Own Today!

It's a new day for you to make things go your way. Today you will take charge of your circumstances and guide yourself into every victory you want to achieve. Today is a chance for you to correct the mistakes of yesterday and most importantly learn from them. Today you are a smarter, wiser, stronger, better person and you are prepared to take on all challenges. Today nothing can stop you because you own this day. Become the master of your life and bring this day to its knees with your victories. Today you will not be shaken by negativity, evil, or circumstances. Today you are master of your environment. Today you will do everything possible to fulfill your dreams. Today you will love a little more, laugh a lot more. Today is the day you will never forget because today is yours to do as you see fit. Today is a gift that was given to you. You will not let this day own you, today you will own it.

-Kirk Abrigo-

Letting go of the past and moving on to your success

Moving on. This short phrase carries a weight that for some of us is too much to bare. Moving on is one of the hardest things for us to do with our lives once a chapter of it has reached an end. I have struggled with it at a point and time in my life and I'm sure many of you have also. The fear of not knowing what is out there waiting for us can allow us to stay in a situation or position in life that has no place for us anymore. We live with the ridiculous notion bouncing around in our heads that, "The Devil you know is better than the Devil you don't know." Many of us use this saying to rationalize our fear of moving forward. I, myself have used this phrase. Now I know better.


Complacency is the ultimate killer of growth. If we never take a step forward, out of our comfort zones, we will never experience the better life that is waiting for us. Who am I talking to? I'm talking to those of you who are in a dead end job and hate going to work every day. I'm talking to those of you whose relationships are over, yet you still can't accept that things are not supposed to be this way. I'm talking to those of you who want better for yourselves, but the fear of failure is stopping you from moving out of your parent's basement. I'm talking to any one of you who is in a situation where you can see your future squarely in front of you but you are too afraid to move towards it because you are afraid of change. Here is a concept: Change is GOOD!


For positive change to happen in our lives we have to want it. We have to step out on faith and replace that "Devil" phrase bouncing around in our heads with the one from the Billy Holiday song that says, "God bless the child that's got his own." This short phrase simply means that we have to start moving into our greatness to receive the blessings of strength and opportunity that God wants to bestow upon us.

God will never leave us out in the cold, alone. The ideas, dreams and ambitions that we have have been planted in our hearts and minds by God. This means that He also has made the way for us to make our dreams a reality. But, in order for us to find this path we have to step out on faith and KNOW that the path of success is already paved for us by the highest power. It may mean that we have to let go of what we know best. But, as our thinking changes so will our lives. Know that failure is not an option and that the life we want is waiting for us. All we have to do is decide to take it. Change is necessary for progress to occur.


We should not mourn our past as we make the decision to let go of it and move forward. We should be grateful for it and celebrate it because it has given us everything we need to step into our better future. So have faith in God, be strong, talk to Him when you need to, cry if you need to, but continue to move forward. This is called leaping and growing your wings on the way down. Challenges will come, but rest assured that God will give you the strength to rise above them.

What are we entitled to from life?

Edward Rourke was an iron worker in England. He wanted to travel to the united states. He wanted a better life for himself, plus his friends who were in America were always writing to him telling him how great American was and he should come here for a better life. 

  Edward, having no real ties in England, one day decided he would work hard for a year and save up enough money to purchase a ticket on a cruise ship. So he did. He worked extra hours, pinched his pennies a bit, but after about 9 months he finally had barely enough to purchase a ticket on a cruise ship to America

  The times being as they were, the trip would take 2 to 3 weeks to cross the ocean. To prepare for his long journey, with the little bit of money he had left after buying his ticket, Edward went out and purchased a suitcase and all the cheese and crackers he could afford. He then Filled half the suitcase with a few articles of clothing and the other half of it was filled with cheese and crackers.

Once on board, during mealtimes the other passengers went to a large dining room filled with tables and plates and an abundance of delectable foods. For breakfast, lunch and dinner the spreads were amazing. But, for each meal Edward would go into a corner and eat his crackers and cheese. He would smell the delicious aroma of the foods coming from the dining room, and often daydream about how tasty it would be if he was able to afford it. 

Many nights and mornings he would see and hear the other passengers, making jokes about how stuffed they are and how they are going to have to go on a diet after this trip. Yet Edward stuck to his crackers and cheese because he couldn’t afford anything else.

So one day near the end of the trip, A gentleman after having a big dinner, Saw Edward eating his cheese and crackers and walked over to him. The gentleman asked Edward: “Excuse me sir. I couldn’t help but noticed you’re always over here eating those cheese and crackers, Why don’t you come into the banquet room with everyone else and eat?

