The lights go out and the music fades, the thrill of the music and friends is no more. The noise now becomes so deafining because the sounds are coming from within. These voices are so loud that you try to do all you can to drown them out. The only thing that works temporarily is to do something that can harm you or is destuctive. What you need at this point is some peace.

There are countless people that want peace, peace from fear, peace from anger, peace from their past, peace in the midst of a storm. You crave it and you desire this because if you dont fall into these categories I just mentioned, your actions good or bad are striving for that some times elusive peace of mind. 

You crave it, you desire it- PEACE

I wish I had a magic wand or formula that can give you peace of mind, but I do not. What I do have I give you freely and that your only peace will come once you let all your expectations go. You allow a Higher power to take what troubles you and then live knowing that you trust it is in better hands and control than your own.
My peace comes from the fact that if you believe it or not, I get my peace from God. I rely on Him to take my burdens , my insecurities, my past and present, my hopes and dreams and see that all I do from this point is done with the understadning that I am not in this life alone.

I hope this helps you just a little bit today.
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Blessings Coach Milton



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We all have a well that we can pull from once we know who is the one that placed it there and even the bucket to draw it from. Here is the challenge, when we dont identify with the one that placed the well within us.

There are so many oppportnites that suround us to identify with. Thats why we are so hooked on social media, we are so hooked on Netflix, we are so hooked on streaming services, we are so hooked on magazines, we are so hooked on what other people are doing.

Not one time have I mentioned we are hooked on who we are as a unique, beautiful, creative being.
This article is the one you were looking for to challenge you and encourage you to be and identify with the best version of yourself.

Three Forces that come to Challenge Your Identity:personal

1. Culture- Culture is the force that comes against you in the biggest way. Because whether we admit it or not we allow culture to penetrate our mind and senses on a daily basis.
2. Self Talk- This one is just as controllable as #1 but its the one thats been there most of our lives, always doubting and always pointing fingers, blaming, making excuses, keeping you pinned down.
3. The Enemy- Believe it or not and whatever you call it, there is a dark force that is hell bent on seeing you not become the man or woman your are destined to be.

This here is a simple overview to the forces you are up against. Take the time to think more about these and how you can today begin wining this battle of Identity and to run your race to completion.

Blessings Coach Milton

Hi! My story is that I have 5 beautiful children and my oldest two are girls. I grew up with three boys and myself being the oldest. I had super high hopes of what my girls were going to become by the time they were 18. And, I was wrong. In having my expectations not being met , I found myself bitter, frustrated and angry. It was like my bubble of expectation had been bursted, I felt aweful as if it were my fault. All I could do Is change my perspective and shift my thinking about expectations. Listen as I share some key perspectives.



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I recently ran a spartan obstacle with my family. It was my second time and my families first time. My goal was to help my wife finish faith the course, this was my point of joyful living. This race was a difficult one where during the course of it I had to pull my wife while holding onto my shirt, I had to lift her over walls , and the obstacles she couldn’t do; I did for the both of us. Taking us nearly 4 hrs to complete, it was with the greatest joy my wife and I held hands and cross the finish line as they placed medals on our necks.

Joy is a far more dynamicforce than most of us realize. It’s what drove me and it has the power to reignite our passion for laughter and celebration. It can free us to rise above endless demands or challenges as we become more content and thankful. It can change unchangeable circumstances and bring a peace rooted in the remarkable love of God. There’s a deeper power and purpose to this mighty virtue. When you feel stuck in the rut of discouragement, there’s no greater gift than rediscovering joy.

Against all odds, I’ve found my own capacity for joy expanding, and I’ve discovered something quite startling: When we fight back with joy, we lean into the very presence of God — the One who will fill us with it even on our most deflated days. No matter what your circumstances, you can practice defiant joy.

It’s my hope that you may you be drawn closer to Jesus. May you find yourself in awe of God’s goodness no matter what you’re up against. You can discover to embrace a way of living that’s deeper and fuller than you’ve ever known — a life radiant with joy. It’s the weapon you can use to fight life’s toughest battles and the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Remember that happiness is a something that is related to our circumstances. I have learned that having peace and joy in Christ is much more important than the emotion of happiness. Joy is one element in the fruit of the Spirit. If we allow the spirit of God to live within us, then joy will naturally develop. There is a great reward that will come to you as you cast all your cares on to Him and allow you life to be open to what the Spirit of God will show you.
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True joy (not as the world gives) is part of the evidence that someone knows God.


