Too busy to Read, Too Busy to Celebrate?

As I sit in my office on a New Year’s Day, I begin to realize just how fast were are actually going. We buzz through life like rabid butterflies; eager and anxious to find life’s true fountain of youth; our own eternal happiness. I also realize that, much of the time we are given is already cut short by the myriad of endless duties and chores we have chosen to undertake. When we finally get the chance to land for a bit, we find that the very things we have been chasing after, turn out to be disappointing and lack the endless joy we sought out to achieve in the first place.

2014 marks another year for us to reclaim our position on the ladder of success; whether our version is to be the best parent on the continental world, the CEO of the business we have devoted ourselves to, or to attain riches and financial, emotional, spiritual or physical health the likes we have never seen before. Whatever your desire is, my only piece of advice to you out there is to enjoy the ride.

I don’t feel I will ever be able to fully express how critical that portion of the journey really is. We are so dedicated to getting to our perspective destinations that we abandon the camera and forget to take pictures along the way. Those momentary stops are what most tracks our progress and also allows us to navigate more efficiently forward.

In all your getting, in all your achieving, in all your attempts to be a healthier you, do not forget to celebrate those moments “in-between”; they are the little bits of sweetness that makes our victories that much more fulfilling.

Make it a great 2014!  Better yet, take tons of pictures along the way! 

May the Joy I feel inside my heart be yours!

-Lou  

Warriors Graduation; Writing what is in your Heart, and Living what you Dream

A boy grows up dreaming of being a hero; for some, they will have the desire to possess the amazing power of Superman or the Incredible Hulk. For others, their attraction is found in the unique weapons of Spider-man or Batman. Through it all, boys have the innate and natural desire as my 4 year old daughter puts it, to be heroes that save the day.

Last week, the state of Arizona welcomed 9 more heroes to it’s line-up through the

graduation of the first-ever group of teen “Warriors.”  In the exciting 5 week mini-camp, they were taught the principles of 10 specific “Warrior” disciplines and how to possess and utilize them to the fullest of their individual capabilities. They learned about non-negotiables and how, when asked to compromise on any one of those principles, the only answer the person requesting that compromise would get, was a resounding “NO!”

Thanks to Ira A Murphy Elementary School in Peoria Arizona, these are young men that remain hopeful about their futures and excited about their opportunities as they were welcomed to the Warrior Brotherhood! Once a Warrior, always a Warrior!

                    

A lot of people will ask me how it is that I get my ideas for writing, or what it is that drives to write. I always tell them the same thing. “There are some things so deep in my heart that only a spin on the keyboard and a smashing of the buttons will satisfy. The deepest yearnings of my heart and desires are fleshed out when I write.”

I would say that with almost 99% clarity, that statement is very true. My only regret is that over the course of the last 6 months or so, as we were preparing to finish and launch my book, I only rarely had the opportunity to write my “sober thoughts” of the wonderful life that I wondrously observed twirling, dancing and nose-diving all around me. I am excited to say that I now have a little more time on my schedule, and as my time continues to free up, I will again take on the discipline of writing regularly and adding to an already tremendously blessed blog.  To my readers over 5,000 strong, thank you for your loyal support.

If I was asked what my advice would be to those out there reading and subscribing to this blog, the answer is easy; Write what is in your heart, and live what you dream. Don’t ever let the “real world” stop you from living out what you truly desire to do. Nothing is impossible if you truly desire to do it. The keystone is not found in the effort in which the attempt is made, but in the refusal of quitting.  See you at the top.

-Lou   

Warriors Session 2- Growing the Leader within...

Anyone can say no… once, twice, maybe three times, but how many of us can develop a strong and consistent pattern of accurately deciphering what  are the right and wrong decisions for our lives? We have seen the very best of leaders fall and seen others perceived by most as weak; prevail over monumental obstacles in their life. What is the difference? You will find the answer in Endurance, and Will-power.

Wednesday night, the Warriors-in-Training learned that Endurance is an earned discipline, allowing you to stay the course, while Will-Power is what gives you the innate ability to make tough decisions.

The take away is simply that we must focus now on building endurance; we can not wait until later because later is too late. Our endurance is fortified with a band of brothers invested in ensuring we get to where it is we say we want to go, Warriors!

