Anomalous Meditations

Frustration

2012-03-06T08:51:00.001-06:00

I woke up this morning frustrated with the world. I was frustrated with the attitudes of people I know. I was frustrated by seemingly unreachable goals. I was frustrated with work and even thinking about it was making me even more frustrated. I was frustrated with the day and I had only been awake for ten minutes.

So, I sat down to write out my frustrations and see if I could work through some of the thoughts. Slowly, I began to realize all the frustration I was feeling and directing at outside influences was actually frustration with myself. This frustration was caused by expectations I have placed on my own work, expectations I didn't feel I was living up to.

We all have goals and dreams, but we also place other markers on ourselves without knowing we are doing it. Holding ourselves to a much higher standard than others do, we have a hard time, if not an impossible time, meeting these expectations. We expect perfection and we will never be able get there.

In some people, this can be a driving force for good, but in most of us, this leads to the morning I had. When you aren't living up to the expectations you have secretly placed on yourself, you lash out in frustration at the people around you. You convince yourself they aren't trying hard enough or doing a good enough job or getting things done as quickly as you would like. In reality, you aren't doing a good enough job, trying hard enough or getting things done as quickly as you would like, at least in your own mind.

Cut yourself a little slack. You are never going to be perfect. Train your mind to expect your best work, nothing more, nothing less. Realize when your outward frustration is really based on your inward feelings. This frustration isn't good for you and it isn't good for the people unfortunately caught in the fire. They don't deserve your wrath and you don't deserve it either.

Choice

2012-03-05T09:20:00.002-06:00

We spend each day constantly making choices. What way should I go to work? What should I bring for lunch? Should I have a coffee this morning? What should I wear? How should I handle this situation? Should I write a blog post this morning? These types of questions continue throughout the day and we are so used to it, often we won't hear the question or know we are making a choice. It has become automatic.

These simple choices are easy (usually) but when it comes to choices about how we live our life or where we want our life to go, we often fall very short and let fear or laziness stop us. We all know we should exercise more, but how many of us actually make the choice to do it? We all know we shouldn't smoke or drink as much as we do, but how many of us actually make the choice not to? We all know we need to eat a healthier diet, but how many of us actually pass on seconds or desert because of this knowledge?

We have the ability to make choices that will change our lives. Yes, we don't know what the future will bring, but we can have some control over what is happening now. We can choose to not eat something so we can get in better shape. We can choose to get up off the couch, turn off the television and go for a jog. We can choose to stop drinking or smoking or doing anything that is causing us more harm than good. Are any of these easy choices? No, not at first. But, the more you choose to do them, the easier they become. Once you start to see some results based on your choices, you will start to be more motivated to continue to make good choices.

In the same way, you can choose to live a life you want. You can choose to find happiness in your job, even if you do a lot of things you don't enjoy doing. You can choose to start looking for a new job, if you want to leave the one your are in. You can choose to learn new skills to help with this job search. You can choose to do something completely different, if you want. You can choose to start a side project or follow a dream you have always had. You can choose to take a risk. You can choose to move far away. You can choose to start a business. You can choose to go back to school. You can choose to do or try anything you want.

Every day, we are confronted with choice after choice. Many of these decisions have become second nature to us. We need to slow down and think about some of the choices we are making. Some of these choices are too important to make on autopilot. Being present in the moment and consciously making a decision may be the best choice you make today. When we consider our options, we may make a completely different decision than we would have without thinking. It's your life, shouldn't you be making the choices you really want?

Make Things Happen

2012-03-04T09:07:00.001-06:00

People are constantly talking about what they need to do or what they should be doing, instead of actually doing it. Many of us expect the perfect opportunities to fall in our laps and we are constantly surprised when they don't.

Hoping something is going to fall in our lap and make us happy is the easy way out. In the same way people play the lottery with dreams of striking it rich, we dream the perfect job or person or opportunity is going to fall from the sky and magically enter our life. This happens about as often as someone you know wins the lottery. It always happens to a friend's roommate's cousin's neighbor, but not to anyone you actually know.

We have to make the opportunities we want. We have to ask the person out. We have to find and pursue the jobs we want. We have to put in the work to get the things that matter the most. We have to make our dreams come true.

We can all point to people who seem to be living their dreams. They are doing what they want to do with the people they want to be around. They seem to have it all. Nothing fell into their laps. They worked for what they have. They made goals and then busted their asses to reach them. They put in the work, the constant toil, the hours and hours of behind the scenes, no one is paying any attention to me, work.

These people know what they want and they chased it with every ounce of their being. They are still chasing. Growing tired of the waiting and the bitching and the moaning, they decided to make the change they wanted to see. We all have the ability to make our dreams come true; we just have to get up off our ass and do the work. Just as it is improbable for you to win the lottery, it is equally improbable your dreams are going to fall from the sky and enter you life. Get up and make your dreams a reality.

Serious

2012-03-02T09:10:00.002-06:00

Can we stop being so serious all the time? I am as guilty as anyone else and the older I get the less and less I seem to laugh. I know this needs to change.

As a society, we need to have more fun in all aspects of our life. We need to have fun at work. Outside of work, we really need to have more fun. We need to take more time off and go on more vacations and just do things that make us laugh and feel good about ourselves. Why do so many people become more and more serious as they age?

As we grow older, we see more and more responsibility, both at work and at home. Before we know it, we are paying bills and making large purchases and managing employees and running companies and balancing checkbooks and having kids and doing all kinds of other things we never thought we would do. We start to have "obligations" to fulfill. Life becomes less about having fun and more about making sure there is a roof over your head and food on your table. The laughter dissipates. The joy seems to be sucked out of many things we do and we feel challenged a lot more.

This doesn't have to happen. We shouldn't take ourselves or our lives so seriously. We need to laugh more. We need to play around more. We need to have more fun each and every day. The vast majority of "challenges" we face are not worth the stress. Yes, face them with everything you have, but don't let bring you down. This life is the only one you have. I know I don't want to be on my deathbed (hopefully many, many years from now) and regret the fact I didn't laugh more. I don't want to look back and regret the fact I didn't spend more time with people I love.

