Tag Archives: motivation

Inspiration

Keep filling the glass

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, September 6, 2016

We’ve all heard the expression, “Is the glass half full or half empty?” I read once from a positive thinker that you should not look at it that way and just keep filling the glass. Now if you really think about it, that’s a powerful statement.

It’s easy for us to think that all difficult situations are much worse than they truly are. But look back over your life when you faced these difficulties. I bet you made it through each and every one of them. Somehow and someway, situations seem to work themselves out. And, I wouldn’t be surprised if most of them turned out to be a blessing.

You might have heard bad news from a doctor which forced you to live a healthier lifestyle. Now your quality of life has never been better.

Maybe you were terminated from an employer which led to a better opportunity of a dream job. Now you’re happy and making more income.

Some of you were thrown into an unexpected divorce. But now, you get to lead a more adventurous and productive life.

The list is endless, but it’s up to your mentality to create a better outcome.

It’s these situations where we find how determined and strong we are. We’ve all heard of disasters that happened to cities where heroes seem to emerge to help others. Well guess what? You are one of those heroes, too. There’s times when you are faced with no other choice but to conquer Goliath.

Even our children can learn these lessons from an early age. For example: A friend of mine’s 10th-grade son was devastated that he didn’t make the varsity football team. He was placed on the JV team to which he played both offense and defense. It was the best season of his young career, and he was voted most valuable player.

It’s inevitable; we’ll continue to face adversities throughout life. Just remember to keep filling the glass and conquer the day.

Inspiration

Find the Olympian within you

 Posted: Tuesday, August 23, 2016 

I don’t know about you, but watching the Olympics has been a refreshing relief from all the crazy politics with which we’ve been bombarded.

I’m most compelled to watch the amateur athletes compete instead of the million-dollar professionals. It’s very heartwarming to learn the personal troubles and adversities that so many Olympians had to conquer in order to chase their greatest passion.

I think I’m safe to admit, I cry each night watching victories along with defeats. I feel the Olympics helped bring the world together for a few brief weeks for us to recognize that we are truly one human race.

But what I’ve really come to understand is that we all have an Olympian within us. As we go through our journey of life, we face many obstacles, barriers and tragedies. We’ve all been knocked down, sucker punched and blindsided. It’s part of life that’s most difficult to experience.

Plus, don’t we all have physical and internal scars too? I have physical scars on both arms from a freak accident that required my biceps to be reattached. Just like you, I’ve faced many personal tragedies, including the loss of a 23-year-old son.

Even though they’re young, both of my kids have many scars themselves. I’ve explained to them that each scar is a story from their life’s journey. None of us can escape situations the world will throw at us, but it’s those scars that make us the unique, beautiful person we are.

I see a woman’s stretch marks from childbirth as a thing of beauty. They brought a wonderful life into this world with their amazing bodies.

I’m sure there are many of you who have heard “it’s not how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get back up.”

Today is the day to pick yourself up and shake off the dust. You are an Olympian fighting with determination to become a champion. We are in a world of competition and you’re the strongest competitor to take the lead.

There’s no hurdle high enough that you can’t leap over. At the end of each day, it will be you standing on the podium to accept a gold medal for conquering life’s journey.

Inspiration

Change your destructive family patterns

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Have you ever noticed obese parents typically have obese children? How about athletic parents raising children athletes?

Of course this is one extreme to the other, plus this only pertains to percentages. There will always be outliers in every category.

You can use the same statistics for parents who have destructive habits. Why do their children take on the same behaviors? How come this pattern keeps being passed along the bloodline?

Maybe you were raised in a questionable environment. The good news is that you are the one who is willing to stop it. You are the family member who chooses to start a new tradition of a healthy environment for your children, who, in turn, will pay it forward.

I was fortunate to be raised by a father who was a high school coach. My sister Karen and I were exposed our whole lives to a variety of sports, especially football.

Recently, I was apologizing to my 15 year old daughter Daylyn for not exposing her to more girlie types of activities. She happens to be raised by a single dad who only knows sports.

Daylyn is so funny. She told me she hates high-heel shoes, and would rather be wearing sneakers and putting her hair in ponytails, anyway.

