"And He has given us a treasure called right now, And this is the only moment we can do anything about"~Steven Curtis Chapman

It’s the first morning of 2011. There you are sitting in front of your computer, sipping your favorite brew, and catching up on your social networking. It really hasn’t hit you that today is the first day of the new year. It hasn’t quite sunk in that time is up on the “New Year’s Resolutions” that you made last year. In fact, you may not have even realized that you have not accomplished one of those pesky resolutions. The intentions were there, but the effort was not. The thoughts and dreams were there, but the motivation was not.

So now you are getting a little angry thinking about resolutions. The thought goes off in the back of your head, “This year will be different, I will make this year count.” You dream those dreams, you have goals and things you would like to accomplish. You know this year you will get the motivation to do the things you say you are going to do. Maybe this year. . .

We have all been there, we have all made “New Year’s Resolutions.” We just know at the beginning of every year that this will be the year that we will soar to new heights. Odds are, you are making the same resolutions and setting the same goals that you did last year. At the end of 2010 you will make the same resolutions and goals again. What’s wrong, where’s the drive and the motivation.

I know, some of you are saying to me that life gets in the way. Unexpected curves get in the way. Yes, life does happen and we fall down. In Batman Begins, Thomas Wayne tells young Bruce Wayne, “Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.” So, we fall, we get up and we learn.

The problem is that most of us get frustrated and stop. Some curve ball comes our way and we want to get out of the batter’s box. Charles Swindoll says it this way, “I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position. Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.”

I hope that at the dawn of this new year, you take to heart that, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” (Walt Disney) God created you to be a dreamer, He created you to take risks. As I have to keep telling my self; when you step out, you will either find a place to step or He will teach you to fly. Each day is a new beginning, you can choose to change everyday, not just at the beginning of the new year.
Happy New Year everyone!

It has been a long while since I have posted on MitchTheFielder. Most of why I have not posted is because of my new career path and I have not had much time to write. Most of my free time I used to spend with my wife. So I will begin to post again, but I will probably take a break from writing again sometime in May of 2011.

This year has been quite an adventure to say the least. My wife and I took the biggest risk that we have taken during our five years of marriage. It has been rewarding and very challenging at times. We have had times where we have learned hard lessons to trust the plan of the One who has brought us this far. We are still learning those lessons. It may even sound cheesy given the industry that I am in, but this year has been a “roller coaster” ride with many up and downs.

Yesterday got me thinking about all that we have been through, all that I have seen. I thought about where I have been, where I am now, and where I am going. There is a problem with the way that I think when I am in the middle of a situation, as there is a problem with the way you think in the middle of a situation.


That’s the problem with the way we think. Fear is a motivating factor and we let fear control us. “For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer 29:11 NLT).

I have seen many people get on roller coasters for their first time. They start up that lift and are scared to death. When they come back they want to do it again. Why? Because they enjoyed the journey, they enjoyed the ups and downs. They learned that the long climb to the top was a part of the journey that they must take.

Enjoy the journey, enjoy the miracle of the moment. Know that where you are now is not permanent. Keep on keepin’ on.

Well, we have officially begun a new decade. Crazy to think where we all were 10 years ago. Some of us had been panicking about Y2K, all of our technology crashing, bringing the world to a crashing halt. Some of you may still have your Y2K Survival Kit ready to go. Things have changed drastically in the technology world (change drastically to exponentially). Things have probably changed in your life too. Some changes were probably good, while others not so good. If you have been in a rut, 2010 is the year to change that. It is time to start getting some traction.

"There are two kinds of success. One is the very rare kind that comes to the man who has the power to do what no one else has the power to do. That is genius. But the average man who wins what we call success is not a genius. He is a man who has merely the ordinary qualities that he shares with his fellows, but who has developed those ordinary qualities to a more than ordinary degree." ~THEODORE ROOSEVELT

Now on to the real stuff. . .
Several months ago, Michael, a nice looking 26 year old friend wanted to talk to me about life, wanting to know if he was on the right career path. He had graduated from a reputable university 3 years ago (he took the 5 year plan) and had started a career in the meetings/events/hospitality industry. He was actively involved in a great industry organization and everyone seemed to like him. However, Michael was bored and stressed out beyond belief. It was actually putting a stress on his home life. I asked, “Why did you choose to go this route? Why are you doing something you are not passionate about?” Michael replied, “You know I had a wonderful college experience. I came to the university to pursue my passions and dream, I even discovered what I really wanted to do while I was there. However, when I graduated I did nothing to pursue my passion. It was time for me to grow up, get a “real” steady job. I needed to stop pursuing “fun” and “unrealistic” dreams.” 

