Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Just Live and Breathe

Greetings Happy People,

No matter who we are, we have certain troubles in our lives. Whether it is big or small, we seem to come across them. When one faces trouble, a couple things have to be realized:

1. As long as you have it, don’t let it have you. Troubles are only temporary and you can overcome it!!

2. To start dealing with it, one must first live and breathe.

That’s right. If we are able to live and breathe, we can take on anything that faces us. It shows our inner strength, our resilience, and our willingness to move forward with what we have.

For certain people, trouble seem to cover them at all angles. They feel desperate, hopeless, and think that they have no way out of it. That is when a certain question pops in their mind, “Is it really worth it?”

This is where I press the PAUSE button.

Is it really worth it? As long as one continues to live life and overcome things, it certainly is!! Some days are easier than others. Live forward and one can see it for themselves. I knew people that were not able to see this. They not only put permanent pain on themselves, but also on the ones they love. If they were able to see themselves afterwards, they would probably have a change of heart before they did what they did.

Again, troubles are only temporary and can be conquerable. Putting a permanent solution to a temporary problem might solve things, but the outcome will still be permanent. There are always better days ahead.

How does one begin to deal with trouble? Instead of turning our backs to it, we must first live,breathe and stop worrying. Worrying only feeds the trouble and makes it bigger than what it appears to be. Next, we turn around and face what is troubling us. Then, we have to have that thought in our minds that it can be conquered. Afterwards, we step to it. When we put that first foot forward, we are telling trouble that we are not afraid. We are also telling trouble that we will go through it. When one can do these things, it will become a little easier to handle certain types of trouble. The person that does this is the person that wins!!

The next time trouble shows up in one’s life, just remember that it is temporary. We can have trouble but it does not have to have us!! With the right amount of confidence, courage, and change, we can beat it!!

That is all I have for now. Take care and thank you for your time and attention.

Sincerely,

Jesse I-I-I

Friday, June 18, 2010

Tempting to Cheat?

Greetings Happy People,

Have you ever wanted to get ahead in life? If so, what path are you willing to take?

In today’s society, we see many people get ahead through taking different shortcuts. Whether it is through one way or another, they seem that they are getting a major advantage. While one may think this is unfair, they are tempted to try that same path. I am here to tell you that you’re better than that!!

There are some people that would ask, “But Jesse, we are living in rough times!! I am barely struggling with things the way they are!! Are you really telling me to stay away from something so tempting?”

To that I respond. Yes!!

While taking the shortcut may be an easy way to get to where you want to go, you got to remember that something that may be easy always has a price in the end. Somehow, someway, and sometime, the people that take these shortcuts are going to be found out for the frauds they really are. What may look good on the surface is not really what it seems. Underneath the surface, you get to see that the picture is not so pretty.

When one is tempted to take a shortcut, one must consider the long run and ask “Is it really worth it?” Sadly, not too many people look at this perspective. They rather get to the right now, right fast!! Believe me, it is not the way to go!!

Instead, start at your own starting point. Then stay the course until you get to where you want to go. It may take a while, but at least you are doing the right thing and not having to look over your shoulder every few seconds. When you chart your own course and do the right thing, you have no worries because you know that you have done nothing wrong!!

Compare this to the person that rather take the shortcut and cheat. The only person they are cheating is the person in the mirror. Things may look good on paper, but when it comes to the real thing – it just looks ugly!!

If you want some good advice from this post, please remember that certain shortcuts are not the right way to go through life!! You may not hurt yourself now, but you will hurt yourself later in the process. Trust me, you ARE better than that!!

That is all I have for now. Take care and thank you for your time and attention.

Sincerely,

Jesse Oakley I-I-I

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Oh Sherrie!!

Greetings Happy People,

The following message is a tribute to an awesome Toastmaster. As she completes her term as District Governor, I would like to say a few words about her. No matter what roles she served, this woman left a legacy for many people to follow – including myself. Her style and class puts her beyond Distinguished on many levels. She is courageous, amazing, and a true dynamo. She is none other than Sherrie Parker.

When I met her five years ago, she greeted me with a nice warm smile. When we started our terms as Area Governors, I knew that this was a person I can work with pretty well. She had a knack for putting things together. Whether it was for an Area Contest, finding a new club, or stepping in as a Division representative, Sherrie had the ability to do these things with complete magnificence.