You see, I don’t have any artistic ability either. I just had to come to the conclusion that I can’t sing, draw, paint, play any musical instruments or cut-the-rug on a good day. My poor kids have the same DNA.

Believe me, I personally tried to do all the above, but to no prevail. So, I can only pass the family pattern of a healthy environment of exercise and diet.

What about all of you parents? Just know your kids are a product of their environment. Their success in life depends on your teachings. This doesn’t mean what you say, it means what you do.

I know a family whose children were raised in an active, healthy lifestyle. One child grew up and raised their children the same way. The other child grew up and decided to become lazy and undisciplined, and now their children suffer from adolescent diabetes.

Be the hero in your family and start a new branch on the family tree of strength and success. You just need to leap out of the destruction basement and hit the ground running.

You’ve got this!

Inspiration

If you want it, act like it

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday August 9, 2016

Recently, my daughter Daylyn tried out and made the freshman high school volleyball team. Daylyn explained to me how there’s such a big difference in skills between the varsity players compared to the subvarsity teams.

Even though it’s early, Daylyn is already concerned about reaching those higher skill levels in order to continue playing throughout high school.

I told her to study the best players on the varsity team. Watch not only their skills, but how they approach everything else. This includes practice, mannerisms, maturity, hustle and how they respond to coaches.

Get in your mind that you’re already a varsity player and to start acting like it as a freshman. Don’t wait until you’re a senior, be that character of a player now.

This really made a lot of sense to Daylyn, and she took it to heart.

Now, let’s think about your ambitions. Do you want to move up in your company? Are you the worker you’d want to promote?

Then start acting like you have that position and be the leader within your current status. You should dress for the position, improve work ethics and treat others with respect. These qualities will get you there.

Let’s think about other categories of our lives. Are you the spouse you would want? The child to be proud of? The neighbor you want next door? The friend to count on during troubled times?

Only you can answer that honestly.

Of course, we’ve all let people down in each of those categories. But, the good news is today we get to start all over. We can make all positive changes immediately.

We all have the qualities to be amazing people. When you encourage others to step up their game, your own self-worth will soar. You’ll reach heights of success and happiness that dreams are made of.

Remember, strong people don’t put others down, they lift them up.

All you have to do is start acting like the person you want and desire to be.

Inspiration

Turn weaknesses into strengths

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, July 26, 2016 

We all have strengths and weaknesses in every category of life. This includes job experience, relationships, spiritual, self-confidence, diets and habits.

I can’t express strongly enough the importance of competition from childhood throughout adult life. You learn to gauge your strengths and weakness compared to others competing in the same event. When you lose, you discover your weaknesses. When you win, you’re rewarded for your strengths.

We all hate to expose our weaknesses because we’re afraid others will judge us unfairly. But you must learn to pick yourself up and target those weaknesses. It will only make strengths even stronger.

The most obvious example is the sport of boxing. It’s almost certain the outcome is determined by who can protect the body and counter punch. If you can’t do this better than your opponent, you’ll get knocked out.

The biggest discovery is when you can turn a weakness into your strongest asset.

Believe me, I have many weaknesses, and I really do my best to overcome them.

All my years in school and college, my weakest academic class was English. It always dropped my GPA, even though it was still moderately high. I hated writing papers because my grammar was embarrassingly poor.

My English teacher in high school was Mrs. Watts. I think she only passed me because I was dating her daughter. Come on now, that wasn’t my strategy. I really did like her daughter.

When The Galveston County Daily News asked me to become a columnist, I was scared to expose my writing weakness to sports editor James LaCombe. James became my mentor and helped edit my articles until I became a strong writer.

I now write almost daily and it’s become my biggest passion. I also write for a monthly magazine, have written a play and started a feature film.

It still amazes me that I used to hide behind my weakness, but now I’m most known for it.

What about you? I bet if you worked on your weaknesses at work, you’ll start making more money and get promotions.

Most people’s weaknesses are bad diets and poor exercise habits. Make a stance and do something about it. Your whole life will change — I promise.

Today is the day to accept your weaknesses, pour energy into them and become stronger than you could ever imagine.

