Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments.
My Favorite Quote #4
Goals
Mark’s Writing Motto #19
As a writer, your singular goal is to let your inner voice be heard.
Mark’s Writing Motto #5
Always separate the dream from the plan.
Embrace The Journey
Believe in the journey
There will undoubtedly
be ups and downs,
but have faith in who you are
Trust in your decisions
Rely on your skills
Stand tall
from the support of family and friends
And never waver in your commitment
If you follow this path
that was meant solely for you,
you will reach your dreams
and all its wondrous glories.
Mid-Life Reflections #6
Recently I’ve been contemplating life and reminiscing about my younger self. When I was in my early teens on up into my 20’s, I used to wonder how I measured up to others in the world. I would readily compare myself to family, friends, colleagues or working professionals; did I make a certain amount of income, hold a respected position in a company, have a high status in society or did something that was of importance or value to the public?
I did my utmost to emulate them but to no avail. I sold myself on a bill of goods that I knew was unattainable. Why was it impossible? It’s because they were living their life and pursuing their goals and dreams. I had forgotten all about what I wanted to do with myself. I was so busy worrying about catching up to them that I flat out ignored my passion, my dreams.
When I finally woke up, I realized that I had a new lease on life. My trajectory in this world was on a different course from everyone all together and it was my goal to make it happen. I cared less about the status, fame and wealth of others and started to explore new things, take chances, make tons of mistakes, sought answers and learned to never give up.
It’s through this self-realization that I am where I’m supposed to be right at this moment. It’s a never ending, constantly changing state that I’m okay with. Why? Because it’s my life.
So don’t be so influenced by other people’s place in life that you neglect your own. You have a destiny that needs to be fulfilled by none other than you. So go out into the world and epically fail so that you can tremendously succeed at what you were meant to be!
Patience…
time concept, selective focus point, special toned photo f/x
Patience…
is what it takes to the path of
your dreams, your goals
Patience…
is a virtue they say
but to me it’s a test
Patience…
challenges your hopes,
your strength of will,
your endurance to bear
the uncomfortableness of it all
So that the light at the end of the tunnel
shines big and bright
like the radiant sun
And all the riches of your hopes and dreams
are there for your taking
So relish the moments
that require patience…
for it truly is a valued trait.
The Three P’s
We all have tons of dreams
some big, some average, some small
Achieving them in our lifetime
is the common theme for us all
The map to our success
is following these three views
Learning them by heart
will help us avoid any miscues
Patience, Persistence & Perseverance
also known as “The Three P’s”
Commit them to one’s memory
is a MUST I do decree
Biding our time without complaint
having “Patience” is the key
The journey’s just beginning
in bringing our dreams to reality
“Persistence” will outlast talent
staying the course, when all else fails
We must get up after every fall
towards our dream we will prevail
In spite of all the difficulties
and the strong urge not to quit
“Perseverance” dictates our true passion
we’ll get there…bit by bit
So pursue your dreams to the ends of the earth
learn “The Three P’s” & follow through
You’ll reach your goals and then much more
of this I promise you.
How A Filofax Created My “Bucket List”
As I rummaged through the closet looking for something that I can’t even remember, I stumbled upon my Filofax. Yes, I did say Filofax.
For those born in the 21st century, it’s a small looking folder that contains a calendar, day planner, notepad, plastic sleeves, ruler, pen holder, calculator, etc… Basically it’s a personal organizer that helps you to manage your time, appointments, meetings and tasks.
It’s really a folder that you write down all the things you need or want to do on a given day and reference it when you can’t recall what it is you were supposed to do.
Back in the 90’s it was a real popular thing to have but I resisted the urge to have one because I felt it “dumbed” you down and made you prone to not using your brain to remember things.
When I saw the movie “Taking Care of Business” with Jim Belushi and Charles Grodin, my views on the Filofax changed. I somehow became obsessed with owning a Filofax, even though I had no need for one. I caved in and bought one to my delight; “I HAD A FILOFAX AND THAT’S ALL THAT MATTERED!”
Since I was in college, I had nothing on my plate except for my classes; I spent money on this thing so I felt like I had to write something in the Filofax to validate me buying the damn thing.
I jotted down my class times even though I already knew the schedule by heart. I could not think of a single thing to put in it; one fateful day while in class, as the professor was droning on about God knows what, I wondered what I wanted to accomplish in my life. Now I know that people make bucket lists all the time, but I started to do this when it wasn’t something popularly spoken.
One day I had one goal, the next day another and the next day another. Soon I ended up with 4 and a half pages of things I wanted to accomplish or “Life Goals” as I called it, since I didn’t really know what a bucket list was at the time.
My list wasn’t extreme like going skydiving, bungee jumping, swimming with sharks or climbing Mount Everest; my goals centered around my career in being an established writer, getting literary representation, sell my screenplays, finding a soulmate, getting married and buying a house just to name a few.
It wasn’t exciting or glamorous but they were “MY” goals; they were all attainable only if I was committed to seeing it through. As the years flew by, that Filofax of mine soon became a fixture in an obscure corner of a book shelf and then somehow ended up in storage within my closet.
Don’t ask me how or why that had occurred, but it did. I guess somewhere along in my life things happened that caused me to forget about what I had wanted to accomplish.
So cut to the present and back to the start of this post, when I stumbled across this decrepit Filofax I immediately opened it and rifled through the pages to where I scribbled my “Life Goals”.
As I looked through the list I made 20 some odd years ago, I grabbed a pen and started to check off what I had accomplished. The ones that were accomplished put a smile on my face and satisfaction rippled down my spine. 
As for the ones that I didn’t do, I paused for a moment to wonder why that was. Clearly it was something that I can still do. “What’s stopping me?” is all that I could think of. I felt that it was still a “Life Goal” that I still want to attain.
As of this writing, I am trying my best to see things through and accomplish what I set out to do when I was a young man in college. With a little luck, hard work and dogged determination, I know I’ll check off every single one of my “Life Goals” before I take leave of this Earth.
A renewed sense of hope.
It’s that time of year when people start making resolutions for the new year. Some will follow through, some will meet half their expectations and the rest will just brush it off.
As for myself, I always seem to get rejuvenated; that inner optimistic side emerges and gives me that feeling of what can happen. All the things that didn’t go my way or the bad stuff that occurred in the previous year can finally be forgotten. The slate is wiped clean and I’m able to start over to accomplish the impossible. My dreams are just a stone’s throw away, that better job is just within reach or that chance where my spirits can be raised once again .
I know that I’m not alone in feeling this. There’s a select group of people out there known as the “eternal optimists”; you know who you are. Despite all the odds, you find a glimmer of hope that drives you to carry on.
This is how I feel every time around this year. I feel that I’m given a second chance to pursue what I could not in the previous year. All the mistakes and wrong turns helped to better my understanding of how I should maneuver myself onto the right path.
Having this new sense of confidence helps to strengthen my resolves; I am empowered once again to know that life is still worth living.
New Year’s resolutions can help to motivate one’s self into self-improvement and happiness, drive them to reach their personal goals. I, on the other hand, feel that ringing in the new year gives us a renewed sense of hope; to achieve anything and everything. To dream big and see it come true. So here’s to a new year where the sky’s the limit!
The only part that I dread for the new year is:
Midlife, Maniacal & Me 