Straight Up Mindset: 2017

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

4th Quarter Grind Series: Week 2 - Do

The Most Effective Way To Do It, Is To Do It

-Amelia Earhart

Welcome to the December edition of the Straight Up Mindset Blog. This months series is the 4th Quarter Grind Series. First weeks topic was called Dream. This weeks topic is called DO.

This is going to be the last blog of the year so lets make sure to finish out the year strong. In week 1 we talked about dreaming and how it was the foundation to how you want your life to be. Well dreaming is great and it is the foundation, but in order to make your dream come true you must do. It is time to put all the things you have written down and planned out into action. Without action everything will remain a thought and a dream

Bruce Lee said it best "Knowing is not enough, We must apply. Willing is not enough, We must do" Remember, like the title of this series is called: "Its the 4th quarter and this is crunch time." This is the time for execution not excuses. Making excuses right now is the perfect way to send you home packing with your tail between your legs. This is the time that separates the fakes from the greats.

So make sure to put those plans into action and make your dreams become a reality. A lot of the times the only thing that keeps us from greatness is lack of execution of a plan. Only you can hold yourself back and only you can convince yourself to go out and be great.

We want to thank all of you who have been following our blog and who have been supporting the movement. We started this blog to help provide helpful info and insight into how one can reach their fullest potential. We hope that this has been helpful to you and we plan on continuing this move for years to come. As mentioned at the beginning this is the last blog of the year as we are going to shut it down for now. We are going to spend the last few weeks of this month planning for 2018 and also spending the holidays with our families. So once again lets finish out 2017 strong. Start getting your plan together for 2018. So once the new year starts, you will hit the ground running and start the new year off with a bang!

Straight Up!!

If you have any questions or need to go more in depth, please feel free to email us at straightupmindset@gmail.com or you can also reach us on social media.

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Wednesday, December 6, 2017

4th Quarter Grind Series: Week 1 - Dream

The Biggest Adventure You Can Take Is To Live The Life of Your Dreams

-Oprah Winfrey

Welcome to the December edition of the Straight Up Mindset Blog. This months series is the 4th Quarter Grind Series. Week One's topic is called Dream.

Its the 4th quarter ladies and gentlemen. This is crunch time, this is the time where winners win and losers lose. This is the time where you can take your situation from bad to good and good to great. Hopefully you've been following the blogs and applying the principles we have been giving out to you guys. If you haven't don't worry, its not too late to get started. Its never too late to get your life started on the track you want it to be. You just have to actually get started and the first step to help you get started is to have a dream.

You might be asking yourself,what do you mean by dream? How does a dream start my life on the path to greatness. Having a dream is the foundation of how to build your life the way you want it to be. You have to start somewhere, you have to have some type of vision to know what direction you need to go. Everything starts with a dream. Some kids want to be president, some want to be an astronaut, and even some people want to develop the next cure for cancer. Let me ask you this, do you know what you want? Do you know how you want your life to be in the next 5-10 yrs? Do you know what you love to do and hate to do? What is it that fuels you? Money?, Family?...etc

These are the questions you have to ask yourself in order to get to the root of what it is you want from your life. Too many people just spend their life floating around not really know what they are doing and why. Martin Luther King started with a dream and that dream became a reality. Are we where we need to be? No.. Have we made progress? Absolutely. So my point is, if you can take time to sit down and really figure this first step out it will make the rest of the journey a lot smoother. In the sense of you know what you are doing and how you are going to go about doing it.

So think long, hard and deep and really figure out what makes your happy. What it is that you think about and dream about all the time? Once you figure it out, you are already on your path to greatness and becoming the person you know you can be and having the life you always wanted.

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Wednesday, November 29, 2017

I Can Series: Week 5 - 30 Day Challenge

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

I Can Series: Week 4 - Be Thankful

Life Is Full Of Give And Take. Give Thanks And Take Nothing For Granted

-Unknown

Welcome to the November edition of the Straight Up Mindset Blog. This month's series is the I Can Series. Week One's topic was over Face Your Fears. Week Two we talked about Focus On The Goal. Week Three was called Let The Haters Hate. This weeks topic is called Be Thankful

This weeks topic is an easy but often over looked thing. With Thanksgiving being tomorrow, this is the perfect time to reflect on what you have and be thankful for it. Many times we tend to get so caught up in the pursuit of our goals that we forget about what we have and what has been accomplished up to this point.

Take this time to give thanks to those who have supported you and have stuck by you through thick and thin. Be thankful for those who have helped you get closer and closer to your goal. Whether it be your spouse, business partner, family or friends, let them know that you appreciate them.

I know some of you might be in a situation that you are not able to do some of the things I mentioned above. Just remember you are still here, living and breathing. You still have an opportunity to turn everything around. There is always something to be grateful for, you just have to have the right mindset to see it. So enjoy some turkey, enjoy the sweet potato pie and enjoy the time with family and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving

Straight Up!!