Inspiration

Stop giving excuses

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, July 12, 2016

As young kids, we all learned to give excuses for not being able to accomplish something. It was typically due to keep from getting in trouble with parents.

The sad part is there’s still a lot of grown adults using excuses for reasons of being overweight, unemployed, in bad relationships or having destructive habits.

If any of this applies to you, what’s your excuse? Guess what? No one really cares about your excuses. All you’re doing is making us feel better about ourselves because we are giving the world our best.

Now don’t get me wrong, I was an excuse-guy for way too long. Once I owned up to all my faults, I was able to blame the only person responsible — me.

Don’t wait for tomorrow. Take action this very moment. Rewards come through time, work ethic and character building.

It’s time to make healthy choices in all aspects of our lives. If you’re going to the gym after work, then there’s no time for the local bar. When you help perform household chores and show appreciation toward your spouse, then marital relationships will improve.

Quit being lazy and start grocery shopping for healthy foods that require cooking. We live in a society where people want everything fast. That’s why fast-food restaurants are flourishing and more than 40 percent of American adults are obese.

Now get off the couch, step away from your laptop and iPhones, and get your bodies in motion.

Accept that you made bad decisions yesterday because today is the first day to kick this world’s butt. Punch your excuses in the face and become a champion.

Yes, I will run into road blocks, but I’ll turn them into opportunities.

From this day forward, I will fight for my destiny because it’s up to me. At the end of each day, I will give myself a high-five for my determination. I’m beautiful, I’m smart, and have a passion for success.

Look out world — I’m back with a vengeance.

Inspiration

One person can affect a whole city

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Recently, I was explaining to my son Dylan about the financial impact that superstar athletes have on their cities. For example: LeBron James generates over $100 million annually from tourists to the city of Cleveland through hotels, restaurants, shopping, transportation and so on.

I continued explaining, to think about all the families who were able to raise their children and have a decent living — all because of one person.

That’s why when LeBron left the city, he did more than disappoint the fans in winning a championship with the Miami Heat. Cleveland, Ohio, really did lose its king.

The whole reason for having this conversation with my 17-year-old son is I want him to start thinking about how he can influence his community.

Dylan replied to me that there is only one LeBron James. I told him, “You’re absolutely right, and there is only one Dylan Tepera.”

You see, Dylan has one more year left in high school, and then it’s off to college. But, I want him to create a career to help others and bring goodness to all.

Don’t just think about working in a corporate environment where you’re being told what to do on a daily basis. Yes, you can start there to learn about the real world, but you must have the desire to go beyond.

At an early age, I instilled in my children to own their own businesses and create a brand that makes people’s lives better. When you’ve accomplished this, then you’ve succeeded.

Don’t worry about the income. Money will follow and grow when you’ve created a brand of integrity and passion.

Now you must think about you. It doesn’t matter that you’ve settled into a comfortable living. We must all find a way to help others. It’s as simple as volunteering to an organization in your hometown.

Look around and see where there’s a need. Try to find a way to generate money or get others involved to help charities or people in need.

We must all act now because we only have a short time on this earth. We are neighbors and in this world together. Our destiny is to inspire and have a positive influence in life.

Diets, Fitness, Inspiration

Flip your thinking to accomplish goals

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Probably, the most challenging component of losing weight is getting our diets in order. Americans are bombarded with fast-food marketing, large food portions and unlimited buffets.

So, as we are determined to lose weight, we continuously say to ourselves, “I’m not going to eat fast foods, fried foods, doughnuts or any unhealthy foods.” But what really happened is those particular foods salivate your brain, which in turn creates more cravings for them.

You must be more positive and proactive by saying, “I can’t wait for lunch to eat a grilled chicken or seared tuna salad with dark green crispy lettuce.” Keep repeating the desire for healthy foods and your body will want them.

The same goes to your workouts. Most people dread knowing they need to exercise after a day of work. You need to flip your thinking and get excited knowing the gym is a reward for a productive day.

In the morning, I lay out my gym clothes and charge my headphones. It’s my reminder that it’s another amazing day because I GET to exercise.

