Raise Your Hand...to Volunteer

"What a crazy day! My mind is racing, I’m tired and I just can’t wait to go home, eat a good meal, watch my favorite TV show and get a good night’s sleep!”

Sounds like an average night doesn’t it? Well…it all depends on who you talk to.

Did you know that?

• 1 billion children live in poverty (1 in 2 children in the world)
• 640 million live without adequate shelter
• 400 million have no access to safe water
• 270 million have no access to health services
• 10.6 million died in 2003 before they reached the age of 5
• Half the world (nearly three billion people) live on less than two dollars a day
• Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names
• Less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn’t happen
• The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the poorest 48 nations (i.e. a quarter of the world’s countries) is less than the wealth of the world’s three richest people combined

As you can see the options of having a job, having a home to go to, having food on the table (even having a table), affording entertainment and having a bed to sleep on are not available to everyone. In a society where Capitalism is king and people engulf themselves in celebrity love triangles, the average person loses site of what is truly important in the whole scheme of things. The true essence of humanity is simply lost in the shuffle of our everyday lives and the innocence of young children is shaped into a materialistic mindset driven by today’s media.

What does this all mean?

The world is far more reaching than that in which we know or are familiar with! When you walk out your front door in the morning do you see drug deals going down? Do you see someone begging for change to purchase a meal? Do you see a widowed mother with three children who is unable to feed?

Take an introspective look at your life and recognize the wealth that you have, the opportunities that you have been given and the power that you have to make a difference. Although you may not be able to solve world hunger or resolve the issues of the globe, you are able to create a major impact close to home within your own community. Volunteer at a food bank, support your local religious groups, walk an elderly person across the street or simply offer a smile to a stranger walking by.

The key is to spread the positive energy around and to commit yourself to bringing about change…a positive change. It is possible to make the world a better place to live and it’s important to know that the power is within all of us to make it happen and that’s why the world needs you to take action and TO TAKE ACTION NOW! Don’t wait, don’t make excuses and don’t say you’re too busy. Just do it and DO IT WITH SINCERITY! The world will reward you and you will harvest the fruits of your efforts for many years to come!

Compensation comes in many forms such as the feeling of seeing a hungry child smiling after days without proper nourishment or a lonely elderly person excitedly anticipating your visit. A price cannot be put on these moments as they are the memories that will shape you and empower you into becoming the individual that you whole heartedly would like to be. That person lies within you at this moment…you simply need to just let that person free!


Offering you all the best in your efforts,
-Motivator

This article is dedicated to the “Chip In” initiative at Frito Lay Canada in their charitable efforts to make a difference across our great country. Best of luck and best wishes!

Top Priority...Read This Article!

You're walking down the street and you happen to bump into Mike whom you haven't seen in a while. You exchange greetings and he asks you what you've been up to,

I've been busy!

You later run into Sarah whom you probably haven't seen in a few years and you trade handshakes and she asks you a similar question wondering how life has been treating you. Once again you answer with

I've been busy!

Is that all you've got? How many times do we say these words and how many times do we hear it from others? Too many to count would sound about right. What are we are doing that is occupying all of our time? Are these things providing us with a feeling of fulfillment or simply leaving us with an emptiness without any sense of accomplishment?

Don't worry my friends because you are not alone! Millions of people are feeling this way everyday. Living in such a fast paced society, people tend to get caught up in the routine of the everyday and they begin to lose sight of what is truly important to them in their lives. As a result, people begin experiencing poor health, troubled relationships, distant dreams, low self esteem and the list goes on. The balance of life gets lost in the shuffle of the "everyday" and many find it difficult to pull themselves out of their familiar way of life.

Well there is a cure and don't worry because I'm not going to prescribe you some sort of pharmaceutical products with major side effects. The answer is inside of you at this moment. Bring yourself back to the innocence of your childhood.

What did you dream to be?

What did you wish to become?

What did you want to do with your life?

Most importantly...

What stood in the way of you realizing that dream?

Somewhere along the way you have lost sight of the end vision and have given preference to less important things. People find themselves constantly in reactive mode tending to phone calls, meetings and time wasters such as instant messengers at work. At the same time more important issues that may be less urgent most frequently get neglected such as relationship building/nurturing, prevention, planning and searching for new opportunities. How are things supposed to evolve in your life if you are not taking any steps towards your goal? Without laying the base how do you plan to build a home?

In the end, the cycle continues until you and only you decide that it's time to take control of your life and realize that now is the time. Now is the time to set your priorities straight and to begin planning to take action!

Excuses, Excuses...Are You Done Yet?

"There aren't enough hours in a day!"

"I just can't find the time!"

"I have enough things to worry about!"

Sound familiar? For many of you it hits very close to home. Most of us live very busy lives with a ton of responsibilities and have numerous things that require our attention. As a result, we tend to neglect the way that we treat ourselves (i.e. eating well, exercising) and lose focus on the way that we would truly like to live our lives.

We then tend to justify our actions (or lack of them) by offering excuses. These reasons are used as a crtuch to validate our problems and our unhappiness as it leaves us unaccountable for our lives.

