Look Up!

A Primary School teacher asks her students to write an essay about what they would like God to do for them.

This is the essay one of them wrote:

'Oh God, tonight I ask you something very special: Make me into a Television. I want to be the TV in my house. Have my own special place, and have my family around me. To be taken seriously when I talk. I want to be the centre of attention and be heard without interruptions or questions. Have the company of my dad when he arrives home from work, even when he is tired. I want my mom to want me when she is sad and upset, instead of ignoring me. And ... I want my brothers to fight to be with me ... I want the family to just leave everything aside, very now and then, to spend some time with me. And last but not least, ensure that I can make them all happy and entertain them. Lord I don't ask you for much. I just want to be like a TV.'

My Reflection:

In today's modern world it is less about the TV and more about our mobiles, tablets and computers. We have made these new age items the centre of our lives and we are all guilty of this - myself included. Yes it is true that technology is keeping us in touch with our friends all over the world, but at the same time it’s also isolating us from the ‘real’ world… We are always ‘connected’ but are completely ‘disconnected’ from the people right in front of us.

A study, at the Tel Aviv University, concluded that technology addiction should be regarded as a disorder on a par with gambling, sex addiction and kleptomania. The research showed users were addicted because they become irritable when away from technology. So from today, limit your time on the laptop and every now and again go out without your phone… This is an uncomfortable task as our mobile is attached to us a like a limb, but every now and again it can be quite liberating.

This video is what gave me a shock wake up call.
(I highly recommend you watch it too)

'Look Up' - A spoken word film for an online generation

"Look up from your phone, shut down that display, take in your surroundings, and make the most of today. Just one real connection is all it can take, to show you the difference that being there can make."

May you have an awesome week.
Darren Zwiers

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.”― Henry David Thoreau

Smartest Man in the World

A doctor, a lawyer, a little boy and a priest were out for a Sunday afternoon flight on a small private plane. Suddenly, the plane developed engine trouble. In spite of the best efforts of the pilot, the plane started to go down. Finally, the pilot grabbed a parachute and yelled to the passengers that they better jump, and he himself bailed out. Unfortunately, there were only three parachutes remaining. The doctor grabbed one and said “I’m a doctor, I save lives, so I must live,” and jumped out. The lawyer then said, “I’m a lawyer and lawyers are the smartest people in the world. I deserve to live.” He also grabbed a parachute and jumped. The priest looked at the little boy and said, “My son, I’ve lived a long and full life. You are young and have your whole life ahead of you. Take the last parachute and live in peace.” The little boy handed the parachute back to the priest and said, “Not to worry Father. The smartest man in the world just took off with my back pack.”

My Reflection:

I always love it when you ask someone what they do and they immediately answer with their profession. We can learn from the above story that it’s never a good thing to tie your self-identity to your job. Anything that can be taken away from you is not a good thing to base your self-identity on because you once that's gone, what or who are you? Yes, your job does take up most of your adult life, but it shouldn’t define who you are as an individual. Remember your career isn’t your life - it is simply a tool for a successful life. Stop being your job and be you!

I wish you have an Awesome week :)
Darren Zwiers

“You are you. Now, isn't that pleasant?” ― Dr. Seuss

The Two Lumberjacks

It was the annual lumberjack competition and the final was between an older, experienced lumberjack and a younger, stronger lumberjack. The rule of the competition was quite simply who could fell the most trees in 24hrs was the winner. The younger lumberjack was full of enthusiasm and went off into the wood and set to work straight away. He worked all through the day and all through the night. As he worked, he could hear the older lumberjack working in another part of the forest and he felt more and more confident with every tree he felled that he would win. At regular intervals throughout the day, the noise of trees being felled coming from the other part of the forest would stop. The younger lumberjack took heart from this, knowing that this meant the older lumberjack was taking a rest, whereas he could use his superior youth and strength and stamina to keep going.At the end of the competition, the younger lumberjack felt confident he had won. He looked in front of him at the piles of felled trees that were the result of his superhuman effort. At the medal ceremony, he stood on the podium confident and expecting to be awarded the prize of champion lumberjack. Next to him stood the older lumberjack who looked surprisingly less exhausted than he felt. When the results were read out, he was devastated to hear that the older lumberjack had chopped down significantly more trees than he had. He turned to the older lumber jack and said: “How can this be? I heard you take a rest every hour and I worked continuously through the night. What's more, I am stronger and fitter than you old man”.The older lumberjack turned to him and said: “Every hour, I took a break to rest and sharpen my saw.”

