The Value of Time, Health, and Money (And How To Have An Abundance of All 3)

When asked what surprised him about humanity the most, the Dalai Lama replied:

“Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

What is the real cost of time?

What is the real cost of money?

What is the real cost of health?

The truth is, in today's society, we tend to value the most important things least, and the least important things most.

Think about it.  Between time, money, and health, where do your priorities lie?

Here are mine:
1. Time
2. Health
3. Money

Now maybe some of you might be thinking "well health is more important than time" in which I would argue that while you can always regain your health, you can never get back lost time.  But on the flip side, a person who has their health can add time to their life.  So in essence they are one in the same, but not many people can argue that money is more important than time or health.  (And the ones that do typically have plenty of money but neither the health nor time to enjoy it.) 

The sad truth is, while you're reading this right now agreeing that time and health are more important than money, are you really living that out in your actions each day?  Or are is the majority of your time and health being sacrificed to make money?

I tend to write and speak out to the 20 and 30-something year olds because we can see what past generations have done with their time and money.  They worked hard all their life sacrificing time and health for money so they can retire wealthy and secure, only to get crushed by the recession of 2008 and realize they were out of time, money, and health.

As a younger generation, we want to be smarter than that.  But the question is, how?

How do we align ourselves in a way where we can have an abundance of time, health, and money, and get to enjoy all 3 today?

Here are a few ways (5 to be exact):

1. Live and Enjoy Being In The Moment.  We live in a fast-paced technology-filled world today.  But I know one thing for sure.  That when I'm on my death bed, I'm not going to say "I wish I spent more time on social media" or "I wish I made more money". No.  I want to breathe my last dying breaths knowing that when someone was talking to me in person, I had my phone/tablet put away and gave them 100% of my undivided attention.  I want to live knowing that I was happy along the journey, not racing through the journey to find happiness.  Happiness is a choice.  It's a choice that can only be decided one moment at a time.  The day you decide to be happy in the moment regardless of circumstances, is the day you stop chasing happiness and realize it was there all along.

2. Invest Your Time, Health, and Money.  If there's one thing we didn't learn as kids growing up, it was how to invest.  Investing is simply putting in resources that add value and growth over time.  So how do you invest in your time, health, and money? By doing activities that will eventually give you more of it (and spending less on things that take away from them).  Thankfully, I have a business I invest in that gives me all three.  The products offer solutions to improve my health, and the larger my business grows, the more cash flow comes into the business on autopilot, thus giving me more time to enjoy life.  Robert Kiyosaki, author of "Rich Dad Poor Dad" calls it "escaping the rat race".  When you build a business that generates cash flow each month whether you work or not, and it reaches a point that the monthly cash flow exceeds your monthly expenses, you've escaped the rat race of trading time for dollars.  That's why I advocate that everyone, no matter how much you love your job, or how much money you make, starts a passive or residual income business part time. (E-mail me at thatninjamark@yahoo.com for more information).

3. Stop Living Vicariously Through Others.  Lifestyles of the rich and the famous.  We as a society are addicted to it.  We tell ourselves "that'll never be me" or even "I don't want all that fortune and fame", yet we are always glued to the latest hearsay on which celebrity did this, or which sports player did that.  The truth is, while the world is stuck on the television watching people they secretly wish they could be like, those people on the TV are out there being themselves!  It's no secret, if all we did was focus on living out our own lives 100% to the max, it wouldn't take long for others to secretly wish they were you.  Stop spending so much time watching people you admire, and start focusing on being someone worth admiring.

4. Grow.  There's a saying, more like a universal truth that goes: If you're not growing, you're dying.  #truthbomb.  Did you catch that? If you're not growing, you're dying.  So what are you doing?  Are you growing each day, personally, mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, financially?  Or are have you just "settled".  Because guess what...there's no such thing as "settling".  Settling equals death.  Settling means staying right where you are while the rest of the world keeps moving forward.  That means you're getting left behind. 