Today, I want you to spend more time having fun. I want to hear more laughter in the world. I want to see more people doing things they want to do and hear less complaining about how horrible things are. This doesn't mean you don't get your work done; it means finding ways to make your work more interesting and fun to do. If you can't do that, you need to find a new job. Get out there and do something interesting and enjoyable. Laugh more today. Smile more today. Worry less and have a lot more fun!

The Past

2012-03-01T09:02:00.000-06:00

We have all done things in our past we are not proud of. We were all young and dumb at some point in time. If you are anything like me, these experiences will pop into your mind every now and again and remind you just how dumb you were.

It's time to stop letting the past come back to haunt us. Yes, we should learn from our previous mistakes, but we need to let go of them. They serve no purpose and we can't go back and change the things we have done. We can atone for them now (if others were involved), but we do not have to let our mind relive the experience over and over again. We have to let go of the emotions involved, put to use any knowledge and continue on with our life.

To do the things we all claim we want to do, we have to be in the present. Letting our mind constantly drift to the past, both to the good and the bad, robs us of the ability to be active in the present. We have amazing gifts to offer the world, every one of us, but we have to create them. We can't do this if we are constantly wishing we had done something differently or if we are constantly wishing things would go back to the way they were. For better or worse, we have this moment, right now, to do the things we want to do. Instead of living inside a fictional world of how things were, become alive now.

Judging

2012-02-28T08:55:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I wrote about how we need to stop comparing ourselves to others. Continuing with this same thought, we also spend way too much time judging others.

I guarantee, wherever you work, there is gossip. We constantly talk about the actions or thoughts of other people and how we agree, or more likely, disagree with them. We judge people everyday, often without even realizing what we are doing.

How can someone drive that fast? Why in the world would he leave all this work for me to do? Why can't they just do their job and quit talking? Why doesn't she brush his teeth more? How dare they lie to me! Why can't they just do their work? How could someone wear that out of the house? How can someone still smoke? How does someone eat that crap? What the hell is wrong with them?

We spend way too much time thinking about the actions of others and coming up with reasons why they should or shouldn't do something. The truth is none of us are perfect. There are literally millions of sayings and quotes dealing with this subject. None of us can really get in head of someone else, so we can't know the motivations of the people we are judging. Try giving people the benefit of the doubt.

We all have different motivations and passions and thought patterns and things we are dealing with. Maybe the person speeding and weaving through traffic is trying to get to the hospital because a loved one is dying. Maybe the person who didn't get all their tasks done and left some work for you was just served divorce papers. Maybe the person who lied to you didn't realize they were lying.

Every one of us makes mistakes. We all do things every day that someone else wouldn't do. We usually have our reasons for doing it, things no one else can really understand. We don't like to be judged, so why do we take so much pleasure in judging others? What makes us think we are better than any other person we meet?

We are all unique. We do things differently. Every set of circumstances is different. No two people faced with the same circumstances are going to do the exact same thing. Stop expecting every one else to do things the way you do. Stop believing that if you did something, everyone else can do the exact same thing in the exact same way.

This doesn't mean we can't have discussions about disagreements or things not getting done or ways to do things. These discussions shouldn't be about either person, but about the situation at hand. Take the ego out of it. Stop taking things personally. Worry more about living your life instead of criticizing others for the way they live theirs.

Comparisons

2012-02-27T09:28:00.002-06:00

We spend way too much time comparing ourselves to others.

We do this in our personal life, even if we don't realize we are doing it. We compare ourselves to our friends and wonder how someone could be so much better off than we are. We compare ourselves to our neighbors and wish we had the nicer lawn or the nicer house or a nicer car. We compare ourselves to the people around us on a daily basis, wishing we were better looking, skinnier, in better shape, wealthier or smarter. We are constantly comparing ourselves to the people around us.

We do this in our professional life, both as individuals and as compaines. We wish we were more like our co-worker who seems to do better work or who got the promotion we wanted. We look at what we do based on things we did in the past, at other companies or in different situations. We look at competitors and wonder how we can be better then them, get more sales then them, build more than them, create more than them. We wonder how we can do what they are doing, but bigger and better.

There are always going to be people and companies who are better than us at something. There are always going to be people and companies we are better than. Go through your day and be aware of the number of times you compare yourself to others. See how this comparison makes you feel. Does it help you do better work? Does it help you feel good about yourself? Does it drive you to be more creative? Does it make you feel as if taking risks are okay?

Instead of constantly comparing yourself to others, look inside and see what it is that you want to do. You don't have to be like anyone else around you. You don't have to offer the products everyone else does. You don't have to offer the same services or the same prices or the same quality as everyone else around you. There are billions of differences between you and your neighbor or your company and your competitor. You are not capable of being exactly like them, so why would you compare yourself to them?

Each one of us is an individual. Each grouping of individuals into a company is distinctly different than any other company. We, both as individuals and as groupings, have different things to offer, different viewpoints, different needs, different driving forces and different passions. Instead of trying to be like someone else or trying to be better than someone else, try being true to you. You might just be surprised at what you have to offer the world if you stop comparing yourself to others and start doing what you want to do.

The Comfort Zone

2012-02-24T08:57:00.000-06:00

If something scares you, then it is probably worth doing. The best things in life are never the easiest nor the most risk averse. Do something every day that scares you. What have you done today?

When taking risks, getting out of our comfort zone or doing something new, we have the chance to learn more than we ever thought possible. Embrace the fear and run with it. This is the best way to grow and develop into the person you are supposed to be.

It's Not About Perfection

2012-02-23T09:12:00.000-06:00

During the last ten years, I have talked to a lot of people who are interested in adopting a plant-based diet. I have given everyone the same basic advice.

When you decide to switch to eating only plant-based foods, you can easily lose your mind and your will. You can read ingredient labels over and over. You can question every waitress in every restaurant about the animal ingredients in every menu item. You can constantly search the internet to find out where every ingredient comes from. You can easily become obsessed with your quest to be perfect.

