David Stidston
Bio
My name is David Stidston, and I am a single father to my 8-year-old daughter Mia. We live in the beautiful city of Hobart in Tasmania, Australia. I am currently self-employed, working as a freelancer and casually in market research.
Stories (216)
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A Nobody
I can't even begin to imagine the number of people who have visited my blog entries, over these past three years, and after reading them have thought to themselves, "Who the hell is this guy? He's a nobody! Here is this nobody giving me all this advice about how to be happy, successful, and wealthy, and he's not even someone who anyone even knows of, nor is he successful, or wealthy anyway. As if I would believe or follow anything he says". To be honest though, this doesn't even bother me in the slightest. Firstly, there are always going to be many people who will view such advice as being rubbish and unrealistic anyway, whether it comes from me, or an internationally recognized motivational speaker such as Tony Robbins. Why? Because they personally have no motivation, will power, or courage, to even test the advice given, and strive to create a life they desire. Not only that, but they are generally someone who is just downright negative minded, and no-one can change such a mindset but themselves. They were educated to believe that what the majority of society does, is what is normal and accepted. They seem to completely overlook the fact that achieving success, happiness, and prosperity is definitely achievable, proven by those many individuals who have actually gone on to create success for themselves, off the back of hard work, sacrifice, commitment, patience, and several failures. Let's face it, such negative minded people aren't willing to put in the hard work it takes to become successful, so they rubbish those who like to encourage it, so others won't do it either, and make them look foolish. I'm well aware that I am never going to be able to positively influence everyone, likely very few people in fact, however if I can help encourage and inspire 10,000, 1,000, 100, 10, or even just 1 person, to pursue their dreams, take risks, make changes, and design a life of their desire, rich with happiness, success, and prosperity, then these blog entries will be well worth the time and effort.
By David Stidston5 years ago in Motivation
Your Future And Happiness At Risk!
For anyone who thought life would be so much better if they didn't have to go to work, may have just a little wake up call in 2020. The coronavirus has caused much destruction on a global scale, not only health wise, but also in regards to employment. As businesses were forced to temporarily close, or had restrictions imposed on them, many had no other choice but to offload staff, leaving millions of people, all of a sudden, without a job. What a contrast in people's opinions about their job though, when we compare the sort of things they were saying mid 2019, to that of mid 2020. Previously, it was one big whinge session, constantly complaining about how much they hate their job, how much their job sucks, and how they could think of much better things to be doing in their life. Fast forward to mid 2020, that conversation was still one filled with whinging and complaining, but this time it was about the fact how they had no income to live on, how they were desperate to have their job back, and how they were stuck at home not being able to do anything. It's interesting that the hatred towards their job, with the wish of not having to work, came to fruition, and yet only ended up causing more unhappiness and stress. Two lessons to learn here, be careful what you wish for, and we never really understand what we have until it's gone. Let's be honest here though, the real reason people were so desperate to get their job back wasn't because they enjoyed it, was it? They wanted it back for the money, which is understandable to an extent, because we need money in order to survive accordingly. Basically, most people have an extreme desire and need for money, but don't want to have to work for it, and sorry to say, but life doesn't work that way. The underlying problem, to all this I have discussed above though, is work satisfaction.
By David Stidston5 years ago in Motivation
In Helping Others, You Help Yourself
What is it that you truly want in life? What is it that you truly desire that will bring you great happiness, satisfaction, fulfillment, and joy? These two questions should be relatively easy to answer, as undoubtedly, we would have many such rewards and riches swirling through our minds, that we would dearly love as part of our life. Now, what about your neighbor though, what is this that they truly desire to have as part of their future? What about your friends? What about your workmates? What about other members of your extended family? What about even your partner? Do we actually know, or even care for that matter, about what others are trying to achieve in their own life? It's easy to become infatuated in, and desperate about, trying to achieve our own goals, that we quite often forget about those around us. After all, we have our own life to live, and we want to ensure that we live that in happiness, satisfaction, and success. Let's be honest here though, most of us live a life of pure selfishness and greed. Sure we may help out others from time to time, acting upon pleas and requests for urgent help, but realistically, unless we are asked to help, or a natural disaster occurs and we feel obliged to help, we normally don't. Why? Because we are too invested in our own interests. Now let's get one thing straight here, there is no issue with striving to achieve our goals, or trying to create a future filled with success, happiness, and prosperity, for ourselves. We are all on borrowed time, and the time we spend alive, we want to ensure we are happy and satisfied. We don't get a second shot in life, so we need to make sure that we are utilizing our time effectively, in order to create a life by our own design. The problem is though, we go totally the wrong way about it.
