

I was too late to get causeway tickets, but I was able to get two tickets for the Visitor Center (and I’ll even be dining with an astronaut.) The Visitor Center is about six miles from the launchpad, so I won’t be able to see the Shuttle until it clears the trees, but that’s better than watching it on TV or from some parking lot in Titusville.

It looks like I’m on my way to Florida later this month, though I still haven’t purchased my plane ticket in case they delay the launch again. I’d hate to have a ticket to Orlando with no reason to be there.

The moral of the story? Never give up on a goal even if it seems doubtful. You just never know when you’ll hit the lottery!

Filed under Determination, Goal Updates, Goals, Life, Motivation, News, Space Shuttle, Travel

…the World Needs You!

October 18, 2010 2 Comments

Often I’ll hear someone talking about how they wish they could solve the many problems in this world.  Their concerns sound genuine and heartfelt; “It’s so terrible what’s happening in Africa!  Those poor children, I wish there was something I could do.”

They wish there was something they could do, but…

…the money, the time, my family…job, house, school.  It isn’t our fault we can’t save the world…just look at our list of responsibilities!  They’re the reason!!!   We scroll through the archive in our mind, finding countless reasons why we can’t, each a reminder that we have other priorities and obligations that need to be met.  We convince ourselves that it just isn’t possible to escape the commitments.  It doesn’t take long before we’re using our excuses as a waiver of liability. 

Even though we want to help, somehow we’re comforted in knowing that we can’t.  It was a nice thought, anyway.

Have you ever thought to ask yourself whether or not that long list of ”responsibilities” isn’t really just a fairy tale?  A bunch of lies that you tell yourself so you’ll never need to deviate from the routine or step outside your comfort zone?  Let me ask you this: if you’re afraid to expand your horizons and challenge yourself to move beyond your comfort zone, are you really living…or simply existing?

When I hear people trying to justify why they can’t [whatever], I think about the people who can, who are and who did.  What if Martin Luther King, Jr had said “I have a dream, but…”, or if Gandhi never was the change he wished to see in the world?  What if all the people who ever changed the world, hadn’t?

All around us are everyday people doing extraordinary things.  Maybe you’ve heard of Albert Lexie, or maybe you haven’t.  He earns $10 an hour shining shoes.  Since 1982, Albert has donated all of his tip money to the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburg…more than $150,000.  Albert is only one example of countless people across the world whose actions could inspire a nation.  Each day people are being the change.  They, too, have a dream…

How would your life change if you were to quit making excuses?

Instead of just wishing there was something you could do to help the people of the world, without any excuses holding you back you are free to dig wells in Africa so the people can have access to clean drinking water.  If Africa isn’t your thing, you can volunteer at a soup kitchen in your own city and help feed the hungry.  Get involved!  Don’t waste another moment wishing you could help.

It’s time to quit making excuses, not only for yourself but for the world.  We need you!

Filed under Attitude, Behavior, Freedom, Goals, Happiness, Inspiration, Motivation, Opportunity, Passion, Potential, Prioritizing

In the Blink of an Eye

October 11, 2010 2 Comments

Do you care so passionately about something that you’d give up everything to chase after it?

Would you sacrifice the creature comforts of your everyday life or challenge the strength of a relationship?  Could you walk away from a stable career, even if it meant losing the assurance of a steady paycheck?  In the blink of an eye, could you turn your back on life as you now know it to risk turning it into one that dreams are made of?

Most people wouldn’t.

Not because they can’t but because it’s hard.  So many things could go wrong.  It’s far more reasonable (and safe) to stay the course with the life we’ve already created for ourselves.  Life-altering change isn’t something most of us actively seek out.  It’s one of those things that smacks us in the face when we least expect it.

Someone we love dies.  We discover that our partner has been unfaithful.  Maybe we lose our job without warning.

When these things happen, we have a decision to make; either we ignore the problems or we rise to the occasion and turn tragedy into triumph.  But why should we wait for our lives to be flipped head over heals before we become active participants in our destiny?  Why slog through yet another day ignoring our dreams and suffocating our passions.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

The Rulebook of Life doesn’t exist and you don’t need permission from anyone to live life on your own terms.  There’s no reason to spend the rest of your time here on Earth doing something that doesn’t bring you satisfaction or give your life meaning. 

It may not seem like it, but each day we have a choice to make.  Either we can put the right shoe on before the left, just as we always do, and live a repeat of yesterday or we can wake up and make magic happen.

