I love it when I watch someone finally live their dream — especially after overcoming all kinds of defeat and obstacles.  It gives me the fire and the hope to keep working toward mine.

Tonight I watched David Freese lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a World Series Championship and along the way win the Most Valuable Player award in the Series.

This was the realization of a dream David had since he was a young boy playing baseball in the St. Louis area and rooting on the Cardinals.

But just ten years ago David had quit baseball and given up (temporarily).  As the Associated Press reported, “David Freese had given up on baseball. His passion for the game had vanished, and not even a scholarship offer from Missouri could lure him back to the field.

“I was burnt out,” Freese recalled. “I lost the love.”

Freese was content to live the life of a college student, rebuffing the Missouri coaches every time they called to see if he’d changed his mind. It wasn’t until about a year out of high school that the itch to play finally came back, and it grew to the point where scratching it no longer worked.

Freese gave in and enrolled at Meramec Community College, and his play there caught the attention of the coaching staff at South Alabama. The fifth-year senior eventually blossomed into the San Diego Padres’ ninth-round selection in the 2006 draft.

Fast forward through a trade to the Cardinals and couple years of growth, and Freese ends up as the third baseman for the Cardinals in the World Series.

As I watched him accept his MVP award tonight it sure looked like he was connecting everything that happened to him in the last few days with that long ago dream as a child. He didn’t say very much in accepting his award, but it was very telling, “This is why you keep battling. Sometimes things don’t work out.”

And that gives me more than just hope. It renews my persistence to keep battling. And I hope it does for you as well.

In just a few days we’ll be entering the fourth quarter of the year and many of us have lost focus on the goals we set during January.

It’s always hard to keep your eye on the ball for the entire year, but this year has been even more challenging than most for many people.

Well there’s still hope. In fact, the 90 days we have in the fourth quarter (beginning October 1) is more than enough time to achieve some pretty incredible results. Stop and think about it:

90 days is usually plenty of time to see a significant result from a weight loss plan. Most businesses are launched during a 90-day period and many, many books are written in 90 days. In fact, Napoleon Hill wrote the classic Think and Grow Rich in under 90 days.

Our four seasons are 90 days apart. You can go from the harshest of Winter to the overflowing, abundant life of Spring in just 90 days. Most of our agricultural crops have a 90-day growing period. From seed to harvest in 90 days. It works with plants…and it works with dreams and goals.

Does that give you some hope that you might have a shot at turning this year around in the next few months?

Watch this video and get some tips on how you can do that. And please leave your comments below after you’ve watched the video  🙂

With today’s overthrow of Egypt’s dictator we have another example of just how powerful YOU are. It all began with ONE Facebook post by ONE person about ONE person. ONE person then spread it to ONE more person. In less than two weeks a 30-year-old regime was taken down.

Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” That was demonstrated again today.

When YOU ACT on what you know is right, amazing things happen. It doesn’t have to be political action. It can be action in our own life. It can be beginning that exercise program you’ve been putting off TODAY. It can be making that phone call you’ve been putting off TODAY. It can be finally addressing the medical problem you’ve been putting off TODAY.

When you ACT, YOU are powerful beyond belief!

As Marianne Williamson wrote, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.’ We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

An entire country was liberated TODAY. ACT NOW and YOU TOO shall be liberated TODAY!

According to Maia Szalavitz, writing for MSN Health & Fitness, “If you sleep like a log, you probably have an attitude of gratitude. A study of 161 people published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research found that those who focus on what they have—not what they lack—fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly. Grateful people are also less tired and more functional during the day.

“Why would being grateful affect your sleep? The researchers found that this was related to the thoughts people had as they drifted off. Being thankful led to faster, deeper sleep.

“People who are feeling more grateful are less tense and anxious, because the two are incompatible,” says Norah Vincent Ph.D. “A mental state like that at bedtime would be helpful for your sleep.”

And gratitude does a lot more for you than just helping you get a good night’s sleep. Study after study has confirmed that people who practice an attitude of gratitude are likely to live longer, are happier people and enjoy better health.

While Thanksgiving is a time when we pause to give thanks, it should really be a daily (and even hourly) practice. It’s probably the single biggest thing I’ve ever done to create constant happiness in my life.

This Thanksgiving we again give thanks for all we’ve been blessed with, especially for all of our great subscribers around the world. Here’s a special message, “The Power of Gratitude,” featuring our friend Jeff Keller. The link is only temporary so download it as soon as possible — and listen to it now!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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This message is part of Jeff’s outstanding Attitude is Everything program.

Why not leave your thoughts of what you are grateful for by clicking the comments button below. Putting your gratefulness in writing is even more powerful!!