If you have any questions or need to go more in depth, please feel free to email us at straightupmindset@gmail.com or you can also reach us on social media.

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Wednesday, November 15, 2017

I Can Series: Week 3 - Let The Haters Hate

"Hold The Vision. Trust The Process."

When pursing your dreams and goals you are 100% guaranteed going to have haters. That one individual or group of people who think your dreams and goals are stupid, ridiculous and too big for you to obtain. Depending how big your family or social circle is, this will happen most of the time. Also, please understand family will and can be your biggest haters. Some of you out there are probably thinking how could that be? They should be your biggest supporters. Which in theory they should, but that's not always the case. One of the things that I have noticed in my own experience that occurs with family (depending how close the relationship is) is that they are comfortable expressing their thoughts and feelings with you. What they don't realize is that when they do this they are more than likely projecting their own fears and short comings onto your life.

Now, I understand that some will actually give you some sound advice. You need to be able to take that feedback and use it to your benefit. Most cases, it will come from their inability to really comprehend the full depth and meaning of why you are pursuing your dreams. It really doesn't matter if they do to be honest with you. It is your dreams and your goals, no one said that you had to have supporters when pursuing your dreams. There are no laws or rules that say you must believe in me or else. That is entirely up to you if you will succeed. People are entitled to their opinions and that is true, but you are also entitled to not allow what they say to hinder your thoughts and feelings on the matter either.

Look, I'm not saying to just starting cutting all relationships you have with people who don't agree with your vision. All I'm saying is don't allow their opinions to dictate your outcome. Learn to decipher who just doesn't see your vision and who is actually trying to give you solid guidance. Remember this while you are on your journey. You will have haters in the beginning and you will have haters even after you make it. Just look at what is on T.V. and on social media. No matter how big of a name or how much money you have in the bank, someone is always going to have an opinion on your life and the choices you make. You just have to be strong within yourself to be OK with your decisions and move forward whether you fail or succeed.

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Wednesday, November 8, 2017

I Can Series: Week 2 - Focus On The Goal

Focus On The Outcome Not The Obstacle

-Straight Up Mindset

Welcome to the November edition of the Straight Up Mindset Blog. This months series is the I Can Series. Week One's topic was over Face Your Fears. This week topic is called Focus On The Goal.

In our previous series called the Execute Series, we went over a topic called Write It Down.

Hopefully you have done this portion already as it will help guide you. Now that you have written down your goals, short and long term, you can put your focus into accomplishing them.When you write them down, those goals are now beacons for you to use to stay on the course. Your probably asking what do I mean by that, well here is the explanation.

When in pursuit of obtaining your goals and success we run into pitfalls and adversity. We get frustrated, angry and just want to give up sometimes and that's normal. Its all a part of the process so don't feel like its only you that is experiencing this. We easily lose sight and deviate from the plan. We tend to forget why we are doing what we are doing and lose the enthusiasm we once started with. This is where physically having those goals in front of you comes into play. For instance, I go through the same scenario when things get a little crazy for me. When I start to feel things slip or I catch myself doing things that are not helping. I look back at my goals that I have written down and pull myself back together and re-energize to keep on progressing towards my goals again.

See that was my beacon, that was my compass to help put me back on my path to greatness. We all get lost, but you have to find your way back every time. You must have some sort of tether, otherwise you will just keep drifting further and further away. So remember to write down your goals, put them somewhere so you can see it everyday. Whether you are leaving for work in the morning or before you go to bed.You need to have those goals somewhere that you can see and read all the time to remind you and to help keep you on the path. The road will be long, and it will be tough, but keep on moving forward and I promise you the journey will all be worth it.

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Wednesday, November 1, 2017

I Can Series: Week 1 - Face Your Fears

Don't Let the Things You Cant Do Overshadow The Things You Can.

Welcome to the November edition of the Straight Up Mindset Blog. This months series is the I Can Series. Week One's topic is called Face Your Fears.

Fear is the number one killer of dreams. Fear of not meeting expectations, fear of failure and even fear of Success. The fear of success is just as big as the fear of failure. Some feel that succeeding is the overwhelming feeling of responsibility and the high standards that come with it can makes a person feel uncomfortable. Don't allow these feelings to hold you back from your greatness. Don't minimize your greatness because of fear. I say that because I have lived through it. You've heard me say this before, I have missed out on a lot of opportunities because I had a very deep rooted fear of failure.

I was not willing to face my fears and rise to the challenge. My mindset was "What if it doesn't work!?" instead of saying "What if it does work?" A lot of times the path to your Destiny is laid out in front of you, but you have to have the courage to take that first step. Be bold enough to take the challenges head on and not give up. Its not easy and it will never get easier but, you will get stronger. You will be able to endure more and push farther. When you reach the end, you will not be the same person as when you started. From this day forward do not let fear keep you tied down. Free yourself by taking that leap of faith and go after whatever it is you want. If it doesn't work out so what, at the end of it all at least you wont look back on your life and say to yourself "What If".

