Life can be a roller coaster, with VERY deep drops. One day, you feel like you are on top of the world. Everything is going your way. You have a smile on your face. “This is finally it! I’m going to be ok! I’m going to make it!” And then…the floor drops out from under you. You lose your balance with no floor beneath you and you fall. I mean, you fall hard, harder than the last time you fell. You know you should get back up, you did the last time. Since the last time, you have been reading and studying and praying. You were preparing yourself, just in case this happened again, the fall. Lo and behold, it’s here again. And, this time it REALLY hurt. You don’t know if you can get up from this one. This was a bad fall. You lay there a while trying to sort out what happened. “How did I fall?” “I was so sure that ‘this’ was it.” “I am just destined to fail. I will never make it. I might as well stay down.”

And, now you don’t want to get up. You don’t want to go to school. You don’t want to go to work. You don’t want to leave the house. Heck, you don’t even want to leave the bed. Yes, I have been there too. You don’t feel like doing anything. Why try? I mean it’s going to end up badly anyway right? Epic Fail, right? You don’t feel like partying either but you throw the biggest Pity Party you’ve ever had. But nobody shows up to this party and if they do, they never bring any presents (Zig Ziglar told me that one).

Depression is no joke. You start watching late night tv and you see all the ads on about it and a pill to “cure it.” But, the pill has more side effects than cures so now you’re even more depressed because you feel helpless. This mood is lingering. It’s not going away. You are no longer able to concentrate. You want to lay in bed, but you can’t sleep. And, bad thoughts…thoughts of you no longer being “here” because you think you may want to end it all creep into your mind. What now?

First, let me say that I know most believe the medication route is the way to go; I will not begrudge you this choice. But, there have been some really amazing studies done on depression. The more you focus on “what’s wrong” the less likely you are to get over it. When you are depressed, you are always focused on ‘what’s wrong” instead of “what can be done to fix what’s wrong?” Something happened. You didn’t like the result. What caused the result you didn’t like? Have you kept getting the same depressing results over and over again? Why? What factor did you play in it? If you were presented with the same situation in the future, what could you do differently that could produce a different outcome?

Whenever I start to get a little “off course” I do a few things. I remind myself of where I’m going. Because, where I’m going makes me happy. I think about where I’m going and a smile flashes across my face. The vision of my future makes me happy every time I think about it. Do you have a vision for your future? If not, you should get one and asap.

I then have to remind myself of that’s where I really want to go, to that vision. Somewhere, I got off course. How did I get off course? I have to look at my plan and see what caused the unexpected result I got. Then, I have to course correct. I took a detour. The GPS gave me bad directions, or I was asleep when she told me to “turn right” at the next exit. I kept going straight. Do you have a plan? If not, you should get one and asap.

I then look at the amazing light bulb. I remember the story of the man credited with creating it, Thomas Edison. I read once that he tried and failed at it over 10,000 times! But, when asked about it, Mr. Edison said that he didn’t fail, he just found 10,000 ways not to do it! Wow! Now, people all over the world use his product. A truly great invention that may have never been created if he stopped at 9,999! How many stories of “triumph over adversity” do you know and remember? If you don’t know any, you should read and watch some and asap.

Most kids 9 years old and younger laugh and laugh and laugh. Everything is funny. It is said that kids laugh over 100 times a day. My girls are always laughing. They are always smiling, too. I smile when I see them smile. It makes me happy. When they are not around and I’m feeling a little “down,” I watch stand up comedy. I laugh for 30 minutes to an hour and I forget what was making me feel bad. There have been numerous studies done on the power of laughter to cure depression. Have you laughed lately? Cracked a smile while looking at yourself in mirror? Might I suggest this fun practice to you? Try to look at yourself in the mirror, smile and then laugh. Do it and see if you are depressed while doing it. You can’t be! Smile and laugh hard, asap.

I then re-focus. I get back to my vision and my plan for getting there. After all, I am the U-KAN man! I have the belief in myself. I Know what I really want. I have plAnned it out. And, I have made the commitment to myself that I will Never give up. I focus on something other than myself. Depression is always “me” centered. I have to get the focus off of me and onto something else. A project, a person, a cause, something other than “me.” Do you have a focus, a project, a person you love, a cause or something other than yourself that needs your help?

