Motivation and Humility~*

To accomplish what we want, we need to know what we need to know and be the person we need to be; we are where we need to be, where we have aimed our thoughts. Open your mind, be humble, otherwise you take the risk of staying where you are. Until we become humble, in our stubborn mind, we cannot profit by the wisdom, experiences and thoughts of others; there is always room for improvement.

Motivation is needed all the time we breathe and even more when we don’t trust in who we are and in what we do. Believe in yourself! Unless you have confidence in yourself, you will not be able to accomplish anything but more unaccomplished dreams and frustrations.

Blindly believe in you and in what you do and in what you can accomplish and act, regardless, even if you have the highest obstacle in front of you. The only thing that stops you from crossing, climbing or going through that huge obstacle is what you think about yourself.

The size of your self-esteem, your essence and your confidence has to do directly with the image you have about you and who you really are. Your essence energizes the movie, which plays in your mind, every time you have to cope with a task or face a challenge. It is the voice that is telling you that you will, only can do, accomplish or reach very little, or even worse --- nothing.

Thoughts create or magnetize our personality and attitude. Dominating thoughts will eventually reproduce themselves in outward physical actions and gradually transform into physical realities. The thoughts we have, from the time we wake up, will definitively determine our attitude, our day. We bring to our lives what we think about most of the time and where we guide or focus our mind, is where we end up.

Starting in the morning, we make choices. We either decide to accept negative thoughts and therefore spoil our moments and even our day, weeks or years, or we decide to plant positive images in our mind and have days full of satisfaction, happiness, prosperity, peace and all the beauties that life has for all of us.

Influence your thoughts so you will stimulate your action and you will gradually become a self-reliant, confident and successful person. Until we die, we all need motivation. Keep yourself motivated, create the habit of been motivated every day; focus, breathe, smell, laugh, dream, do, touch and hold motivation.

There are so many things for which we should be appreciative, for which we should have hope, be grateful for and therefore motivated. Talk to yourself as much you can. Imagine and feel yourself accomplishing all you want. Think about the things you already have accomplished and also the accomplishments that have brought you confidence, satisfaction and happiness to your life.

Yes, you can. There is nothing impossible to the person who has a definite and clear purpose. You are a person, so you only need a definite purpose. Every morning, every day, when you are in front of the mirror, talk to that special person in front of you and tell him/her how good, smart, valuable, capable, intelligent and loved he/she is.

Take action, If now you cannot do great things, try to do small things great. Now you may not see any door open but once you believe totally and blindly in yourself and believe that you can do whatever you decide, many doors will open for you. It doesn’t matter your background, it doesn’t matter where you are coming from, but they will not open until you get ready and it is entirely up to you. You are not defeated unless you defeat yourself.

Gratitude, responsibility, honesty and self-respect are things you must make sacrifices for because without them, you are nothing. So be respectful, responsible and honest. Be confident, have trust and blindly believe in you. Stay motivated and enthusiastic, with a burning desire to succeed. Be clear in life. Create a plan, focus only on that plan and take uninterrupted action with passion, discipline and patience. And above all, don’t worry about the results; definitively you will succeed when all the pieces of the puzzle get in their place
--- Copyright © 2009 Eduardo Dominguez

I just read this today and I do not know about you, but it made me think. It made me think about how God gives us each and every day. A new day. A new day to accomplish what seem to be impossible tasks, and reach those dreams that seem to be so far out of sight. I hope this opens your eyes like it did mine, and I hope it motivates you and makes you realize that YOU are the keeper of your own future, what you do with it is up to you. You can do anything and be anyone that you want to be. For those who know me, know my #1 saying that has always kept me going. It is that, I CANT REALLY MEANS I DON'T WANT TO!
GOD BLESS YOU*

AIM USA TOURNAMENT

Once again I had great time with the students and instructors of AIM USA! Owner Dave Johnson invited me to come out and do a couple demonstrations and spend the day at his tournament again this year. I have had the pleasure of meeting some amazing young, up and coming martial artists! I always love to come to the AIM Tournaments! Through performing every year, I have made and bunch great friends, and I would like to thank every one of those friends for your continued support and encouragement!
I had a really good time and really enjoyed seeing so many kids with high hopes and big dreams heading down the same road I did. This is where it all begins! For every competitor, keep training and practice practice practice! You can do anything you want to do and be anyone you want to be if you're willing to work for it, I'm all the proof you need because I'm a kid just like you!
~Thank You So Much Again For All Of Your Support! I look forward to seeing you again in march!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

This, the spirit of Christmas, that forever and ever endures. May it leave its richest blessing in the hearts of you and yours.

