Stand it like a man... and give some back..

Give 'er hell today my friends. It is another glorious day to be stomping on this soil that we call Earth. In my neck of the woods the sun is shining bright and I don't have a complaint to be made. As my dearly departed great aunt would say, "I can't complain, not that you would listen if I did."

I mention my great aunt's passing for good reason. This woman was a rock for me. She was practically another grandma for me. No matter what mischief I got myself into, and there has been plenty, she was there to support me.When she passed two weeks ago, I was in shock. I knew it was coming, but I chose not to believe it. But heartbreak and tears never took me over.  I don't mourn her passing as many did. I am excited for the life that she led. She gave it her all and did what she wanted to do. She dressed to the 9's every day regardless of what she was doing or where she was going. If she wanted to go somewhere, she did it. She did what made her happy. Simply put, she spent her life being herself. She did what made her happy. For that simple fact, I am truly grateful. Some may call me naive in my feelings on the matter or numb to my emotions. Say what you want, I know what I feel.

Anyways, I must move on. Life moves on. Her passing was one of life's many challenges, and there will be many more. I could have chose to accept her passing as an emotional defeat or embrace it for how amazing she was. You can tell which path I was lead down in the end.

It is how we perceive and work with previously mentioned challenges that will decide our fate. We must stand up to these challenges, punishments, obstacles, or what ever it is that you want to call them and give them hell. As a human being we learn and triumph thanks to previous mistakes or accomplishments.

You can never be ready for everything, but you can be ready with the mindset of "I will win today, no matter what." It all comes around to that. In life there is winning and there is losing, no grey areas in my mind, there is no draw. You can make a conscious choice every day as to how you will tackle the day. If life hits you with a curveball, knock it out of the park and move to the next challenge knowing that you can succeed at anything.These past 2 months I let life have it's way with me. It was an emotional struggle to get through the day. Now I say this with confidence, with a fist a positive rage: I am back.

From this day forward, The Infidel is back to win it all. I'm standing up to whatever life has in store for me.  

"Pain or damage don't end the world. Or Despair. Or fucking beatings. 

The world end when you're dead. 

Until then, you got more punishment in store. 

Stand it like a man... and give some back."

Be Brilliant Today

Today your mission, regardless if you want it or not, is to be simply brilliant. I know what you are thinking, "Sounds intriguing Mr. Infidel... tell me more." Did you think that I would leave you hanging? If so, pound sand. I got you kid.

Be brilliant. Be spectacular. Be, just be YOU. What I mean by this, is don't cater to peer pressure and others opinions. That lump located three feet above your ass is your brain. It belongs to no one else. Use it to guide you. As long as you stand up and represent yourself, no one can stop you.

I learned long ago that other peoples opinions don't have to effect me. As long as I am being me, that's all that matters. I shouldn't have to change myself to fit in, that goes against who I am.

Today will be great because you will make it so. Your brilliant presence will make today what it is. You will own today.

No music today.. but rather a TED Talk:

Off the map I fell...

For those who were accustomed to reading this daily, even it's short life, I apologize for my absence. Even I fall victim to the negatives in life. I couldn't find a way to post something positive or reassuring when I myself wasn't feeling such..

BUT TODAY THAT ENDS.

DID YOU HEAR ME WORLD.

TODAY WE FLIP SHIT. 

TODAY IS THE DAY THAT WE TAKE THE REIGNS. 

I WILL OWN TODAY.

YOU WILL OWN TODAY.

REPEAT AFTER ME: I WILL OWN TODAY.

Do What Makes You Happy!

God Damn Right. Do What Makes You Happy. Change What Doesn't. 

Sounds simple enough. So get out there and achieve it. Not to get even more cliche but I will. You are your own worst enemy. Many times we find ourselves not striving for something better because we are too comfortable with how things are. We take the good and bad in stride and work with it. What if I told you that you could have it all, all the happiness. Sounds crazy doesn't it.

Make it a reality, today. 

If there is something in your life that doesn't make you happy. CHANGE IT. Make the change that you want for your life. If you have a goal, work towards it, FULL STEAM AHEAD. Achieve the happiness that you deserve. 

Modestep - Another Day

As always: OWN TODAY. 
You got this. 
Make your life better one day at a time. 
Not politely suggesting. 
Demanding. 
I want everyone to be happy. 

There is No Losing, Only Delayed Victory.