I smirked, and said, “I too went to your university and a few years ago I was at a leadership dinner at the university. The speaker said that you need to do what you are ENTHUSIASTIC about, what EXCITES you. He explained that enthusiasm comes from the Greek word ENTHEOS which means God in you, God breathed God inspired.” He told me that he had been at that dinner too, but that never clicked until now.

“What do you enjoy doing the most? If money was no object, what would you be doing? What would you spend your time on? When does time fly by the most for you? Does the same answer to these questions keep coming up? Did someone tell you that this was unrealistic or not a “real” job?” I asked Michael. Michael replied, “But what I want to do is selfish, it is self-centered, God probably would not be happy with my decision to change careers.” Oh contraire!

If you noted, earlier I told Michael about enthusiasm being ENTHEOS, God in you, God breathed, God inspired. To often when we pursue our passions and dreams they are shot down, or we feel that we are being selfish. So that would mean that God would be uninterested in our personal lives and careers. 

God created us with hearts and minds. We have emotions, passions, loves, and enthusiasm. I do not believe that those attributes are by accident. I believe that we were CREATED in His own image. My God is a creator and a passionate lover. That means that I am a co-creator and a passionate lover. Why would God create me and you to have vivid imaginations and passionate dreams only to crush them and say, “You must be practical and get a “real” job!” 

Consider what the ENTHEOS is saying inside of you. That inner voice that is pushing towards your dreams and passions. Consider the possibilities if you acted on your passions and dreams. Imagine taking action on those dreams and stepping out on faith. Think about the possibilities. . .

Walt Disney- Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney Studios, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Imagineers. . .
Truett Cathy-Chick-fil-a, The Dwarf House, Winshape Camps and Foundation, The Chick-fil-a Bowl. . .
Ray Kroc- McDonalds Franchises, Ronald McDonald. . .
Angnus G. Wynne, Jr.- Founder of Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags Over Georgia, Six Flags St. Louis. . .
Dave Ramsey- The Dave Ramsey Show, The Lampo Group, Inc., Financial Peace University, Total Money Makeover. . .

The list could go on and on. 

I leave you with this. . .
The guy in the story named Michael is me, MitchTheFielder. That was an actual conversation that I had with myself in August of 2009. Now you will be able to find me realizing my dream, working at a Theme Park. That’s right, I changed direction and acted on a dream and a passion that has been stirring for years.

It’s time to understand that the voice inside of you is God’s voice. He is longing for you to act on the passions and dreams that He put inside of you. When you move towards what aligns with your dreams and passions, you will be more fulfilled spiritually and you are on your way to what God created you to be.

Recently I decided to put my running shoes back on and begin training to run 5K’s. I used to run everyday and I used to be on the Cross Country team in high school, but since my 3rd year and college running really to a back seat. Hard to believe, but 6 years ago I moved to Nashville, and running was not that important to me and now it shows. I thought by stop running I was saying goodbye to hill runs, intervals, hard distance runs forever, but that was false.

Now that I have began to run and train again I have learned that being on that Cross Country team taught me a lot of life lessons. As I am running that hill, I can hear Coach Wood pushing me on saying that I have it in me. As I am doing that interval run I look at the next lamp post in my neighborhood and I know if I take a few more steps, I’ll be there. As I was running the other day I remembered the life lessons Cross Country taught me and here they are:

When you think you can’t, you can. If you listen to runners or athletes you will hear about something called a second wind. We all hit this point when we are running when we get to the point where you just want to stop. That’s the point when you push through. If you can get through that quitting point, you will make it to the end of your run. It’s in that moment that you take that pivotal next step and then you will learn that you can go a lot further that you thought you could. So when you feel like giving up in the moment that you are in, just say, “It think I can, I think I can, I think I can.”