Remember, everything you ever dreamed of being, everything you ever wanted to do and be is right there in front of you. You have to go out there and take it, no one is going to hand you anything. Fear is a mindset just like anything else. You have the ability to control your mindset and dictate your outcome. Don't let fear keep you from achieving your dreams anymore. Stand tall and conquer whatever it is that has been holding you back. This is your day and your time, seize this moment as it can be the turning point that takes your life to another level.

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Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Improvement Series: Week 4 - 30 Day Challenge

"Improvement Begins With I."
-Arnold H. Glasgow

Welcome to the Straight Up Mindset Blog!!

What's up Straight Up Nation! Thank you for returning to the blog. This week we are finishing the Improvement Series. If you want to improve anything in your life, it has to start with you first. You must work from the inside out in order for any change to be permanent.

Week 1 the topic was Self Awareness. Having self-awareness is key when trying to improve everyday. It's having the understanding of your strengths, weakness and your overall personality. It allows you to understand other people and how they look at you, how you react and your attitude in that particular moment. Its a major component in self-control of your emotions and your ability to evaluate certain situations.

Week 2 we talked about Breaking Bad Habits. This topic is something that we all have difficulties with. Even the best out there still deal with certain habits that are tough to break. They also understand these habits need to be broken if they are hindering you from reaching your goals.
Self-Awareness is key to finding these bad habits and starting the process in changing them.

Week 3 the discussion was about being Changing Your Mindset. This is the most over looked area when it comes to self improvement. Whether a person wants to improve their health, career, relationships....etc, you have to change your mind first. If you want to make a change you got to start with yourself. You heard us say this on our last 30 Day Challenge Video, "You Win Some, You Learn Some". Meaning you will fail but the lessons that you get out of those failures will make you a stronger and wiser person.

This week and as we do at the end of every series, we challenge you to take all we discussed in the previous weeks and start applying them to your life. We don't want you to read the blogs and just feel motivated. Motivation is not an impulse of the body or a personality trait. Motivation is
an intention and a will of a mind that wants more than to just be average. If you apply what we give you then you start to change your mindset. When your mindset changes then you start to see your life change for the better

Straight Up!!

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Monday, October 23, 2017

Improvement Series: Week 2 - Breaking Bad Habits

"Chains Of Habits Are Too Light To Be Felt Until They Are Too Heavy To Be Broken"

-Warren Buffet

Welcome to the October edition of the Straight Up Mindset Blog. This months series is the Improvement Series. Last weeks topic was over Self-Awareness. This week we will be talking about Breaking Bad Habits

This topic is something that we all have difficulties with. Even the best out there still deal with certain habits that are tough to break. They also understand these habits need to be broken if they are hindering you from reaching your goals. Everyone's habits are different, some are very negative when it comes to resolving issues. Others like to avoid issues and challenges all together. Myself for example, I have a bad habit of procrastinating and then scramble to get things done in the llth hr. Now I am not proud of that, but it is something that I am constantly working on everyday. This bad habit of mine has prevented me from taking advantage of a lot of great opportunities. Instead of doing what`s needed to be done, I was not prepared when an opportunity presented itself.

Understand that breaking bad habits is not an easy task. As mentioned in our previous blog, you have to be aware of these bad habits. Self-Awareness is key to finding these bad habits and starting the process in changing them. You have to be honest with yourself. Many times we don't want to admit we have an issue in the first place. The first and biggest step is to realize and admit what ever bad habits you have is a big problem. Once you've done that you are already half way there. The next step is to come up with a plan on how you are going to break this habit. For instance, one of the things I made sure to do to break my habit of procrastinating was to be conscious when that feeling came up. Once I recognized that feeling, I acknowledge it, had a very positive and motivational internal conversation with myself. Then I proceeded to doing and accomplishing my task at hand.

Another key component to breaking and building better habits is consistency. Its not something that is just going to work after one try. Think about it, you developed these habits over time and repetitive execution. It becomes apart of your daily life and routine. It is now second nature to you, which is why you don't even realize you are doing it. In order to break that cycle and develop a new routine you have to do it consistently. This is why when we present the 30 Day Challenge to you guys we give you 30 days to apply the principles we provide in the blogs. You've heard us say it, “It takes 21 days to build a habit”, we give you 30.

Listen, its going to be an uphill battle, you are going to have successes and failures in this process. Just remember to keep pressing forward, be consistent and eventually you will break those bad habits and probably won’t even realize it because it will then have become second nature to you.

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Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Improvement Series: Week 3 - Changing Your Mindset

Whether You Think You Can Or You Cant, You're Right

-Henry Ford

Welcome to the October edition of the Straight Up Mindset Blog. This months series is the Improvement Series. Week one's topic was over Self-Awareness. Week two we talked about Breaking Bad Habits. This weeks topic is over Changing Your Mindset

This is the most over looked area when it comes to self improvement. Whether a person wants to improve their health, career, relationships....etc. Everyone seems to start on the outer stuff and neglect their mindset. The body does what the mind tells it to do, this applies to all areas in life. The quote above by Henry Ford is so true. However you look at a situation good or bad, what you think is what the outcome will be. It's that simple and it comes down to whether or not you believe in your abilities.

