Get Your Poop in a Group!

I don’t like reading instructions. I like to just get right into it and figure it out on my own. It may be because I am anxious to get going, don’t have the patience to wait or I like the challenge of wanting to figure it out on my own. Whatever the reason I just don’t like reading instructions. That is one of the main reasons I love my Macintosh computer. Never once have I had to read instructions in order to get it to do what I want it to do. It is so intuitive and user friendly that I have never found the need to pull out or read the instructions. In fact, my father in law just received the new iPad from Apple, and true to form, there were no instructions in the box.

I must confess however, that my distaste for instructions and desire to jump headlong into a “some assembly required” project has left me a little exasperated, frustrated and I’ll admit it, left me with a few pieces left over; unsure of where they go or how to get it to operate the way the manufacturer intended it to.

So, I end up taking more time to disassemble, untangle the mess and start over so I can get it to function properly. Sometimes I have tried to make do without going back to the beginning and doing it the right way, and it sometimes works, some of the time. But, most often I am left with a dysfunctional item that does not do what it was created to do.

Although I may not always like it, I have found that taking a few moments to read the instructions actually saves time and improves functionality. The owner’s manual and instructions were given to help, not hinder, even though it may not appear that way when I am anxious to get going.

It is very similar to starting my day without taking the time to read the instructions for my life. The BIBLE stands for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. Taking a few extra minutes before I get going each day to read the “instructions” saves me time, frustration and improves my functionality to live a full and abundant life that God promises in His little instruction book.

The BIBLE is the “owner’s manual” for our life. It was given not to hinder, but to help and to prepare us for the future so that we may be able to live with skill and wisdom. God is the “manufacturer” who created us and He has given us the instructions in which to operate and “put all the pieces together.”

One of these days I may actually get it all figured out and put the pieces together but, until I do, I’ll keep on reading the instructions. I don’t have time to waste anymore!

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You may have wondered how detrimental your drinking habits really are on your muscle-building progress. Is it really that harmful to go out with the guys and have a few beers after work on a Friday? If you’re trying to get lean, does this mean you should forgo all alcohol for the next month or two? Or, if you are really diligent with the rest of your diet, can you indulge on the weekend with a few cold ones?

Many guys would rather have a few drinks on the weekend than cheat with food that’s not a part of their diet plan. While some struggle to cut out foods, for others, cutting out drinking is the real challenge.

So, what’s the answer to the correlation between alcohol and muscles? How does alcohol affect the muscle-building process?

By understanding what happens when you drink, you can make your own judgment calls as to whether or not alcohol should be included in your workout and muscle-building plan. Here’s what you need to know about alcohol and muscles.

Alcohol and growth hormones

One major issue with the consumption of alcohol has to do with its effects on the release of growth hormone. Growth hormone is the substance in the body that plays a very large role when it comes to building muscle, stimulating other cell growth and development and promoting optimal bone growth. When this hormone is low, you aren’t going to get the same amount of muscle development as you would when it’s at an optimal level.

Growth hormone is predominately secreted during the early sleeping hours of the night and because alcohol tends to disrupt natural sleep rhythms, it will decrease the amount of growth hormone released. This decrease can be up to as much as 70%, so it will really short-circuit the progress you are able to make.

Alcohol and testosterone

The next factor to consider is alcohol’s effect on testosterone. As you likely know, testosterone is another huge hormone associated with muscle growth and is the reason why men carry a great deal more muscle mass than women (since men have more testosterone flowing through their bodies).

When you consume alcohol, however, a substance is produced in the liver that is toxic to the release of testosterone. This substance decreases the concentration of testosterone in the body, resulting in lower muscles mass and definition. So, when you consider all the hard work you put in at the gym, also consider the affects derived from the combination of alcohol and muscles.

Alcohol and recovery

Another area that alcohol affects when it comes to muscle building is your ability to recover. Since alcohol is a toxin to the body, energy is going to have to be expended in order to remove it from the system and to recover from any negative effects it has had on the tissues.

Since this takes time and energy reserves, you won’t have as much energy in store to recover from your workouts, therefore, you will not be as fresh when you return for your next gym session.