Blessings
Coach Milton

Nothing is impossible, the word itself is “I’m Possible” Audrey Hepburn 

The America dream is to pursue what’s possible by overcoming the impossible.  Have you ever been in awe of the one who overcame obstacles and attained what was to you as being impossible?

Allow this as an opportunity to overcome your mental block or ceiling.  Each of us was born what abilities, hint towards a marvel comic or movie. But seriously we are all gifted , and all gifts are different even though they seem the same. The variable is you and your uniqueness. 

Because of this ability, you were made to overcome someone else’s impossibility and to attain what’s your possibilities.  Let me say it another way.  You were made for what you will , have and pursuing to accomplish.  So there is no impossible for you, and all left is “I am possible “

When you stand in your success, you give inspiration and permission for others to stand in their possibilities and success. I am fully confident that you are great and greatness lives in the inside of you.  

Let this encourage you today to live in your possibilities and allow the courage to flow to others as an inspiration. 
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Blessings Coach Milton

Has anyone ever inspired you to change your life in a significant way that made you healthier, happier, or more fulfilled? If so, you understand the difference that positive inspiration can make in a person’s life. Inspiration is powerful, but it isn’t easy. Would you like to return the favor by making a positive difference in the life of your teammates, friends, family, or co-workers? If you want to be a positive influence capable of inspiring your loved ones to become better versions of themselves, please consider these 4 ways to inspire people around you.

1. Care.
If you can’t show a person that you genuinely care about them, do you think you will be able to inspire them? The answer is a resounding, “NO!” Show people you care in your words (“How are you today?”)and your actions (small acts of kindness go a long way).

2. Be enthusiastic.
The saying “enthusiasm is contagious” is common enough to be cliché, but it’s a cliché because it’s true. Reflect enthusiasm every day to the people you are in contact with and I’m willing to wager your genuine smiles, positive energy, and caring concern will be returned ten-fold.

3. If it’s not positive, don’t say it.
It’s easy to criticize people, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. Think about it, how do you react if someone insults your intelligence, makes fun of your outfit, or criticizes your performance? Whether the criticism is justified or not, I bet you get upset. No one likes to be criticized, so if you don’t have anything positive to say, don’t say it at all.

4. Admit your flaws.
Although it is important to not flinch when life throws us a curve-ball, it is equally important to acknowledge the fact that we are all human beings here, and thus are all inherently flawed. Everyone has at least one glaring weakness or two, so accept your short-comings to humanize yourself so people can relate to you on a deeper level. Show me a person who claims to be without fault and I’ll show you a dirty liar.

This isn’t exhaustive but , all it takes is one step in that direction of inspiration. I get the most joy when I am inspiring others to be their best selves and to take off in a direction that brings fulfillment and life. Join me on this journey.
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Blessings — Coach Milton

in·spi·ra·tion
/ˌinspəˈrāSH(ə)n/
noun
the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.

Why do we need mental stimulation?

1.) Our brain needs to be stimulated in order to keep working well
Studies have shown that the more we use our brain for a wide variety of tasks which stretch it, the more likely we are to hold on to better brain-functioning, even in old age.

The more we are mentally stimulated, the more dendritic branches we create in our brain to inter-connect our brain cells, to improve functioning of our thinking and our memory. This has been found to be an effective way of delaying onset of cognitive impairment, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly.

2.) We need mental stimulation to feel happy and fulfilled
Many years ago, our ancestors would have used their brain for a range of highly stimulating activities for basic survival including:

• Keeping senses alert to hear if danger or predators were near. Acute senses would have been useful in hunting too, and in observing the details in nature around them.
• Learning how to interact with members of the tribe in order to work together harmoniously, to find mates, and to bring up their offspring.
• Using their brain to form maps in their heads when traversing the lands.
• Planning and carrying out cunning methods to hunt and capture prey.
• Interpreting environmental clues to enable them to prepare for seasonal changes.
• Building shelter and learning to use survival skills
• Learning how to fend off disease, keep clean and healthy

In short, brain function was key for a lot of different kinds of survival-based needs.

Today, many of us no longer know how to build shelter, or survive out in the wild. It is questionable whether many city-folk could utilize good tracking skills on a hunt. Nevertheless, in our modern world, we stimulate our brains in new ways that weren’t possible for our ancestors.

If you look at dogs, experts will tell you that they require both physical and mental stimulation in order to feel happy and satisfied. Otherwise behavioural problems may arise. The same is true with cats, pet birds… and humans!