5. Where You Are Now Is Perfect.  Realize that you are exactly where you are in life today based on the choices you've made for yourself, and the choices you've allowed others to make for you.  I know, this blog post is probably punching you in the gut right now.  But for real, it's time to be honest with yourself.  You don't have to be perfect.  Just understand, where you are right now is perfect.  Because it's exactly where the universe intended you to be.  The only thing left now is to realize it, understand it, appreciate it, and take the next step forward.  Get a workout in.  Pick up a non-fiction book.  Spend some much needed time with your spouse or kids (and put down the phone!).

Remember, if you want an abundance (read: more than enough) of time, health, and money in your life, you've got to rearrange your life based on your priorities.  If money is more important to you than time and health, by all means keep chugging away trading your time and health for the all-mighty dollar.  But if you understand that time and health are your ultimate assets, and you'll always have time to make more money as long as your health is in order, then follow those 5 steps outlined above.

Until next time...

DON'T FORGET TO LIKE/COMMENT/SHARE!

Mark Lopez blogs about leadership and personal development in order to strengthen his own leadership skills.  As a Christian, father, husband, and CEO of his own life, Mark looks to empower others so they can lead life by their own design.  To learn more about Mark, follow him on Facebook
or connect with him on LinkedIn.

10 1/2 Reasons To Start A (New) Part-Time Business in 2015 (And 3 Reasons Why You SHOULDN'T)

10 1/2 Reasons To Start A (New) Part-Time Business in 2015

10. You can't sell your job no matter how much you love it.  You can either exchange time for dollars at a job and never seem to have enough of either, or do work once and get paid over and over again for it.  Think about it: Will Smith is still collecting checks from "Fresh Prince of Bel Air". What will you get paid when you quit your job?

9. Find a creative outlet to do what you do best. Everyone was created to do something extraordinary for the world to see. More than likely, that something extraordinary isn't going to be during the hours of clocking in and clocking out of work.  Building a business gives you TIME freedom--the time to do something meaningful for others that only you can offer.

8. Face your fears. If you don't have a business at least part-time yet, it's probably because you've asked yourself "what if it fails?".  First off, yeah it might.  But that's okay, because life will move on, you can dust yourself off, get up, and start a new one because you now have all the experience from that failure.  Second off, what if it doesn't?  What if your business is a massive success and you can quit your job and build a massive organization that runs on its own?  Don't just face your fear of failure.  Face your fear of massive success too.  You deserve to be an immense success.

7. Invest in the highest return thing possible: yourself.  Your business only grows to the size of you.  Become a factor for constant growth and failure isn't an option.

6. Take responsibility for your future instead of expecting handouts.  When you have a job, you have 1 client: your boss.  And they have the power to fire you at will.  When you have a business, you have many clients.  Even if one fires you, you'll have plenty more to keep you in business.  Plus, I don't think the magical imaginary thing we call social security and 401ks need to be mentioned here.

5. Passive/residual income.  The wealthiest people in the world build assets that give them a source of income on autopilot.  That way they can work when they choose, where they choose, how they choose, and not worry about not getting paid.

4. It takes 5-10 hours/week.  As soon as you start a business, the race is on.  It's a matter of how fast can you generate the income needed to make it worth your time.  If your aiming to replace your working income, then you'll need to learn how to produce as much in 5-10 hours/week as you do in 40 hours/week.  Which of course means that by then you'll have doubled your income and could leave your job whenever you want.

3. Learn sales and marketing.  Sales and marketing is nothing more than answering "how can as many people as possible understand that what I have is of value to them?"  Sales and marketing is nothing more than communicating.  The more people you talk to and the better you learn to communicate to them, the more business you'll have.

2. You can get started for as little as $300.  Even if you have a dream of opening up your own restaurant and need $100,000 to get it started, you could start a part-time home-based business and take the profits from there to store up so you can invest in your restaurant idea.  The wealthiest people in the world build businesses and use those profits to build more businesses.

1. Opportunity is everywhere.  When you look past the whole politics, economy, media mumbo jumbo, you'll see that opportunity is everywhere.  All you have to do is take what you're passionate about, find a niche group of people in need of a solution, and the courage to learn the skills needed to serve them.