Again, depression is no joke. But, I believe and studies have shown that you can laugh your way to a happier you. You can “focus” your way to a more stable you. You can remember past successes, your own or other people’s successes. You can give of yourself to causes and projects. You can exercise, you can move. U-KAN beat depression!

Ok, so the country and the world is abuzz about what’s going on in the world of Herman Cain, Penn State, Joe Paterno and a former coach, Jerry Sandusky. Herman is doing what’s necessary to get people to believe that nothing happened with any of these women currently coming forward. I do not have enough information to go either way. I still happen to believe in innocent until proven guilty.

We are all familiar with the sentence, “Opinions are like Q@#$%!, everybody has one.” I know that when emotions run high, misinformation runs rampant. It’s like that game of telling someone at the beginning of the line a quick story. By the time that story gets to the end of the line, it’s not the same story. Therefore, until I get enough information to make an informed decision, I pause. 🙂

Now, with the Penn State story… that’s a little different. Well, that’s a lot different. I have two lovely children whom I cherish and adore. As a father, it is my job to teach them in the way that they should go. I am to protect them as best as I can. To do that, my children and I are in constant contact and conversation. We still eat together at night with no cell phones or tv. We talk. We discuss our days and talk about the wonders of 1st and 2nd grade. We talk about my day. We know each other well enough through this close contact to sense if something is wrong. Then, we can openly talk about it. One of my daughters was having issues with a bully at school. She was being nice about it, but it was starting to get to her. We talked about it. I had a discussion with her teacher and fortunately the situation got resolved. My daughter knows how to protect herself so the little boy is lucky she didn’t bloody his nose; that’s a discussion for another blog, lol!

But, in all seriousness I realize that many parents worry about what’s going on in their kids’ worlds. At the forefront of those worries right now, in large part due to the Penn State cover up (alleged…) is potential sexual abuse from someone. Are you strong enough to have this conversation with your children? Do you know the signs to look for?

According to Stop it Now! you should be on the lookout for:

-Nightmares or other sleep problems without an explanation
-Your child suddenly seems distracted or distant at odd times
-Their eating habits change or they suddenly refuse to eat
-Sudden mood swings: rage, fear, insecurity or withdrawal

Of course, there are also physical warning signs to look for, but they are rare. Bring your child to their doctor if there are physical signs. They can help you understand what may be happening and test for sexually transmitted diseases.

So, you suspect. You notice some of these signs. These signs can be related to a lot of things of course, but most of them are related to a problem of some sort going on in your child’s life. A discussion is definitely in order. Get involved. Be a parent. Talk to your children. Train them up right and protect them. It’s still the best job in the world.

Remember waaay back when (yesterday), where I talked about going harder? Well, on Sunday night I made up my mind that for the next 12 weeks I am going to be very disciplined in what I eat. I am going to workout hard and eat right. After all, I’m about to be a comic book hero! Maybe they will be dressing me up in skin tight green suit someday. It could happen… 🙂

Well, wouldn’t you know that when you make a decision immediately the forces of evil come to test your resolve. In this case, the evil was Mike & Ikes. I love Mike & Ikes. I try not to love Mike & Ikes, but I have a deep admiration for Mike & Ikes. All Mike & Ikes flavors. Grape, Tropical, Cherry… you know?

Right after I finish having a long day at the mall (I was sweating a ton), I was tired, slightly dehydrated and nutritionally vulnerable… Wouldn’t you know that the girls bought a box of Mike & Ikes?! Sat them right in my lap, too! What was I to do? The pressure was mounting. “Take a handful, I’m sure that won’t hurt you.” “You deserve it.” “You just had a long day.” “Do you also want to go to QT and get a sweet tea?” — AHHHHHHHH!, lol