Maybe in the years when we evolved to utilize our brain we evolved a mechanism by which we feel happy when we fulfil all these mental tasks in the brain, in order to encourage survival. This isn’t to say that we should all start hunting again, but just that we should utilize similar mental functioning mechanisms needed in hunting in new ways, in order to fulfil that basic “need”, so that we feel happy and fulfilled.

3.) We need mental stimulation to keep boredom at bay
Closely linked to the need to feel happy and fulfilled is the need to keep boredom away. Mental stimulation is a good antidote to boredom.

4.) Mental stimulation helps us progress and achieve
It may be that the more you use your brain, the more likely you are to enhance brain functioning, to enhance your chances of success, achievement and progress. Mental stimulation is partly behind the progress of the human race.

You are the captain of your ship and when you safeguard your environment and what you allow to input through your eyes and ears will have a dramatic impact on your mental stimulation and success.

Blessings - Coach Milton
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In a culture obsessed with measuring talent and ability, we often overlook the important role of inspiration. Inspiration awakens us to new possibilities by allowing us to transcend our ordinary experiences and limitations. Inspiration propels a person from apathy to possibility, and transforms the way we perceive our own capabilities. Inspiration may sometimes be overlooked because of its elusive nature. Its history of being treated as supernatural or divine hasn’t helped the situation. But as recent research shows, inspiration can be activated, captured, and manipulated, and it has a major effect on important life outcomes.

Inspiration has three main qualities.
Pyschologists Todd Thrash and Andrew have noted these core aspects of inspiration: evocation, transcendence, and approach motivation. First, inspiration is evoked spontaneously without intention. Inspiration is also transcendent of our more animalistic and self-serving concerns and limitations. Such transcendence often involves a moment of clarity and awareness of new possibilities. As Thrash and Elliot note, “The heights of human motivation spring from the beauty and goodness that precede us and awaken us to better possibilities.”This moment of clarity is often vivid, and can take the form of a grand vision, or a “seeing” of something one has not seen before (but that was probably always there). Finally, inspiration involves approach motivation, in which the individual strives to transmit, express, or actualize a new idea or vision. According to Thrash and Elliot, inspiration involves both being inspired bysomething and acting onthat inspiration.

Inspired people share certain characteristics.
Thrash and Elliot developed the “Inspiration Scale” which measures the frequency with which a person experiences inspiration in their daily lives. They found that inspired people were more open to new experiences, and reported more absorption in their tasks. “Openness to Experience” often came beforeinspiration, suggesting that those who are more open to inspiration are more likely to experience it. Additionally, inspired individuals weren’t more conscientious, supporting the view that inspiration is something that happens to you and is not willed. Inspired individuals also reported having a stronger drive to master their work, but were less competitive, which makes sense if you think of competition as a non-transcendent desire to outperform competitors. Inspired people were more intrinsically motivated and less extrinsically motivated, variables that also strongly impact work performance. Inspiration was least related to variables that involve agency or the enhancement of resources, again demonstrating the transcendent nature of inspiration. Therefore, what makes an object inspiring is its perceived subjective intrinsic value, and not how much it’s objectively worth or how attainable it is. Inspired people also reported higher levels of important psychological resources, including belief in their own abilities, self-esteem, and optimism. Mastery of work, absorption, creativity, perceived competence, self-esteem, and optimism were all consequences of inspiration, suggesting that inspiration facilitates these important psychological resources. Interestingly, work mastery also came before inspiration, suggesting that inspiration is not purely passive, but does favor the prepared mind.

Inspiration is not the same as positive affect.
Compared to the normal experience of everyday life, inspiration involves elevated levels of positive affect and task involvement, and lower levels of negative affect. Inspiration is not the same state as positive affect, however. Compared to being in an enthusiastic and excited state, people who enter an inspired state (by thinking of a prior moment they were inspired) reported greater levels of spirituality and meaning, and lower levels of volitional control, controllability, and self-responsibility for their inspiration. Whereas positive affect is activated when someone is making progress toward their immediate, conscious goals, inspiration is more related to an awakening to something new, better, or more important: transcendence of one’s previous concerns.