“But I don’t really have a choice and besides, change isn’t practical.”

You do have a choice.  We all do.  The door to life isn’t locked, you just need to give it a little push and it will swing wide open.  No one else can do that for you.  And maybe change isn’t practical, but tell me, what practical person ever influenced history?  It’s the people who took risks and had big dreams that changed the world…will you be one of them?

These are your days, make the most of them.

Filed under Attitude, Goals, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle Engineering, Motivation, Opportunity, Passion, Potential, Prioritizing

Doing Handstands

September 25, 2010 4 Comments

I love having my picture taken at iconic locations around the world but I’m getting tired of just standing there proudly with my arms in one of three positions (on my hips, crossed or by my side).  I have the same picture of myself many times over with a variety of different backgrounds.  How boring is that!?

This summer I began doing something different: handstands.

When I was in Hawaii a few months ago I wanted a “fun” picture.  The first thing that came to mind was to do a handstand.  I raised my hands above my head and threw myself forward in a desperate attempt to get my feet in the air.  I can’t tell you the last time I tried to do a handstand and the picture is evidence that I’m not very good at them!  I’ve been doing handstands ever since.

It’s become a bit of an obsession of mine, actually.  Now I think of all the places I can visit just to do a handstand in front of that landmark.  The Great Wall, the Eiffel Tower, Stonehenge, the Leaning Tower, the Pyramids, Machu Picchu, Easter Island, Taj Majal…

Where am I going with this?

Do what makes you happy.  I dream of the next place that I will get to do a handstand and that motivates me to make it happen.  Instead of imagining myself at these places, I picture myself upside down in front of them and I get excited thinking about being there.

Now I have something that drives me to visit these places.  My desire to travel is amped up tenfold just by the thought of doing something so simple as a handstand.  Angkor Wat?  Yeah, that’s cool…but doing a handstand while there?  That’s awesome!

When you find something in life that gives you meaning, chase after it with all your energy!  People might wonder what’s wrong with you (they certainly look at you weird when you’re trying to do a handstand for the fifteenth time!)  Let them wonder.  What matters is that you’re living your life, on your terms and you’re doing what makes you happy.

And so my friends, where will my upcoming adventures take me?  Into which soils will I plant my hands next?  I know…but Erin won’t let me tell you…yet!

What motivates you to accomplish your dreams?

Filed under Inspiration, Motivation, Passion, Travel

Life’s Limiting Reagent

August 28, 2010 Leave a comment

One of the components of the fuel mixture on the Apollo lunar module involved a reaction with hydrazine and dinitrogen tetraoxide.  If the balanced equation for this reaction is:

2 N2H4 (l) + N2O4 (g) → 3 N2 (g) + 4 H2O (g)

What volume of nitrogen gas (measured at STP) would result from the reaction of 1500 kg of hydrazine and 1000 kg of dintrogen tetraoxide?

If it’s been a while since you’ve taken a Chemistry class, allow me to refresh your memory on (or introduce you to) limiting reagent problems.  The purpose of this problem is to identify which of the two reactants will be consumed first in the reaction, either the hydrazine or dinitrogen tetraoxide.  By determining which reactant is limiting, you can calculate exactly how much product, in this case nitrogen gas, will be produced.

Consider your own life.  Are there aspects of your life that you can identify as limiting your potential to grow, expand or produce?  Is there something preventing you from realizing your maximum potential?  Are you as happy as your heart tells you you ought to be?  Are you earning what you’re worth at your job?  Are you free from debt?  Does your schedule allow you to pursue goals, hobbies and passions or do you wish there was more time in the day?  Are you active and healthy or is it a struggle to climb a couple of flights of stairs?

Consider your own life and all the factors you have identified as being the limiting reagents.  Consider the money problems, your unsatisfying career and your neglected and deteriorating relationship with the love of your life.  Take a few moments to really consider your life and all that is limiting it.

Consider them and ask yourself, “What do all these things have in common?”

The answer is you!  You are the common bond and, therefore, you are the limiting reagent in your life.  Not the money.  Not the career.  Not the schedule.  Not the debt.  Not the kids.  Nothing is limiting your potential but you.  No one else is restricting your happiness.  The possibility of your life is only possible with your effort.

Your life is a chemical reaction.  If you want a little more product – more results, more happiness and satisfaction, more money, no debt, that old spark – you’ve got to add a little more YOU to the mixture.

