Quotes of the Week from Me:

“We all handle emotional adversity differently.”

“Discipline is power.”

“Your actions make a difference. Same with your attitude. Same with your energy. You make a difference, whether you believe it or not.”

Quotes of the Week from Others:

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” – Wendy Mass

“Nothing is impossible. The word itself says, “I’m possible!” – Audrey Hepburn

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And you are the [one] who’ll decide where to go.” – Dr. Seuss

“Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Quick Optimism

Strive to give more than you take.

Before you speak, listen.

Before you write, think.

Before you spend, earn.

Before you pray, forgive.

Before you hurt, feel.

Before you hate, love.

Before you quit, try. Then try some more.

Before you die, live.

Questions of the Week

Do you ever listen to new music genres? Or are you committed to what you like the most?

Sometimes it happens by accident. This week I discovered what I thought was a newly released song, called Confidence, by Ocean Alley. They are an Australian rock band (some funk in this song too) and apparently this hit came out in 2018, but I heard it for the first time the other day. It’s funny how that happens. An artist expresses themselves through the tone, pace, and lyrics of their music and the world decides when, if at all, it would like to receive it with open arms. Sometimes it happens instantly, other times after decades. Unfortunately, sometimes it happens never.

The opening line goes, “It’s all about confidence baby” and the song as a whole is about a woman that is out of your league. The band’s lead singer, Baden Donegal, talks about being nervous and overthinking what he says to her in a conversation. But he always comes back to, “It’s all about confidence baby.”

What makes you feel most confident?

When I ponder this question, I think confidence starts with realizing that adaptation boosts confidence. Trying new things. Facing new things. Once you build up some experience and practice with adversity, adapting comes more easily. Then you can handle stuff. You can handle it humbly. No matter what “stuff” turns into, you can rely on your ability to shift and move as necessary to overcome pressure, questions, hardship, or whatever your “stuff” becomes. Don’t forget the humble part.

That’s a practical, optimistic approach. Acknowledge. Analyze. Address. Act. Avail.

Final Question of the Week:

Do you like Sylvester Stallone?

My week seemed to connect its own dots over the last few days. I just kept noticing opposite ends of the world touching on similar messages and lessons in life. Like Ocean Valley’s song, Sylvester Stallone talked about his life of making movies in the new documentary, Sly, on Netflix.

In the film, Stallone says that, “Nothing inspires you more than taking your history and balling it up and shoo” – he throws an imaginary wad of paper. He had clearly done it before. As he sat in his chair, movers were stripping the walls, rolling up rugs, and clearing out his house. He was literally having his life balled up and thrown to the other side of the country.

In some ways a clean slate, in others, a nostalgic testament to inevitable change. What I saw was confidence in adaptation. Through everything he had faced, he came out on the other side. Now he was confident he could handle the next move, especially this time since he was in full control.

This week, your actions will make a difference. You should give more than you take.

This week, you should listen to new music. You should do things that make you more confident.

Make it a confident Monday!