I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas and a wonderful new year!

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

Welcome Home Sgt. Shane Sherer! OUR AMERICAN HERO

I am so honored to have been a part of such a very special welcome home. Today several hundred grateful citizens came together at the Gerald R. Ford Intl. Airport to welcome home Sargent Shane Sherer from Afghanistan where many months ago he was hit by Taliban mortar fire and was injured near death. He had massive injuries to his head and body and was not expected to survive-yet I had the honor of welcoming him home with a hug and a thank you today. I can't tell you how it made me feel to look into this soldiers eyes and say "Thank You." Sgt. Scherer was moved to tears at the sight of all of us there just for him. There wasn't a dry eye in the place. Every media station in Grand Rapids was there and several news papers too. I think, now especially at Christmas, we all appreciate our troops even more. Sgt. Sherer has a great sense of humor too! When Mrs. Bennett introduced us, she told him I was a world champion in martial arts and guess what he said! "Just don't kick my a$, I've been thru enough!" I just hugged him and cried.

A little background on Sgt. Scherer:
May 29, 2009, Sgt. Shane Scherer was seriously injured serving in the US Army as a Calvary Scout, in Northern Afghanistan, by a mortar round. Twelve days before Shane was to return to the US, his military base was attacked by the Taliban and he was near the blast that left his body covered with shrapnel, a severed artery, severe damage to his right hand, and a major brain injury. Emergency surgery was done in an Afghanistan hospital to save his life on the severed artery and brain. The doctor in the hospital performed this life saving surgery by removing a huge part of his skull to protect the brain from the swelling, on the phone with the help of a more experienced doctor. Shane was not anticipated to live through the night. Since that night Shane has had 20 surgeries and has been recovering in Bethesda Naval Hospital in Washington D.C., and the VA Hospital in Palo Alto, California. Just this week he was finally released from the VA Hospital, and will be doing his out-patient recovery at the Army Base at Ft Lewis, Washington Brain Trauma Center. Shane had to wear a helmet to protect his brain until his reconstructive surgery to rebuild his skull in September. The surgery on his finger was successful and the joint was rebuilt, so his has use of his finger. The thumb has limited movement and that surgery was not as successful. Scars remain over his entire body, but not his face. Recovery has been very long and difficult, but Shane has had such a great positive and determined attitude that he has made a remarkable recovery.

He received a Purple Heart from the US Army in July. At present the Army is working on a medical discharge and after that Shane hopes to return to college to get a Masters Degree. He does have disabilities, but can walk, talk, and think, and with time we all hope he can reach his goals he has set for himself in life. Since Shane's injuries, his fiance', Jacqueline Bennett of Lowell has not worked, but instead sat by his bedside, and been there as his biggest advocate. Their wedding had to be cancelled and rescheduled for June 2010.

Shane has never been to Michigan, but will be visiting with Jacqueline, to her home town of Lowell, for Christmas.

Sargent Sherer- I hope you get to read this one day. I want you to know that it doesn't matter that I don't know you personally. I appreciate you and your service to our country as if you were my brother. Thank you, for all you've done to protect us here at home and keep us safe from the horrors you've seen and had to live over seas. God bless you always. Psalm 91:11 "He will command his angels to watch over you..."

A final thought. Take time. Take time out of your busy day to thank a soldier or veteran. It only takes a minute and it means more than you know. I saw the tears roll down the Sgts. face when he got his well deserved Thank you and "Welcome Home." They deserve so much more but this is the least we can do for them.

WOOD TV 8 Story: http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/kent_county/Lowell-embraces-injured-soldier

FOX 17 Story: http://www.fox17online.com/news/fox17-wounded-soldier-receives-michigan-welcome,0,7791253.story

WZZM TV 13 : http://www.wzzm13.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=116876

MLIVE: http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/12/lowell_gives_heros_welcome_to.html

It's not too late to meet Sgt. Sherer! One more big WELCOME HOME from the City of Lowell. Join me on Wednesday December 23 at 7:00 p.m. at the Lowell Showboat when we gather one more time to wish the Sgt. well, say THANKS!, and there's a special treat! My friend Brennan Prill is going to sing "God Bless America" Celine Dijon style! See you there