It's time to stop making excuses and trying to justify your shortfalls and it's time to take control of your life. People don't want to hear what you dislike about your life and the reasons why you can't do the things that you want to do. Instead others would rather hear what you can do in order to overcome those challenges so that you can achieve that which you want to accomplish. Here's how:

First, take a look at the most common problems in your life and examine the excuses that you use to justify them. (i.e. "I just can't find the time to exercise"). Second, begin taking personal responsibility and recognize that you are in control of your life (i.e. "I do NOT make the time to exercise as I have NOT made it a priority hence I am at fault for not being where I would like to be"). Third, plan the appropriate steps to take action (i.e. "I will watch 30 minutes less television in the evening and will take a 30 minute walk after dinner as my health is a priority to me).

To Recap:

   (1) Recognize your excuses

   (2) Take ownership of your issues

   (3) Make a game plan

   (4) Take action!

You are now on the road to self-discipline...enjoy the trip!

Are You Doing Your Part?

Today's article is on a bit of a different note but every bit as important. As we focus on our own personal growth it is important that we do not lose touch with the world which we live in. With global temperatures increasing at such rapid rates we are now experiencing catastrophic events such as tsunamis, hurricanes, mudslides, evaporating water supplies and far more!

There is a 2 degrees celcius danger threshold that we are on pace to reach within the next 50 years. If action is not taken now then we and our children are going to be in serious trouble!

Please take the opportunity to visit Save Our Climate to learn more and see the efforts that are in action as we speak!

When searching the sky (in the site), feel free to type my name "Jeff Pontes" into the search at the bottom and see the secret message!

When we avoid our issues they continue to grow but when we work together and take a stand we can make a difference! Let's fight this battle together so that we can make the world a better place for everyone to live!!

Do You Want it Bad Enough?

Why aren't you focused? Because you just don't want it bad enough! That's fine but don't get all upset when you are not at the point that you would like to be in your life. Don't complain to others that you wish things were different for you and don't sit around feeling sorry for yourself.

In the end it is you who makes the choices in your life and it is you who must live with the consequences of your decisions. So if you want things to change then you simply must find that drive from within you (trust me it is in there somewhere) and release it from its cage.

Consider the following hypothetical scenario:

A messenger from the future has come to warn you that you will die within 30 days if you do not accomplish a specific mission.

How would this situation effect you and what would you do? The answer is simple. You would do everything and just about anything you had to do in order to achieve your mission. Think about this. When faced with the appropriate challenge you are able to find the passion and burning drive to reach your goal which means that we all have it within us all the time! We just don't choose to tap into it.

This just goes to show you that if you want something bad enough you will do what it takes to get it. Take this opportunity to ask yourself......

DO I WANT IT BAD ENOUGH?

If you are not where you want to be in your life then you know what the answer to the question is.

Would You Like a Challenge?

Life is filled with challenges and you will be confronted with some doozies! It's going to happen and you should welcome it!

If you think that life is going to be a perfect path without any sort of detours than you are in for a big surprise. That's why you need to prepare yourself and recognize this now so that you can be ready when the times get tough.

These are the moments that will define who you are. These are the lessons that will help you grow. Without challenges how would you ever test your limits and how would you ever feel any sense of accomplishment if you haven't encountered a difficult moment?

The key is to learn from your mistakes and to get right back up when you fall. Perserverence will give you strength and focus will give you guidance!

Welcome lifes challenges and think of them as opportunities for you to grow. Before you know it these "obstacles" will no longer be an issue and you'll be right back on track where you are meant to be!

Who Am I and What Do I Want?

With the new year now in full swing, many people are looking to start the next twelve months off with a positive change in their lives. What do I want to do this year and how am I going to accomplish this? For many, the answer is "I don't know what I want" or "I don't know how to get where I want".

The issue is that people tend to focus on trying to find answers but they tend to neglect asking themselves the right questions. How do you know what it is that you are looking for if you don't even know what you want? How are you supposed to find something that you will find fulfilling in your life if you don't know what it is that you are passionate about?

The key is to begin searching for the answers from within. Stop looking for answers from the outside because you'll only be living the life that others want you to live and you will not be creating your own true identity! Begin to reflect on what it is that truly makes you tick and what it is that you are passionate about. Once you figure these things out it'll become easier for you to begin searching for ways to realize your true potential.

Here's an exercise that can help you in finding yourself. Find a place where you can really relax and have some undisturbed time to yourself. Give yourself some time and reflect back on your life with all of the experiences that have led you to the point that you are at today. Begin from where you are now and then begin to look back to the events that led you to this moment and continue to work your way backwards year by year. Focus on the paths that you chose and how they made you feel. Think about the people that you met and how they impacted your life (both positively and negatively). Reflect on the positive influences and think about what it was that they did which left a footprint in your life. Also, remember those who may have guided you in an unfavourable direction and learn from those experiences so that you may avoid similar occurrences from happening in the future.

The longer you spend on finding yourself, the stronger and more confident you will become in knowing who you are and what it is that you would like to accomplish with your life.