SWIMMING UPSTREAM

Have you ever seen Salmon swim upstream?  It's somewhat of a cool, curious sight.

A number of years ago, the CHEERLEADER, our boys and I lived in Rockford, Michigan. 

Right next to downtown Rockford is the Rogue River.  

This part of the river, has a dam and as you watch the river flow downstream, right at the dam, you'll see Salmon jumping AGAINST the flow.

I was reminded of a quote by W.C. Fields, "Remember, a dead fish can float downstream, but it takes a live one to SWIM UPSTREAM."

ANYONE can float downstream.

To "SWIM UPSTREAM" in life is to go against the flow....go against the current...to go against what the "popular" thought of the day is.

It's the "marching to the beat of your own drum."  

It's being UNIQUELY YOU!

Think about all the things that make up YOU:

• Your parents
• Your ethnicity
• Where you were born
• When you were born
• How you grew up
• Your family culture
• Successes you had along the way
• Failures (or better put, LEARNINGS) you had along the way
• School
• Friends
• Influence from
• TV
• Movies
• Books
• Magazines

Each of these...and many more...make up who YOU are today.

Some of these you have NO control over....but some you have ULTIMATE CONTROL over. 

And even if you don't like the "script" you are reading about your life right now....YOU can change it!  It just depends how bad you want it or what you are willing to do to change it.

SWIMMING UPSTREAM isn't pushing the "easy button."  It takes grit and determination.  It takes an ATTITUDE (good) to push through.

A great/funny illustration of this is an advertisement that the fast food company Wendy's did. It shows all these people jogging towards a big hole in the ground and they are just falling into it...for NO reason.  The ad is about going against the flow when it comes to fast food hamburgers.  (see it HERE).

What a great picture of people...you and me....just going through life with no purpose...no direction.  

Would you like to continue to have a BEST YEAR YET?   Then live your life by (your) design...NOT by default!

What do you want?  

Don't follow the flow into the hole.....just keep SWIMMING UPSTREAM!