Inspiration is the springboard for creativity.
Inspired people view themselves as more creative and show actual increases in self-ratings of creativity over time. Patent-holding inventors report being inspired more frequently and intensely than non-patent holders, and the higher the frequency of inspiration, the higher the number of patents held. Being in a state of inspiration also predicts the creativity of writing samples across scientific writing, poetry, and fiction (as judged by a panel of fellow students) independent of SAT verbal scores, Openness to Experience, positive affect, specific behaviors (e.g., deleting prior sentences), and aspects of the product quality (e.g., technical merit). Inspired writers are more efficient and productive, and spend less time pausing and more time writing. The link between inspiration and creativity is consistent with the transcendent aspect of inspiration, since creativity involves seeing possibility beyond existing constraints. Importantly, inspiration and effort predict different aspects of an activity. Individuals who exerted more effort writing spent more of their time pausing, deleted more words, wrote more sentences per paragraph, and had better technical merit and use of rhyming in poems, but their work was not considered more creative.

Inspiration facilitates progress toward goals.
In a recent study conducted by Marina Milyavskaya and her colleagues, college students were asked to report three goals they intended to accomplish throughout the course of the semester. They then reported on their progress three times a month. Those who scored higher on the Inspiration Scale displayed increased goal progress, and their progress was a result of setting more inspired goals. Therefore, people who were generally more inspired in their daily lives also tended to set inspired goals, which were then more likely to be successfully attained. Importantly, the relationship between inspiration and goal progress was reciprocal: goal progress also predicted future goal inspiration. As the researchers note, “this suggests that goal progress and goal inspiration build on each other to form a cycle of greater goal inspiration and greater goal pursuit.” Finally, inspired individuals reported experiencing more purpose in life and more gratitude.

Inspiration increases well-being.
In another study, those who were exposed to Michael Jordan’s greatness experienced higher levels of positive affect, and this increase in positive affect was completely explained by their score on the Inspiration Scale. This inspiration was not transitory though, predicting positive well-being (e.g., positive affect, life satisfaction) three months later! Inspiration was more strongly related to future than to present satisfaction. The extent to which inspiration lasted was explained by self-reported levels of purpose and gratitude in life.

These findings show that inspiration matters a lot, which may cause someone to feel pressure to become inspired and helpless to do so considering the evocative and spontaneous nature of inspiration. These key scientific findings suggest that inspiration is not willed–it happens. Knowing this should free you from the pressure to makeinspiration happen.

This does not mean that inspiration is completely outside your control. Contrary to the view of inspiration as purely mythical or divine, I think inspiration is best thought of as a surprising interaction between your current knowledge and the information you receive from the world. There are things you can do to increase the likelihood of inspiration occurring. Research shows quite clearly that preparation (“work mastery”) is a key ingredient. While inspiration is not the same as effort, effort is an essential condition for inspiration, preparing the mind for an inspirational experience. Openness to Experience and positive affect are also important, as having an open mind and approach-oriented attitude will make it more likely that you will be aware of the inspiration once it arrives. Small accomplishments are also important, as they can boost inspiration, setting off a productive and creative cycle.

To become personally inspired, the best you can do is set up the optimal circumstances for inspiration. As a society, the best we can do is assist in setting up these important circumstances for everyone. An easy first step is simply recognizing the sheer potency of inspiration, and its potential impact on everything we do.

Let this inspire you today-Coach Milton
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excerpts taken from Harvard Business review

I recall when I have my fights with thinking positive or being in a stat of joy. I am the biggest fan of positive thinking, because I think and know of the alternative and that is to worry, be in fear, struggle with doubt and insecurities. We all fall victim to this mindset and it can become a cancer that only grows with every opportunity. So, my philosophy is that I work and I work and I work to dilute the pollution that so easily clouds my mind and judgement.

One principle I live by is to assume positive intent , this of course comes by way of relationships, but it can be used with external circumstances that come against you not in your favor. Going to the thought that this is “happening for me , not against me!”

Getting to ground zero in your mind and emotions

Ground zero is the point in which you are clear and ready to absorb and produce the positive , happy life you envision and long for. Here are a couple of insights on how to get to ground zero:

Embrace- Embrace what ever is troubling you, this is different than accepting it as it is. This is more allowing it to flow through and and experience it. What this does is brings down the resistance barrier, relieves stress and allows you to begin to think.

Tell it — This is simple, but you need to have trusted people in your life you can tell your anxieties, doubts and fears to.

Write it- Journaling, note taking, jotting down are keys to allowing your flesh and mind to be in harmony knowing this is what is going on and expressing it in a tangible way.

I assure you when you follow this simple guideline, you will get you to ground zero and this will aid you on experiencing the joy and power of positive thinking.
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I hope this blesses you today- coach Milton