Dress Like a Tiger!

I stood in my closet this morning looking at my clothes. (Lord Jesus! I hate getting dressed in the mornings. It just feels like wasted time!  I wish I could wake up fully dressed and clean shaven!)  Anyway, today isn't a meetings day for me.  Phone and e-mail work for the most part.  No scheduled face-to-face meetings.  On days like that, I'll admit to getting a little lazy with my attire.  Not exactly dressing the part always.  Guilty.

Today I made a different choice.  Tiger Woods came to mind.  I recalled how I admire how he always dresses in red on Sundays... his "winning" color.  He wears red when it's time to really get down to business.  And, a couple of recent rough Ambien-fueled (sorry, Eldrick) years aside, it has worked for him.  Then I remembered how much the way we dress impacts how people see and respond to us.  Also, our own moods, focus and productivity are GREATLY improved when you dress for success.  So I made a different choice.  Slacks and dress shoes instead of jeans and Adidas.  (Sorry, DMC!)  I'm already feeling it.

Just a little reminder to those of us who sometimes have flexibility in our wardrobe choices.  There's still something to dressing the part.  I've let myself slip too much.  Time to take it back to where I know I need to be.  I might even break out the ties again.  Also, don't be surprised if you see me in red the next time I have a huge meeting!

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What Do You Expect?

I've had a small epiphany. I'm sure you've already had this one and this post is just a reminder for you. You generally perform at about the level you expect out of yourself.  I've been a lot more productive in this past week and I've only made one change.  I've expected to be.

So much of how we perform is based only on one thing - our expectations for our performance.  Do you recall the Roger Bannister 4-Minute Mile thing?  Nobody thought it could be done.  Once Bannister broke the barrier there was a shift in expectations.  Now, if you can't run a mile in four minutes, you're not even taken seriously as a runner.  In the same way, many of your current limits are totally arbitrary.  No reason you can't raise them!  
Time for me to get back to work.  It's been a productive day, but I can do better.  In fact, I will do better!  I'm expecting a lot more from myself and it feels good!  Subscribe to this blog.  Let's see what's ahead together!

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Make Plan "A" Your Only Plan!

Make PLAN A your only plan...especially if you say God gave you the vision.  Most people don’t need a Plan B; they need to fully dedicate themselves to Plan A! How can it be that God’s plan for your life has an alternative? He hasn’t changed His mind. Once you tap into His plan for you, neither should you. Diligence is what most of our plans require, not alternatives.

Be diligent. To quote my Pastor, Thaddeus Eastland, diligence is best defined as "thinking it through, then getting after it and then staying after it." Work as hard as you can. Respond to customers and opportunities quickly. The best ones don't wait for you. Diligence isn't just about working hard, however. It's about rising early and looking for every possible opportunity to achieve a goal – uncovering every rock. The Bible says that "the hand of the diligent makes rich" in Proverbs 10:4. This is just one of the many encouragements in the Bible towards diligence in all that we do.

They say money never sleeps. It does. But it gets up early. This is closely related to the concept of diligence. A word study on diligence uncovers that it carries with it the idea of getting out of bed and getting started early. Personally, I know that my most productive days and "seasons" have been when I've been most intentional about rising and getting to work before everyone else. When I get up late, I often feel like the whole day is close to being wasted. Get up early and get after it. You will be rewarded!

Make joining me on Facebook and subscribing to this blog a part of your plan!  Let's progress together!

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The Two Most Powerful Words in Your Vocabulary.

"I am."

Right now is your chance to make a statement about who you are and where you're going.  Right now!  And the way you do that is by making a declaration.  You have the power to define yourself.  "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he" as a wise man once wrote.  You'll notice that it is what YOU say about yourself that defines you.  The Lord may have designed you for a purpose, but it's still within your power to accept it and walk in it.

Now is the time to STOP accepting determinations about yourself that don't serve you.  Instead of saying "I am overweight." say "I am getting in better shape everyday."  If you want to improve as a father, begin declaring "I am a caring father" and watch how it transforms you.  (By the way, this applies to your internal dialogue, too.  Just because you aren't saying these things out loud, doesn't take you off the hook!)