I was listening to a Michael Jackson song "Man In The Mirror" and to be honest I have never really paid attention to the lyrics until one day in my car I happen to catch what he was saying. The main part of the chorus is "I'm starting with the Man In The Mirror. I'm asking him to change his ways. If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make that change." I have been listening to that song for years and for some reason those lyrics are just now getting to me. The point of the song is if you want to make a change in the first place you need to start with yourself. You have to completely reprogram your mind to start thinking in a different way. A perfect example is when I was younger I didn't like the thought of change and having to adapt to whatever the situation required. I liked to stay in my little bubble and just be safe and comfortable with the known. Being uncomfortable and not knowing what's up ahead scared me down to the bone.

I even contemplated on quitting a job because they were going to promote me and I didn't think I would be able to do the job and succeed. Can you believe that?? Who have you ever heard quitting a job because they were scared of success? I doubt many if at all any, but that was my mindset at the time. So scared of change, I found a million and one excuses of why I shouldn't take it. I approached a lot of situations like this because my mindset was in a bad place. It was at the point I knew I needed to do something about it and I did. What I did was I flipped the situation around and instead of thinking what if I fail, What if I completely just fall on my face and let everyone down. I started to ask myself, What if I succeed? What if I knocked this thing out of the park and take the bull by the horns. Now my whole outlook changed, my demeanor changed, my approach changed and the result was I did succeed.

I started to take that approach towards everything I came face to face with. I'm not saying that I won every single battle. Trust me I have the scars to prove that but the percentage of the battles that I did win increased and my progressions always moved upwards. All it took was for me to think differently and approach things differently. I didn't always know what I was doing, I didn't always have it together. Many times I'm scared out of my mind and don't have a clue as to how I'm going to make it through but eventually I figure it out and majority of the time it works out.

So to make a long story short just remember, "If you want to make a change you got to start with yourself." You have to have a different mindset. You will not always have the answers upfront, you wont always win every challenge but you will prevail. You have to believe you can and the outcome will work in your favor. You heard us say this on our last 30 Day Challenge Video, "You Win Some, You Learn Some". Meaning you will fail but the lessons that you get out of those failures will make you a stronger and wiser person.

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Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Improvement Series: Week 1 - Self-Awareness

"Being Self-Aware Is Not The Absence Of Mistakes, But The Ability To Learn And Correct Them"

-Daniel Chidiac

Welcome to the October edition of the Straight Up Mindset Blog. This months series is the Improvement Series. Week One's topic is called Self-Awareness.

Having self-awareness is key when trying to improve everyday. It's having the understanding of your strengths, weakness and your overall personality. It allows you to understand other people and how they look at you, how you react and your attitude in that particular moment. Its a major component in self-control of your emotions and your ability to evaluate certain situations.

Self Awareness allows you to stay true to your internal values and not make harsh decisions, which we are all guilty of doing when things get chaotic or change in an instant. You might have also heard the term "Emotional Intelligence" used in its place. Having self-awareness or emotional intelligence gives you the ability to understand and accept the things that makes us human. This means that when you make a mistake or miss on a opportunity instead of getting down and beating yourself up about it, you are able to understand what happened. Ask yourself, "why you made that choice," Correcting your mistakes and learning from them is what growth is about and is the very essence of how you grow mentally and emotionally.

In order to get past certain obstacles in life you have to be extremely honest with yourself and figure out why you are not getting to where you want to be. Whether its because you are bad with money, you procrastinate, or if you like to displace anger on someone else for your actions. Whatever your obstacle is for you, truly accept that it's problem and address it the right way. The more you know about yourself, the better you will get at adapting to the ups and downs and constant changes of life.

At the end of the day, you can go do a million conferences and mimic your routine after the most successful people out there, but none of that matters if you don't deeply understand yourself and know how you tick. Knowing this will allow you properly apply them to your life. So, before you move forward with trying to fix the external issues you're facing, take a look inside of yourself and learn everything about you. So that moving forward, you will have a better understanding of how you got yourself in your current situation. Make the best decisions to correct it and avoid making the wrong choice in the first place.

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Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Execute Series: Week 4 - 30 Day Challenge!!

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Execute Series: Week 3 - Execute

"I Dream, I Test My Dreams Against My Beliefs, I Take Risks, And I Execute My Vision To Make Those Dreams Come True"

-Walt Disney

Welcome back everyone to the September edition of the Straight Up Mindset Blog. This month’s series is Execute. The first week we talked about "Know What You Want". Second weeks topic was called "Write It Down". This weeks topic will be over "Execute"

This is it, this is what it all comes down to. As mentioned in the first weeks blog, you have given some serious thought into what it is you really want in life. You've talked about it, you've visualized it and now you are absolutely certain what it is you are after. Next step, we asked you to take that information and write it all down. Write it down anywhere, a notepad, diary, in your phone or a sheet of paper. Where ever you can write it down, go ahead and put it all there. Remember, when you write it down the percentage of achieving those goals increases.