Flushed with embarrassment Edward leaned forward to the gentleman's ear so that the conversation can only be heard by the two of them and said “ well, i’ll be honest with you, i only had enough money to buy the ticket. After that i didn’t have money to buy fancy meals.

The gentleman raised his head and his eyebrows with surprise. He Looked at Edward with a smile and said “ Sir, don’t you realize the meals are included with the price of the ticket? Your meals have already been paid for.

  Whenever I think about that story I think about how true it is in relation to God, life and what we are entitled to out of this life. You see once we are born, once we enter this world, It doesn’t matter where we came from, what social standing, what color, what race, what religion. Once we are here we are entitled to everything life has to offer because life is all inclusive, just like Edward's ticket. Unfortunately like Edward a lot of people don’t know that and are doomed to stay in the corner eating cheese and crackers. It's time to claim your rightful allowance from life, Life owes us NOTHING, because life already gives us everything. It's up to you to go out and get it. 

  So what's it going to be?!!! Filet Mignon, or cheese and crackers!

Nothing to stop you but you.

I would like to share with everyone an experience I had while coming home on the train a few days ago. I had my 4 year old son with me and we were coming back from a doctor visit around rush hour. Needless to say the train was crowded and my son and I were standing up braving the back and forth of the number 5 train. At some point we hit a transfer station and most of the people got off of the train. Two seats became available and we sat down. My son was next to me and next to him was a woman playing a game on her smartphone, which had a ridiculously cracked screen. I took note of it and made a joke " That's a pretty good crack on that screen, huh? Think you might need a new phone?" She smiled, laughed a little, then we got into a conversation about getting a new phone and how much it would cost without the plan. We griped a little about how much they charge for the phone if you already have a plan and we had a good laugh about Money, having it, and making it, etc.

   As she continued to play with the phone and we talked about the economy and such, she said " They have got to be an easier way, I can't just do what i'm doing day in and day out, there has got to be an easier way to make money without working so hard." My response was "If you want a different life, you will have to work at it. All the millionaires we hear about didn't just sit back and complain, they worked. Worked hard to get where they are." She agreed that was true. She also mentioned to me that she had some ideas once she now sees other people are making millions with. I asked her what stopped her from doing what she needed to do when she had the ideas?  This is when she did something that to me was such an antiquated concept that it caught me off guard. She pinched the back of her left hand indicating to me that because she was black the same opportunities that everyone else has, she does not have. This was a young woman who was no more than 40 years old, maybe  a little younger. 

   I looked at her and said " You're just using that as an excuse." She giggled a little when she realized that i wasn't going to allow her to get away with that. She responded, "You know you're right." The conversation continued down a more positive path where i told her that from this very moment on she must change her thinking. "When you get off the train, go home and start writing down some of those great ideas you have and start writing a plan on how to make your dreams come true." I wanted to make sure that she didn't leave the train, that moment of realizing she was the only person holding herself back without the motivation to take action.  She seamed into what i had to say. She had no idea i was a motivational speaker. As the train pulled in to her stop and she got off to leave, she was very excited about the prospects that now awaited her. She promised me that she would start making moves towards the life she wants. She thanked me and with a huge smile and a spring in her step, she got off the train. 

    I have had  a lot of successes in my life. I've also had many failures that i have learned from. Never once have I given power to the thought that my circumstances were created because of the color of my skin. Neither should you. Many people use that as a cop-out. An excuse to not excel to greatness because that would mean much is expected of them. Realize two things, the first; no one can tell you what you are and are not capable of, only you can do that. The second, sitting on your couch watching the lives of successful people on TV, wondering why it never happened to you is not going to make you successful. Get off the couch, turn off the tv show about that successful person and make a plan to become successful yourself. I believe it was Calvin Coolidge who said: 

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common then unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ' press on ' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” 

Now.....onward to your Success

-Kirk Abrigo-

What is your Gift?

We all have something  we feel we were destined to do. Something that although you may not be doing it right now, you feel your lot in life is to eventually evolve yourselves into doing this thing. So why aren't you doing it right now? why aren't you expressing your true self to the world? The excuse "i'm not ready" is not an excuse anymore. The only person place or thing that decides if you're ready is you. Being ready isn't something you wait for, it's something you decide. It's time to share your gift with the world and once you start doing that you will see the infinite possibilities unfold before you. Do not die with the music still inside of you. 