When she stepped in as a Division Governor, she was looking for an Area Governor to serve for the 2006-2007 year. Knowing the strong leader she was, plus adding a few strawberries into the deal, I served as one of her Area Governors. Becoming an Area Governor for the second year in a row was totally worth it!! We had a pretty successful year not only because of some amazing Area Governors, but also with Sherrie’s uncommonly valuable leadership. There were six Areas in our Division and ALL of them became Distinguished or better!!

Looking at the success of her Area and Division Governorship, it is no wonder why two past District Governors awarded her with Area and Division Governor of the Year awards. Yes Happy People!! She is that darn good!!

Whether it is with one person or one hundred people, Sherrie has the ability to talk to a person with comfort. The wise words she gives can make anyone feel good. No matter how bad things can get, she is there to brighten up things with some great encouragement. Knowing this, I feel very fortunate to meet such a dynamic lady!!

When she steps down as District Governor on June 30th, what type of legacy will she leave behind for this District? She will leave a legacy of great leadership. She will leave a legacy of exceptional wisdom. She will leave a legacy of inspiration that will never be matched, but only emulated. These are the legacies she will give to future leaders like you and me.

Thank you Sherrie!! You are quite the inspiration!!

That is all I have for now. Take care and thank you for your time and attention.

Sincerely,

Jesse I-I-I

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Surround Yourself With Greatness

Greetings Happy People,

For the next message, I want you to look at the people you surround yourself with. Go ahead, look at your left. Now look at your right. When it comes to these people, ask yourself the following questions.

“Do they make you feel good?”

“Do they want you to better yourself?”

“Do they appreciate you?”

“Do they want you to succeed?”

Or do they want the complete opposite??

If the people surrounding you do not want you to succeed, you really should not hang around with them. The more you do, the deeper they will drag you down. Why they want to do this? I have no idea!!

Instead ally yourself with more positive people. Hang around with people that want you to succeed. Hang around with people that want YOU to better yourself!! Hang around with people that want you to do well. They are the ones that will take you farther than you can imagine.

That is one of many reasons why I like Toastmasters so much. You have lots of positive people in the organization that are there to help you become a better speaker, better leader, and better person!! You can also meet some cool people in the same process. If I did not like it, I would not have been there.

Being around good people is amazing. I believe that the success of one person is based on the company he or she keeps. It has been proven many times, with many people, in many different scenarios!!

What if you find yourself surrounded by people that don’t want you to succeed? First, ask yourself is why you are there in the first place? Whether you are able to answer that question or not, the following choice is up to you!! You can either stay where you are and drown yourself with more of the same OR get out of the rut and be in a better environment. The choice is up to you!!

You have the right to feel good. You have the right to succeed. You have the right to surround yourself with greatness!! It is possible and it will happen, once you decide to make that change for yourself.

That is all I have for now. Take care and thank you for your time and attention.

Sincerely,

Jesse I-I-I

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Mentoring DOES Matter

Greetings Happy People,

For the next few seconds, I want you to close your eyes and clear all thoughts.

With your eyes closed, I want you to imagine someone that has been a major influence in your life. Do you have that mental picture? Who do you see? Is it a parent, a teacher, a co-worker, a friend? Chances are that without this person, you would not be where you are. Okay you can open your eyes now.

The message I have for you today began with a trip to Phoenix, Arizona. I attended the 2007 World Championship of Public Speaking. I was there to support fellow Toastmaster and world class speaker Bryant Pergerson. He was one of ten finalists from all over the world competing in this final round of competition. The speech he gave at that contest was all about the importance of mentoring. He made his point by telling stories on how he was mentored by his dad and how he mentored his son. Despite the fact that he did not win this speech contest, he did win by instilling his message to the audience.

On the flight back to Las Vegas, I can only think of the people that influenced my life. There were so many of them to count. From the ol’ man to different teachers, each person has made an impact on my life. If they weren’t there, I would be living a different life. There were those moments where I mentored a few people. Whether it is by playing chess or helping them with their speech, I made an impact on someone else’s life. Amazing isn’t it?

The value of mentorship goes further than one thinks. Mentoring is a tool that makes us better people. It may take some time to teach a person how to do something, but the results from one’s mentorship is priceless. You do not have to be an Einstein to be a mentor. You just have to be yourself. There are no limits to this power. With it, we can go anywhere and do anything. Without it, no one knows where we will go. To make a difference in one’s life, all we have to do is just be a mentor. Who knows what can be created through this process?

That is all I have for you today. Take care and thank you for your time and attention.

Sincerely,

Jesse I-I-I

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