1/2. Give more.  Who wouldn't love to feed all the starving kids in the world or find a cure for cancer or build a shelter for abused women?  Money has two purposes: pay for the stuff you need, and pay for the stuff you want.  Nothing is stopping you from making more money than you need so you can give it all away to the causes that touch your heart.

3 Reasons Why You SHOULDN'T Start a Business

3. You're already juggling one or more businesses and need to focus more on those.  In that case, keep it up!  2015 is your year!

2. You'd rather try see a return on investment for your Netflix and cable bill. Um...

1. You'd rather listen to the excuses your fears are telling you and fold to the opinions of others.  In that case, definitely do not start a business.

E-mail me at thatninjamark@yahoo.com if you'd like to discuss how you can launch a new part-time business in just 90 days!!

How To Make 2015 The Most Exciting Year Ever

2014 was a GREAT year for me personally.

There was love.  There was loss.  There was pain.  There was pleasure.

Exhaustion and excitement. Failure and fulfillment.

I learned peace and patience is a choice.

I learned poverty and riches are two sides of the same coin.

I learned that there are only 2 possible outcomes: success, or quitting.  Failure is impossible if you don't give up.

The best part about 2014...is that I'm just getting warmed up.

Here's my personal blueprint for making 2015 the best and most exciting year ever...

1. Ask the big questions.  What excites you?  Really.  What gets you fired up and makes you feel alive? I've learned to correlate the words "excitement" with "purpose".  Meaning, if it excites you, you were meant to do it.  This past year, I followed a simple formula: only do what excites me.  Doing so got me on a network television show, working for myself from home, writing and publishing 2 best selling books,  building homes for a family in Mexico, and growing tremendously in my faith.  I plan to do the same thing next year, and the year after that.  Just keep asking myself "what excites me?" and see where that answer takes me.

2. See the big picture.  I always try to keep the year ahead in perspective with my BIG goals.  My lifetime goals.  My vision for myself and the kind of legacy I want to leave.  You might not look at life the same way I do, but at the very least, look at where you want to be 10 years from now and work backwards.  2015 is just a stepping stone to who and what you'll be in 2025 and beyond.  What you do this coming year will greatly effect what 10 years from now looks like.

3. Gain clarity.  You can step into 2015 with no direction and wander around in a haze of confusion, or you can walk a clear path towards what it is you want.  When you gain clarity on what exactly you want in life, the universe seems to bend to your will and give you exactly what you want.  The hard part is figuring that out.  After figuring out what excites me and matching that up with my bigger picture, I get into putting my goals down on paper (something 85% of successful people say they do).  I write down yearly goals, break them down into quarterly goals, then monthly goals, and then weekly goals.  From there, I can break it down further into daily habits. 

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit" -Aristotle.

4. Find my roadblocks.  My biggest roadblock this year, and what will probably be my biggest roadblock for the rest of my life, is myself.  And by myself, I mean specifically my beliefs about myself and my potential. When I changed my thoughts from "I can't do that" to "How can I do that?", suddenly anything was possible. How about you?  Are you severely underestimating the greatness you're able to accomplish in life? Are you your own worst enemy?  If so, it's time to let the shackles go and really take the first steps towards doing something amazing.  But first, you have to believe you can.

5. Find the missing pieces. There was a time when I believed there was always something missing that kept me from accomplishing my goals.  These days, I believe we have everything we need to do anything at our disposal, we just have to go out and find it.  Who do you need to meet in 2015 to help you in your goals?  Do you need to find a coach? A mentor? A business partner? An investor? Whatever it is, they exist out there, you just need to do the leg work and reach out to them.

6. Raise the bar.  In order to do big things, I have to become big things.  Meaning, I have to raise the bar on my own personal standards.  In doing so, I also have to raise the bar on the standards of the people I spend my time on.  We are, after all, the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with.  This means if we want to become better, we have to be around people who raise us up, not bring us down. Who has to get cut out of your life in order to fit someone in who can help you reach your vision for yourself?