237 years ago today, the men of our country stood up and demanded a change to their way of life. They signed the Declaration of Independence and gave the British the proverbial finger. These glorious men made life their bitch.  These men took a risk. They took a monumental risk!

So that's what today's post is about: Taking Risks. Without the risk taken by the men and women of our country, we would possibly be looking at a completely different way of life. They fought a long up road battle and never backed down. Defeat was not an acceptable option. They new victory would be theirs. Defeat should never be an option for you.

We often forget the risks that they took 200+ years ago that have allowed us to get where we are today. We mustn't forget our past. The trials and tribulations of our history are what make us who we are to this day. They are what make us great individuals.

Today, I demand that you take a risk. Go out of your comfort zone. Even if that means simply trying a new food, do it!

Today, Make Life Your Bitch!

The Challenge

Today is July 1. Your challenge if you choose to accept it: HAVE A GREAT MONTH!

Stay positive every damned day. If you force yourself to dwell on the negative, shit, that's what you will be stuck on. Open your eyes and find the light shining through.

Even if you are having a rough day, there has to be some small bit that makes you smile. I was having a rough go the other day and you know what I did? I looked at my son and daughter, they both smiled at me. Right then and there my day was changed.

If my general happiness and optimistic outlook drives you up the wall, I don't apologize. This is me. This is who I have become and will continue to be.

The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and...bad things. 

The good things don't always soften the bad things, 

but vice versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil 

the good things or make them unimportant. 

STOMP!

Get on uppa! Get to movin! Get to Shakin! It's Thursday! Stomp all over the negatives! Rise above it all and rock the funk out today. One day closer to the weekend!

Today is a great day to put on some killer music and just move to the rhythm. There are plenty of ways to turn a rough day around. One of my favorites is music. I dont have a specific genre, band, or style. Just music in general. As long as I am feelin what I am listening to, I can't go wrong. Sometimes that mean Slipknot gets played, other times it is Modestep. I have even been known to drop some Frank Sinatra. Music doesnt have boundaries. It is beautiful and if you can feel deep down in your soul, you will have a fantastic day.

My music of choice today? Obviously it will be Funk!

Remember: Feeling The Stomp Will Cause A Hazard To Your Booty! A hazard because you will be moving and shaking it! Dont Be Afraid to Let Loose!

GET AFTER IT! CONQUER TODAY! YOU GOT THIS!

Own Today and Ride The Train.

Seriously. Own today like no one has ever done it before. No Buts. DO IT. I am not going in to detail today on why should do this. Just Effing Do It.

I am still riding a high from a great weekend. Yes that is going on 3 days ago. But hot damn, shit is getting real around here. You cant stop this rock n roll pain train of optimism and happiness. You can sure as shit try, but I am going full steam ahead. Throw some more coal on the fire. We are riding this train all the way in to next week.

I challenge you to ride out the week aboard this train. Hop on up. Find your target. Seize the day. Make Today Your Bitch.

Make That Pie Your Bitch...

It's Monday. A rainy and cloudy Monday. But, it is a great Monday. I'm still vertical. Air is still cascading in and out of my lungs. Today will be another great day.

We are one week in to this adventure of ours. I say "ours" because it is not just me deciding to flip the switch, but you the reader as well. Your positive words encourage me and I hope that I am doing the same for you.

If you are going to tackle a Monday, you need to do so with an open mind. For everyone else, today is not a good day but a trying one.

Remember something, you may be trying to Conquer Today, but the rest of the world may be viewing it as another Monday in which they would rather be in bed whining about it being Monday. Not you though. You are reading this because you are turning the world upside down. You are making a decisive proclamation that no longer will Monday's suck. Check out the picture below. Today is rainy and dreary as balls, but this congregation of pedals has made it beautiful.

This Beauty was waiting outside for me this morning. How great is that?
This rose is fucking beautiful. Life is beautiful.

This is what I have been talking about here, finding one little thing to build off of. That is all it takes.

 Take today like you would a whole entire pie. Enjoy it. Conquer it. Make it your bitch.

All Kinds of Hyped Up....

You read that title correctly. I'm bouncing off the walls. It could be the energy drink pushing me. It could be the fact that tomorrow is Friday. Maybe it is the fact that our 11 month old slept through the night last night. No matter what it is, it has me going full speed ahead. I am conquering the shit out of today.

What amps you up and gets you going? It is that fresh cup of coffee in the morning? Brisk jog through the morning mist? Tell me.