Resting is just as important as your hard work. When you run or workout you interchange hard days with lighter days. When I ran Cross Country we would have a “hard” day and then an “easy” day. The easy days give our muscles and bodies a chance to rebuild. In life you can have hard days, but some days you need rest. Sometimes you need a vacation. If you continue day after day going at it really hard you will burn out.

Think short term and you will go long. The key to distance running is breaking the distance up. While training I think about running to the next lamp post, before I know it I have made it through my run. It is like that in many facets of life. Say for instance you are budgeting. You think in the month, for the month. Yes you have long term goals, but you deal with your budget in the month for the month. Before you know it you have saved a nest egg and are living like nobody else. Even if you’re backed in a corner, see if you can make that next step and before you know it you will go further than you ever thought was possible.

If you are training, you have to have a plan to achieve your goal. If you want to run a marathon or get a good time in a 5K, you have to have a plan to get there. Effective people and athletes put together a plan, set attainable goals, and then the succeed. It takes baby steps to get where you want to go. Sometimes in athletic training you will make big strides of progress and then you will hit a plateau. The same is in life. You have to make a plan and execute with measurable and attainable goals.

Running down hill hurt more than running uphill. As much as that doesn’t make sense in your head it is true. When you make yourself run uphill it is hard, but it will build muscle and endurance. If you run down a steep down hill, it will hurt. You may not feel it right then, but wait until the next day. Next time you run down hill try to see how much stress is being put on your leg muscles. Just as in life, if you want to take the path of least resistance and coast through life, it will hurt you in the long run. You may not feel it at first, but you will feel it tomorrow.

When you have smarts you can make it as far as people with talent, sometime you will make it further. When I ran Cross Country, I was not the best out there. I barley ran a mile under 6 minutes. However I could beat the guys running around me during the race. I would run behind them most of the race and play mind games with them. With the last stretch I would step it up and pass them because I had exhausted them mentally. The same is true in life. Sometimes people have more talent, but you have perseverance and can pass them when they become lazy.

Getting Embarrassed is not a valid reason to give up. There are many obstacles when running Cross Country. One is that you do not run on flat paved surface. You will occasionally hit a rock or root and fall flat on your face. People are watching, you can’t give up because you are embarrassed. Those moments may be embarrassing, but eventually they will be memories that you can laugh at. You begin to learn to have better footing and to watch where you are running. The same is true in life. “Why do we fall, to learn to pick ourselves up.” –Thomas Wayne, Batman Begins.

Yesterday at The People's Church Rick White said in his message, "The two greatest days of one's life are the day you were born and the day you figured out why you were born." -unknown

Let that sink in for a moment. Are you doing what you were born to do, or are you just going through life with no passion and no drive.  "If you enjoy what you do, you will never work another day in you life."

Lately we have been seeing a lot of changes in the world around us. Most of the changes that we have been experiencing are completely unexpected. Some of the unexpected changes has left many people jobless.

The unexpected changes that are occurring today are leaving a lot of people feeling like they have “failed.” Are you really a failure? In Batman Begins Thomas Wayne tells young Bruce Wayne, “Why do we fall? To learn to pick ourselves up.” I think that falling down is a necessary evil to get to success. Walt Disney had many “failures” or set-backs before he was successful and became a household name. Hank Aaron struck-out may times on his way to breaking the Babe’s record. Apple had set-backs before iPod, iMac, OS X and its current success. Do we find the perfect career path without set-backs or even firings/layoffs?

We need to change the definition of “failure.” When we fall down or find ourselves in a valley, that does not mean that we are to loose hope. When silver is being refined the temperature is raised at every step during the process until the refiner can see his reflection like a mirror. Can we learn to embrace “failures” and see them as necessary steps in the process towards success? Napoleon Hill once said: “Failure seems to be nature’s plan for preparing us for great responsibilities.”

“Failure is good. It's fertilizer. Everything I've learned about coaching, I've learned from making mistakes.” -- Rick Patino