7. 80/20 and 90/10.  80/20 refers to what's known as "Pareto's Law" and basically states that 80% of the outcome comes from 20% of the output.  So what 20% of your time, activity, and resources is giving you 80% of the results?  Cut out the 80% that's only producing 20% and have more time and freedom to do what's most important.  90/10 refers to me going 90% and leaving 10% for slack.  If I do everything 90% and rest 10% of the time, I'll accomplish way more than if I gave 100% all the time and end up burnt out.

Here's to 2015 being your best and most exciting year ever!

DON'T FORGET TO LIKE/COMMENT/SHARE!

Mark Lopez blogs about leadership and personal development in order to strengthen his own leadership skills.  As a Christian, father, husband, and CEO of his own life, Mark looks to empower others so they can lead life by their own design.  To learn more about Mark, follow him on Facebook.

What It Means To Be An Entrepreneur

I was sitting outside this morning doing my daily meditation when it hit me.

I realized why so few people were willing to do the work it takes to be an entrepreneur.

I mean, everyone knows they should be one.

Everyone knows that we can no longer expect a job to take care of us for the rest of our lives.

Everyone knows that their greatest life achievements aren't going to be between the hours they clock in and out.

But what holds us back from taking that leap?

I'll tell you what.

It's standing out.

It's being willing to self promote.

It's standing up and saying "look at me!"

It's also the reason why more people are afraid of public speaking than death itself.

It's because our whole lives, we're told to not stand out from the crowd.

As a kid, when you went out anywhere in public and acted out, you were shamed by your mom with a "stop that, everyone's looking at you. Don't draw attention to yourself."

At school, it was the ones who conformed the most who got straight As and never got in trouble.  The ones who questioned the system ("what will I ever use algebra for anyway?") were the trouble makers. (By the way, I still haven't used algebra since high school).

As adults, differing opinions alienates us from friends.  Deciding to go on a new exercise and diet routine only gains cynicism.  Trying new things breeds criticism.

You see, from childhood, we're conditioned that standing apart from the crowd is a bad thing.

We're told that if we're "different", that something is "wrong" with us and we need to be "fixed".

Yet its usually the ones who are radically different who make the biggest impact in the world and live the most fulfilled lives.

They're the ones who choose to take the path less traveled and follow what's in their hearts.

That's what it means to be an entrepreneur.

It means abandoning the fear of other people's opinions and be willing to stand up, stand apart, and say "this is what I'm doing and I don't care what you have to say about it".

It means abandoning our childhood conditioning that being different is wrong.

It means claiming your stake in the world and being the most authentic self you that you can be.

And it means shedding the layers of doubt and excuses and committing to becoming the grandest version of the greatest vision you hold for yourself.

Because the people around you who seem fearless are only fearless because they face their fears every single day.

They seem bold because they make bold choices every day.

They have high aspirations because their choices reflect their hopes and not their fears.

They only do work that excites them because they know that it's only when they're excited that their best work comes out.

If you're already an entrepreneur, then you live this every day.
If you're an aspiring entrepreneur, then its time to start living this every day.
If you're not an entrepreneur, why not?

(I hope that your answer isn't an excuse based off fear.  If the grandest version of the greatest vision you hold for yourself means working for someone else, then more power to you.  Just don't let fear be the reason you make your life choices.)

TODAY I CHALLENGE YOU:
To STOP listening to the opinions of those who aren't paying your bills.
TO STOP being afraid to stand out from the crowd.
To STOP making excuses for why you're not exactly where you want to be in life.

NO ONE IS STOPPING YOU BUT YOU.

START doing what's unpopular.

START being your true, authentic self.

START picturing what your ideal day, week, month, year, LIFE would look life if you faced your fears.

START creating a plan to get there.

AND DON'T FORGET TO LIKE/COMMENT/SHARE!

Mark Lopez blogs about leadership and personal development in order to strengthen his own leadership skills.  As a Christian, father, husband, and CEO of his own life, Mark looks to empower others so they can lead life by their own design.  To learn more about Mark, follow him on Facebook.