My Reflection:

After being on a rejuvenating holiday I thought it would be apt to share this story. In today’s age it's very easy to become a "workaholic," getting caught up, working long hours and taking few breaks. It’s fascinating that we naturally think the harder and longer we work, the more we can get done. This isn’t true at all… Resting correctly builds concentration, physical fitness and most importantly a positive mood. When it comes to work, you have two choices: you can rest and renew yourself everyday, or you can totally burn yourself out by overdoing everything. Every new day provides a fresh opportunity for renewal - an opportunity to recharge yourself instead of hitting the wall. There are many ways to relax in between work, you need to find what works best for you, but all it takes is for you to stop, take a break and sharpen your saw.

I wish you a new and refreshing week :)
Darren Zwiers

“Things are always better in the morning.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Three Frogs

There were once three frogs on a log and on of them made a decision to jump in. How many were left? Answer: There are still three frogs on a log, he only made a decision, he took no action!

My Reflection:

The one element that makes us human is the ability to choose, to make a decision and act on it. It’s no good going through life making decisions but never really acting on them. You definitely don’t want to be the one who says “If only..” or “what if…”. It’s time to take action on your life, to fulfil all those dreams you have to make a decision and act on it. If things don't work out, it's always better to have made the effort than to have been lazy or scared. At least you can say that you did the best you could. Make your decision today and be ready to act on it.

I wish you a positive week ahead, where every situation presents itself optimistically in your mind!
Darren Zwiers

It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through. - Zig Ziglar

Greatest Hitter

A little boy put on his baseball uniform and went outside to play, chanting "I'm the best baseball hitter in the world!" He throws the ball in the air, swings and misses. Strike one! He adjusts his hat and says, "I'm the greatest baseball hitter in the world!" He throws the ball in the air, swings and misses. Strike two! He adjusts his hat a little more, takes a couple of practice swings and says, "I'm the best baseball hitter in the world!" Once more, he throws the ball in the air, swings and misses again. Strike three! He puts his head down, thinks for a few moments about what just happened, then jumps and says, "I'm the best pitcher in the world!"

My Reflection: 

If we only focus on the the negative aspects of a situation we will certainly miss out on the opportunity that lies just beyond it. It’s time to stop thinking about what is happening to you and to start focusing on what you can achieve in any given situation. A negative outlook won’t get you anywhere. Being optimistic on the other hand will take you places you have dreamed about. Living life to the fullest involves taking risks every day, and while not all of them end the way you want them to, it is in your control to adjust your outlook on the end result… It's not about what happens to you, it's about how you react to what happens and having a clear optimistic mind, you will be the best at what ever you set out to achieve!

I wish you a positive week ahead, where every situation presents itself optimistically in your mind!
Darren Zwiers

“Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”  ― Dr. Seuss

The Mechanic and the Surgeon

As this email marks my 3 year anniversary of A Monday Inspiration, I would like to take the moment to thank you for being a part of what has been an awesome 3 years of writing. I always love hearing your thoughts, comments and feedback. So don't be shy to hit the reply button... Looking forward to many more Mondays in your inbox ;) 

A heart surgeon took his car to his local garage for a regular service, where he usually exchanged a little friendly banter with the owner, a skilled but not especially wealthy mechanic. "So tell me," says the mechanic, "I've been wondering about what we both do for a living, and how much more you get paid than me.." "Yes?.." says the surgeon. "Well look at this," says the mechanic, as he worked on a big complicated engine, "I check how it's running, open it up, fix the valves, and put it all back together so it works good as new.. We basically do the same job don't we? And yet you are paid ten times what I am - how do you explain that?" The surgeon thought for a moment, and smiling gently, replied,"Try it with the engine running.."

Reflection

After reading the above story, you can see that both the heart surgeon and the mechanic love what they do. But if the mechanic lived with the perception that his job was essentially the same as the heart surgeon and he was therefore underpaid he would certainly be unhappy. There is no way we can live our lives looking at other people, compare our skills with theirs and come to a conclusion on who should be earning more. There is a saying that goes “When you compare what you want with what you have, you will be unhappy. Rather compare what you deserve with what you have and you'll discover true happiness." There will always be someone prettier, smarter or richer than you… If you keep comparing yourself against others, you will lose your own sense of purpose. Helen Keller couldn't’t of said it any better; “Instead of comparing our lot with those who are more fortunate than we are, we should compare it with the lot of the great majority of our fellow men. It then appears that we are among the privileged." Stop comparing your self to others. We are all born to be different. We all have different mindsets, we interpret things differently, we have different experiences and we feel different emotions. The most successful people in this world celebrate their differences and use it to their advantage. At the end of the day, it is better to be the original you than to be a copy of somebody else as the best copycat in the world is still a copycat. Live life your way.