Let’s apply this type of positive thinking for all parts of life. You should wake up each morning excited knowing you have a job. You get to provide for your family and have a quality of life.

Once, my daughter Daylyn dropped an expensive bowl in the kitchen and it broke into many pieces. She looked at me with much concern. I thought about it for a moment and told her, “I didn’t like that old bowl anyway — good riddance.” We both laughed and cleaned it up together.

Now think about that. No matter what the situation was, that bowl was not coming back. I decided to not ruin her day or give myself unnecessary stress. Daylyn loves to tell that story and will probably, one day, use the same scenario with her kids.

Sometimes you’ve got to take a step back, breathe deep and realize how incredible life is.

I can’t take back what happened yesterday, but I’ve got full control of what’s happening now.

Stay positive and be kind to all.

Inspiration

Don’t dread wearing a swimsuit in the summer

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Well, Memorial Day weekend has past and it’s the official start of seasonal hot Texas weather.

I’m sure there are many of you dreading outside activities knowing short clothing and swimsuits are required.

Look, you’ve probably dealt with this situation for many years, but relax; it’s only as embarrassing as you perceive it.

Here’s what I’ve come to realize and understand through my own life experiences.

Usually, young adults from their late teens through their 20s judge others’ bodies the most. This is probably due to the aftereffect of harshness and bullying throughout school years. They think everyone is looking at them when actually we don’t care.

Adults in their 30s become less critical because they’ve started a family and raising children takes full mental capacity. It seems like both mommy’s and daddy’s bodies change after childbirth, and it’s OK; you’re in this together.

Then comes the age of the 40s when you realize your body doesn’t respond like it did before.

The kids are grown, out of the house, and you’re possibly facing a divorce. It’s typically during these years when adults take drastic steps trying to create a better looking body.

Plastic surgeons live in mansions and drive fancy cars due to the panicking 40s generation.

Now, I can personally speak for the 50s age adults. Negative judging of others’ bodies is no longer a thought process. It’s easy to find beauty in everyone. We become more attracted to people for who they are, rather than physical appearance.

I know a lady who is physically drop-dead gorgeous, but once she starts speaking and judging others, she becomes quite unattractive in my eyes.

Sorry to categorize ages 60s and beyond, but it seems that all you talk about is body ailments. You try to outdo each other by who’s had the most joint replacements and surgeries.

Now that hurricane season is around the corner, I can hear you now — “Thar’s a storm brewing in the Gulf. I’m gonna have to board this darn house with these bad knees, back and shoulders.”

So really, don’t worry about what others are thinking because they aren’t thinking about you.

Wear whatever makes you comfortable and enjoy the coming summer months.

Inspiration

Benefits of setting goals go beyond the gym

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, May 17, 2016

One of my very best friends is 69-year-old former body builder Mike Rebescher. Personally, Mike is one of the most successful businessmen I know.

Recently, I had breakfast with Mike and asked if there’s a correlation to his success and years as a body builder.

Mike looked me dead in the eyes with a stern face and told me “absolutely.”

Mike explained body building taught him to be more goal-orientated. It had also pushed him outside of his comfort zone, which built his confidence, mental toughness, strength and strong character.

Mike started dabbling with weights around the age of 12 at his local YMCA, but truly didn’t dedicate himself until he turned 40. I know countless people who’ve given up by the age of 40.

Mike’s body building journey lasted until he was 53, even though weightlifting and staying in shape has been a lifetime commitment.

Mike made it clear that no matter what struggles in life or in business he encounters, he can grind it out because he’s already tested himself beyond belief.

Believe me, that evening I was throwing some crazy weight around in the gym. Even to this day, when Mike attends business meetings and sees the other out-of-shape members, he knows he owns the room.

You see, that statement includes each of us. When you’re the fittest person in the room, you reflect strength, dedication and discipline.

Employers want you to represent their company to which you’ll get the job and promotions. It’s probably not fair, but it’s the way the subconscious mind works.

I know we all don’t have the desire or dedication to become body builders, but hopefully you’ve understood the “take home” message.

For those of us who’ve been around awhile, maybe it’s time to bring back the Jordan slogan “Be like Mike.”