Giving Back and My Journey Into Juarez

Hey all!

 So I recently returned from my very first mission trip and let me tell you, it was unbelievable.

It started about 12 months ago, when I knew I as being called to do a mission trip. Being my first time, I wanted it to be something somewhat local and for a short period of time. It just so happened that my church had 2 trips planned: one to Thailand for 10 days, and one to Juarez, Mexico for 5 days. Considering the mission in Juarez was to help build a house for a family and me being a ninja and all, Mexico was the perfect choice.

I came in with no real expectation except that I would help a family in need and be in the presence of God. Well, those 2 expectations where amplified to the infinitieth power. Not only was I able to help build a small home for a family there, but I was able to build two homes.  And not only was I in the presence of God, but I've never felt closer.

Truly an eye opening experience.

As soon as we crossed the border from El Paso, Texas to Juarez, Mexico, you could see the shift in economies.  Within 5 minutes of crossing the border, our bus was met with unpaved roads, homes built out of scrap pieces of plywood and pallets, and no sewage system.

In fact, the part of Juarez we were working in was actually built over a landfill.  And you could tell.

You would think that living there, you would see an entire population of people depressed, hopeless, looking for a better way.  Amazingly enough, I found the opposite.

I found an entire culture cheerful and grateful for the things they had.  Laughing and smiling just to be alive and well.  In a country full of "but my iPad screen broke!" (that's a direct quote from my daughter), it was incredibly humbling to see such joy in people's faces who literally had nothing but the clothes on their back.

The most powerful experience for me was having the privilege to hand the keys over to the owner of the second house.  She was a grandma who had a house built by the organization, Casas por Cristo (Houses for Christ), 7 years ago.  Then, 2 years ago, her daughter received a house across the street, and our goal was to build one for her daughter on the same plot of land as well as repair the roof of the grandmother.

Grandma's house before

What we came to find out was the grandma's house had been destroyed due to flood damage and was deemed unlivable, so she was kicked out and told to live in a shack next to her daughter.  With a larger team of skilled workers than normal, and with God's hand, we ended up building her a brand new home so she didn't have to spend the 40 degree nights in a house made of nailed up boards and billboard signs.

Grandma's house after

I got to say a little speech for her (translated into Spanish by one of our team members) about the power of giving back.  It went a little something like this:

"I present these keys to you as a reminder.  I've been told that 7 years ago, Casas por Cristo built you a house, and from there, you brought your entire family to know God.  And now look how much he's blessed you since! (showing off her 2nd brand new home).  We came here as missionaries from America, because we've been blessed and have come here to be a blessing to you.  So with these keys, I commission you.  I commission you to now be a blessing, not only to your family, but to your entire town, so that they may know the glory of God."

I wanted to share that with you as a reminder of how fortunate you are today.  If you're reading this on a smart phone, realize that it cost more than what most of the world makes in a single month.  If you have a house with windows, let alone a door and heat, you're incredibly fortunate.  First off, take time to be grateful every day for what you have instead of putting your time and energy into focusing about what you don't have.  Second, pass along the blessing.  Help others less fortunate than yourself, for the simple fact that you can.  Lift up others so that they can help lift up others.  The ripple effect of your good works will go far beyond anything you or I can imagine.

The kids: some were from the States, helping build the home. Some were just grateful to have friends to play with.

Mark Lopez blogs about leadership and personal development in order to strengthen his own leadership skills.  As a Christian, father, husband, and CEO of his own life, Mark looks to empower others so they can lead life by their own design.  To learn more about Mark, follow him on Facebook.

Stop Stressing Start Living

I used to stress a lot.

Like hair falling out (only partially from me pulling it out), rapid weight fluctuations, no such thing as a good nights' sleep sort of stress.

I remember going to a convention for my current company in Atlanta, GA and spending a few nights in a hotel there.  While there, I spoke to my wife over the phone who told me about an interesting observation she made.