   Ask yourselves these questions: What do you do better than anyone you know. What do you get fulfillment out of by doing. What would you do for free because it gives you such joy. When you answer that question, then you have discovered your gift. Most of us will go through life listening the the fear in our heads as oppose to the truth in our hearts. Fear will always stop us from doing what we want to do, what we know is right within our hearts for us to do. but don't listen to your fears. Whatever you think it is you should be doing, NOW is the time to start working towards it. Now is the time to do the research, now is the time to start the planning now is the time to take the first step towards living your dream, living your gift. 

  A gift in essence is only useful if it is given away. So what ever it is you think your gift is, you cannot hold unto it. It must be given away, it must be expressed to those who would benefit most from it. holding unto it serves no one. So find your gift and start to become your true self. Only then will you be on the path to true happiness. 

The Differences Between Winners and Losers

Winning and losing are not personality traits. There is nothing that someone has more than another person that makes them more of a winner or loser than someone else. Winning or losing has more to do about behavior, and as such they can become habits. So have winning practices and you will have winning results in whatever you do. If you want to know where to start, here are a few differences between winners and losers:

Losers see Thunderstorms

Winners see rainbows

Losers see Icy streets

Winners put on their ice skates

Losers always see defeat

Winners always see opportunity

Losers blindly take chances

Winners never leave anything to chance

Losers are aggressive

Winners are assertive

Losers seek attention

Winners earn Respect

Losers fix to blame

Winners fix what caused the problem

Losers live in the past

Winners learn from the past

Losers make promises they often break

Winners make commitments they always keep

Losers react negatively

Winners respond effectively

Practice winning behavior and make winning your biggest habit.

What am I doing?

We know the life we want? We know that if we are not happy in our current situation then we need to change it. So what do we do? How do we effect change in our lives. Its very simple. For our lives to change, or situations to change the change must first come from us. I know you must be saying this is motivational jargon I already know. Then if you know it, why aren't you doing it. Why aren't you stepping up to the plate and make the changes you need to make the life for yourself that you want to? The answer? There is no reason. Now is the time, NOW is ALWAYS the time to effect change. and to start you must ask yourself these questions:

1, Am i doing the things i need to do towards achieving the life i want?

2. Am i THINKING the way i need to think to achieve the life i want?

3 Am i Acting the way I need to act to achieve the life i want?

4 Am i praying the way i need to pray to achieving the life i want?

5 Do i have the right attitude it takes to achieve the life i want?

6 Am i MOVING the way i should and at the pace i should to achieve the life i want?

These are very important questions to answer. When the answer to all of them is yes?

Then you are on your way. If the answer to any of them are no, then you have some changes

to make. You have to change your thinking so that you get RIGHT MINDED towards achieving

your desired goal. Don't be someone sitting around a few years from now thinking about the

oppertunities you let pass by, or that you should've moved when you had the chance. Make

your MOVE now! Its like my Mom says all the time, GET RIGHT, OR GET LEFT. Don't get left!

MOVE!

Solving Problems

Albert Einstein Said, " A problem cannot be solved at the level of consciousness which it occurred." Take this to mean exactly as it sounds. In life we will encounter obstacles, problems, people that seemingly have been put in place to test us, or make our lives harder. It's at this time you must ELEVATE your thinking. Confronting problems with the same aggressive, counter productive attitudes that may have created them in the first place is a sure road to more problems. Let your faith an your strength guide you through. Let God into the situation and watch as he takes it away. Always remember That god is not a fair weathered friend. Pray to him in the hardest of times and he will show you the way. 

What are your goals for 2011?

What is it that you would like to accomplish this year for yourself? Why haven't you done it already? What obstacles do you see in your way that prevented you from succeeding already? Lets share and help each other reach our goals for 2011.

HAPPY NEW YOU!

Today is the beginning of the New Year and also the Beginning of the NEW YOU. So HAPPY NEW YOU! Let this be the year that you accomplish your goals. Let this be the year you use your past mistakes not as obstacles, but as learning experiences. Let this be the year you step into your GREATNESS with confidence. Let this be the year that you realize that you are a favored child of God and He will guide you through all the trails to your goals. But the first step has to be yours. So let this be the year you spend an hour each day for yourself, doing whatever you can and as much as you can towards making your dreams come true. Do at least ONE THING every day towards your goals. Little goals building upon themselves become BIG ACHIEVEMENTS, So as you move forward into 2011 Move forward knowing that you are a divine being and your key to the kingdom is preordained from birth. NOW MOVE!