Now here comes the crucial part. It's time to take those plans, ideas, goals and make them come to life. IT'S TIME TO EXECUTE!! In order for any plan or idea to work you must execute those plans. The one area that a lot of us fail in is the execution. We feel that because we did everything prior, all the other stuff should just magically happen. No, you need to follow through all the way to the end and that means putting things into action and making moves. Example: You want to lose weight, ok, you have planned out your diet. You have scheduled your time for your workouts and the only thing left to do is to just do it. No more talking, no more fantasizing, WORK!

What are you waiting for?? Don't let all that time and effort you put into planning go to waste. You are right there. All you have to do is just execute, its that simple. People tend to not reach their goals because they fear when they try to execute that they will fail. Let me tell you something and I want you to pay close attention to what I'm about to say. I guarantee you are going to fail, there is a high probability that failure is going to happen to you and you will have to start all over. Here is the kicker though, Its OK. Failure is part of the process, its what builds you up and makes you better. You have heard us say this many, many times before. Do you think every successful person that you look up to and admire hit success on the first try every time? Absolutely not, they failed over and over and over. What they got out of it each time was how to do it better and then boom, they hit their mark. Its part of the process and it takes time. The more you do it, the better you get at executing and your success rate increases each time.

We can't stress this enough, Execute, Execute, Execute! Its very important that you let this one marinate in your brain for a while. Without the work, without the execution, all those things you thought about, talked about and wrote down, will only be thoughts. Words with no weight and letters on a piece of paper

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Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Execute Series: Week 2 - Write it Down

"Your Dreams Are Only Dreams Until You Write Them Down..........Then They Are Goals"

Welcome back everyone to the September edition of the Straight Up Mindset Blog. This month’s series is Execute. Last week's topic was "Know What You Want". This weeks topic is called "Write It Down"

We mentioned last week that you have to know what you want. Once you have figured that portion out, now its time to write it down. Put those ideas on paper. Writing it down might seem like a meaningless step, but doing this helps you visualize your goals and makes them more tangible. Studies have shown that when you write down your goals the percentage of achieving those goals increases.

After you accomplish that, break them down into 2 categories: Short Term Goals and Long Term Goals. Your Long Term Goals are going to be those big goals, your dreams, the big picture and things that would be accomplished in 5 or more years. Think about what you strive to accomplish and the reason why you are doing what you are doing. This timeline will vary for each person as everyone's goals and what they want to do are different.

The other portion is going to be your Short Term Goals. These are going to be your day to day items. The things you need to accomplish in order to get closer to your Long Term Goals. What short term goals do for you is, they build your confidence. As you start to complete each short term goal your hunger and desire to reach the big goals starts to grow. You empower yourself to not allow anything to stop you. This is the process where you grow as a person mentally and emotionally. During this time you will have failures and you will have victories. In each and every one of those moments a valuable lesson is to be learned.

These are the simple steps to building a solid foundation. Prepare yourself to watch your plans unfold and see your dreams come to fruition.

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Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Execute Series: Week 1 - Know what you want

"Vision Without Execution Is A Daydream. Execution Without Vision Is A Nightmare."

-Japanese Proverb

Welcome everyone to the September edition of the Straight Up Mindset Blog. This month’s series is Execute. This weeks topic is, Know What You Want.

Just like the quote above states, in order for you to be able to execute anything you must have a plan in place. This is usually the hardest part to figure out, as most people have never really visualized a plan. This is something that has to be true to you and what is in your heart. Sit down and think long and hard about this, you have to be able to filter all the nonsense and irrational stuff that clouds your judgment. Take money out of the equation, take fame and recognition out of it. What is your gift that you have been blessed with?

Knowing what you want is the foundation to making dreams into reality. Once you come up with that answer, you have something tangible. You have something to work towards, something to plan around. Every day people go to work and do a job that they don't care about, they have no passion for and wonder why they are miserable when they hear that alarm clock go off in the morning. Why live this way? Why waste your time and efforts fulfilling someone else's dreams?

The same amount of time and effort can be put towards something that has way more value and meaning to you. The promise of a steady paycheck can't be your only motivation. We all get stuck with that reasoning and trust me as I am not exempt from this type of thinking. So, I encourage you to sit down by yourself,with a friend, family member or significant other and really think about what it is you want from yourself and life. Figure out what is your gift you were blessed with and figure out how that can be shared with the world. Once you obtain that answer, spend every waking moment of your life going after it

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Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Believe Series: 30 Day Challenge!!

Straight Up!!