By David Stidston5 years ago in Motivation
Start Sacrificing To Succeed!
Sacrifice is defined as an act of giving up something valued, for the sake of obtaining something else regarded as more important or worthy. Irrespective of the definition, what does sacrifice actually mean to you personally? There are three specific examples, that come to mind, when I think of the those who are the epitome of sacrifice. Unfortunately, this particular platform prevents my full freedom of speech, so I cannot share two of those three examples, but the third of these three examples of sacrifice and bravery, we have witnessed in recent history, or are even witnessing as we speak. We can't go past thinking about those before us who sacrificed their lives, just to go to war, in a bid to protect their respective countries, and its citizens. Even today, our service men and women continue to place their lives at risk, in order to protect us and our borders, from those evil enough to be plotting war and terrorism. Now that takes absolute guts and pure selflessness to place your own life at risk in order to save others, and protect their way of life. Let's take a moment though, to look at the ordinary everyday common person, specifically those who live their own life in pure selfishness and disregard for others, taking for granted what our war veterans, our service men and women, fought for or are fighting for. We have selfless and brave individuals who are placing their life on the line, in order to protect our way of life and our freedom, so we can enjoy a future blessed with happiness, success, prosperity, and freedom, and yet here are the majority of us that aren't even prepared to make sacrifices of our own, to honor the bravery and commitment of these individuals. I'm talking about the fact so many of us can't even get off our bums and make sacrifices in life, even just to achieve our own goals. These type of sacrifices are in no comparison to the sacrifices committed by those on the frontline, as we are far from placing our life in grave danger.
By David Stidston5 years ago in Motivation
Time Bandits
Yesterday I talked about some of those more leisurely, yet non-productive, activities we tend to incorporate into our daily routine, ahead of some of the tasks that we really should be prioritizing. It's these activities such as lazing on the couch watching television, or spending time scrolling through social media for some gossip, or going out drinking each weekend with the mates, or sleeping in excessively, or spending lengthy periods on the phone talking to our friends, or maybe just lazing around doing nothing, that I'm specifically referring to. They involve no energy, they are easy, they are satisfying, and they are relaxing, hence why we find them so appealing, enjoyable and attractive. The problem is though, that these sort of activities are time bandits. They are activities that are robbing us of precious and valuable time in which we can be working on creating a far better future for ourselves. Time bandits lead to inefficiency and unproductiveness. I'm the sort of person who has never had the knack for subtly concluding a conversation, when a person waffles on too much, and starts eating into time where I need to get a task done. I've always felt rude and heartless to do so. Many of these type of people perhaps have no one really to talk to in life, or no one who takes the time to listen, or no family, or no friends. They may be lonely or aged, and they appreciate anyone who actually engages in conversation with them. I truly feel for them, hence why I always found it difficult to disengage. The problem with many of these people is they also lack consideration towards those whom they start conversing with, not having the realization and understanding that this individual needs to continue working, or needs to continue to serve others, or needs to be getting some important tasks done. They are classic time bandits.
By David Stidston5 years ago in Motivation
Truth Or Dare
We know that a dare is a challenge that requires us to demonstrate courage in order to accomplish it; to take a risk, as it were. Perhaps you have previously played the good old "truth or dare?" game with a group of friends, and when it came around to you being given the responsibility to choose one, either option would always feel a little uncomfortable. You would have either had to reveal something perhaps private, secretive, or awkward, about yourself, that you preferred not to share, however you knew the game was about being totally honest, or you were given a task or action, that was very upfront, confronting, and maybe even put you at risk to potential harm or injury. Although, if played sensibly, it's a game that poses no risk to our health or life, it's a great little tester in measuring our courage, to an extent anyway, whilst incorporating some fun and socializing with our friends into it. It drags us out of our comfort zone, and forces us to do something, or say something, that we wouldn't normally do or say, nor would we feel comfortable in doing or saying. When all is said and done though, once into the game, that initial discomfort and awkwardness soon turns into a few laughs and some good fun. As our friends begin to start revealing some truths, and start engaging in some dares of their own, we become a bit more relaxed, and we soon understand that we all each have our own secrets and fears. We also begin to understand that steeping out of our comfort zone isn't as bad as we assumed it would be. Initially, things were awkward and uncomfortable, but soon become fun. We parted with that barrier that was holding us from having fun, and kept us in discomfort. Once we let go of that care and fear, it became enjoyable. If only we responded the same way in real life.
