Mark Cigos

Ahhh the days you used to sit back and dream. Dream of what many would consider impossible, but to you you know it could be. Dreamin’ up plans that seemed so far out of reach, dreams of super stardom, remarkable achievements, dreams of a world living in ultimate peace. Thoughts and ideas and vision that thrilled, you felt alive, energized and ready to go. Little did you know, that’s not how the rest of the world worked, sooner or later you’d find that out, you too becoming cynical with a smirk. You’d think real big but were told to wake up and smell reality, those dreams that were keeping you so alive, were soon to be chalked up as another lifelong dream fatality. You joined the rat race with a frown on your face, that dream of building an empire buried somewhere under the pace. You moved with the crowd, refraining from speaking aloud, you kept your trap shut and withdrew from ever interrupting with a BUT. But this sad sorry now ends, for its time to make amends, time to live your dreams for they’re not shattered, remember that you still have a shot to make your life matter.

Shattered dreams it only seems, for the real truth lies in your ability to resurrect those long lost dreams. Bring ‘em back, shoot for the moon, its better now than never, and there’s no point in waiting for soon. You only live once, this is the prime time of your life – you’d be killing yourself 20 years from now if you didn’t gun for what in your heart you knew was right. Marry the one you love, build the business you know you can lead, help the world in anyway you can, be there for those in need. You know your life was not destined to be doing something you don’t want, you were given the utmost ability to live life so proud and loud, with the energy for enthusiasm to flaunt. Love what you do, do what you love, spread your dreams like wings, till you just cant get enough. Remember nothing is what it seems, not everyone has given hope to their dreams – be the one to go against the crowd, live with vision, live strong, live your dreams and be proud.  

If I had one chance to make it right, I wouldn’t dwell on yesterday – I’d slap my face take the plunge and be happy I went this way. What I did I’ve done, no point dwelling on what was, its what’s now and tomorrow that matters, this is where it really gets fun. Time to unleash the beast that lies dormant in my dreams, be true to myself and make what I want truly what it seems. No one person shares the same goals, you may have some in common, but there’s so much more to each of us that no one really knows. Bring those dreams back to life, share ‘em with the world, live them right. Realize that the only limits you have in life, are the ones you dream of both day and night. Keep positive, get a feel, know confidently you’re the real deal – go after everything you’ve ever wanted in life, start and never stop spinning that remarkable dream wheel.

When things aren’t working for you, when you feel like you’re consistently running in circles and you just don’t know what to do – stop, take a deep breath, get creative, switch it up and try somethin’ new.

Life is exhilarating, energizing and ever-evolving. Somethin’ new is around each and every corner, each and everyday. So how come so many decide to play it safe? How come so many of us play it bland, boring and dull? Why are we so familiar with our comfort zone, our own little world, our tiny box? What warrants living small? What justifies not living big? Why do we fear change and discomfort and the grand possibility of somethin’ bigger and better for our lives and this world by nixing somethin’ new? Those days should be left behind you, you should be fed up with the same old same old – you got one shot to make it hot, so I’ve frequently been told.

We love new shoes, new cars, new clothes, new music. We love new gossip, new loves, new books, new movies. But we rarely love new when it forces us to move outside what we’re so already familiar with. Its scary, its real, its an uncertain deal. Its somthin’ new that takes us outside of our zone, that zone in which we operate on auto-pilot, going about our everyday, like its just another either way. We’ve become numb to that feeling of being true to ourselves – being true to what we already knew at a very young age, that this life that we’re living is our prime time, its our only front and center stage. Somewhere along the way we became less and less curious more so everyday – we forgot how to grow and eventually put aside what we were once dying to know. We lost our zeal for somethin’ new, somethin’ real. Somethin’ we could and should discover on our own, somethin’ that would enable us to move, somethin’ that surely would make us grow.

Man its never too late to turn on somethin’ new. Somethin’ new is at our fingertips, its around that corner, it may even be a phone call away. Somethin’ new is a move we all need to make, its something extremely healthy we should all consider to take. It’s a new career, a big move, a healthier diet, an advanced exercise program. It could be a trip somewhere halfway around the world, a letter written to someone you’ve always wanted to reach out to, it could ultimately be bringing someone special into this world. Somethin’ new is entirely up to you, its somethin’ ya simply just gotta do. Its real, its scary, this I’m sure you already know, but its something that at the end of the day, when all is said and done, was the single biggest factor enabling you to grow.