It's not about perfection. Choosing to follow a plant-based diet is all about doing your best. If you slip up or accidentally eat something you did not want to eat, don't beat yourself up over it. Acknowledge it and move on. People are too worried about all or nothing. Ever little step you take to improve your diet is a win for you, the environment and the animals. It isn't about being perfect because no one is.

What if we utilized this advice in everything we do? How would we be different if we realized it isn't about being perfect, but about doing our best? How much more would we produce, ship or develop? How much better would our lives become if we were constantly striving to do our best instead of giving up every time something went wrong? What if we acknowledged mistakes, learned from them and just moved on?

Each of us has numerous things on our plate needing to get done. Many of us are terrified of not being perfect and don't do anything. I have heard from numerous people who haven't tried adopting a plant-based diet because they were scared they wouldn't be able to do it. There are tons of people who don't try any number of things because they are afraid they won't be good at them or they won't be able to do it perfectly. Don't let the idea of perfection hold you back from doing anything you really want to do.

Do your best...if you come up short or make a mistake or slip up, then acknowledge it, learn from it and start again. Don't strive for perfection, strive for doing your best. Every little bit counts more than you could ever know or measure.

Lovers vs. Haters vs. Undecided

2012-02-21T09:03:00.002-06:00

No matter your industry, you are going to have people who love you and people who hate you, but the vast majority of people won't have an opinion about you.

Too many times, we listen to the people who hate us. We respond to all their negative comments and they come right back with even more negative comments. We continue to respond and soon become frustrated because we can't change their misguided (or at least what we believe to be misguided) opinion and we fear their comments will damage our reputation.

Responding to them is fine, but don't get lost in an argument with haters. Explain why they are wrong (if they are) and move on. The back and forth helps no one and actually fuels the hater because someone is listening to them. It is much more important to communicate back and for with the people who love you and the people who don't yet have an opinion. You will never get the haters to like you, so don't waste your time. Use your time to build a relationship with people who will like you. Build a big enough group of people who love you and soon they will respond to the haters.

Most people recognize a troll as a troll. Responding to all of their hate gives them credibility. Spend your time engaging and developing fans and the trolls will move on.

180° South

2012-02-20T09:21:00.000-06:00

In a weekend filled with watching some really good movies, 180˚ South takes the award for the best movie of the weekend. Part travel narrative and part environmental film, this documentary follows Jeff Johnson as he follows in the footsteps of Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins. Their 1968 journey of over 5,000 miles took them from California to Patagonia. Both of these well-traveled men still consider this journey "the trip of our lives."

Filled with amazing scenery, great characters, footage from the 1968 journey, lots of things to think about and a spectacular soundtrack, this is one of the best movies I have seen in a long, long time. You can't help but to continue to think about this movie after the credits roll.

Trust

2012-02-17T08:48:00.000-06:00

If your words and your actions aren’t in the same realm, no one is going to trust anything you say or do.

The tricky thing with trust is it can only take one action to lose the trust of others, but many, many actions to gain this trust back. This is why you always need to be open and honest about your intent. To accomplish anything worthwhile, we have to be able to trust each other. Without trust, innovation and creativity die and are replaced with fear, disbelief, anger and a CYA environment.

We all have been around people in our lives we can’t trust. The people who say one thing and do another. The people who tell you what a good job you are doing and tell everyone else how horrible you are. The people who will do anything to get results, except work hard. The people who lie about their intentions. The people who use anything they know about others against them. The people who instantly change the mood of a room as soon as they walk in.

When these people are in our personal life, the easiest thing to do is cut them loose. We don’t need this type of person bringing us down. But, when we have these people at work, it can be much trickier, unless we are the boss. If so, then cut them loose as well. These people will only destroy and will never offer anything to really move the company forward. Even if they get great results, in the long run, the attitude they spread is not worth it. If you are not in charge, then you have to be very careful around these people. Don’t let their attitude and negativity affect you. Don’t fall in to their trap of lies and deception, just be true to who you are and what you stand for. Hopefully, these people won’t last long when surrounded by honest, trustworthy people.

Trust is one of the most important things in our life. If we can trust each other, then our partnerships are much more powerful. With powerful partnerships, we can do so much more than we could alone. It may be a part of who we are or it may be societal pressures, but most of us want partnerships. We look for people to share our lives with, both friends and lovers. We interact with hundreds of people every day. We have a commerce society built upon interactions with others. All of these relationships are built on trust. What would society be like if we couldn’t trust these other people?

Goals and Dreams

2012-02-15T08:43:00.000-06:00

Many people are stuck in the thought they have to continue on the path they have chosen, they have to continue chasing the goals they set years ago, they are too old to follow new dreams.

We have put in a lot of work to get where we are now. When our dreams or goals change, it can be very hard to look back at all this work and give it up. In many cases, changing our goals midstream can mean moving on after putting in years of work or lots of money for schooling. This is a very hard choice for many people to make and most people stick with what they are doing instead of taking a risk.

Sometimes, we have to forget about all the time and money we have invested so far and follow a new path. We have to be open to making changes and chasing these new dreams and goals. It's not an easy thing to do, but nothing great in life is. Life sometimes means changing midstream and doing something new. The older we get and the longer we spend doing what we do, the harder this becomes.

We have to remember the money and the time invested isn't always wasted when chasing a new dream. This money and experience has taught us a lot and this knowledge can be utilized when chasing new goals. We may not use the degrees or the actual skills, but everything we have learned about who we are and what we are capable of doing is useful on any path we follow. Chase what makes you feel alive. Be bold and set new goals. Dream new dreams. Never give up on finding what you want to do.

It Isn't Always Easy

2012-02-13T09:38:00.001-06:00

Being great at what you do doesn't come easily. When other people are slacking off, you have to suck it up and do the work. When other people quit because something is too hard, you push through to succeed. When other people just get the task done, you do it well. When other people complain, you smile and keep on trucking. When other people blame the world for things going wrong, you don't play the blame game and instead keep doing great work. When other people fear failure, you take everything as a learning experience.

Being great at what you do doesn't come easily, but it is worth all the effort.