Want to get out of debt?  Add a little more effort on your part to get out of debt.  Want to lose weight?  You have to start exercising and eating right.  Are you sick of your career?  Find a more meaningful method of supporting yourself financially.

You can’t expect a chemical reaction to happen without adding the right amounts of chemicals and you can’t expect your life to improve or progress any further without YOU being proactive and aggressive.  If you want more product,  you must add more YOU to the reaction.

Now that you’ve identified the real limiting reagent in your life, add as much of it as you can and produce as much product as your life will allow.

Class dismissed!

Filed under Awareness, Motivation, Opportunity, Potential

Just Do It: Five Steps to Create the Life of Your Dreams

August 14, 2010 4 Comments

Now that I’ve moved away from my hometown, I use Facebook to keep my friends and family up to date on what I’m doing.  Whenever I travel somewhere or do something exciting (like skydiving or rock climbing) I post pictures of my adventures on my profile.  Almost every time I post a new photo album, someone leaves a comment about how they wish they could do the things that I do, claiming they don’t have the time, the money or that their responsibilities as a parent or employee hold them back.

They’re wrong! And if you think you don’t have the time or money, or that your obligations are limiting your opportunities, you’re wrong, too!  The only thing preventing anyone, including you, from doing anything is the willingness to make it happen; to Just DO It! The doors are open and opportunity awaits anyone willing to reach out and grab it.  There are no gatekeepers preventing you from living the life of your dreams. You don’t have to ask anyone for permission.  The world is your oyster!

How!? How can you begin living the life of your dreams…RIGHT NOW?

Make a Choice: What do you want out of life?  Do you dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail or living in a foreign country?  Whatever your desires, if you ever hope to see them through to fruition you must make them your priority.  If you want to travel, choose to make it a priority.  Want to become a writer?  Choose to make it a priority.  Inside each of us there is an “on” switch that we must flip.  Make a choice, flip that switch, commit to your goal and pursue it ruthlessly, without hesitation or apologies.

Stop Dreaming: Dreams bring inspiration but dreams and inspiration will only get you so far.  If you ever want to accomplish anything, you must move beyond the visions in your head.  Dreaming, hoping and wishing don’t produce results.  Burgess Meredith in Grumpier Old Men said it best:

You can wish in one hand and crap in the other and see which gets filled first.

Stop Making Excuses: There’s an excuse for everything and guess what, all of those excuses suck.  An excuse is just a way of justifying inaction due to fear.  It’s easy to say “I can’t” if you can blame it on some externality that you “aren’t able” to control.  It’s not easy to admit that you’re afraid of stepping outside of your comfort zone.  It’s so much easier to blame your situation on money, time or the kids.  And since those excuses are so universally accepted in our culture, no one is going to call you out on any of them.  No one, that is, except me.  All of your excuses are bullshit. You know it and I know it.  Stop making excuses, you won’t live forever.  These guys aren’t making excuses.

Prepare: Want to quit your job?  Sit down, take an honest assessment of your financial situation and create a plan to shore up any weaknesses you find.  Create a budget, eliminate all extraneous expenses, get out of debt, build your savings.  Prepare yourself in real ways that will help you to succeed.  No matter how much you hate your job, hate alone isn’t going to set you up for success.  Do something positive each day with that emotional energy, then smile as you walk through the door because you know that you are one day closer to walking away for good.

Take Action: Preparation leads you in the right direction but, like dreams, can only take you so far.  Once you reach a point where all the preparations have been made, it is time to take action.  Action creates change.  Change brings about opportunity.  Don’t count on luck to bring you the life of your dreams.  “Luck” is just opportunity presenting itself to those people who are prepared to act upon it.  You can create your own luck by taking action towards accomplishing your goals.  Want to become an artist?  Paint.  Want to learn a foreign language?  Take a class.  Want to travel the world?  Buy a plane ticket.  Action is the only thing that separates dreaming from reality.

Creating the life of your dreams isn’t difficult, it just requires dedication, determination and a willingness to step outside of your comfort zone to take calculated risks.  Success isn’t guaranteed, but failure only comes to those who quit. Turn your dreams into reality, make the choice to make it happen.  Give up the excuses and prepare for success.  Create a new reality; the reality of your dreams.

Filed under Attitude, Freedom, Goals, Inspiration, Life, Motivation, Opportunity, Passion, Potential, Preparation, Prioritizing, Success

To Hell With the Path of Least Resistance

June 11, 2010 2 Comments

Turning dreams into reality is a formidable task.