Man its been a trying past few days. I’ve been stuck in one of those ruts, you know, the ones that leave you flat, bland and blah. My writing’s been stale, my workouts weak, my mood a little bleak. I’ve also been blaming everything else but me – looking around hopelessly trying to find some reason why all this is happening to me. Why can’t I generate and gather those vivid thoughts and ideas and translate them to paper? Why can’t I push full tilt hard in the gym, fueling my day to something great in every way? Why aren’t I smiling and laughing like I usually do, where’s the enjoyment, the enthusiasm, the energy? Why? Where? What’s happening?

I’m stuck in a rut that’s what – and me and only me can change and turnaround my luck. Same goes for you, yeah you, the one blaming everything and everyone but you.

So here’s what I did to get rid of this rut that was becoming an increasing pain in my butt. I went to bed last night, fed up and had enough. I decided that if I wanted to turn this stuff around, I was going to have to get intensely focused and tuff. So I prepared and planned, throwing nothing but positive thoughts through my mind. I knew that if I was gonna change this rut right around, I was the only one who was going to do it, and with that I was just fine. Woke up nice and early this morning, popped some vitamins, hit the streets, today I wasn’t gonna drive myself to the gym, this morning I was using my feet. Got to the gym, big smile on my face, iPod blasting in my ears, I felt a great vibe all over the place. It was nice to be back, sweet and early in the gym, it was a long few days since I’d been here, since then my confidence and energy was wearing thin. So I picked up a weight, picked up two then pushed hard, I kept on pushing non stop now, seeing how far I could push that iron bar. It felt good I was back, my mind buzzing couldn’t wait to get back to my laptop and re-track. So here I am writing strong, feeling my flow back, writing words like I’m singing a song. This is what I love to do, how could I let a rut get in the way, I’ve got too much love and energy to share, that rut was simply ruining my precious days.

Sometimes we get stuck, reality is only we can change our luck. Go full out, blast away, those setbacks that are ruining your days. If you’re having a poor day at work, do something different, get creative, push the envelope then walk around with a confident smirk. If your love life sucks with the one your in love, take their hand to the bedroom and make sure its several hours before you both come out. If your body is starting to look flabby, your muscles sinking your butt looking big – don’t blame it on being tired, lack of time or nothing left to give. Your body is your temple, it’s the only one you got, you keep that body healthy, the life you’re living is truly your only shot. If your mood is sour, then only you have the power – start enjoying life a little more, party with friends, sing in the shower, watch Seinfeld for a couple of hours. Smile, laugh and live, it’s the only thing everyone around you expects you to give.

Forget your rut, 180 your luck.

I love to hype. I love influencing all to a higher beat. If I can open your eyes to something new, something unknown, if I can make you move more, if I can enthuse you to think extravagantly – hell then why not? Why not spread the need for creative feed. Infuse those all around me to see more, want more, do more, ultimately becoming more. Think about it, if I show you a window you’ve never ever come across before – if you’re even slightly intrigued as to what’s outside this window, would you open it? Would you go through? Would you step outside your comfort zone, would you take the challenge, would you get remarkably creative and open yourself to an entirely new world? Have you caught what so many of us have sadly forgot? The creative bug that we’ve become immune to for far too long. The god given privilege and necessity to make our minds work in ways that can only make this world a better place. Without the curiosity for something more, we eventually become a complacent bore.

Have you caught it? Have you got it? Have you opened up and reignited that burning desire towards something spun entirely from your mind? Have you begun to compound on what truly makes all of us feel alive? Creativity.

Remember, what comes from my mind, is possible because I caught bits and pieces from minds the world over. No one is ever self-made, everything that comes from our vivid minds is simply a collection and collaboration of all in which we have encountered over our years. It’s the synergy and translation of it all that produces our unique flavor, our unique vision. Our minds have the power to change the world. From your favorite author (mine’s Seth Godin), to your fav blogger (mine’s Mitch Joel), to your best band (mine’s U2), to the actor that moves you the most (mine’s Russell Crowe) – its pieces of these minds, these creative creatures that infuse you to think deeper and enthuse you to be more. Experience Bono belt out lyrical poetry, read Seth Godin write what really matters, indulge in Mitch Joel’s vision, feel the passion Russell Crowe leaves on that screen. This is bits and pieces of the best and nothing but the best, stuff you can surely use in any test. These are minds so potently infected with creativity that they have the ability to infect the world remarkably.