Alcohol and muscles don’t usually get along, so consume with care…

Effects Of Alcohol On Muslces

Alcohol and dehydration

Dehydration is another issue you have to watch out for if you choose to drink alcohol while trying to build muscle and work out. Since alcohol acts as a diuretic in the body, unless you are sure to replace the extra fluid with water or another nonalcoholic beverage that doesn’t contain caffeine, your natural water balance will be disrupted.

Dehydration has a number of negative effects on the body, from inducing feelings of fatigue to causing low physical performance, making you feel hungrier (which is especially problematic while dieting), and disrupting the ability of the muscle cells to produce ATP — which is your primary source of muscular energy.

Alcohol and glycogen synthesis

Aside from ATP, the next source for muscular work is stored muscle glycogen. Unfortunately, though, when you consume alcoholic beverages, alcohol synthesis will take precedence over glycogen synthesis, resulting in decreased stores in the muscle cells.

When you go to do your next workout, your body will have less energy to run on, causing fatigue to set in early.

When your workouts end prematurely, you don’t derive as many benefits in terms of increases in strength since the necessary overloading stimulus (which is partly defined through volume of weights lifted) will not be increased.

Alcohol and aerobic ability

If you aren’t as concerned with your strength levels and figure this means alcohol is a safe bet for you, you may want to think again. Even when it comes to aerobic activities, alcohol affects performance.

In this scenario, alcohol can cause an increase in blood pressure throughout the body and a corresponding increase in heart rate.

Since your heart will already be working at an increased rate during aerobic activities, the additional stress from the alcohol will only amplify the heart rate and make the exercise feel harder than it should.

Alcohol and body fat

Finally, the last issue surrounding alcohol consumption is that it contains calories, and these do add up quickly. Typically, you’ll likely find yourself drinking beer, wine or hard liquors, which do contain fewer calories than the fancier, sweeter-tasting cocktails that women often drink, so at least that’s an advantage.

Still, at seven calories per gram, after three or four drinks, these calories would equal a good-sized meal. Unless you are going to cut down on food intake in order to make room for these calories (which is rare, as usually you’ll actually find yourself snacking on high-calorie items such as nuts, pizza, wings or nachos), fat gain will result.

booze builds bellies

So, next time you’re contemplating whether or not you should have that drink, keep these factors in mind. Definitely, alcohol and muscle building are not a good pair, as stated by all these points, but if you aren’t training for any major athletic event or getting ready to step on stage for a bodybuilding competition, chances are that you can afford yourself one or two drinks once in a while without having to worry too much.

Just keep moderation in mind and try your best to consume extra water with the alcohol, eat more vegetables during the rest of the day (to increase nutrient content in your diet while decreasing calories) and allow for a little extra sleep time if you can after you’ve had a few drinks.

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Written primarily to 13-18 year old young men, King Solomon’s book of Proverbs gives a recorded account of the wisdom of the ages.  Solomon is regarded as the most wise, most wealthy and most powerful man ever to live in history.  His words have encouraged and helped young men to live a life of purpose, on purpose, by using wisdom and counsel to live with skill.

I remember reading these first when I was about 12 years old and have read them regularly for the past 30 years.  Each year they seem to have a more deep and penetrating meaning that applies to all areas of my life.  There is no question that they work.  My challenge is consistently applying them.

The most effective way for me to read them has been to read one chapter each day, preferably in the morning.  There are 31 chapters and they only take a minute or two to read.  I can’t help but think that King Solomon wrote them this way for his own kids.  He probably had the “read one a day” idea in mind when he wrote them.  His purpose is to help a boy become a man by helping him turn chaos into order in his life.

The main points in Proverbs are as follows:

1.  A Call to Wisdom

2.  Sexual Immorality

3.  Lending Money

4.  Positive Personal Character Development

5.  The Fool

6.  Family Relationships

7.  Prosperity

8.  Significance of Words

9.  Value of Work and the Sin of Laziness

10.  Honesty and Integrity

11.  Discipline

12.  Sovereignty of God

13.  The Fear of God

14.  Happiness

15.  Pride and Humility

16.  Counsel/Advice

17.  Giving

18.  Anger, Hatred & Contentions

19.  Friends and Neighbors

20.  Drunkeness & Gluttony

21.  Revenge

22.  Description of an Excellent Wife

For a free .pdf copy of Proverbs send an email to rj@getyourpoopinagroup.com and put “Proverbs” in the subject.