Life

2012-02-10T09:38:00.000-06:00

Life is about living fully.
Life is about being yourself.
Life is about taking chances.
Life is about being passionate.
Life is about trying new things.
Life is about doing your best work.
Life is about finding what you love.
Life is about rolling with the punches.
Life is about doing more today than yesterday.
Life is about trying to make this world a little better.

Our life is meant to be lived, truly lived. Trust yourself, grab hold and live each day fully. We've only got one shot at doing it right, so forget about the fears and start truly living!

Labels

2012-02-09T09:48:00.000-06:00

Before you can know what you want to do, you really need to know who you are. Many of us stumble through life without ever really knowing what it is that makes us tick. We have been placed in to categories our entire life. After a while, we start believing these categories define us.

Yes, we all have labels. These labels may define a little portion of who we are, but nothing really encompasses our whole being. Political affiliations or beliefs or job titles or life choices can all be labels, but we are so much more than just one label. We have to stop thinking of ourselves in black and white terms...we are many things rolled in to one package.

Spend some time really learning about you. Strip away all the labels and figure out what really makes you tick. Look deep inside and see what dreams and hopes you have pushed down and locked away. Don't let your true being hide behind labels. You can't be described with simple categories, so don't try. Figure out who you really are and then look for what you should do. Become comfortable with your true self and a world of possibilities will open.

Chasing vs Running Away

2012-02-08T09:24:00.000-06:00

In yesterday's post, I wrote about the importance of knowing what you are chasing. While this is necessary, it doesn't always mean you know what the next move will be. We all have defined goals (or if you don't, start defining them now), but we don't always know what each step will be to bring us closer to these goals.

When we make any change in life, when any door closes, we don't always know which new doors will open. We will never know how each action is going to change things, but as long as we stay alert to the possibilities, we can keep moving forward. Closing a door is hard. Making the decision to move on is hard. Stepping out from the ledge and falling in to the abyss of possibility is hard (and can be quite scary).

Just keep pushing forward. With defined goals, we know what we are chasing even if we don't know how to get there. Every day, things will change and we have to remain open to the possibilities. The key is to make sure you are chasing and not running away. When we run away, we are trying to move forward without keeping our head up and our eyes fixed on the possibilities. It's impossible to really move forward when you are running away and our problems always seem to catch up.

Before making a change, make damn sure you aren't just running from your problems. Know what you want and chase it.

Know What You're Chasing

2012-02-07T09:45:00.000-06:00

When we become frustrated or disillusioned, too many of us hope some change will drop from the sky and fall into our lap. We bitch and moan about how we aren't happy with what we are doing or wish we could do more. Most of us never move past the bitching and moaning stage and spend our lives trying to deal with the disappointment.

Change is never going to fall from the sky and land in our laps. Things will never magically get better if we don't do something about it. If you want a change, make a change. This doesn't always mean quit; this may mean make the changes you want to see. Sometimes, we do have to quit and search for something better, something that matters to us.

Many times, though, we have to take what we are doing and make it better. We have to make the changes we want to see. We have to turn what we are doing into something magical for us. This isn't easy, but people do this each and every day. These people are no better than you and me, they just know bitching and moaning does nothing to make things better. Figure out what needs to change and change it. Look within and find the happiness and do it. Most of us are doing what we, at one time, enjoyed doing. Before running away, look to see what you can change to bring back the old feelings.

If you find it, great! If not, then start searching for something else to make you happy. Look inside first. Quit second. We can't spend our lives chasing something if we don't know what that something is.

Right Now

2012-02-06T13:12:00.000-06:00

It's time to stop worrying so damn much and actually start living. If you don't like something, change it. This is your life, live it in the way you think is right. Don't compare yourself to others. Other people may judge you for your decisions, don't listen to them. Don't worry about what other people think.

Right now, decide to start living the life you want to live.

Super Bowl

2012-02-05T15:30:00.001-06:00

As New England and New York get ready to take the field, millions of people are preparing to watch two teams playing at the top of their game. These are some of the best football players in the world, getting paid to do what they love. There is a little luck involved, but every one of these players have put in tens of thousands of hours of work getting to this point.

Think about your job. Are you willing to put this much work in to what you do for a living? We admire people who have put in the work and who have done amazing things. Instead of just admiring, maybe we should learn from their example. We can learn from their perseverance and their dedication and their work ethic. We all need to find what we love to do; something we love so much we are willing to put in tens of thousands of hours of work perfecting.

If you are watching the Super Bowl today, enjoy the game and think about how much work it took for each of these players to get to the big game. Think a little about what matters to you and what it is that makes you want to put in the work.

Empty Houses

2012-02-04T10:41:00.000-06:00

Even if this is exaggerated (but I pulled some information from across the web and it doesn't seem to be), this is just plain wrong. I know there are a lot of people in this country who blame the poor for being poor. These people like to mention the fact that they made it with hard work and the poor should do the same. Yes, they may have put in the hard work, but I am sure they all received a little help along the way. When someone stumbles, we will often reach out a hand to help them up. This isn't offering them something they don't deserve; helping someone who stumbles and falls is just the right thing to do.

If we are ever going to be the strong, unified country most of us want, something has to change.

Stop Putting It Off

2012-02-03T13:26:00.000-06:00

Life has a funny way of speeding by when we aren't looking. The older we get, the faster it seems to speed by. Too often, we put off doing what we want to make time for what we think we need to do (or even worse, we put off what we want for wasting time).

If you want to travel, travel. If you want to write, write. If you want to move to another state or country, move. If you want to learn something new, learn. Stop putting off doing the things you want to do thinking you can always do it later. You have no idea what tomorrow will bring.

The last thing we want to do is look back on our life and wish we had done all the things we just never got around to doing. Most people spend their entire lives waiting until tomorrow to do the things they want to do. I say start today. Make an effort, take a first step. When it comes time to leave this world, leave it with a lifetime of memories and not with a lifetime of regrets.

Battling Negativity

2012-02-02T09:52:00.002-06:00

I'll be the first to admit, some days it is just harder to attack the work with my best. It could be that I don't feel well or I am frustrated by something or someone or I am just out of sorts. On these days, I have to be extra sensitive to where my mind goes as it is very easy to become negative.

