Teammates Win Epic Battle

 Nothing was going to stop us yesterday.  Not the snowstorm.  Not the long drive to the Quad City Tennis Club in Moline, IL.  Not even the fiercest opponents on the courts in the Men's 18+ 4.0 division in our state.  They showed up with young legs in the singles portion of the league match.  We countered with savvy play in our three doubles matches.  In the end, the match was decided in a 14-12 super tiebreaker.  Our guys have been working hard all year.  I wanted to give a shoutout to my teammates and congratulate them on an epic win.  I was extra happy to have thirty minutes to warm up and defrost my body before our doubles match began.  I was also fortunate to team up with one of the strongest servers on our team.  Thanks, Joe, for your great play yesterday.  We needed all three doubles wins to keep our 2021 winning streak alive.  Have a great day.

Trade Wars

We, humans, struggle with deferred gratification.   It's a trade war.  Trading what we have today, or some portion of what we have, for some far off benefit is a delicate balancing act.  The successful among us are willing to make that sacrifice and it works out well.  Those who are unwilling risk failure in the later years.

I feel good about the sacrifices I'm making today.  I find great joy living within my means.  Deferred gratification doesn't mean you also have to give up all the joys that are in the present moment.  It simply means you call a truce in your own personal trade war and find the right balance with your daily actions.  Small wins lead to great victories.  The first step is to become aware of how you are using your resources. Have a great day.

An Important Anniversary Today

 On this day, three years ago, I drifted off highway 149 while following a snowplow.  I thought that was going to be the end of my life.  Drifting off the road wasn't the bad part.  The horrific part was returning to the road totally out of control.  The impact was certain.  All I could think about was rotating my small Honda to keep our daughter from suffering the brunt of the force.  She was in the direct line of fire.  When the van hit us, he didn't see us until the last moment due to the haze in the air and the snowfall.  Looking back, I believe it was an act of God that spared my life.  Our daughter has one small cut on her lower lip from the shards of glass flying through the air upon impact.  Surprisingly, the doctors cleared me to leave the hospital 24 hours later.  The seven broken ribs eventually healed on their own.  The spleen healed enough overnight to eliminate the need for surgery.  As for the 600cc's of fluid from the pleural effusion, that was taken care of at a later date in a routine procedure.  I returned to competitive tennis.  My life is better than normal because of what I witnessed the day of the accident.  I saw emergency medical care first hand.  I remained awake the entire time while observing the medical team in the trauma center.  We are truly blessed to have the best medical care in the world.  I will be forever grateful for every day I've been given on this planet.  This is a great time to thank health care workers for all they do.  Thank you for saving my life.  Have a great day.

Blizzard Today

 It will be here any minute.  Another blizzard.  We already have over one foot of snow on the ground.  This storm will bring a dangerous combo of rain, snow, and sleet.  The road conditions will be hazardous. I'm hoping to leave early and get to my day job before Mother Nature strikes again.  On days like this, we don't see many people on the roads.  Today will be a great test for my anxiety training which began after a similar storm knocked me to the sidelines three years ago.  I'm ready.  Have a great day.

How is That Gratitude Journal Working Out?

 My gratitude journal entries are sporadic.  Sure, I'm grateful every day, but there are times when I slip out of my routine and forget to jot down the top ten things I'm grateful for.  Yesterday was a bit challenging for me.  I woke up struggling to stick with my regular positive routine.  The one thing that helped me get back to where I like to be is that gratitude journal.  I wrote down my top ten things I'm thankful for.  Then it hit me – I'm blessed, even on those challenging days.  This is the best way I know to deal with circumstances that are beyond your control.  All you really need is a blank sheet of paper and a pen.  Try it.  Have a great day.

Be a Winner at Head Games

 There's an easy way to find out how you're doing with head games.  If you're struggling to get out of bed on the first alarm, you can't get things done, or you easily cave every time you want to make a change in your life, you're losing.  The head games you play determine the outcome in almost every endeavor in your life.

Head games are not won outside your own head, even though your mind will argue otherwise.  Every time your mind tries to convince you that what's going on in the outside world is the reason for your failure, don't listen.  Don't cave.  Resist these thoughts.  They are only excuses.

I'll offer an example from my own life.  This morning I glanced at the weather forecast.  When the weather decreases, head chatter increases.  This week we will probably see -30º and that forecast is increasing the stakes in regards to my head games.  I can already tell you I'm going to win this battle no matter how bleak the weather may be.  I will get up on the first alarm.  I will prepare my body to go out into the elements.  My mind will not stop me because I know how to win at head games.  It's really a decision.  How about you?  What's your decision?  Have a great day.

Fabulous February is Here

Wow!  That was a fast month we just had.  Now it's fabulous February.  I say fabulous because it's another clean slate to create the kind of life you want.  How did those last thirty-one days go for you?  Is there anything you can do in this new month to make your life better?  Think of all the things you did well and the things that can be improved.  

One of the things I'm working on in my personal life is focusing on the day.  While upcoming events are fun to dream about, I'm savoring what today brings.  Life is a series of moments.  The moment we have right now is the most important.  If I can sustain that focus for the next 28 days, then this month will be fabulous.  How about you?  What are you going to do in fabulous February to improve your life?  Have a great day.