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Contrary to popular belief the governor of Michigan knows how to create jobs. Yeah, yeah, I can hear you saying, “Michigan has the worst economy and the highest unemployment in the country for four years running!” Sadly, you would be correct. I even heard that Dave Ramsey told a recent caller on his radio show who was having trouble selling their house, “Well the first thing you need to do is get out of Michigan.”

But, for all of the faults of Jennifer Granholm, she understands how to create jobs because she has done it. In an attempt to encourage Hollywood to create movies in Michigan she provided big tax breaks for them. And guess what? You guessed it. Hollywood came to Michigan!

She understands perfectly how to create economic activity, which in turn creates jobs.

It makes perfect sense too. I mean after all, any self-respecting woman with style and flair knows the importance of a sale. The department stores know this as well. You want traffic in your store? Have a sale. The bigger the sale, the more traffic you will attract. It is that same idea that worked to get movies to Michigan. So, she understands it and knows that it works.

The question remains however, why does she not employ the same logic and successful plan to the entire state? Could it be her connection to the unions and special interests? I don’t know, maybe.

Regardless, here is a Job Creation Guarantee. Use the same tax cutting idea for the movie industry in the entire state and Michigan will have a job creation bonanza. As soon as businesses across the country see that Michigan has cut taxes & red tape and it is easier to make a profit here than in any other state, they will come. The tax revenue would go up due to all of the new economic activity and finally we could pay our schools and more importantly our teachers, what they are worth.

But, you can’t do any of that in a high tax, high fees, and mountains of red tape state. Business will stay away, and the people she is most trying to protect, families and children will be hurt the most. Because businesses are in business to make a profit, they will go wherever they can, to make it. Don’t fight it, work with it.

Right now she is like the CEO of Target charging Nordstrom prices. She wouldn’t shop there and that is why business stays away from Michigan.

RJ Regan is the author of “Gambling for Life: Stacking the odds in your favor for more money and great sex”. He can be contacted at www.gamblingforlife.com

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How many times have you heard or said, “I’ll always have a car payment”? That’s the normal way of thinking. But normal is broke. We want to be WEIRD! To get new results, you have to try new things.

So think about this:

• What if you decided to stop messing with car payments?
• What if you invested that old car payment every month instead of giving it away to the bank?
• What if we showed you a six-year plan that would put you in free cars for the rest of your life?
• What if that plan also made you a millionaire?

Interested? Watch the video to learn how to drive free and retire rich!Drive Free & Retire Rich

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I guess I am a dreamer, or at least hopeful. But, all that has now changed after listening to a recent speech made by President Obama. As he calls them, “The Fortunate Few” referring to the “haves” in this country as though their position in life was based on luck or the lottery and having nothing to do with hard, hard work.

He is right of course, there are fewer rich than poor in this country, that is without debate. What I can’t see however is how instead of looking at behavior leading to result (ie hard work, saving & investing) President Obama views “fortune” like rubbing a crystal ball, becoming a movie or music star, marrying into it, hitting the lottery, lying, cheating stealing or taking advantage of someone. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

That is what is most disappointing with what he said. Instead of continuing to foster a false belief of wealth and the wealthy in this country why not speak the truth and really give Americans the hope and change that they were expecting when they voted him into office?

The truth is, if a high school student at age 16 takes the money he spends on pizza, cd’s and movies and invests it each and every month he will retire a multi-millionaire. That’s right a multi-millionaire. He actually would have almost $3.5M at age 65.

Anyone can do it if they have a mustard seed of discipline, a thimbleful of wisdom and the TRUTH. It is not rocket science. You don’t need to have Michael Jordan’s jump shot, William Buffet’s investment prowess or Brad Pitt’s screen appeal. In fact, over 80% of all millionaires are first generation rich. That’s right, you read that right. First generation. That means they were not born with a silver spoon in their mouth or a trust fund in the bank. They were born just regular lower and middle class Americans.