Seeing your dreams through to fruition requires dedication, hard work and sacrifice.  In the pursuit of your goals you will find yourself faced with self-doubt, frustration & fear.  So many people who were once filled with ambition never reach their goals and find themselves wondering what could have been, “If only…”  Success doesn’t come easy and you can’t place yourself on the path of least resistance if you expect to have an extraordinary life, the life you’ve always dreamt of.

Being successful at accomplishing your goals means creating your own path and taking risks.  During your journey to success you will have moments where you find yourself full of fear; fear of failure, fear of success, fear of the unknown, fear of other’s opinions.  When you stumble, self-doubt will invade every crevice of your consciousness and you will second guess your ability to create your desired reality.  Failures will bring frustration and you will become your own defeatist.  You will tell yourself that no one will care if you quit.  Maybe no one will care whether you give up on a dream or not but your dream or goal isn’t for someone else, it is for you.  As much as you try to convince yourself that a goal isn’t important, it is important…to you.

By taking the path of least resistance you will continually find yourself firmly planted in a life of mediocrity.  Sure, there will be moments of success and there will be happiness, satisfaction and joy in your life but there will also be a lingering feeling of failure knowing that you gave up on your dream.

Following a dream means making sacrifices which may lead to insecurity in the face of popular culture and trends.  Society expects us to fit in and follow the well-worn path of life; birth, education, work, marriage, children, retirement, death.  Many people never stop to question this step-by-step approach to life and those who waiver from the path have been labeled by the masses as idealistic or naïve.  A typical life may bring fulfillment to the mass of men and many will find success and happiness within these confines.

It may work for some, but does it work for you?

Filed under Goals, Inspiration, Motivation, Potential

The Game of Risk…err, Life

June 4, 2010 Leave a comment

 

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach for another is to risk involvement.
To expose your ideas, your dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To believe is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The people who risk nothing, do nothing, have nothing, are nothing.
They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.
Chained by their attitudes they are slaves; they have forfeited their freedom.
Only a person who risks is free.

-Author Unknown

Filed under Attitude, Inspiration, Motivation

Hundred Goals’ Hundred Dollar Challenge

March 2, 2010 9 Comments

Do you want to earn an extra $100?

Earning this $100 will require you to challenge yourself, confront and overcome fear, look at yourself with an honest perspective and persist against a desire to quit.

What is the Hundred Goals’ Hundred Dollar Challenge?

The challenge is a way for you to put $100 in your pocket in exchange for a little hard work.  This challenge is about creating a better you and working to build a healthy, active lifestyle.  This challenge is a way to motivate you to lose weight and get in shape.  The $100 is your incentive to stick with it.

How does it work?

A hundred dollars sounds pretty good, right?  Earn money to improve your life and get fit and healthy?  It doesn’t get much better than that, so how can you get involved in the Hundred Goals’ Hundred Dollar Challenge?

1) Become a Fan of Hundred Goals on Facebook

2) Take a deep breath, summon up all of your courage and upload a “Before” picture of yourself in a comfortable state of undress, revealing enough to show your true physical condition.  (Photos can be uploaded to any photo hosting site you chose, however, a link to the photo must be posted on the Hundred Goals’ Discussion Forum for the Challenge).

3) Exercise

4) At the beginning of each month, share your progress and/or post an updated photo.

5) Six months later participants will post an “After” photo and a winner will be chosen.  I will contact that person to arrange payment of the $100 prize.  Simple!!!

To get things started, I have posted my “Before Photo” on Facebook!  I look forward to a good response, the more people who participate the more interesting the Challenge will be and the more support we are able to offer one another!

Please sign up by April 1st if you would like to participate!!!

Filed under Challenges, Exercising, Motivation

Time to Change

February 27, 2010 3 Comments

Rather than a lengthy article, today I am calling for action.

In the few moments which you would usually spend reading about motivation and goals, use this time as an opportunity to improve or change a small piece of your life.

Pick up the phone and call your mother, father, brother, sister, son or daughter, for no other reason than to say “Hello.”

Write an old fashioned letter to your significant other telling them how much you appreciate and love them.

Lace up your shoes and go for a walk.

Send an email inquiring about how you can become involved in a local charity or organization.

Change in life begins small, the same way the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

Filed under Motivation, Opportunity, Prioritizing

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