By David Stidston5 years ago in Motivation
Resilience Rewards With Results
I talked yesterday of adversity and difficulty, how inevitable it is in life, and how we should seek out the opportunities that these times bring, rather than focus on all the negatives of the situation. Easier said than done indeed, but more than possible, especially the more we learn to strengthen our mindset, and work on our emotional control. There's one particular trait that we all possess within us, that is pivotal, when it comes to dealing with and overcoming times of adversity, failure, and loss. That trait is none other than resilience. Resilience is possessing the ability to recover quickly from difficulty, challenge, failure, and adversity. Now we do each possess resilience within us, however the vast majority of us only draw on it when we have no other option but to, such as when it's life threatening, or something that impacts our way of life, or if it disrupts our method of survival, or if it threatens our health, or maybe it places our family in danger. We then we normally would do whatever it takes to negate the situation, and we work hard to find a solution to overcome the adversity. Where we should also be applying our resilience more though, is in the pursuit of our goals, our happiness, and our success.
By David Stidston5 years ago in Motivation
Every Difficulty Has An Opportunity
Life can bring us so many happy moments and wonderful memories, but on the flip side, many times we also find ourselves facing extreme hardship, sorrow, hurt, pain, difficulty, and adversity. We can be dragged to the absolute lowest depths of despair, facing circumstances and situations which are emotionally destructive and utterly soul destroying. They often take us to the point we feel the whole world is falling apart around us, and we fail to see any light at the end of what seems like a very long and dark tunnel. Whether it's suffering the tragic loss of a loved one, battling a personal debilitating health issue, facing the prospect of bankruptcy, being laid off from our job, dealing with a relationship/marital split, overcoming the complete loss of our house and possessions due to a fire, or whatever it may be, it's these sort of events that leave us feeling devastated and crushed. It leaves us in complete anxiety and fear about what the immediate future holds for us, and how we are going to handle and overcome these circumstances and emotions. Like I suffered through, many individuals also battle with depression and mental health issues, such is the extremity of the adversity in their life. It's quite upsetting that so many people take their own lives, just to escape the hurt, pain, sorrow, unhappiness, and misery, they are forced to deal with. There's no sugar coating over these times, they are horrible to deal with.
By David Stidston5 years ago in Motivation
What The Wealthy Do
In many of my blog entries, over these past couple of years, I have often stressed about how we should never become someone who chases after money. It's such a sad fact that so many people worldwide are possessed by money, to the point where they become so desperate, that they begin to base the majority of their decisions and actions around trying to acquire more and more cash. As a result, the more important aspects of life, such as our family, our relationships, our health, our happiness, and our goals, are often sacrificed in the process. Many of us are influenced to believe that money buys happiness, and whilst there's no denying that it does enhance our life in different ways, it's definitely not the key component to living a life blessed with happiness, satisfaction, success, and fulfillment. Such becomes the craving and desperation for money, that many of us reach the point we commit some foolish actions, we break the law, we cause harm to others, and we lose all sense of satisfaction and gratitude. Basically, that craving and desperation for money turns into an obsession, and it never ends. Even when we do acquire some cash, it's never enough, we still want lots more of it. Now there's nothing wrong with trying to create wealth, nor is it abnormal or foolish to want to build on that wealth, because it's important for our future, and our family's future, after all. The problem lies within our greed and selfishness. Most of us don't intend to use money for the greater good, in helping others, and investing in our future, but instead, we just want to splurge on luxuries for ourselves. You only need to look at the vast majority of lower to middle class income earners of the world, to see how each time they come across some extra money above their normal income, and how quickly they are off spending it in a heartbeat. On a low income wage, they try to live the lifestyle of a wealthy person, splurging any available funds in their bank account on new phones, new plasma televisions, and designer brand clothing. They are never satisfied with what they already have, and they completely lack self-control in spending.