What is even more amazing is that LEGAL immigrants, the ones who LEGALLY came to the USA and followed the rules, are 4x more likely to become millionaires than those born in this country. These are people who knew nothing of the culture, language and education system of the United States and they succeed at a far higher rate than those born here. Would they be considered the “fortunate few” as well? Maybe, only if you considered them “fortunate” by being able to come to this great country. But, how do you explain the people who actually were born here?

Why don’t more people become financially secure? May I suggest that they are missing one key ingredient? The “fortunate few” had the same opportunities that everybody else had, but they did have one thing that all the others did not have. It is that one thing is what made all the difference in the world.

That one thing is a plan. They planned to be financially secure and took small baby steps early on and continued to compound that growth throughout their life. It was not about getting rich quick, it was about getting rich slowly. They planned to be disciplined and they knew that the only person that they could rely on here on Earth was themselves. They didn’t leave their future in the hands of government, a company or anyone else for that matter. That attitude is just plain weird in today’s culture, plus it is a lot of hard work.

That is the REAL reason why there are so few of the so called “rich.” It’s HARD WORK and it TAKES TIME. Two of the things that are repulsive in today’s fast pace, microwave it, easy does it, laid back, give me a handout, you owe me, I’m a victim, world of far too many Americans today.

Martin Luther King had a dream. His was a dream that someday people would be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. President Obama ran his campaign on a message of hope and change. May I humbly suggest that he stop blaming and pointing fingers and start giving hope where it belongs, to the individuals in this country and not in government. This is still the greatest country in the world. It is the land of opportunity and freedom and is still the place that individuals wish to live. After all, 30 Million illegal immigrants can’t be wrong, can they?

It got this way through limited government, private property rights and low taxes. A real message of hope and change would include those items. The President could help restore the dream by speaking truth and giving hope back to people again.

RJ Regan is the author of “Gambling for Life: Stacking the odds in your favor for more money and great sex”. He can be contacted at www.gamblingforlife.com

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This is posted, in part, to answer the early post on Socialism and “what works?”  Regardless of your political persuasion, we all live in the greatest country in the world.  40 Million illegal immigrants can’t be wrong can they?

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

The True Story of Thanksgiving

The story of the Pilgrims begins in the early part of the seventeenth century. The Church of England under King James I was persecuting anyone and everyone who did not recognize its absolute civil and spiritual authority. Those who challenged ecclesiastical authority and those who believed strongly in freedom of worship were hunted down, imprisoned, and sometimes executed for their beliefs. A group of separatists first fled to Holland and established a community.

“After eleven years, about forty of them agreed to make a perilous journey to the New World, where they would certainly face hardships, but could live and worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences. On August 1, 1620, the Mayflower set sail. It carried a total of 102 passengers, including forty Pilgrims led by William Bradford. On the journey, Bradford set up an agreement, a contract, that established just and equal laws for all members of the new community, irrespective of their religious beliefs. Where did the revolutionary ideas expressed in the Mayflower Compact come from? From the Bible. The Pilgrims were a people completely steeped in the lessons of the Old and New Testaments. They looked to the ancient Israelites for their example.

“And, because of the biblical precedents set forth in Scripture, they never doubted that their experiment would work. But this was no pleasure cruise, friends. The journey to the New World was a long and arduous one. And when the Pilgrims landed in New England in November, they found, according to Bradford’s detailed journal, a cold, barren, desolate wilderness. There were no friends to greet them, he wrote. There were no houses to shelter them. There were no inns where they could refresh themselves. And the sacrifice they had made for freedom was just beginning. During the first winter, half the Pilgrims – including Bradford’s own wife – died of either starvation, sickness or exposure. When spring finally came, Indians taught the settlers how to plant corn, fish for cod and skin beavers for coats.

“Life improved for the Pilgrims, but they did not yet prosper! This is important to understand because this is where modern American history lessons often end. Thanksgiving is actually explained in some textbooks as a holiday for which the Pilgrims gave thanks to the Indians for saving their lives, rather than as a devout expression of gratitude grounded in the tradition of both the Old and New Testaments. Here is the part that has been omitted: The original contract the Pilgrims had entered into with their merchant-sponsors in London called for everything they produced to go into a common store, and each member of the community was entitled to one common share. All of the land they cleared and the houses they built belong to the community as well. They were going to distribute it equally. All of the land they cleared and the houses they built belonged to the community as well.