I've started thinking, maybe I should add a song to every post. Give it a little music to go along with the level of excellence that I am feeling. Thoughts? Doesn't matter, I do what I want. Beauty of this lil blog, I'm in charge.

And if James Brown doesn't get you moving, 

you may be in a coma. 

You are once again directed to Conquer today. Make today your little bitch as you strive for glory. Make today your day. 

Starting off on the right foot

Since I started these daily posts 2 weeks ago, I am yet to have a bad day. While I have had moments of pure frustration or sadness, I have been able to focus on the positives of each day. That in itself can be a battle, but a necessary one. It has allowed me to be a far happier person which is true blessing in itself.

Today's positive? Funk. No, I'm not in a funk. I listened to some funk on my way to work. If funk music doesn't get you moving then I don't know what will. I was dancing like a fool on my way in to work. I have no shame. Happy to admit it. Today can only improve!

Make today your bitch. Avoid the bad funk and roll on with the good funk....

Just A Few Seeds Of Thought

If you are a dreamer, come in.

If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,

a hope-er, a pray-er a magic bean buyer...

If you are a pretender, come sit buy my fire,

For we have some flax-golden tales to spin,

Come in,

Come in! 

-Shel Silverstein

Top O The Morning to ya. It is another great day here. Last night  the clouds opened up and decided to rain down upon the lands. You know what? I enjoyed every drop of it. The smell of fresh rain is intoxicating. It made me smile from ear to ear. I cracked the bedroom window and just let the smooth sounds of the rain trickle me off to dreamland. What a way to fall asleep! 

This morning, I checked on my garden before leaving for work. Pea-pods everywhere. The pepper plants are flowering. Zucchinis are growing. And the aphids that attacked my artichoke are finally dissipating. Life my friends. It is all around us. Constantly changing. You must realize how amazing this is. I know you are thinking, "hey weirdo, they are just plants." I ask you, are they? It's all apart of this big entertaining game that we call life. It is amazing. Cherish every little bit of it. 

Today will be another great day. You will make it through. Just as the seeds of my garden pushed their way through the dirt and rocks in my yard. Be the rose that grew from concrete and shine on today. 

Once again I'm not one of well wishes. When I say have a great day, I mean it. Achieve it.

You Got This! Conquer Today. Make It Your Bitch

This is the child of a single comment. Maybe it was in jest, maybe not. Nevertheless here we sit. We are on the precipice of glory. The road to greats days and sunshine... Maybe I am putting too much in to this for a Monday;

 "You Got This" was an idea formed on Monday, so no better day to throw down the gauntlets. Will my grammar be perfect, nope, but I'll try. I'll give it that old "3am on the day a term paper is due college effort." Will anyone read this? Not sure. Will today's post make any sense? Probably not, it will be a winding web in to my thoughts... that will get organized in time. Moving along...

Now, am I the poster child for optimism? Hardly. I'm just trying to make headway, trying to see the brighter side of life for lack of a better phrase. Cliche as it may be, I want to find that small ray of sunshine in every day. I have my cloudy days but if I dwell on the dark, I find that my whole outlook on the day is effected. People sometimes become annoyed with my calm and relaxed nature, the way I take everything on and roll with it. Life is too short to dwell on the darkness. 

Mondays. Dreary Mondays. The start of a new work week. So why dread them? It is a new week, a new chance at something exciting. I know that technically Sunday is the start of the week, but people tend to view Monday as their start. After a nice relaxing, or busy, weekend, Monday is where you start slowly trudging through your week. NO MORE. Embrace Mondays as a chance to achieve something great or as a reason to smile. I think bad days are more about attitude than anything. We can change how Mondays are perceived. 

There is always something to smile about. Never forget this. Days may be hard and difficult at times, hell weeks can be difficult to get through. Sometimes an action, as small as a smile can make the world of difference in someone's day. Or even a friendly hello can do the job. Have a friend going through some tough times, take them out for coffee or bring them lunch. Sit down and talk to them, maybe that is all that they need. It is amazing the difference that a conversation can have on someone's outlook. Keep your head up when walking about, you never know what you are missing by staring at that concrete.

Make today great. Find a reason to smile. This isn't a request. It is a demand (I do that, if you plan to read this, get used to it). 

Listen up and Listen carefully.... errr. Read carefully... no that doesn't make sense...Write this down on your cubicle wall... Carve it in to your desk....  Let the following sink in....

YOU GOT THIS! 

CONQUER TODAY! 

MAKE IT YOUR BITCH!

-The Infidel