Positive Pelham

A Positive Life is A Choice

2013-11-15T09:11:00.000-05:00

I was surfing around the internet today, and I found a story on Upbeat.net that captures the essence of living a happy and positive life. Choices.

Whenever something bad happens to us in life, we have a CHOICE of how we'll react. Will we get mad or depressed and lash out, or will we decide to learn from the situation and keep a positive attitude?

Check out this story from Upbeat.net and see how one man chooses to see the bright side of a bad situation.

Video: When You've Gotta Dance, You've Gotta Dance - Guy Breaks Out Into Dance At Boston Celtics Game

2013-11-14T07:36:00.004-05:00

Watch as this kid at a Celtics game breaks out into a pretty detailed dance routine. And, as a fan of 80's hair bands, I applaud his choice of music!

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Video: Sleeping On Strangers On The Subway

2013-11-13T22:31:00.001-05:00

The following video was inspired by a photo of a man sleeping on the shoulder of stranger on the subway for over 30 minutes.

See what happens when a man decides to recreate the photo on a New York subway.

A Public Letter Thanking First Responders

2013-11-13T08:03:00.000-05:00

The following letter was published in the Montgomery Advertiser newspaper. It's a public letter from a gentleman thanking the first responders who saved his life. One of the first responders happens to be my cousin's husband.

I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank some people who were instrumental in saving my life.

On Oct. 2, I began bleeding profusely as a result of some previous surgery. Fortunately, my wife was close by and called 911.

The Prattville FireMedics arrived very quickly and went to work immediately. This team, consisting of FireMedics Sgt. Brandon Scott and Nick Bolton, along with firefighters Sgt. Roy Dickerson, Eric Evans, Dusty Barrett and Andrew McCullers, did not waste a moment and, I am convinced, saved my life.

I do not have words to adequately thank them.

I want to also remind all of us to be alert for the sight and sound of emergency vehicles when we’re on the road. Failure to yield the right-of-way to one of these vehicles could possibly cost someone their life.

Again, thanks to all first responders, especially the ones named here.

Sam Smith
Prattville

Well done Brandon...

Video: Ashton Kutcher's Interview On Ellen About His Teen Choice Awards Speech

2013-11-11T07:37:00.001-05:00

Ashton Kutcher was on Ellen last week talking with her about his Teen Choice Awards speech where he used the opportunity to talk to kids about what life is really about.

It was certainly an eye-opening speech from an unlikely source, and it's definitely not something you hear very often from a celebrity. Watch the interview below, and if you missed his speech on the Teen Choice Awards, you can watch it below as well. Make it a great day!

P.S. I'm now on Twitter, so you can follow along at @PositivePelham if you'd like as well.

60 Minutes Segment on Nick Saban's Quest for Perfection

2013-11-08T13:22:00.001-05:00

As a graduate of the University of Alabama, I'm obviously a huge fan of Nick Saban, but like a lot of fans, I've never known exactly what goes on in his daily life. And, I never knew what was behind his pursuit of perfection. Saban tells us in this segment from last week's 60 Minutes. It's a fascinating look behind-the-scenes of one of the greatest college football coaches and programs of all time. Make it a great day!

Video: Police Officer's Final Act Of Kindness Caught On Camera

2013-11-08T07:24:00.000-05:00

A police officer's random act of kindness was caught on tape just minutes before he lost his life.

Ranger Surprises His Dog Upon Return From Iraq

2012-05-04T10:34:00.000-04:00

Here's an awesome video of a Ranger home from Iraq. He surprises his dog after his father throws the ball for him to fetch, and then the soldier greets him upon his return with the ball. Very cool...

Who Is The Real Phil Mickelson?

2010-04-12T07:39:00.005-04:00

Back in 2007, I featured the article below after Phil Mickelson won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. After Phil's win yesterday at The Masters, I think it's fitting to re-publish this article.

With all the attention that Tiger's negative lifestyle has garnered over the last six months, I think it's time to celebrate someone like Phil who has always put his wife and family first. If you watched The Masters yesterday, and saw Phil and Amy's hug after the tournament, you know what I'm talking about. It was an awesome sight to see...

--Re-Published from February 12, 2007--

First, I want to congratulate Phil for winning the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Phil blew away the field shooting a final round 66 to win the tournament by five shots. This is Phil's 30th career victory, which puts him in select company as he now has more career wins at age 36 than Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller and Ben Crenshaw had in their entire careers.