She said, "so you know how I make the bed each day, and each morning when we wake up the sheets are mangled and twisted and a complete mess?"

"Yes" I reply.

"Well I noticed, that during the last few nights you've been gone, all I have to do to fix the bed is get up, tuck the corner of the top sheet where I slept, and the bed's perfect."

While we both had a great laugh about it, it was definitely a sign that I obviously wasn't sleeping well.  And by 'not sleeping well', I mean I was a violent sleeper.  Tossing, turning, kicking, waking up 3 or 4 times before my alarm.  I should have noticed from the fact that I hadn't remembered dreaming in over 5 years.  Looking back, I doubt I ever reached that deep REM sleep during a typical night.

I can't even begin to talk about how little I stress these days.  Like to the point where if I told you how peaceful and serene my life is, and how great I sleep at night, I'd come off as bragging.

Through this journey of mine, I learned that there are 2 main sources of stress, that once fixed, can make a world of difference.

The first source, is trying to control things we have no control over.

I'm going to say that again.  The first source of stress is trying to control those things we have no control over, and will never have control over.

You're never going to control traffic.
You'll never control what other people think of you.
You can't control what other people say to you or about you.
You're never going to get everyone to like you.
And you definitely can't control the results of anything you do.

I have one piece of advice to immediately relieve your stress in those circumstances.

LET GO.

That's right.  Let go!  Stop trying to control everything and give it up to God, or the Universe, or whatever power you believe in that is superior to your human efforts.

You can't control traffic, stop complaining.  No matter what you do, there are people who will think, say, and do things you don't want them to.  In a nice a way as you can, just tell them to piss off.  Just do you, be you, and if they don't like it, good.  They don't need to be apart of your life anyway and now you know to stop trying to please them because nothing you do will make them any happier.

No matter how strong your efforts, you can't control the results.  Only the process.  No amount of practice can guarantee a team will win a game.  No amount of preparation can guarantee a sale.  So practice as hard as you can, prepare as much as you can, and let go of the results.  That's not up to you.

This goes right into the second source of stress, which is not controlling the things you can control.

You have the choice as to how you react to what other people say and do to and about you.
You have the choice as to what you read and watch and the thoughts that enter your head.
You have the choice to decide what your priorities are and schedule your life around them.

So to that, I say, take 100% responsibility.

Stop blaming others for why you are where you are.  It's not your parents fault. It's not your kids fault. It's not your boss' fault.  It's not the president's fault.

If you're stressed out mentally, mediate more.  Spend more time in self reflection.
If you're stressed out physically, go for a run.  Do yoga.  Go to the gym.  Eat better foods.
If you're stressed out emotionally, call a friend and share a few laughs with them.
If you're stressed out financially, make more sales.  Take control of your budget.  Create a new stream of income.

Most importantly, only do things that excite you.  If it doesn't excite you to do something, find someone who is excited to do it.  They'll do it better, faster, you get the credit, and they get to do something they enjoy. Win-win.

It was a slow progression, but as I steadily learned to let go of all the things I had no control of and just went with the flow, rolled with the punches, I started sleeping better.

When I stopped blaming others and playing the victim and began to take control of every aspect of my life from the books I read, to the people I associated myself with, to sitting down and getting my priorities and schedule in order, I started to dream again.

How cool is that?  

The simple act of deciding to take 100% responsibility for my own life allowed me to control my circumstances and now I sleep like a baby doped up on Benedryl.  It's a beautiful thing.

DON'T FORGET TO LIKE/ COMMENT/SHARE!

Mark Lopez blogs about leadership and personal development in order to strengthen his own leadership skills.  As a Christian, father, husband, and CEO of his own life, Mark looks to empower others so they can lead life by their own design.  To learn more about Mark, follow him on Facebook.

Winners Vs Losers

Are you a winner or a loser?

You're probably thinking "Of course I'm a winner".  No one wants to think of themselves as a loser.  The problem though, is that in life, many people who think they are winners, in reality, are actually losers.