When any of us become negative in our thoughts, problems seem to compound. We start taking things personally, we are incapable of doing our best work and we often become more and more negative. When one thing goes wrong, we start seeing more and more things go wrong. When this happens, we have to instantly recognize it and work to pull ourselves out of this negative mindset.

Each person has their own ways of trying to eliminate the negativity as they feel it creep steadily in. Some people will meditate, some people exercise, some people just move around for a while, some people do breathing exercises, some people find ways to laugh and some people will do any number of other things. What works for you when you start to feel the negativity taking hold?

Toil

2012-02-01T14:19:00.001-06:00

Getting what you want and where you want takes hard work and time. There are no shortcuts and no get rich quick schemes along the path.

If you want to do what you dream, you will shed blood, sweat and tears. You will toil along and may want to quit multiple times along the way. You will have doubts. But, if you see it through to the end, you will be happy you did. Do you want to put in the work?

Make Today Beautiful

2012-01-31T11:40:00.000-06:00

Today, spend a few minutes thinking about something you really, really want to do. Next, spend a few more minutes thinking about the steps needed in doing what you really, really want to do. Then, do step one. Continue to step two.

Stop putting things off, quit making excuses and just do something. We only live once and we need to start acting like it. Make today different. Make today special. Make today beautiful.

Ignore the Voice

2012-01-30T09:47:00.001-06:00

Getting things done is to be applauded.
Getting things done well is even better.
Getting things done and putting forth your best work is what we all should strive to do.

Doing your best work each and every day is difficult. To really do this, you must believe in yourself. Believing in yourself is the easiest way to quiet the voice of fear we all have. You know the one that whispers you can't do something or tries to convince you that you are in over your head or you are not good enough to get the job done. We all hear this voice from time to time, some of us more than others.

Don't let this voice stop you from putting forth your best work. The more you listen to this voice or give it any credit, the louder and louder it speaks. DO NOT LISTEN.

Wake up every day knowing you are going to put your best foot forward. Go through the day striving to do your best work. Put in the time and energy your best demands. Speak up. Take some chances. The more you do this, the quieter and quieter the voice gets. It never goes away completely, but you can train yourself to ignore it and do what needs to be done. It's not going to be easy, but learning to ignore the voice will change the way you live your life. You have something (probably many somethings) to offer, don't let the voice hold you back.

Dream

2012-01-29T11:56:00.000-06:00

Don't be afraid to voice your opinions, push the envelope and stick your neck out. Everyone can dream of something better, but it takes courage and determination to see things through. Don't let fear hold you back form accomplishing anything you can imagine.

Questions and Answers

2012-01-28T14:46:00.002-06:00

What keeps you from following your dreams? What's holding you back from doing what you really want to do?

Answer these questions honestly and look at the reasons you give. Now, really examine these reasons and see if there is validity to them. Is there any way to overcome these ~~reasons~~ excuses and move towards living the life you want to live?

It's worth putting in the time and the effort to figure out, don't you think?

Do Your Best Work

2012-01-27T09:36:00.000-06:00

What would happen if everyone decided to do their best work today? What more could we accomplish if everyone was on, everyone was active, everyone was engrossed and everyone was giving the work all of their attention? We would be able to accomplish anything.

Now, the chances of this happening are slim. You have no control over everyone around you and you can't force them to do their best each and every day. We hope we are surrounded by people who are doing the job because it is what they want to be doing, but we know this isn't always true. Everyone has their own motivations and we can't change them.

We can choose to do our best work each and every day. We can control this part of the equation. Yes, we are never going to be perfect and there will be days when our best isn't coming, but if we try, really try to give our best every day, we will have more good days than bad. How much better would your work be if you just strive to do your best every time? How much happier would you be?

No one said it was going to be easy. We all have tasks that drain our drive and make us want to shove spoons into our eyes. We all have good days and bad days. The great among us realize this and still strive every morning to give their best work during the day. Each and every day they decide that whatever they are working on is worth their best work. No more and no less. Lead by example and start today. Give it your all and do your best work. Then, do it again tomorrow and the next day and the next and the next...

Great Days

2012-01-26T09:32:00.000-06:00

No matter what you do, some days it is just hard to get out of bed. On days like this, what do you tell yourself as you struggle to begin the day?

We all have ups and downs. Everyone has good days and bad days. At some point, we all struggle to get up and begin the day. What you tell yourself on these days is what matters. If you start the day with negative thoughts and voice the fears you have for the day, most likely your day is going to be bad. Instead, remind yourself that today is going to be a great day, nothing can stop you and there is nothing to fear. Start the day on a positive note and see how differently you view what happens.

Today is going to be a great day. If you just take a few seconds to remember this, it will make all the difference. Try it and see what happens.

Chase Your Interests

2012-01-25T09:43:00.001-06:00

Let's make a pact. Let's stop watching our life go by as if it is a movie and instead start controlling our life and steering it in the directions we want. Instead of passively sitting by and hoping happiness or dreams or passions fall in to our lap, let's start chasing our interests. Today is as good of a day as any.

If there is something you have been interested in learning or trying, find a class or a lecture and sign up. If you want to learn Spanish or programming or yoga or meditation or particle physics, look for a way to make this a reality. If you hate your job and want to find a new one, start networking and applying for the job you want. If you want to start exercising, find a gym or a group of people who also want to start and then get going. We have to stop sitting around hoping everything will happen the way we want and start chasing our dreams.

This doesn't mean we have to have a plan or even know exactly what we want to do, but by learning more and trying more, we open ourselves up to more and more. A class or a lecture can show we really aren't interested in what we thought we were and that is just fine. If this is the case, move on to another interest and try again. As long as we are constantly searching and trying new things, we are working towards finding the things we love.

Our life wasn't meant to be spent doing the same things over and over again. Our interests change, our passions can change and we are meant to continue to learn and grow. Try new things, learn new things and have fun doing it. While we might not enjoy or even be good at everything we try, at least we aren't sitting back hoping things will change or get better. Start today. Do something, anything, to add more knowledge and experience to your life.