Practice making a new "I am" statement right this moment.  What are you?  Who are you?  Say it and you'll be it!

Please remember to leave me your comments so I know how to serve you better!! If this was helpful, forward it to a friend. Talk to you soon!





Mark Anthony McCray helps people live on PURPOSE, achieve higher PERFORMANCE and experience true PROSPERITY. Be sure to subscribe to this blog so you don't miss a thing and forward this to a friend if you found it helpful. All material © Copyright, Mark Anthony McCray unless otherwise noted!

He can be reached in the following ways:

Mark@LiveBIGDieEmpty.com
Phone: 281-846-5720
Twitter: @LiveBIGDieEmpty
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LiveBIGDieEmpty
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/markanthonymccray/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/103149858138414160703/posts
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/markanthonymccray
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/markmccray/

Click HERE for information on Mark as a speaker or presenter and HERE to learn about coaching programs to help you realize your potential and live more prosperously!

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Your Words Shape Your Life!

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"I expect to be playing Aledo for the State Championship on December 17 at Noon in Cowboys Stadium." ~Manvel HS Head Coach when interviewed about his preseason expectations for the Mavericks in June...before school had started...before ANYONE had played any games. This weekend at Noon, they are playing Aledo for the State Championship in football.  I am blogging this from the game.

"One day I'm going to sell out Madison Square Garden." ~ Five year old Justin Bieber

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit." ~Proverbs 18:21

I want you to seriously think about what you've been saying lately. What direction are your words carrying you? I can assure you they are taking you somewhere. But are you happy with that direction? You have to learn to speak to your own future.

How does "speaking it" work? Does your tongue hold some kind of mysterious power to shape your entire world? Can you "make" people do what you say? Well, to a degree, I believe so! I believe our words have creative force to bend and shape expectations and circumstances and greatly influence even other people who hear us. It's not magic. People still have free will. You still have to work to manifest most of the things you want. But it's about using your language to craft expectations...which leads to outcomes.

If you're always setting your dreams and goals out there in front of people, you will attract people who will want to help. People will treat you the way you expect to be treated.

Enjoy this blog? Consider supporting our work or partnering with us here. We're helping people live BIGGER lives. You can help.

Second, and most important, your words will shape YOUR OWN attitudes, expectations and actions. As you start to speak, you will expect more, press yourself harder and look for more opportunities and open doors. As you begin to speak to your future, you'll become less satisfied with the mediocrity of your present. You will be changing yourself from the inside - and the manifestations will begin show on the outside.

It's like Zig Ziglar says...positive words won't make everything possible, but they will make more things possible than negative words will! So don't be afraid to "declare it" because, until you do, it's likely what you really want to see manifested will never appear.

Mark Anthony McCray helps people live on PURPOSE, achieve higher PERFORMANCE and experience true PROSPERITY. Be sure to subscribe to this blog so you don't miss a thing and forward this to a friend if you found it helpful. All material © Copyright, Mark Anthony McCray unless otherwise noted!

He can be reached in the following ways:

Mark@LiveBIGDieEmpty.com
Phone: 281-846-5720
Twitter: @LiveBIGDieEmpty
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LiveBIGDieEmpty
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/markanthonymccray/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/103149858138414160703/posts
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/markanthonymccray
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/markmccray/

Click HERE for information on Mark as a speaker or presenter and HERE to learn about coaching programs to help you realize your potential and live more prosperously!

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Listen Your Way to Greater Success!

It is said that you can learn enough to equal a college degree if you listen to just a couple hours a day of instructional and inspirational audio programs. You can learn a language in your car or pick up a new skill while talking a walk. Depending on your job, you can even listen to audio programs while you work. I like to do all of those!

Here are some free downloads for you. Just click the link to listen or download to listen later. Everything is in the easy MP3 format. I have listened to each of these regularly to help keep my mind healthy and focused on my vision and goals. Let me know what you think!