Here are 7 major differences between winners and losers.  Make sure to take a minute between each to fully make sure you are a winner.  And if not, well, it's time to switch your thoughts and actions and start winning.

1) Winners congratulate other winners.  Losers are secretly jealous/envious of winners.  When someone at your job gets a promotion, are you happy for them?  Or are you secretly wishing it were you instead?  Real winners are secure with their abilities and aren't threatened by others.  They understand that there is an abundance of opportunity and as long as they focus on being the best version of themselves, then the universe will deliver to them exactly what they deserve.

2) Winners talk about solutions.  Losers complain about their problems. Losers whine.  They complain.  It's too cold.  It's too hot.  Nothing is good enough.  If someone gave them $20, they'd complain that it should have been $40.  When they see a problem, the only thing they know to do is share that problem with everyone they come in contact with.  Winners don't complain.  They know that complaining is a waste of energy and reserved for losers, and instead only see problems as temporary obstacles that they must tackle and find a solution to.

3) Winners realize they don't know what they don't know.  Losers know everything. Winners are life long students.  If they're not reading books, they're listening to audios, or watching training videos, or attending training events, or speaking with people they admire and learning from them.  Even if they don't admire that person, they understand that every person they come in contact with is an opportunity to learn something new.  Not losers.  They already know everything.  Their way is the right way.  Anything else is the wrong way.  There's no point in reading books or listening to audios or attending seminars, because they have it all figured out.

4) Winners take responsibility.  Losers blame.  You can easily spot a loser because when something goes wrong, it's everyone's fault but theirs.  They live miserable, unhappy lives not because they want to, but because their boss, and their spouse, and their kids, and the weather, and the president, and the economy is to blame.  If only everything else around them were perfect, their lives would be better.  Winners take responsibility for everything.  Not only do they take responsibility when things go wrong, they refuse to take credit when things go right.  If they lead a team to failure, that failure rests on their shoulders.  If that team is lead to a win, then it's because the team worked hard and earned it.  Winners win because they acknowledge the support of others in their successes.  Losers only pop their heads up to try and take the credit.

5) Losers make excuses.  Winners make a way.  You know you've found a loser when they complain about how unhappy they are, or how hard something is to do, then when you suggest a solution to them, it's "yeah, but...".  They're not complaining to you so you can offer solutions.  They don't want solutions, they want to complain.  They want attention.  Excuses are their way of saying "I would do something about this problem, but I enjoy complaining about it more."  Winners know what they want, then find a way to make it happen.  Hell or high water.  If you want to see a massive explosion, just put a brick wall in between a winner and their goals and when the smoke clears, all you'll see is the winner standing on a pile of rubble, goals in hand.

6) Winners give.  Losers take. Winners live in a state of abundance.  They have more than enough resources to live a fulfilled life.  That's why they are always willing to give a helping hand.  They also understand the law of reciprocity, give and you shall receive.  They don't give in expectation of receiving, but give knowing that receiving is part of the natural order of things.  Losers don't understand that role.  They live lives of scarcity, of not enough resources.  So when they do get a hold of something, they hold on to it so tightly that there's no more room to receive anything else.  They live in fear of losing what they have so they never give.  They have a "I'll give when I have enough" mentality, not realizing that until they give, they'll never have enough.

7) Winners choose to design their lives.  Losers let life happen to them.  Winners are bold.  They're unconventional.  When you tell them something can't be done, they don't take that as fact, they take that as a challenge.  They learn the rules of the game not so they can play by them, but so they know how to break them.  Losers accept the status quo because, well, they're losers.  While winners seek freedom, losers seek security.  Losers expect others to take care of them and feel entitled to having the finer things in life.  Winners know better than to expect such nonsense and instead, go out and earn their place in life.

Winners win.  Losers lose.

DON'T FORGET TO LIKE/COMMENT/SHARE!

Mark Lopez blogs about leadership and personal development in order to strengthen his own leadership skills.  As a Christian, father, husband, and CEO of his own life, Mark looks to empower others so they can lead life by their own design.  To learn more about Mark, follow him on Facebook.