We get lost and weighed down in the world we live in. Our world has become a world of you gotta do this and you can’t do that. A world where what you once envisioned, no longer is reality. You’ve gotta have a safe job, you gotta pay your bills, you have to be realistic. Stop dreaming, start being responsible. Funny isn’t it, that somewhere along the way, someone forgot to tell you that the only responsibility you have in this world, for your life, is to be true to yourself. Go after only what you want, marry the man/woman you truly love, travel the countries you long to visit. Act the way you want to act, live the way you want to live. Be creative to the core and always shoot for more. Be good to yourself, love yourself, act the way only you can act. Be true to yourself. Because when you are, you’re being creative in every sense of the word. Creativity means being free – free by being you. And if you can successfully do this, everyday will feel fresh and new.

The words I write here on my blog – the thoughts, ideas and vision I share with you via this blog means nothing if it doesn’t in some way, enthuse you and move you to look at your life. A good look in the mirror, a spark of self-reflection, an urge to want more, do more, be more. It’s what’s rumbling in my mind that makes it to this blog – there’s no editing room, no template, no right way, no wrong way. There’s no my way or the highway – it’s simply a grand collection of what I have to offer, revealed and radiated on this stage called my blog. Everything that you see before your eyes flowed directly from mine. Its what I’ve seen, experienced and envision in my life that’s fueled my mind to realize that it’s time. Time to share with the world the dire importance of living the prime time of your life and loving every minute of it.

These words, this blog – its all about YOUR LIFE. When I write, my mind is spinning towards you winning. I feed off feeding you. I love seeing people get hyped, psyched and ready to rock and roll to what I evangelize. It moves me to move you. This is what I love, this is what I live for. When it all comes down to it, you gotta give in order to receive. Since I started this blog back in January, I’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of praise my simple words have produced. Whoever would have thought that the stuff I have running through my mind – could generate such compliments, high fives and congrats.

I love creative people – there’s no limits on what they can produce. No price tag. They have a dream, an idea, a vision – they then go to work on that formulation, creating, building something boldly beautiful. Something out of this world for the whole world. Something worth talking about, something worth sharing, something remarkable. Your life is all of this and more. Everything you do, is something you created. From the ideas you share at work, to the love you give your family, to the exercise you provide your body – everything you do is for you and for others. At least it should be. Everyone wins when everyone benefits. Your life should include their life. This mentality enables you and fuels you to something far greater. Guaranteed. Life is short, and so is yours. You got one shot to make it hot. Live your life like you love it.

A lot of times I think about the past. What I’ve done, what I did, what happened, where did I go right, where did I go wrong. We all do. I’m not alone. It’s normal. It’s human nature. But lately I’ve decided to look further towards the future, and focus even deeper on right now. It’s enabled me to stop looking back on the past – realizing that whatever it was that got me to where I am right now, ain’t going to help me much with where I am today, nor where I plan to go tomorrow. But it’s like a bad habit. Something extremely hard to avoid, deny or wipeout entirely. No matter if its good or bad, our past is always close in mind. The key, the dire importance, is that we eliminate thoughts and realities of what did and has happened, and focus with remarkable effort what we’re living right now, and where we plan to voyage.

Some people never get over that relationship that ended sour, overlooking that that pit stop was simply a real life lesson in love. Some omit to realize that that lost job was a blessing in disguise, a check point needed to be taken to get you where you ultimately want to be/go. Its missed investments, travel plans fell through, money not saved, money blown, battles with drugs, with booze. It’s hard times at home, lost loves along the way, failure to lead/to stand up for yourself, it’s the inability to see the bigger picture – going after your dreams, your goals, your vision. No one is perfect. Some of the world’s most successful people were failures the majority of their life. No one human being leads the same path, no one person follows the same template. We are all different, which means we all have colored pasts. Some are shaded a little darker than others, some a little bolder. What you did, what you’ve done, does not matter anymore. Its what you’re doing right now and where you’re going that means everything and more. 

Realize that you always have a choice. Take that to heart and to mind and realize that this is your time – its your time to shine and make your life rhyme. Make it flow synergistically with everything that you want. Things that you want for yourself, your family, your friends, your community, your world. Don’t look back, cause looking back leaves you powerless – you have no say, no control. What’s done is done. Look to now and look to tomorrow. Give them everything you’ve got. Grow and know that although yesterday was important, it pales in comparison to the importance of today and tomorrow.