Attack the Day

2012-01-24T09:55:00.000-06:00

What do you have to offer? By this, I mean what do you have to offer the world, your co-workers, your employees, your work, your friends, your loved ones or strangers. What makes you tick? What makes you want to get out of bed in the morning?

We all have something to offer, but we hold back. Why? What are we afraid of? What perceptions do we allow to filter through our mind that causes us to hold back from offering?

This is your life to live. You only get one shot at it. Each morning, we are one day closer to the end. This may sound a little morbid, but it is true. We have a finite amount of time to do what we want to do and share what we want to share. There are only so many days left to chase your dreams. Do you want to spend one of these precious days wasting time doing things that don't really matter, that don't push you forward, that don't help you get where you want to go?

Let's all try something today. Attack the day...live today with reckless abandon. Offer something, whatever you can and don't let anything hold you back. Then, let's see how we feel tonight as we are closing our eyes to sleep...maybe we will feel so good that we'll want to do it all over again tomorrow. What do we have to lose?

Sabotage

2012-01-23T09:41:00.001-06:00

With the technology available at our fingertips, we have the opportunity and the ability to produce great work. With this technology, we also have the ability to waste our time doing anything other than work. Why do so many people sabotage the work they are doing by wasting time doing so many other things?

I think there are two main reasons for this sabotage-
1) We're afraid to do the work
2) We're bored with the work

There are a variety of reasons why we are afraid to do the work. We are afraid to fail. This fear was instilled at an early age and is reinforced throughout life. Fail and failure have become very negative terms in our society. No one wants to be labeled a failure. Until we can convince ourselves failing is a part of living and is to be expected, we will never be able to move beyond this fear.

We may be afraid at succeeding. This sounds ridiculous, but this fear stems from the fear of change. If we succeed, how will our life be different? How much more work will we have to do? We don't talk about fear of success very often, but it is a real fear.

Until we can overcome these fears, they will still continue to sabotage our work. We have to acknowledge the fear and then stop listening. Fear has a way of over-exagerating everything that could happen. When we fail, which will happen from time to time, the outcome is never as bad as we imagined it would be. When we are afraid of success and still push through to succeed, we will see there was really nothing to be afraid of. We will always have doubts and fears yearning to hold us back, but we have to stop listening to them and do the work.

When we are bored with the work, it is very easy to fall down the rabbit hole of time wasting. We can convince ourselves what we are doing is work, is leaning, is growing, but we are really just wasting time. With our technology, we can waste time on Facebook and Twitter and Tumblr and reading blogs, but even if you disguise this as networking or gaining knowledge, all you are really doing is wasting time. We have to be interested in the work to really focus on it and do the best we can. If you can't figure out a way to become invested, it is time to move on and find new work to do. There has to be passion and drive to do great work, otherwise get out of the way and let someone who has them do it.

Stop letting your fear and boredom sabotage your work. Take a long look at what you are doing and why you are still wasting time. Don't make it easy to waste time...turn off Facebook and Twitter and Tumblr and e-mail. Focus on the work at hand and get it done. There is time for all of the other things later, when you are not in work mode. With the technology at hand, utilize it to do better work, not for wasting time. We all have the ability to do great work, not in the same areas, but in whatever realm drives us. Start today. Accomplish something you have been putting off and don't let the pull of time-wasting draw you in. Turn off the distractions and focus. You will be surprised at what you can do when you stop listening to your fear and boredom and actually get to work.

What if?

2012-01-22T16:03:00.000-06:00

When you lay down to go to sleep each night and close your eyes, what do you think about? Do you think about everything you did that day? Do you think about what the next day brings? Do you think about your dreams and what you want to do? Do you think about all the things you haven't done? Do you think about all the things you have done and wish you didn't?

At different times, I have thought about all of the above. I have experienced feelings of happiness, love, accomplishment, guilt, shame and peace as I have laid in bed with eyes closed. I am sure most people have felt the same. Which of these would you prefer to have floating through your head and body as you try to fall asleep?

What would happen if you named your dreams and worked to make them happen? Would you be able to fall asleep knowing you are doing everything you can to chase what it is to make you feel alive? With this knowledge, would you be able to fall asleep happy and at peace?

By following our dreams and doing what calls to us, we won't eliminate all the negative feelings that float around when we are at the most relaxed. These feelings, these moments of doubt, happen to everyone. But, when we are chasing our dreams, we have an easier time ignoring them and pushing them away. It is easier to replace doubt with happiness and peace when we know we are on the right path.

Tonight, as you lay in bed, think about what it is you really want to do. Listen to your heart and see where it wants to take you. What would happen if you started to listen?

Go Do It

2012-01-21T10:55:00.001-06:00

If you could do one thing today, what would it be?

Now that you know, go do it. No excuses, no buts, no "I cant's".

Go do it.

Live Your Life

2012-01-20T09:16:00.002-06:00

I read a lot of blogs. I get some through twitter and some through e-mail and some I just pop on from time to time to read. I am interested in what other people do and what they think and how they are trying to change the world (if they are trying). I am fascinated by people doing things I can't or would have never thought to try. With today's technology, it is easy to get lost in the exploits of others (with stunning photos or videos or narratives) and not do anything yourself.

I read these blogs to learn and find inspiration and to see what makes people tick. All too often, I find myself living vicariously through them instead of doing my own things. There is a very fine line between finding inspiration in others and living vicariously through them, even if you don't personally know them. Many of us who are searching will come to this point at one time or another (I hope) and strive to do something of our own.

We have the initial drive to create, but keeping this motivation is hard. It's especially hard when we hit snags or roadblocks or we just aren't sure where to go next. Finding motivation when times are tough, when we are uncertain or afraid is the key to doing what we want. This doesn't mean that we should never quit; we just need to know when it is the right time to quit and when it is time to push through the fear and keep moving. No one will ever be able to teach you the difference, but you know. You just have to learn to tell the difference between the resistance and your true self. This sounds easy, but they sound a lot alike.