“Nobody owned anything. They just had a share in it. It was a commune, folks. It was the forerunner to the communes we saw in the ’60s and ’70s out in California – and it was complete with organic vegetables, by the way. Bradford, who had become the new governor of the colony, recognized that this form of collectivism was as costly and destructive to the Pilgrims as that first harsh winter, which had taken so many lives. He decided to take bold action. Bradford assigned a plot of land to each family to work and manage, thus turning loose the power of the marketplace. That’s right. Long before Karl Marx was even born, the Pilgrims had discovered and experimented with what could only be described as socialism. And what happened? It didn’t work!”

“It never has worked! “What Bradford and his community found was that the most creative and industrious people had no incentive to work any harder than anyone else, unless they could utilize the power of personal motivation! But while most of the rest of the world has been experimenting with socialism for well over a hundred years – trying to refine it, perfect it, and re-invent it – the Pilgrims decided early on to scrap it permanently. What Bradford wrote about this social experiment should be in every schoolchild’s history lesson. If it were, we might prevent much needless suffering in the future. ‘The experience that we had in this common course and condition, tried sundry years…that by taking away property, and bringing community into a common wealth, would make them happy and flourishing – as if they were wiser than God,’ Bradford wrote.

“‘For this community [so far as it was] was found to breed much confusion and discontent, and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort. For young men that were most able and fit for labor and service did repine that they should spend their time and strength to work for other men’s wives and children without any recompense … that was thought injustice.’ Why should you work for other people when you can’t work for yourself? What’s the point? Do you hear what he was saying, ladies and gentlemen? The Pilgrims found that people could not be expected to do their best work without incentive. So what did Bradford’s community try next? They unharnessed the power of good old free enterprise by invoking the undergirding capitalistic principle of private property.

“Every family was assigned its own plot of land to work and permitted to market its own crops and products. And what was the result? ‘This had very good success,’ wrote Bradford, ‘for it made all hands industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been.’ Bradford doesn’t sound like much of a Clintonite” I wrote then “does he? Is it possible that supply-side economics could have existed before the 1980s? Yes. Read the story of Joseph and Pharaoh in Genesis 41. Following Joseph’s suggestion (Gen 41:34), Pharaoh reduced the tax on Egyptians to 20% during the ’seven years of plenty’ and the ‘Earth brought forth in heaps.’ (Gen. 41:47) In no time, the Pilgrims found they had more food than they could eat themselves.

“Now, this is where it gets really good, folks, if you’re laboring under the misconception that I was, as I was taught in school. So they set up trading posts and exchanged goods with the Indians. The profits allowed them to pay off their debts to the merchants in London. And the success and prosperity of the Plymouth settlement attracted more Europeans and began what came to be known as the ‘Great Puritan Migration.’” But this story stops when the Indians taught the newly arrived suffering in socialism Pilgrims how to plant corn and fish for cod. That’s where the story stops, and the story basically doesn’t even begin there. The real story of Thanksgiving is William Bradford giving thanks to God for the guidance and the inspiration to set up a thriving colony. The bounty was shared with the Indians. They did sit down and they had dinner, and I think they had a turkey, but it was not the Indians who saved the day. It was capitalism and Scripture which saved the day.” (From “See, I told You So” Chapter 6)

Bonus question:  In addition to the above Bible Verses, does anyone know the Bible verse (in the New Testament) Bradford used to base his new direction for the colony? Correct answers get a free “Truth Wins” bumper sticker!  Hubba Hubba!

RJ Regan is the author of Gambling for Life: Stacking the odds in your favor for more money and great sex.  He can be contacted at www.gamblingforlife.com

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It has been said that bad habits are easy to form and hard to live with and good habits are hard to form and easy to live with. If that is true then I must be careful of the habits I develop and the appetites for which I foster. Your habits are like a slave master running on automatic pilot. They can either be a wonderful helper or the most devious of destroyers.