Regarding Will-Power, we must all ask ourselves if we have it within ourselves to turn away from the seemingly great things that wish to distract, destroy and take us off the course we have set for ourselves. More importantly, do we have the courage to have enough will-power to grab unto the goals we truly desire and dig in tooth and nail, never letting anyone vanquish our dreams? The enemy of the right thing is all too often usually disguised as a seemingly good thing.

A Warrior knows that it does not matter that which disguises itself as good; what matters is knowing what is authentically and unequivocally right.  The action produced from this knowledge is where Will-power is harnessed and grown.  Endurance is the result of making that right decision over and over again.  

Do you have Will-Power?  Can you harness that into Endurance?

-Lou

Warriors Mini-Camp- Discovering the Leader Within...

We just kicked off the first ever Warriors Mini-Camp for young men, where a group of young men ages 13-14 are learning the 10 disciplines of being a Warrior.  “Warrior-ship” for these young men means gaining purpose, vision, and direction for their lives as well as learning how to say no, and yes to the things in life that will ether hurt them or propel them forward.

Today’s lesson was sprinkled throughout with many of the Warrior’s learning the “Warrior-Dance” a dance where as the rest of the Warriors clap and cheer, the Warriors-to-be selected do a short but energetic mix of jumping jacks, push-ups and claps that affirm them as a Warrior in training.  They also learned the basic discipline of being an influential leader amongst their peers. I’d like to share just three basic principles the Warriors-in-training went through this afternoon.

Awareness- Is it important to understand and have fore-knowledge of our surroundings? Does becoming more aware of who we are and where we are help us to navigate around the obstacles we will come in contact with throughout our journeys?   Being acutely aware of what is to come can help us avoid the many pit-falls and temptations that would otherwise distract us from achieving the goals we have set before us.

Influence- In a memorable clip from the movie “Dead Poet’s Society” there is a powerful clip of just how much influence plays a role in each of our lives. The Warriors-in-training not only viewed the clip but also lived it out through a live-action role-play that eventually had the entire room of Warriors clapping and pacing around the room. Influence; it will either allow you to be a motivator of people for all the right reasons, or it will suck you under the water in an attempt to drown every dream you have ever had. Knowing who and what to be influenced by in order to grow, mature, and become the leader we desire to be is an important part of the Warrior process.

Non-Negotiable- This element was introduced early because I truly feel that unless one has either a short or long list of non-negotiables, we will forever be relegated to riding the high seas of life; back and forth, up and down, not really knowing what buoy to grab unto or better yet, what boat to climb in and master the treacherous journey that lies ahead. All the Warriors-in-Training were asked to create a poster of the things they stood for, as well as the unique and firm beliefs they felt they wanted to carry forward.

All In all, a great and awesome day with young men that will soon become World-Changers!

Stay tuned!! Next Warrior Camp is slated for Wednesday, and my next update is slated for soon after that!

Once a Warrior, Always a Warrior!

-Lou  

Cheers!

Have you ever wondered why there are so many US national holidays? These days, it seems that there is a “holiday” just about every week. There are in fact so many, that I now have a Post Office and government office calendar app on my smart phone just to know when they are going to be open.

I was talking to some friends the other day, and I told them that I was thinking of becoming a lobbyist just so I can lobby to make Super Bowl Monday an official holiday. I’m serious! Questions and conspiracy theories surrounding the Super Bowl arise like “What would happen if all the toilets in a particular city got flushed at the same time during the commercial break?” Maybe that is why all the Super Bowl commercials have to be so interesting, to save us.  

Anyway, I thought with a little break in the action before the marketing for my book  really gets under way, I thought I would give you my devoted readers, the skinny on why we celebrate a few lesser known as to “why we do it” holidays. In no specific order, here they are:

St. Patrick’s Day-  

Became a holiday: 1903

Why we drink green beer and party down: Although St. Paddy’s day falls during the Catholic tradition of Lent, Lenten restrictions were lifted for this special day on eating meat and alcohol consumption. Hence the debauchery…

Original meaning: Meant to celebrate the arrival of Christianity in Ireland

DID YOU KNOW- The official color of St. Patrick’s Day was originally blue, however slowly over time transitioned to green. Shamrocks are popular due in part to a method of teaching the doctrine of the Christian Trinity using a 3 leafed shamrock. St. Patrick’s Day was not intended to celebrate Irish culture until introduced as a new tradition in the mid 1990’s. St. Patrick’s Day is not an official U.S. holiday (but should be)

Valentine’s Day-

Became a holiday- in the 1400’s.. really, that long ago.