If you have any questions or need to go more in depth, please feel free to email us at straightupmindset@gmail.com or you can also reach us on social media.

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Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Believe Series: Week 4 - Leave your Mark!!

"If You're Going To Live, Leave A Legacy. Make A Mark On The World That Can't Be Erased"

-Maya Angelou

Welcome to the Straight Up Mindset Blog!!

Welcome back everyone to the August edition of the Straight Up Mindset Blog. This month’s series is the Believe Series. The first week we discussed "Believe First!!, Second weeks topic was "Opportunity is coming!!!", Third week we talked about "Let Nothing Stop You!!!". Now we are in week 4 and the topic is "Leave Your Mark!!!"

We have all heard the saying that we only have one life to live. Have you really sat down and fully thought about that? There are no reset buttons, once your number is called its time. We can all agree that the one life we have wont be perfect, but what we can do is make it purposeful. You have heard us say this many times, "Your purpose has to be bigger than yourself." Once you make your purpose bigger than you that is when you are able to leave your mark on this world and build a legacy.

You have to understand that you have people depending on you. What you do affects other people that need you to be 100%. A lot of us are here because of someone who left their mark in our lives. It was so strong, it touched us so deep that it helped mold us to who we are today. That is how you have to think and approach everything you do. Put your best foot forward everyday when you wake up. You have been blessed with a gift that can be shared to help others.

Once you make your mark that is something that no one can take away from you. That will forever live in the lives of your children, family, friends and those who have been touched by your gift. Those are things that cannot be erased no matter how hard they try. I once heard someone say "Our fingerprints don't fade from the lives we've touch". Your life is your message to the world, make sure its inspiring.

Straight Up!!

If you have any questions or need to go more in depth, please feel free to email us at straightupmindset@gmail.com or you can also reach us on social media.

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Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Believe Series: Week 3 - Let nothing Stop You!!!

"The Question Isn't Who Is Going to Let Me; It's Who Is Going To Stop Me"

Welcome to the Straight Up Mindset Blog!!

Welcome back everyone to the August edition of the Straight Up Mindset Blog. This month’s series is the Believe Series. First week we discussed "Believe First!!, The following week the topic was "Opportunity is coming!!!" This weeks topic is "Let Nothing Stop You!!!"

A lot of us go through life with the expectation what we want and strive for will simply be handed to us. When life punches you in the mouth and you have to fight for what you want. Many of us tend to shy away or just simply give up. Don't do this to yourself and miss out on opportunities just because an obstacle has been placed in front of you. These are the moments that build character and have life's most precious lessons wrapped up in them.

These key moments are what help define you, makes you stronger and gain the ability to endure through life's rough patches. Way too often we let a family member talk us out of our dreams because they are projecting their fears and lack of passion on us. Way too often we sell ourselves short because we lack the confidence to move forward. STOP! You know what you want, so why miss out cause of minor setbacks and obstacles. If you don't know what you want then sit down with a note pad and figure it out. Once you obtain that answer, you pursue that goal with every ounce of your being answith ever bit of your soul. Don't stop until that goal has been met then pounce on the next one. Let nothing stop you in your pursuit of Happiness, Personal and Financial Freedom, whatever it is that drives you. Opportunities are few and far between, so don't let anyone or thing stop you from capturing them.

Remember that the only person that can stop you, is you. No one else has the ability or power to stop you from rising to the top unless you give them the power to do so. So don't blame your boss, don't blame your parents, don't blame your situation. If you are not doing what you said you are going to do and you keep falling short of your dreams then you are the reason. Come on guys, no more excuses. BE UNSTOPPABLE! BELIEVE!!

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Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Believe Series: Week 2 - Opportunity is coming!!!

Success occurs when preparation meets opportunity!! ~ Zig Ziglar
Welcome to the Straight Up Mindset Blog!!

Welcome everyone back to the August edition of the Straight Up Mindset Blog. This month’s series is going to be over, Believe. Last weeks topic was, "Believe First!! This week will be over Opportunity is coming!!

Life changing opportunities are far and few between, so understand your opportunity is coming, the question is will you be ready when it comes??

Last week I told you that you had to Believe First. This week I want you to know, that your Opportunity is coming!! Are you prepared for it? What are you doing when no one is watching, to prepare for your moment. You have to go all in with every opportunity. The one you pass up or the one you weren't prepared for could have taken you to new heights. So when opportunities come, you have to kill it. I need you to be in beast mode at all times. Listen, no one can stop you from working on you and doing the little things to prepare yourself for when your opportunity presents itself, the only person that can do that is you. So stay Focused!!

I have been preparing my whole life to make sure I take advantage of every opportunity. Have I gotten off track at some point? Yes! Have I even been passed up on opportunities that I felt should have been mine? Absolutely!! I stayed focused, I kept going, and I keep preparing, because I don't know which opportunity will take me to another level. In life all we can ask for is a chance. Some one gave me an opportunity to partner with them and start a restaurant, that became a successful business. Someone gave me an opportunity to sell a drink and gave me a platform to be Great, my wife and I turned that into a new home. Someone gave me an opportunity to talk to kids and help encourage them and motivate them, we turned that into D&J Empowerment Group.