Paul, one of the earliest Christian teachers taught to “take every thought captive” and “to see that no one take you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world. . .” For this reason you must be careful what you allow to, affect your thinking. It is almost like he is saying, “It is time to graduate from elementary school and live with skill and sound judgment.”

You see, our United States culture, as wonderful as it is, no longer has any safe guards for discouraging poor behavior. Anything goes. This is also true inside the Church. You can find support for just about any desire that you have on Sunday morning as you can throughout the week.

The habits we keep in secret are the most destructive because they not only deceive other people, but they also deceive you. Remember that you can fool your spouse, fool your boss, fool your friends and even fool yourself, but you can never fool God; for He is not mocked. You will reap what you sow. Not to think so is just being naïve.

For this reason it is imperative that you look honestly at your life and actions and what you are doing. This takes courage and guts because it means honest and open exploration of who you are and what you are doing. This is probably the most difficult of all steps, but is a critical first step to take. Only when we honestly look inside do we begin to see our utter depravity and shortcomings. I see that I am helpless by myself. MY heart is wicked and desperately sick, even I cannot understand it. Like a leopard cannot change his spots, I cannot change who I am, but I can change my behavior - with help.

It is at this bleak state that the hope of the cross and the Holy Spirit comes to the rescue. My nature and desire for bad habits will never change, but I can chose to walk in a different manner. But, it is not easy. Which is why the Lord sent the follower of Christ a “Helper” in the Holy Spirit.

The wall of a bad habit must come down the same way that they went up, one brick at a time. In all probability it will be difficult, which is why the help of the Holy Spirit in a Believers life is so critical. Do not quench the Spirit in your life for it is your only hope for change for the better.

With our will we can choose our thoughts. Our thoughts dictate our actions. Our actions form habits. Our habits develop character. Our character determines our destiny.

Habits are the actions that yield results. But, remember that it begins deep within your spirit and with the will. You can choose what you will and will not act upon.

The most effective way to eliminate a destructive habit is to replace it with a productive one. Like Erasmus said, “A nail is driven out by another nail; habit is overcome by habit.” I dare you to take a 30-day test to attack and destroy just one bad habit that is holding you back from living the life you were created to live. Not two or ten habits, just one. For thirty days, I dare you to attack one and utterly destroy it. Do whatever it takes to eradicate it from your life once and for all.

RJ Regan is the author of Gambling for Life: Stacking the odds in your favor for more money and great sex. He can be contacted at www.gamblingforlife.com

Good habits, which bring our lower passions and appetites under automatic control, leave our natures free to explore the larger experiences of life. Too many of us divide and dissipate our energies in debating actions which should be taken for granted.

Ralph W. Sockman

Each year, one vicious habit rooted out, in time ought to make the worst man good. Benjamin Franklin

Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.

Mark Twain

Nothing is stronger than habit. 
Ovid

Pursuits become habits. 
Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso)

Habit, if not resisted, soon becomes necessity. 
Saint Augustine

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Twin Towers of Motivation

There are many things that motivate people to take action. There is guilt, obligation, love, pleasure, pain, fear and pride for example. But, may I suggest two motivators that I believe are the most positive and sustainable of them all. They help sustain in times of struggle and disappointment and will continue to push and pull you in a direction that you want to go even when you may not feel like it. What are the Twin Towers of Motivation? Hope and Victory.

One pulls you to a desired outcome where the other encourages and gives a confidence that sees it through. For example, I recently started working as a professional recruiter, you know, a “head-hunter.” I help people find great jobs and help companies find exceptional people. Basically, I am a social worker who likes money. It is a “front end loaded” job meaning, you have to put in a ton of effort and work at the front end before you ever start to see any positive results.

The first few months of any job are easily sustainable. You want to make a good impression, everything is new and exciting and learning something new makes everyday a new adventure. But, soon after the newness wears off, and something must sustain you to keep giving your best day after day, even when you don’t feel like it. That something is victory and hope.

You see in high school I won the “Trojan Award” which was given to the person who always gave his best, even if he didn’t play a lot on the football field. I was like the character Rudy who got beat up day after day by the Notre Dame football team but never saw action in the field of battle. The award was a great honor for me and helped solidify in my mind the type of person I am. I don’t give up in the time of testing and adversity. I put my head down and go for one more play. Winning that award, (the “victory”) helped sustain me when I wanted to quit later in life.