May you have an awesome week, where you can truly define your values and become the best version of YOU!

Darren Zwiers

“Everything you see or hear or experience in any way at all is specific to you. You create a universe by perceiving it, so everything in the universe you perceive is specific to you” – Douglas Adams.

The Blind Leading The Blind

A blind man had been waiting a while at a busy road for someone to offer to guide him across, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. "Excuse me," said the tapper, "I'm blind. Would you mind guiding me across the road?" The first blind man took the arm of the second blind man, and they both crossed the road. Apparently this is a true story. The first blind man was the famous jazz pianist George Shearing. He is quoted as saying after the event, "What could I do? I took him across and it was the biggest thrill of my life."

Reflection

We are all born with a unique set of capabilities, but unfortunately we handicap ourselves towards them by hiding behind a lack of self-confidence, self-awareness or even an unnecessary complex. We tend to believe that we cannot do certain things and this prevents us from taking take risks that open the door to new and exciting opportunities. By taking the next, sometimes scary, step we get to learn astonishing things about ourselves as we get to discover our hidden abilities. Recognising these "hidden" abilities are what makes life worth living for, it's the "thrill" as in the story above. They direct us to a new higher understanding of our self… So the next time you're in a predicament of "can I, should I, would I be able to," just do it and you will be amazed at how much power you have contained inside you. Every single human being, regardless of race, sex or spiritual belief, has the incredible capacity to accomplish far beyond what they think their limits are… they just need to cross the road ;)

May you have an awesome week, where the things you thought were impossible are now brand new additions to your experience bank.
- Darren Zwiers

"...there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think... - Winnie The Pooh (A.A Milne)

The Art Of Saying No

There was a man who forged swords for a Maharaja. Even at the age of ninety, his work was carried out with exceptional precision and ability. No matter how rushed he was, he never made even the slightest slip. One day, the Maharaja asked the old man, “is this natural talent or is there some special technique that you use to create your remarkable results?” “It is concentration on the essentials,” replied the sword–crafter. “I took to forging swords when I was 20 years old. I did not care about anything else. If it was not a sword, I did not look at it or pay any attention to it. Forging swords became my passion and my purpose. I took all the energy that I did not give in other directions and put it in the direction of my art. This is the secret to my mastery.”


Reflection
The most effective people we know in this world today concentrate on their “areas of excellence.” They focus on the things they do best and on the activities that will advance their life and work. When sticking to a definite purpose, they find it easy to say no to the less worthy distractions. Yes, this is easier said than done, we all are humans and will constantly be distracted by so many things in this world, but it is essential to not waste your energy on unwanted activities and things that will deviate from your goals. Sometimes as hard as it is, we need to master the art of saying NO to others and to ourselves, gracefully in order to achieve our destined goals and ultimate purpose.

My message to you this week is to focus on what you good at, make it your highest priority and stop wasting time on the things that are diverting your course of greatness.

Be Awesome,
Darren Zwiers

"There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it" ~ Napoleon Hill.

Life is tough, that's a given.

Author Unknown

When you stand up, you're gonna be shoved back down. When you're down, you're gonna be stepped on. My advice to you doesn't come with a lot of bells and whistles.

It's no secret: You'll fall down, you'll stumble, you'll get pushed and you'll land square on your face. But, every time that happens, you get back on your feet. You get up as fast as you can, no matter how many times you need to do it.

Remember this- success has been and continues to be defined as getting up one more time than you've been knocked down.

If experience has taught me anything, it's that nothing is free and living ain't easy. Life is hard, real hard, incredibly hard. You fail more often than you win. Nobody's handing you anything. It's up to you to puff up your chest, stretch your neck, and overcome all the difficult. The nasty. The mean. The unfair.

You want more than you have now? Prove it! You want to be the very best there is? Get out there and earn it!

Once you decide that, you will know where it is you want to be and you won't stop pushing forward until you get there! That's how winners are made.

At the end of the day, success is what we all want. We all wanna win and the race will be won. There is no question about that. So, come on. Get out on top! Run faster! Dream bigger! Live better than you have ever before. This is in you! You can do it!

Do it for yourself. Prove it to yourself.

May you have an awesome week. - Darren Zwiers

When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life.” – Greg Anderson