You have the opportunity to be Great!! What are you going to do about it? There are times we all look at some opportunities as a small opportunities, not really realizing that the opportunities you took as to small or not worth your time, could have been the start to something Amazing. So keep preparing yourself and take advantage of every opportunity, because your break through is coming. Will you be READY when it comes!!

Straight UP!!

If you have any questions or need to go more in depth, please feel free to email us at straightupmindset@gmail.com or you can also reach us on social media.

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Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Believe Series: Week 1 - Believe First

Believing in yourself, is the first secret to Success!! ~Unknown

Welcome to the Straight Up Mindset Blog!!

Welcome everyone to the August edition of the Straight Up Mindset Blog. This month’s series is going to be over, Believe. This weeks topic is, "Believe First!!

You are destined for Greatness, you will be Great, because Greatness is in you, but me saying this to you means nothing until YOU believe first.

I remember back when I was sleeping in my car, I felt like my life didn't matter or that no one cared about me, I also remember thinking my life wasn't meant for anything. All that did was build up pride, it broke me down and made me feel lost. All of this came about, because I didn't know that Greatness was in me and in result of that, I didn't do Great things. One day a man spoke into my life and told me that I was the director of my life and that if I didn't like the way it was playing out, change it.

I remember my mother telling me that God has called me to do Great things, I just had to believe and have faith. I remember her saying to me that the only person that could stop me from my Greatness, was me. Then one day it clicked and I started to Believe that I was Great. Once I started believing it, I talked with Greatness, I walked with Greatness and I surrounded myself with Great people.

So, what I need you to get from this weeks message is, you are not an accident, your life has a Purpose and once you start believing that and believing that you are Great, your life will go to a whole new level. Hear me on this, your Life Matters and you are Destined for Greatness, you just have to Believe.

I'm going to leave you with this, If you knew what walking in your Greatness looked like for you, what would you do? What would you be? Then I need you to do four things for me, write it down, memorize it, internalize it, then get to work, but remember that it starts with Believing First.

Straight Up!!

If you have any questions or need to go more in depth, please feel free to email us at straightupmindset@gmail.com or you can also reach us on social media.

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Wednesday, July 26, 2017

3rd Quarter Grind Series - 30 Day Challenge

Knowing is not enough, We must apply.

Willing is not enough, we must do.

- Johann Von Goethe

Welcome to the Straight Up Mindset Blog!!

What's up Straight Up Nation! Thank you for returning to the blog. This week we are finishing the 3rd Quarter Grind Series. The quote above is the essence of what we try to share and show to you. We can post and say quotes all day but if you don't actually apply them then none of it means anything nor changes anything.

Week 1 the topic was Enough Talking!!. Enough talking!! Some of you, the reason why your dreams are not a reality, is because your doing to much talking and not enough Grinding. Talk less, Grind more, let your work do the talking. We are not talking anymore, 3rd quarter living is all about doing. It's ok to put your dreams out there, so someone close to you can hold you accountable, but one time, then get to Work.

Week 2 we talked about Expect To Win. "I Expect To Win" Those should be the first thoughts in your mind when you wake up everyday. A true competitor doesn't enter a competition with a game plan on how to lose. Nothing else should enter your mind but you expecting to win. Start each day with that mindset and a plan to execute whatever it is you need to do to win.

Week 3 the discussion was about being ALL IN. All in means giving more than you thought you had in you, more than you thought you could give, and more than you thought you were ever capable of. Every breathe, every ounce of energy, and every second should count. NO DAYS OFF!! You should never tell yourself, "I can get it done later or tomorrow or next week, it's about getting it done NOW!!

This week and as we do at the end of every series, we challenge you to take all we discussed in the previous weeks and start applying them to your life. We don't want you to read the blogs and just feel motivated. Motivation is not an impulse of the body or a personality trait. Motivation is
an intention and a will of a mind that wants more than to just be average. If you apply what we give you then you start to change your mindset. When your mindset changes then you start to see your life change for the better

Straight Up!!

If you have any questions or need to go more in depth, please feel free to email us at straightupmindset@gmail.com or you can also reach us on social media.

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Wednesday, July 19, 2017

3rd Quarter Grind Series - Week 3 - All In

Be All In or Get All Out, there is no halfway!! ~Unknown

Welcome everyone to the July edition of the Straight Up Mindset Blog. The past few weeks of the 3rd Quarter Living: The Grind Series we talked about "Enough Talking" and "Expect To Win." This week, we are going "ALL IN!!"

All in is about learning how to use your past hurts, present pain, and future problems to push you to your Greatness! In Life you might only get one shot to live out your dreams or accomplish your big goals, so you have to take advantage of every second, every moment, and every opportunity that comes.