I was able to recall my past victory and use it to sustain a current course of action. I thought, “If I did it before, I can do it again. This is no different than the high school football team.” It helped define who I am. I give my best no matter what the outcome.

The other thing that sustains motivation is hope. Hope is the anticipation of future gain or the avoidance of future pain. The bigger your hope, the bigger the motivation. But, if your hope is not clear or if you don’t believe that there is a reasonable chance for success, you will fail in the time of trial and testing. Hope will not disappoint as long as it is true, you keep it clearly in your mind and focus on it.

So, think about it. What obstacles have you overcome in the past that encourages you to keep going? Have you lost some weight, finished a race, quit smoking, graduated high school, earned an “A”? Remember those past successes and let them help you get going now. And where are you going? What are you hoping for? Keep those pictures firmly in your mind and allow them to sink deep inside you so that you can see them clearly. For if the promise of hope is clear, you will sustain the effort and pay almost any price.

Victory and hope. The twin towers of motivation to give your best effort today, and tomorrow.

RJ Regan is the author of “Gambling for Life: Stacking the odds in your favor for more money and great sex”. He can be contacted at www.gamblingforlife.com

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Not that long ago, I was in a Sunday school class for parents of teenagers.  One parent after another began lamenting about what their teens were or were not doing.  It ranged from drug and alcohol abuse, to sex, disobedience and less than perfect grades in school. 

I could tell it was turning into more of a group gripe session than trying to help encourage or solve anything so I broke up the discussion by asking, “Why wouldn’t they want to do all of those things?  They’re fun aren’t they?”

With incredulous looks, all heads turned to me.  One finally said (somewhat sternly I might add), “They shouldn’t do it because the Bible says so.”  My response of “So, what?” yielded looks of disbelief and then the blank stares set in.  That was their only answer; “The Bible says so.”

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I agree with what they said, but as parents of teens, often times we are no longer given a respectful pass as knowing what we are talking about.  There are times when we must be like good marketers and salesman.  “Sell the sizzle, not the steak” as the they say.  For example, tell them why it is in their best interest, IN ADDITION TO because the Bible says so.

Keep in mind that everyone listens to the same radio station, WIIFM, or more commonly known as “What’s In It For Me.”  Help these young men and women connect the dots so they can see WHY they should do what you say.  If there isn’t a good reason why they should, well then, maybe they shouldn’t.

There are all sorts of sources and websites that add support to the practical reasons why you should live a prudent life.  For example, everyone knows that if you have unprotected sex there is increased risk for pregnancy, AIDS and std’s.  But, how many know that sex before marriage increases the likelihood of depression by 600% and the likelihood of suicide by 300%?  Not to mention the fact that fooling around before marriage hinders the relationship after marriage. 

You see, someone can use protection to eliminate the risk for pregnancy, AIDS, and std’s.  But, there is no protection out there that will eliminate those other risks.  So, for the mental well being of your teen as well as increasing the odds of having a GREAT marriage in the future, the wise young man or women will take a gamble on staying pure.

Did you also know that the younger a person starts doing drugs or using alcohol, the more likely they are to become addicted later in life?  That can have serious negative consequences later on.  If they want the high that it gives (Who doesn’t?  It is fun, isn’t it?), why not take them bungee jumping or skydiving?  That will give a thrill without the hazardous side effects and consequences.

The point is, instead of being at odds with them, get on the same page and focus on what is truly important to them.  What kind of life do they want?  How are they gifted?  What really turns them on?  Then do whatever you can to help them achieve their goals.  If they see you as an asset to what they truly want, instead of a liability, they will be much more inclined to listen.  They just have to see that it is their best interest.  Help them think it through and do whatever you can (short of sin) to help them get what they truly want.

Who knows, you may end up not being able to get rid of them, which opens up a whole new set of issues!  

RJ Regan is the author of Gambling for Life: Swinging the odds in your favor for more money and great sex.  He is a resident of East Grand Rapids, MI, married to his sweetheart Julie, father of four, an entrepreneur, speaker and life coach.  His website is www.getyourpoopinagroup.com

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