I wish I had the perfect roadmap for you, a way to easily tell the difference. The truth is, I don't always know, either. But, I am still learning. This is one of the reasons I read so many blogs...I want to see how they do it, how they can tell the difference. We can learn from everyone around us. We have to keep learning. It's the only way we will grow and develop and chase our dreams. Just don't fall in to the trap of living vicariously through someone else. Live your life.

What Do You Really Want To Do?

2012-01-19T09:47:00.000-06:00

When you allow yourself to think and dream, what do you really want to do? What passion are you holding back, not allowing yourself to realize? What reasons do you have for holding back?

What needs to happen for you to do what you really want to do? Sit down and write it out. Start at the top of a page with whatever you're dreaming of doing. Now, write out the steps below that would allow you to do it. Can you do step #1 now? If not, break down this step into smaller steps to figure out what you need to do to get to step #1. Now, what needs to happen for you to start on sub-step #1?

If you actually do this, you will realize there is nothing stopping you from getting started. You don't have to have the entire plan in place or the ability to do all the steps right now. But, you will find it is much easier to do step #2 once you start and do step #1. What are you waiting for?

Fresh Eyes

2012-01-18T09:51:00.001-06:00

Forget everything you have been taught. Start looking at the world through fresh eyes and start questioning things. If you see something that doesn't make sense, ask why it is like that. If you see something that does make sense, again ask why it is like that.

We are moving forward in a world filled with technology and innovation changing daily. What we learned in school doesn't necessarily apply to the world as it is today. Find people who are doing amazing things and ask, yes ask, these people what makes them tick. Learn from them and incorporate their knowledge (the parts making you giddy or scared) into your life.

Be curious of the world around you. Ask questions. Try out new ideas. Explore passions. Learn something new ever day. Get rid of preconceived notions. There are numerous things we can do differently to reach new levels. If you see this and think I am in a place that makes me happy, help those around you who are questioning. Learn from other people and teach other people. No one knows it all and amazing only happens when we help each other.

Find Happiness In What You Have Part II

2012-01-17T09:54:00.000-06:00

I think yesterday's blog post Find Happiness In What You Have is important enough to discuss a little further.

Happiness brings a lot of good into your life. When you are happy, you take better care of yourself. When you take better care of yourself, you are healthier. When you are healthier, you feel better. When you feel better, it is easier to be happy. It’s a circle that helps to keep producing what you want. The same is true in the inverse. Being unhappy can send you down a spiral of not taking care of yourself, being unhealthy and feeling like shit. When you feel like shit, it is harder to pull yourself up to be happy.

Every day is not going to be sunshine and rainbows. But, we can choose to start every day as if it is going to be a great day. At first, we have to constantly remind ourselves that the day is going to be great. The more you do this, the easier it will get. This reminder needs to come in whatever form works best for you, framed quotes, a mantra, a picture, a poem. What works for me may not work for you.

We need to build happiness into our morning routine. Find something to do every morning before leaving for work. If you love to read, give yourself an extra 15-30 minutes to read. Try to eat something you love every morning. Make sure you give yourself enough time to not have to rush around frantically. These all sound like simple things, but the more you focus on them, the more you will be surprised at just how easily the little things can change improve your mood.

If you commute to work, find some music you love or an audio book or a podcast or if you like silence, find silence. I was listening to a lot of NPR on my drive to work, but I realized I wasn’t arriving in the mood I wanted. Thinking about it, the NPR program was usually very serious. As much as I enjoyed it, it wasn’t putting me in the mood I needed to do the best work. So, I switched back to listening to music (though I do come back to NPR every now and again).

We all have the little things that make us smile from time to time, the key is to notice them more often. They will float around in our world, but we are often so busy we don’t see them or we are in a mood that doesn’t allow us to see them. We have to train our mind to notice them more. The happiness we yearn for is closer than we think.

Right now, think about the things that make you happy. Figure out what little things will make you smile, will make you slow down just enough to bring a little joy in to your world. Search them out, embrace them. Do whatever it is you need to do to bring them in to your life. Then, let these little things show themselves more and more. When we ignore them, it becomes easier to ignore them each day. When we notice them, it becomes easier to notice them. If this was my last day on earth, would I want to spend the day constantly worrying about what the future is going to bring or would I rather live a little more in the moment, smile a little more, laugh a little more and still work on what the future brings?

Find Happiness In What You Have

2012-01-16T10:04:00.000-06:00

The truly successful have found happiness in what they have. This doesn't mean we can't continue to strive for doing more, doing different, being better or changing the world, though they will all be easier to do when we attack them from a happy mindset.

We spend so much time rushing around and trying to make things better that we often forget to enjoy what we have. We need to have goals and dreams, but the chase for them should not include ignoring today. By being present in the moment and finding joy in what we do, we are giving ourselves the fuel to continue to push forward. When we start to believe that happiness will be around the next corner or it will appear when we reach our next goal, we are setting ourselves up to constantly chase something we will never catch. Find the happiness in what you have and then start making change because it is what you want to do, not because you think it will make you happy.

Stop Listening

2012-01-15T15:54:00.000-06:00

Sometimes, you have to stop listening to what your mind says you must do and listen instead to what your heart tells you to do.

You Have Exactly One Life

2012-01-14T10:57:00.001-06:00

I first saw this a couple of days ago and I haven't been able to get it out of my head. Colin Wright has a great website you should check out if you have the time. While you may think he is crazy or there is no way you could ever do anything of the sort, we have the chance to learn something from everyone. Poke around on his site and see what you think.

We only have one chance at this. Do we want to spend it bitching and moaning about how things are not working the way they should? Do we want to spend it toiling away at jobs bringing us no sense of happiness or fulfillment? Do we want to shy away from what scares us? Do we want to continue to believe that happiness comes from some external source? Or, do we want to go at things full throttle, do the things that are important to us, make our own happiness and live the life we want?

Business As We Know It

2012-01-13T09:43:00.000-06:00

With so many advancements in technology, why are so many companies sticking to outdated business models?

With wireless, laptops, smart phones and tablets, we can work from anywhere. We no longer need to be present in a cubicle to get the work done. In fact, for many of us, getting out of the cubicle allows us to do more and better work. Why are companies stuck in the mindset that people need to be physically present to do the work?