I have been a fan of Phil Mickelson's for a very long time. He's one of those golfers that I've pulled for for years and have always assumed he was a a nice guy considering how polite and nice he seems on television. Back in 2004, I was at the Masters on Sunday when he won his first Masters title. My wife and I were positioned to the left of the tee on #10, and after Phil teed off, he walked down the left side of the fairway passing directly by us. We both smiled and gave him a "Go Phil", and he did something that many professional athletes don't do, he smiled, tipped his hat and said, "Thank you and thanks for coming out." That may not sound like much, but try that same scenario with many other professional athletes while they're in the heat of the battle, and you're more likely to get ignored, glared at, or at best, a quick nod.

But, one nice "thank you" does not necessarily mean that the real Phil Mickelson is a nice guy. It means he's polite and respects the fact that the fans are as much a part of a golf tournament as he is.

What does make him a nice guy is a story I just read in this week's Golf World. The title of the article is, "Conrad Dobler's Favorite Golfer." Unless you are a die-hard historian of professional football, you probably have never heard of Dobler... Neither had I until I read this article. Conrad was once called the "dirtiest player in the NFL".

Because NFL players of the distant past did not make that much money, and the NFL's disability plan doesn't amount to much, Conrad lives a nice, but not too extravagant lifestyle considering he's had numerous surgeries on both knees. But, Conrad's entire life changed back on July 4, 2001. He and his wife Joy and their six children were relaxing while waiting for friends to come over for the holiday. His wife Joy was in their hammock and accidentally fell out of the hammock and couldn't feel anything. She's been a quadriplegic ever since. After numerous surgeries, doctor visits, etc., Conrad has had to downsize and sell almost all of his assets to keep the family afloat while paying for Joy's rehabilitation.

Enter Phil Mickelson. Phil's lawyer, Glenn Cohen, called Conrad up one day and told him that Phil had become aware of his situation and wanted to pay for his daughter Holli's college education. Conrad couldn't believe it because he had never met Phil and still hasn't to this day. Conrad asked Cohen why Phil was doing this, and his response was, "Because he can."

Phil does stay in touch with Holli who is now a sophomore at Miami of Ohio. She waits tables and has a heavy load of classes and currently has a 3.8 GPA. The first year, Phil sent $20,000, and he has promised cost of living increases every year promising $22,000 and then $24,000.

This random act of kindness by Phil has changed the lives of more than just Holli. It has made Conrad a better person, and it's given Joy the will to walk again. She's already made great strides and hopes to one day get out of the wheelchair for good. Phil has invited the entire family to the Memorial Tournament in May, and the family can't wait to meet him in person. As Joy says, "If there's anything he's missing in his life, it's a set of wings. He's an angel. And if I can when I see him for the first time, I'm going to go up and give him a big hug."

BECAUSE HE CAN! That is the real Phil Mickelson.

To me, this story embodies what it means to be successful. Being successful means having the ability to help others "because you can." There are so many people who could help others, but they choose not to. I'd like to challenge you to look for areas in your everyday life where you can perform a random act of kindness. You'll be surprised how many situations come up where you can help....

If you'd like to share your random acts of kindness with our readers, drop us a note on the comments page.

Good luck today and make it a great one!

Sgt. John Gebhardt Comforting An Injured Iraqi Baby - A True American Soldier

2009-11-16T09:25:00.008-05:00

I received the following story via email the other day, and I verified it's authenticity via Snopes.com.

Got a tough, but heartwarming story and a picture of John Gebhardt in Iraq. For those that did not know John, he was our former Med Group Chief, Dave Nordel replaced him. Anyway, his wife talked with mine last evening and sent this picture. Mindy related that this little girl's entire family was executed.

They intended to execute her also and shot her in the head but they failed to kill her. She was cared for by John's hospital and healing up, but has been crying and moaning. The nurses said John is the only one she seems to calm down with, so John has spent the last four nights holding her while they both sleep in that chair. The girl is coming along with her healing.

He is a real Star of the war and is representative of what America is trying to do.

For more about Sgt. Gebhardt and the background on this photo, go to this page on Snopes.com.

Make it a great day!

Did You Know That Obese People Have A Greater Risk Of Going Blind?

2009-11-11T12:56:00.006-05:00

I found the following article today, and while it's short, it's message packs a big punch. Studies now show that if you're overweight, you have a greater risk of losing your vision than normal weight individuals. I don't know about you, but I think I'd rather be able to see than eat another piece of cheesecake... Here's the article:

If You're Overweight, Now You Have Something Else to Worry About
By Jason Holland

As if heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes weren't bad enough...

A study shows obese people have a greater risk of losing their vision.

Harvard researchers studied 261 patients for an average of 4 1/2 years. They found that the bigger your waistline, the more likely you are to have vision loss due to age-related macular degeneration.

The Positive News ==> All the news isn't bad. They also found that exercising a few times a week cuts your risk by 25 percent.