"Prayer, Praise and Persistence" by Tope Koleoso

This is a great sermon that reminds you of the power of prayer and helps lead you into the right attitudes and understandings regarding prayer. I am firm believer that we must begin to seek God's face and tap into His power more than ever in these days. Pastor Koleoso, or Tope, as members of his fellowship call him, is an invaluable resource to the Body of Christ.

Download Here: LINK


"No Dream is Too Big" by Vic Johnson

I can't say enough about Vic Johnson and his diligent work to help people get focused and stay motivated towards their goals. Every few weeks, I pull this program back up to remind myself to keep pressing. Hopefully, it can be a great resource to you, as well.

Download Here: LINK


"As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen

Allen's most famous book, As a Man Thinketh, was published in 1902. It is now considered a classic self-help book. Its underlying premise is that noble thoughts make a noble person, while lowly thoughts make a miserable person. Of course, he's not the originator of this viewpoint. Solomon gets credit for that!

Download Here: LINK


"How to Live Debt-Free" by John Cummuta

Listen to sound advice to crash proof your life and protect your family from losing your income or future savings. This proven step-by-step financial plan is what you need to rid yourself of debt and enjoy more wealth.

Download Here: LINK


"How to Become the Leader in Your Field" by Earl Nightingale

Spend just 1 hour a day doing this and you'll catapult yourself to the top of your career. And after one year, you'll have nearly a seven-week advantage on all of your colleagues — enough to completely revolutionize your life.

Download Here: LINK


"How to Earn Thousands Brokering Hard Money Loans" by Mark Anthony McCray

The last is a very specialized program for people who work in the real estate profession. If you don't work in real estate, it won't be worth a lot to you. If you work in real estate and want to understand how the big money deals are closed, you need it!

Download Here: LINK


I hope you enjoy! Send me your thoughts! What else would you like to hear?? Please share this with someone you know who may be looking for a little bit of encouragement this day...and please, please, please remember to join my "Live BIG! Die Empty." Facebook page. I want to stay connected with you!

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Changing Direction

Indiana Jones taking the walk of faith...

There is no great lesson packed into this blog entry today. It's just me talking...writing. I'm not even sure what direction the next sentence will go. All I know is I am busting my butt working on taking my life in a new direction after years in hard money real estate lending...which I still plan to do lightly...and this is the toughest set of challenges I've ever faced in my life.

...and I feel like I'm doing it in front of the world. I get a lot of support from family, friends and even church members, but I know about half of them are holding their breath trying to see what happens with me. I've got a few "haters" too. Everybody trying to do anything significant has haters. The only way to make sure you don't have haters is to disappear from society. That's not an option.

So...I'm accepting speaking engagements and speaking. E-mail me! I'm rounding out my event calendar for the Fall. They've been going well so far. People like me. On the inside I feel like my heart is going to pop out of my chest because I know I'm learning on the job. I hope it doesn't show too much but I keep reminding myself "Every Master was once a disaster." as T. Harv Eker says.

I'm finishing my first book. It's done. I am preparing it for editing and publication. This ought to be interesting! I know I've got at least five more inside of me. I sent out early drafts of a few chapters a couple of days ago. That was terrifying. You want to know fear and judgment? Pour your heart into learning a new skill, perform it in PUBLIC and then ask people for their honest opinions!

I've also got to figure out how to make all of this make money. But I'm not interested in making money. I'm interested in earning MONEY!!!! I'm comforted by the fact that I'm moving in a direction that allows me to leverage my time, talent and energy much better. That's a good start. I know you can't get rich trading time for money. I've done that for years. I've earned a lot of money in my life, but there's always a limit because if (WHEN!) you run low on energy, time or health, you cut off your earning potential. I'm going to the right direction now.

I'm also doing the things I know I've been created to do. This makes me not only the Founder but the "First Student" of Live BIG! Die Empty. and I want it that way. I will build my career by writing, speaking and teaching on things I've experienced myself and put into practice. There's more integrity in doing things that way.

So, that's all. I can't think of anything else I want to share right now. Pray for me. If you want to support me, pre-order my book. There is some really, really good stuff in it. If there isn't, I'm sure people will let me know!

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