Who is St. Valentine? St. Valentine was a martyr who was killed after marrying soldiers that were forbidden to marry and ministering to early Christians in Rome.  

Why men choose to go broke on this day and women love it- The idea of exchanging a “Valentine” comes from the tradition of St. Valentine’s last letter he wrote from prison just before his death, signed “from your Valentine” and the fact that many nations adopted the celebration of this Saint as a way to communicate unrequited love to their “sweetie’s”

DID YOU KNOW- The Eastern Orthodox church also celebrates this holiday, but they do it in July.  

Columbus Day-

Became a Holiday: 1937

Wha…?-  me neither…

Again wha? – I got nothing…

DID YOU KNOW- When Columbus landed, he was actually lost. Columbus never once set foot in the present day United States, yet we have a national holiday in remembrance of him. Hawaii, Alaska, and South Dakota do not celebrate or observe Columbus Day.

See why I want to make Super Bowl Monday a national Holiday?

Keep your head up, shoulders forward and phones on vibrate…

-Lou 

10 Outrageous HOA Rules

With the dawning of the wonderful Spring weather here in Arizona, and with the launch of my book soon to be in stores and online everywhere, I thought I would take an opportune moment to have a little fun. 

As some of you may know, I am a big fan of Facebook only because it allows me to stay in touch with the many dear friends I have made along my crazy and adventurous journey. I have some great “never met them” friends, some “super wacky” friends, others I really wish we made more time for, and still others that I actually get to see once in a while. Our interests are eclectic.  There are fellow car guys, professional speakers, writers, business owners, moms, dads, singles and marrieds. There are those that are struggling, and others that are flying high.  I have friends who live life on perpetual vacation mode, and I have others that are so busy I am surprised that they have time to even write.  I have die hard Cardinal fans, and truth be known, I even have a handful of Dallas Cowboy fans that I am honored to call great friends. All in all, Facebook allows me to keep in touch and know that they are living life to the fullest and every once in a while, we slow down enough to say hey. 

Today’s blog is all about the inspiration behind one of those messages that made me laugh, here is an excerpt;

   

  “…Soooo does anyone know what the minimum plant count is in our HOA? I am just blown away that we just received a notice of a possible fine if we don't comply AND ADD PLANTS??!!! They said if we're unsure of our original plant count that we can go to the Flood Districts website for an aerial view from 2006?? Seriously??!!”

   

I find this hilarious only because I wonder when I see posts like this, why people put themselves through the pain and suffering of an HOA just to have an outside party dictate what color of house you must have, what type of landscape you must use, and anything else they deem appropriate to regulate. To top it off, they send you a monthly bill for their “services.” To me, it’s like a pair of shoes that you thought looked incredible in the window, but when you got home, they pinched your feet and everyone you know made fun of them. 

I think at the beginning of this blog, I said this week’s “Sober Thoughts” was going to be funny, so without further ado, here are the top 10 most ridiculous HOA rules. While you read, I think I will go out to my porch, look at the house across from me, complete with an old couch on the front yard ready for removal, and two doors down where it looks like the guy is doing an engine swap in his driveway…. Freedom!!!!

Top 10 Most Ridiculous HOA rules!

10. No Permanent shutters (Florida) in one of the most hurricane-prone states in the world, one HOA deems permanent shutters as an “eye-sore” and states that a homeowner must only install shutters “right before” the storm and must take them down no later than 24 hours after the storm- how much warning do hurricanes give?  

9. You can not smoke in your own house- Citing second-hand smoke health dangers, some HOA’s maintain a provision that you can not smoke on your own property whether it is inside or outside your home- now I’m not a smoker, but really? Inside your own home?

8. Pets feet can not touch the floor at anytime- one HOA that has common property areas (pool, mailbox, club house) stipulated that any homeowner with pets can not allow the animal’s feet to touch the floor while in common areas- “Hope you can carry your favorite Rottweiler Marmaduke, when you retrieve the mail every morning, grandma.”