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

What Is Wealth? Special Report From ETR's Info-Marketing Bootcamp

2009-11-09T06:57:00.004-05:00

Bootcamp Dispatch

By Jason Holland

What do you really need to start building a life-changing amount of wealth?

Your 401(k) ain't gonna do it. Neither is your day job.

The 200 aspiring Internet entrepreneurs at Bootcamp know. It was the subject of Michael Masterson's keynote speech: The Special Theory of Automatic Wealth.

It all starts with the true nature of wealth.

"What is wealth?" asked Michael.

First, let's consider what wealth is not. Wealth is not income. Even having a huge income is not wealth. Wealth is not a lifestyle with fancy cars and a huge house. Or investing in hot stocks. Anything rented, borrowed, or mortgaged - anything that can be taken away from you – is not wealth. Those are the trappings of wealth.

Wealth is stored, unencumbered value. That means retained income, savings, tangible investments, and financially-valuable and timeless skills. Anything with true value.

So how do you get this wealth?

Why is it that some people, no matter how privileged or how much income they have, are unable to really accumulate long-lasting wealth and others can?

It all boils down to the decisions you make.

Every conscious moment is an opportunity to become richer or poorer. Whether you'll work on a project now... or later. Whether you'll act on what you learn at a seminar... or get too busy and put it aside. Whether you'll spend your "off" time gaining new skills... or watching game shows.

A person with a rich mind understands this concept. He is aware of these enriching opportunities. He can assess their value instantly. And he has the internal, emotional capacity to act on this information.

A person with a poor mind think the world is unfair. He believes in luck. He thinks there is a limited amount of wealth in the world – and he wants his cut. He feels powerless over his fate. He uses his energy criticizing, complaining, and condemning. This is someone who will never become wealthy.

Not all the decisions we make have to make us richer, said Michael. But when you make enough of these little decisions you start getting momentum. All these little decisions build and accumulate. Once you start making enriching decisions they will come easier and easier. And you will find more opportunities, accumulate more assets. Eventually, you'll discover you're very confident that you can build as much wealth as you want.

Here's what it boils down to: Every situation is an opportunity. Every person you meet... every conversation... every book you read... every speech you hear... every meal you eat... every spending decision... every chance you are given... every problem you face... is a chance to become richer or poorer.

And if you have a poor mind... or are just skeptical... or find it hard to "take action" all is not lost. You can change and develop your own rich mind in eight simple steps:

1. Forgive yourself for being imperfect

2. Educate yourself out of ignorance

3. Practice yourself out of incompetence.

4. Develop rich skills:

Think well (have capacity to ask questions, gain an ability to trust your gut instinct)
Speak well (speak from the heart and with enthusiasm, have purpose in your conversation, learn the art of persuasion)
Write well (a combination of being persuasive and being able to identify great ideas)

5. Recognize opportunity in everything

6. Take action (start right away)

7. Take profits and save them (don't spend more than you have. As your income increases, keep your spending reasonable. When you make money, pay yourself first – always put money in savings.)

8. Continue to learn. Be an avid learner, be interested in everything.

Michael continues to develop his Special Theory of Automatic Wealth. And you'll see his thoughts in future issues of ETR. But this is the core idea – and what you can take away today:

Every conscious moment we all have the capacity to make these decisions. This gives all of us enormous potential power. You have this capacity if you just allow yourself to be aware of these opportunities, recognize their value, and take action.

As Michael said, "Right here, right now is your opportunity."

Toby Keith's Moving Tribute To Basketball Legend Wayman Tisdale

2009-10-29T17:29:00.002-04:00

Post courtesy of TodaysCountryMusicVideos.com:

In my opinion, Wayman Tisdale was the greatest collegiate basketball player to ever play for the University of Oklahoma. He was the first player ever be named to the All-American team by the A.P. in his freshman, sophomore and junior years. He also had a very successful 12-year professional career. In addition to basketball, Wayman was an accomplished jazz bass player who recorded eight albums, with the 2001 release Face to Face going all the way to No. 1 on Billboard's contemporary jazz chart.

Unfortunately, Tisdale was diagnosed with cancer in his knee and it was eventually amputated, but he never let the loss of his leg get him down. He was fitted with a prosthesis, and it only took him about one month to be acclimated to the leg. (It normally takes up to six months for normal amputees to become acclimated.)

Tragically, when it appeared he was going to make a full recovery, his life was cut way too short this past May at the tender age of 44. His friend Toby Keith dedicated his latest album American Ride in his honor, and wrote the song Cryin' For Me (Wayman's Song) as a tribute to Tisdale. The video below features the song, and the official music video will go live here on Monday morning, November 2, 2009. Please bookmark this page and return on Monday to watch this moving video. Enjoy!

P.S. For more about this incredible man, visit WaymanTisdale.com, and if you'd like to download the MP3, you can get it here.