Fortunately for me, I made up my mind on Sunday night that I am going to get in the best, the leanest most ripped I’ve ever been in my life. I have made the switch from gear 6 to gear 10. I have written down enough reasons as to why I’m going to work hard to reach my goals NOW. Nothing is going to stop me. Not even sweet tea and my beloved Mike & Ikes… Zoom, Zoom! 🙂

Yesterday, I was told that I move at a different speed than most people. At first it was almost like a dig. Then I realized, that if I don’t put all my effort into the things I’m doing, who will? There are billions of people living on this planet and there are some who work just as hard as I do, some probably even harder. Sitting in front of this computer, I’m tired right now. I woke up and went to the gym and worked out hard. My intensity was high so I’m fatigued. But, I’ve got things to do, speeches to write, blogs to post… 🙂

So, the comment has now inspired me to “Go Harder.” I was given the nickname “Neva Rest” by a good friend of mine a while back. That has not been the case as of late. I was actually letting some other people’s pace dictate mine. Well, I will not allow outside interference from any source to hold me back any longer. I’m on the cusp of something fantastic and it’s time to get it. I do hope those with me can keep up. 🙂

So, we (Choices) just had our first full assembly of the year. We had so much fun. We had planned, rehearsed and got ready for the event as much as we could. Two assemblies back to back. Of course, having one first thing in the morning is… well it can be interesting.

And, it was. Sound was not cooperating and we found out that many of the students had difficulty hearing us. When that happens, they will tune out or start speaking with their friends. And, that happened. Overall though, most of the students stayed tuned in and engaged. We received a ton of positive feedback.

Some of the not positive feedback shocked us a little bit. I know not everyone would be into the message. Some of it was just because they could not hear. Many of the black students seemed shocked that I was doing rock. That labeling thing. That’s the next assembly.

Overall, great event and I look forward to the next one. Students that were there from other schools came up to us and requested us at their school. The principal loved it. We have to keep plugging away and doing our best to relate and motivate. Somebody has to…

http://www.midnightgrafx.com/WESTVIEW2011/album/index.html

We all thought that it was going to rain and rain hard on Sunday. Thank goodness it didn’t. Yes, it sprinkled a little at first but then the sun came out and it was a beautiful day. At Kiwanis Park in Tempe we, along with Corporate Teamworks hosted a picnic for nearly 300 Fed Ex Employees. It was so much fun. There were a couple of inflatables, basketball, volleyball, horseshoes, plenty of food and we brought out two 42 inch screens for the employees to watch Nascar! Many more events to come. For those that want or need inflatables, food, etc contact us and we can make it happen!

I am working on training my mind to write daily. I am in the process of writing several plays and skits at the moment. God gave me some pretty cool talents and I’m doing my best to make time to cultivate as many of the gifts that he has given me. It can be a daunting thought sometimes. Not saying boastfully say that I’ve been given many talents, but to say that with what I have been given, it is my responsibility to develop [it] to maximize it. That is why I’m always reading something.

Recently, I stumbled on an oldie but goodie bookie 🙂 that has really captured my thoughts and my soul. That book is titled, “The Power of Positive Thinking” by, Norman Vincent Peale. I had heard of the author, yet I had never took the time to indulge in his works…until now. And, I am so glad that I did! Below, you will find an excerpt from the book. I read it and began to immediately feel empowered. So empowered, in fact that I immediately came downstairs to my computer and made a point to write this blog. Again, this is a word for word excerpt and I hope it blesses you as much as it blessed me. Be sure to read the whole thing. 🙂 Tank

The Power of Positive Thinking: Norman Vincent Peale

“A man who is self reliant, positive, optimistic and undertakes his work with the assurance of success magnetizes his condition. He draws to himself the creative powers of the universe.

It is indeed a fact that the person who thinks with positive self-reliance and optimism does magnetize his condition and releases power to attain his goal. So expect the best at all times. Never think the worst. Drop it out of your thought, relegate it. Let there be no thought in your mind that the worst will happen.

Avoid entertaining the concept of the worst, for whatever you take into your mind can grow there. Therefore take the best into your mind and only that. Nurture it, concentrate on it, emphasize it, visualize it, prayerize it, surround it with faith. Make it your obsession. Expect the best, and spiritually creative mind power aided by God power will produce the best.