By David Stidston5 years ago in Motivation
When?
Procrastination is undoubtedly one of the biggest success killers in life. You'd be in an extreme minority of people worldwide if you haven't delayed making an important decision, or put off certain tasks for the next day, or for a later time, at various times in your life. Whether it be a case of setting back a task, because it's mundane, boring, complicated, or energy sapping, or be it a decision that we are afraid to proceed with, because we fear the worst result and we want more convincing, the vast majority of us believe delaying such tasks and decisions is what's best for us. How wrong we are! So firstly, there are decisions. Now, for starters, we actually use procrastination as a form of tactic, when it comes to people's invitations or offers. Inside ourselves, we know full well that we aren't really interested in certain invitations and offers, or perhaps it's something that we couldn't be bothered engaging in, but rather than flat out saying no, we are guilty of leaving that invitee with an inconclusive response. It's the good old "I'll think about it", or "I'll let you know", or "Not now, but maybe in the future", sort of responses. We do it because we feel rude in saying no, when the reality is, we are actually being rude by not being truthful in the first place. It's disrespectful to the other party, and not a response we should be proud of. There's nothing wrong with being honest and forthright.
By David Stidston5 years ago in Motivation
Don't Hesitate. Fumigate!
We know that toxicity is poison, however toxicity isn't just limited to some form of dangerous chemical, or the like. Many humans themselves are actually toxic, as they can be very unpleasant in a pervasive or insidious way, causing destruction and harm to the lives of others, including you and I. Now let's not be led to believe that we are talking about the murderers, rapists, pedophiles, thieves, and other criminals, here. We are actually talking about our workmates, our friends, our partner, our parents, and other loved ones. In fact, everywhere we go, we are constantly surrounded by these toxic people, and for most of us, we are either simply unaware of the harm these people are causing us, or we are aware of this harm, but are just too afraid to do anything about it. Even worse, we may actually be one of these toxic individuals ourselves. So what exactly constitutes someone to be toxic? Well, the greatest, although technically speaking, the worst, quality of a toxic person, is they breed negativity. These are the type of people whom rarely hold a conversation that doesn't include some form of whinging or complaining. They love to play the victim in life, constantly talking about how they believe nothing ever goes their way in life, how they are far from privileged, and how things always go wrong for them. They complain about everything from their job, to their partner. Nothing in life is ever satisfying enough for them, and they love to prey on others who can either relate, or show compassion, to share their tale of woe with. Most conversations with them are basically of this negative nature, and they very rarely have anything productive, inspiring, uplifting, and encouraging to share. So, what happens? The more we listen to these negative individuals, the more we are exposed to this negativity, and it's only natural that our mindset will follow suit to whichever environment it is exposed to. We too begin to feel negative about life, we begin to feel victimized, and we begin to heap our negativity upon others also.
By David Stidston5 years ago in Motivation
What Happened To That Motivation?
One of the most exciting times throughout parenthood would have to be when your child first learns to both walk and talk. The walking part is especially rewarding, after having to witness all the times your child would get up and make an attempt to walk, only to fall flat on their face. To see them succeed, after all their effort, all their tears, all the pain, and all their failures, sure brings a smile to your face, and even a little proud smirk of accomplishment on the child's face also. We were once in the same boat as our children, stumbling, tumbling, falling over and hurting ourselves, whilst our own parents watched on. We wouldn't exactly remember those days, nor all the times we tried and failed over again, attempting to walk, ride our bike, climb, or maybe skate, nor would we remember all the times we hurt ourselves, and ended up in tears. Yet here we stand today, showcasing the skills and abilities we learned for ourselves as a child, walking, talking, climbing, riding, jumping, skating, and other such accomplishments. Most of us never even take a moment to reflect on exactly what we did accomplish as a child, but instead, we take for granted what a blessing it actually is to be able to walk, talk, run, ride, swim, cycle, and the like, because sadly, there are many individuals around the world who don't have such privileges. It's interesting that some of the most motivated, inspirational, and talented individuals, are those who are actually physically impaired. Despite their restrictions and impairments, their resolve, determination, and attitude, is extremely admirable.
By David Stidston5 years ago in Motivation