"Cryin' for Me (Wayman's Song)"

Toby Keith | Toby Keith Videos | New Country Songs

If you missed yesterday's videos, here's what you missed:

A look back at Alan Jackson's Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning
Video of Montgomery Gentry Being Inducted Into The Grand Ole Opry

Follow Us:

Amazing Video Of The Quickest Way To Get Down A Sand Dune

2009-10-26T14:59:00.001-04:00

Wow. That's all I can say. This guy is amazing!

Red Skelton's Pledge of Allegiance

2009-10-14T15:15:00.002-04:00

This is from 1969. So, where are we today?

Saturday Feel Good Video - Alan Jackson's I Still Like Bologna

2009-08-22T10:06:00.004-04:00

If you'd like to watch something that will put a smile on your face, check out country singer Alan Jackson's new video for his latest single called I Still Like Bologna. If you like kids, you'll love this one. Have a great day today!

Alan Jackson MP3's

Amazing Choir Simulates Thunderstorm With Hands While Singing Toto's Africa

2009-06-22T20:47:00.003-04:00

This is really cool, and I think you're going to like this. Enjoy and make it a great day!

VIDEO: Rachel and Chariot - Together For Over 540,000 Miles and Still Kicking

2009-06-17T13:44:00.004-04:00

Here's something you don't see on the road every day. Rachel has been driving the same car with the same engine in it for over 540,000 miles. And, she legally carries a concealed weapon, so don't even think about trying to carjack her. :)

Make it a great day!

VIDEO: Tony Robbins Offers Up Advice During Our Challenging Economy

2009-06-11T16:02:00.002-04:00

Tony Robbins stopped by Good Morning America and offered up some advice on ways to handle today's challenging times. My favorite quote from this video, "When you've got extreme stress, use it, don't let it use you."

Make it a great day!

Rescued Dog Rescues Another Dog

2009-06-03T06:50:00.004-04:00

This is a pretty cool story. Back in March, a black lab was stranded on a mountain pass, and at first, he wouldn't allow anyone to put a leash on him to bring him down. Finally, a Humane Society animal officer and others were able to coax him down the mountain. They named him Blewett, which was the name of the mountain pass where he'd been stranded. He quickly found a new home and it didn't take long before he went from the victim to the hero.

Blewett and his new family were taking a walk on some trails when he started barking at something down below on the ground. The family realized it was another black lab, and they went to get help. Blewett ran straight down the slope and cuddled up next to the other dog and kept it warm until help arrived. Pretty cool story, huh? Dogs... You've gotta love 'em.

Make it a great day!

The full story about Blewett can be found on this page on Gimundo.com.

Clay Dyer - The Most Inspirational Fisherman Ever

2009-05-24T23:08:00.003-04:00

You know, all of us have bad days. We all feel like nothing's going right. Well, after watching this video, I think you'll agree, that there's nothing in our life that we can't handle if Clay can do what he's doing with what he has. Make it a great day!

Kenny Perry's Interview After Losing The Masters In A Playoff - A Class Act

2009-04-14T15:15:00.005-04:00

The 2009 Masters was one of the best Masters' in recent memory. The final round started out as the Tiger and Phil show, and it ended as the Angel and Kenny show. There were two major things I got out of watching the final round. Perseverance always pays off, and there is no substitute for class.

First, Angel Cabrera played steady all day, and at the end, even when the chips were down, he managed to persevere and made a par on the first playoff hole to extend the playoff. It was a true testament to his fortitude. Many players would have given up when Angel hit a tree on that first playoff hole, but he steadied himself and hit a great third shot and made a great putt for par. It's a good lesson in life. Always keep trying no matter what obstacles you may face because you never know when someone else is going to stumble and allow you to shine.

Class... Kenny Perry showed more class in his post round interviews' after losing the Masters than any other athlete I've ever seen in any sport. He was candid. He was honest. He was grateful, and he was gracious. Angel won the tournament, but I think Kenny won the hearts of most. Well done Angel and Kenny. You are both champions!

Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent - Amazing Performance - Never Judge A Book By It's Cover

2009-04-12T11:11:00.004-04:00

If you've ever wanted proof that you can't judge a book by it's cover, check out Susan Boyle's performance from Britain's Got Talent. Unbelievable performance. Happy Easter everyone!

Watch A Train Station In Belgium Get Taken Over By The Love Of Music

2009-04-08T21:08:00.002-04:00

This is pretty cool. Watch how a train station in Belgium transforms into a dance routine and then back again in an instant. Enjoy!

AMAZING VIDEO: Extreme Sheep Herding - LED Art

2009-03-23T08:57:00.002-04:00

This is really cool to watch, and it's amazing they were able to do this with the animals. Enjoy!