It may be that as you read this, you are down to what you think is the worst and you may remark that no amount of thinking will affect your situation. The answer to that objection is that it simply isn’t so. Even if you may be down to the worst, release it, and rise up with it. This requires courage and character, to be sure, but the main requirement is faith. Cultivate faith and you will have the necessary courage and character.

I’m doing my best to keep to the commitment I made to blog every Friday and so far, so good. It helps that I am always getting contacted about Levi Johnston all the time. That keeps me fielding emails from all types of media outlets from USA Today to TMZ. At this moment, I am sitting down at my computer watching my forex charts. I have been looking for a good trade to end the week on. As I was doing that, a thought hit me and I wanted to share.

I have been trading for years now. In order to be successful, I have software that I study charts from. I practice (paper trade) to learn these charts and how they operate as best I can. I track the progress in my practices and then when I trade live (the real game), I look for setups that I have taken in my practice sessions. When I see those setups, I am supposed to trade them every time, or else it messes up my averages and my trading plan.

I saw a trade setup this morning that fit my criteria…and…I didn’t take it… It was like, I was up to bat, the pitcher threw me a strike down the middle and I didn’t swing.

There have been many great sports analogies given by authors and philosophers for a while now. The fact of the matter is that you really do miss 100% of the pitches that you don’t swing at. Pitches in baseball and opportunities in life are synonymous. I had an opportunity to have a positive trade. The trade actually worked out just as I thought it would have. But, I let the fear of being wrong, the embarrassment of a swing and a miss make me pass on the pitch, so opportunity missed…strike!

Fear has gripped the entire world! We have a tendency to think about past failures rather than past successes. We magnify the significance of the failure as a pattern and downplay the successes, attributing it to luck or something else. In other words we are more prone to program ourselves to look for ways to fail, more likely to wait for what we perceive as that perfect pitch coming down the middle of the strike zone rather than actively looking for ways to be a success, of getting up to bat and swinging at any pitch that’s in the “strike zone.”

Pitchers have many different types of pitches, just as life has many different types of opportunities. Life really is one big game of something. Those who succeed are those who practice diligently and visualize their success in the game, so when the game presents them with a hittable pitch, they swing. They know that practice and preparation are on their side. They know that in order to be a successful hitter, they have to get up there and swing.

Sure, they may miss. Sure, they may go into a slump. Even the best hitters get into slumps from time to time. That’s when they really begin to trust their practice sessions, trust their fundamentals and keep swinging.

I for one can no longer afford to let good pitches go by. It’s ok if I strike out. Some of the best hitters in baseball have high strike out rates. As a matter of fact, good hitters are successful only about 30% of the time they get up to bat. That 30% is good enough for millions of dollars and a shot at the hall of fame. Now, imagine if the great hitters of the game got up to the plate and just stood there?

Ask yourself, “Am I just standing there?” “What am I practicing for, success or failure?” “How can I get in the game?” This just “hit me,” so I wanted to share. Have a great weekend. Tank Jones aka Mr. Tankism

S.elf
E.xamination
T.ime-to
B.etter
A.nalyze-and
C.ourse
K.orrect

Have a wonderful weekend. 🙂

Just For Today: I will wake up with a smile on my face. I will treat others the way they would like to be treated. I will be the best person that I know that I can be this day, this right now.

Just for today: I will do everything in my power to bring the vision for my life as seen through my mind into physical reality. I will not procrastinate but will attempt to live every moment to its fullest.

Just for today: I will make sure that my loved ones know that I love them.

Just for today: I will focus my energy on making this the greatest today, the greatest now ever. I will create, not worry. I will leave tomorrow to “tomorrow” for it is not promised. I will leave yesterday behind, for no matter how much I want to, I do not yet know how to “bring it back.” Therefore, it does me no good to dwell on what I did “wrong” yesterday since it will not change.

I will have a great attitude.
I will act on my high priorities.
I will treat my body with respect and feed it right.
I will love my family and others.
I will have control of my thoughts.
I will have the faith of a mustard seed.

Just for today… 🙂