7. One can not wear any type of heel inside their home- One high-rise condominium HOA forbids heels to be worn inside homeowners homes due to the fact that “they make too much noise” –all I can say is W.O.W…

6. No clotheslines allowed- Be it far from us to give the impression that we can not afford a drier, one HOA states that drying clothes outside on “any type of line” is a no-no. 

5.  You must have a consistently green lawn- A man in Florida was actually jailed due to his inability to keep his lawn perfectly green. His reasons were that he could no longer afford all the expense of keeping his lawn perfectly maintained, the HOA filed a complaint and the man was jailed by local authorities.

4. No posting of “For Sale” signs allowed (including your house)- This means that even if you wanted to sell your house, the realtor is not allowed to post a “For Sale” sign out front. This also means no garage sales, or if you want to sell your car, you’ll have to figure out a way of doing it without actually posting a sign saying that it is available. 

3.  You can not park your car in your own driveway- One Florida HOA does not allow any vehicles to remain in their driveways overnight; they must all be garaged. One homeowner who happened to purchase an oversize 4x4 truck was fined daily until he sold the vehicle. I have other ways I could have used that 4x4!

2. You can be fined for things you are seen doing through your window- One Arizona couple was fined for sharing a kiss that was “too passionate in nature” when viewed by one board member through the couples own window as he was passing by.- I just have one question- how do you explain the binoculars?

1. No Mother in Laws allowed- In Idaho, married couples have the ability to legally ban their mothers in law from visiting their home in one HOA.  Really it’s true.  Hmmmmm, wonder what the economy is like in Idaho….

To all my HOA buddies, we can’t feel too bad for you, you knew what you were buying, but when something wacky does happen, be sure to share it with us so we can laugh alongside with you!!! Now where’s that guy with the couch?

-Lou

Finding a Way to Win

UPDATE: Great News! “Devotion in a Decadent Age” is going into “pre-release” soon! Those who are planning on attending “Louis at New Life” on Wednesday night will have an opportunity to get a great deal on the “sneak-peek” copies (limited 30 copies available)  Join me at 7p.m. on Wednesday night, at New Life Community Church in Peoria, Arizona! I will share with you 2 take-away tools that will help you visualize purpose in your life!

As you know, my book which is being published is based on living a purposeful and intentional life. Purpose could also be called moving in a specific direction that you feel you are being called to move to.  I was being interviewed the other day in regards to the book, and I was asked this question, “What does it take to fulfill your dreams of being an author, a pro athlete, someone who knows what they want to do, and goes out and gets it?”  My reply was simple. “You need to act.”

Far too many of us dream the dream, but unfortunately that is all we do. We keep our dreams in a bottle thinking that one day, we will uncork them, and they will take flight like a powerful Monarch butterfly spreading her wings, and we will become a successful overnight sensation. I hate to be the one to burst those bubbles, but that never happens.  There are successful people out there that seem to have sprang to the top out of nowhere, but you can be sure of this; while no one knew who they were, those “overnight superstars” were busy doing the things they needed to do to make it happen. Their seemingly “sudden” success is simply a product of all the hard work they did to get noticed.

Much is the same in regards to this book. Just about a year ago, I made the conscious choice to submit my book for publishing consideration; truth be told however, many of those pieces were first written back in 2009, almost 4 years ago, and sat dormant, until I decided (at the urging of no one else) that those lessons were just too valuable to sit on my flash drive and never be read. 

In regards to my boxing career, I chose to fight; and when you are getting paid to do it, just know that the guy across the ring wants to kill you. There is no choice but to survive, and I decided to do not only that, but thrive in a competitive sport that required every ounce of skill, both mental and physical to be put on the line every time the bell rang.

I chose to win, and now I am asking every single one of you to choose to do that today. The race is not so much against others, it is against yourself. Are you being the best “you” you can be? It is time to uncork that bottle you have been saving and unleash your dreams unto the world.

The cost of you not doing it is nothing. But in the end, you will have to swallow the fact that as you get ready to pass from this life into the next, you will look across the room and see your dreams still bottled up sitting on the shelf, untouched.

Deciding to chase after your dreams requires one thing, courage. With courage, you can fail and smile, you can fall and laugh, but you can also win and raise your fist in victory! Choose to win, and choose to uncork what you have been saving, and become the fearless leader, and dream-catcher you know you are deep down inside. I’ll see you at the top!  

-Lou