All in means giving more than you thought you had in you, more than you thought you could give, and more than you thought you were ever capable of. Every breathe, every ounce of energy, and every second should count. NO DAYS OFF!! You should never tell yourself, "I can get it done later or tomorrow or next week, it's about getting it done NOW!! It takes blood, sweat and tears to get to the top. There may not be a tomorrow, so I need you to focus on the 86,400 seconds today and accomplish everything you can.

All in is knowing your Why!! Is it greater than your failures, is it greater than your problems and it's greater than your pain. You aren't headed to the top to quit, your headed to the top, because your destined for it, your headed to the top, because you were built for it. You have put to much time, effort and energy into your dreams and goals, you have to keep going. Having a bigger reason in the beginning stages of your unbelievable dreams or big goals, will help you to stay the course and keep fighting. Especially when you don't have anything left in the tank.

Lastly, All In is fighting for every inch. You have to fight for your dreams when no one else believes in them. You have to be in a mindset, that if you say your going to do something, you are going to get it done by any means necessary. When you are All in by any means necessary, you will start seeing things, having things, and experiencing things that others may never experience. Listen, if you want to leave your mark on this world, you have to go ALL IN!! NO EXCUSES!!

Straight Up!!

If you have any questions or need to go more in depth, please feel free to email us at straightupmindset@gmail.com or you can also reach us on social media.

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Wednesday, July 12, 2017

3rd Quarter Grind Series - Week 2 - Expect To Win

You Were Born To Win,

But To Be A Winner,

You Must Plan To Win,

Prepare To Win,

And Expect To Win

-Zig Ziglar

Welcome everyone to the July edition of the Straight Up Mindset Blog. Last week we kicked off the 3rd Quarter Living: The Grind Series with Enough Talking!!. This weeks title is "Expect To Win"

"I Expect To Win" Those should be the first thoughts in your mind when you wake up everyday. A true competitor doesn't enter a competition with a game plan on how to lose. Nothing else should enter your mind but you expecting to win. Start each day with that mindset and a plan to execute whatever it is you need to do to win. When I wake up every morning I expect to conquer any obstacle that comes my way. When I wake up in the morning I expect great things to happen. When I went to college I expected to graduate and I did. Yeah, I had my ups and downs, I had to take a few classes more than once but I did whatever it took to make sure I got over that hump

The problem is that too many of you out there, without even realizing it expect to fail. Once you allow that thought to enter your mind that is your new expectation. When a Lion wakes up, do you think he says to himself "I hope I get to eat today?" NO, he's a lion and he knows it he needs to eat to live. He expects to capture his prey and to satisfy his hunger. Stop selling yourself short. You are born to be great, you are destined to do great things and you must think like a winner. You have to see the outcome of victory in your mind, set a plan and succeed.

So this is what I want you to do starting today. Tell yourself that today I will no longer be a loser. Today I will no longer have a loser's mentality. I will declare what is mine and I expect to take what is mine. Going forward, expect to win like your life depends on it. No more excuses, no more hoping and wishing. Everything that comes your way expect to push through and be victorious.

Straight Up!!

If you have any questions or need to go more in depth, please feel free to email us at straightupmindset@gmail.com or you can also reach us on social media

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Wednesday, July 5, 2017

3rd Quarter Grind Series - Week 1 - Enough Talking!!

"Knowing is not enough, we must apply.
Being willing is not enough, we must do!!"

~ Bruce Lee

Welcome to the Straight Up Mindset Blog!!

Welcome everyone to the July edition of the Straight Up Mindset Blog. This month’s series is going to be the over, 3rd Quarter Living: The Grind Series. This weeks topic is, "Enough Talking!!

Enough talking!! Some of you, the reason why your dreams are not a reality, is because your doing to much talking and not enough Grinding. Talk less, Grind more, let your work do the talking. We are not talking anymore, 3rd quarter living is all about doing. It's ok to put your dreams out there, so someone close to you can hold you accountable, but one time, then get to Work. So, whatever it is you are trying to do in life, whether is a Athlete, Doctor, Teacher, or even an Artist, it will require more action, then you could ever believe. So to much talking could be dangerous, because the things you have to do, to back up what your saying, is could be more than your willing to give.

Listen, the secret that I have discovered for get to places I never thought possible, was Working Hard and Grinding for countless hours. There is No magical number of hours to become successful, I can't tell you, that if you put in 10,000 hours your dreams will become a reality, but the day you stop putting hours in, is when it gets further and further away from you. So, enough wishing, enough planning, and enough waiting, it's time to get to WORK!!

Guys, becoming successful is not easy, but it's simple. Anyone who has ever came from the bottom to the top in Life, put in hours and hours working on their goals, perfecting their craft, and making their dreams a reality. I need you to stop talking about your Grind and do me a huge favor, Just Grind!!

Straight Up!!

If you have any questions or need to go more in depth, please feel free to email us at straightupmindset@gmail.com or you can also reach us on social media.

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