In most companies, if you hire someone to do a full-time job and they are able to complete all the tasks in 30 hours a week, the employee is rewarded by getting more tasks added to their plate (tasks usually coming from someone who is not able to get their work done). Is this fair? If the employee wants more to do, then great. This is a win-win for everyone. There are a lot of people who will see this and then slow down on the work they do so they aren't given more and more. This doesn't benefit anyone.

We can talk about culture agreements and making the work environment fun and giving staff more privileges and the need for people to think and make decisions, but until we start treating employees as adults, none of it really matters. As employees, we are often stuck in the mindset that we come in at 9:00 and leave at 5:00 and other than those hours, we are free to do what we want. Yes, we may have some deadlines to meet and yes, we may work at other hours, but we have to be present between the hours of 9:00-5:00.

How would it change if people were actually allowed to figure out how to get everything done on their own time and in their own way? How much more could we accomplish and how many more ideas would come from staff who are fully engaged and enjoying their work (instead of just working for the weekend)? How much money would the company save if they weren't constantly tracking the hours and PTO of every employee in (or outside of) the building. How much more work would be accomplished if someone could work from home when they had a sick child or wanted to work from the beach on a long weekend?

We are stuck in a business model that may have worked 20 or 30 years ago, but isn't it time we started embracing a new way to do things? Sticking with something because it is the way it has always been done is a way to get left behind. I hear many people say they want to have a company where people are engaged, having fun and love their job. What happens if we started treating them like adults and stop running things with a factory mindset? Many companies continue to lose the best and the brightest because they don't fit in to the 9-5 crowd. They know they do their best work at night or early in the morning. Instead of being able to do their best work for the company, they start their own or find a place to go that will treat them like an individual and an adult.

The way we do business is going to change. Either you can help push the change, get the best and the brightest, make a difference and set the standard in your industry or you can continue to fall behind. It's your choice.

Stop Taking Things Personally

2012-01-12T09:41:00.000-06:00

Too often, we confuse criticism or a comment on our work as criticism or a comment about who we are. We take things too personally and become offended because someone is pointing out a different way to do things or places where they see improvements can be made. We put a lot of time and emotion in to work and it often becomes enwrapped into our being. Separating this emotion when we receive the criticism or comments can be very difficult for most people.

When we take things personally, we find ourselves becoming depressed about the job, cynical and afraid to take chances. We don't welcome the feedback and we won't do anything that may invite it. Because we are afraid to take chances, we often become stuck doing the same things the same ways and improvements are not made. We all know people like this and many of us would honestly say we have been this person. I know I have.

As hard as it may sound, we have to get better at separating our emotional side from the work. We have to see the criticisms and comments as what they are, possible ways to improve our work and not direct attacks against us. The person commenting may not know exactly what you are doing or the complexities of the project, but eyes from the outside will often see things you can not see from the inside. Their comments or critiques can be very valuable, but you will never listen if you take them personally. When you start to get frustrated or angry, tell yourself this isn't an attack on you, but just a suggestion to improve your work.

If we all looked at these opportunities as chances to improve, instead of fodder for frustration and anger, would we be able to make great improvements to our work? Would we be happier?

Make Each Day Better Than The Last

2012-01-11T09:46:00.000-06:00

Every morning, when you wake up, you have a choice to make. Are you going to dread what the day brings or are you going to attack every challenge with gusto and leave nothing on the table at the end of the day?

Too often, we dread what the day brings. We don't want to deal with what we do at work; we don't want to do the chores around the house we need to do; we don't think we have the energy to do everything on our plate. When we dread the coming day, we set ourselves up to be unhappy and unfulfilled. How can someone every find fulfillment in work when we would rather do anything other than the work?

If instead, you decide to attack each challenge head on, knowing you will give it your all, you set yourself up to enjoy the day. Although we may have difficult things happen each day, with the right mindset in the morning, we can keep these events from being as negative as they could be. When we choose, yes choose, to be happy with whatever the day brings, we will feel better at the end of each day. Choosing to do this day after day may be difficult at first, but is the only way to ever be happy and content with who you are and what you do. Each time you end the day feeling as if you gave it your all, it becomes easier the next day to choose the same path.

Stop spending time dreading the day ahead of you. The things we worry about rarely happen and when they do, they are rarely as bad as we imagined. Dreading the day sets us up to be unhappy and causes us to do poor work. Instead, choose to enjoy every day, knowing whatever the day brings, you will be able to handle it with grace and gusto. Choose to be happy. Choose to be fulfilled. Choose to make each day better than the last.

What's Next?

2012-01-10T09:33:00.001-06:00

For many of us, this question can be caused by two different events. In one, we are trucking along and getting the work done and doing a really good job and we want to know what to move to when we have completed a task. This is a way for us to keep the flow do more work while we have the drive. In the other, we are looking for a way out, a way to stop doing whatever it is we are currently doing, hoping the next task will move a little more smoothly or bring more excitement into our lives. We are stagnate and need something else to do thinking it may give us that little spark.

Neither reason behind the question is particularly bad, as we need the spark. When we have it, moving on to what's next is a great use of the energy and drive we have. When we can't seem to find the spark we need, we aren't going to be able to do the work needing to get done. We just have to be aware of the reason behind our question. Constantly searching for, and never finding, the spark should signal to us we need to go about things differently or find something else to do for a while. Without it, we will continue to dread everything that comes next.

Monday Mornings

2012-01-09T09:35:00.001-06:00

On Monday morning, are you excited to get back to work? Are you looking towards the week with a plan to get things done, to make improvements, to solve problems and to come up with new ideas to help make things more efficient? Do you start each week with a positive attitude, looking forward to what you are going to accomplish and enjoying what you do?

If not, maybe it's time to think, really think, about what needs to change so you can answer all three questions with a resounding yes.

Things Will Work Out

2012-01-08T16:23:00.000-06:00

Although we may not understand or even want to understand at the time, everything happens for a reason. Of course we won't be able to see it as it happens, but every occurrence in our life changes the path we are on. Life is going to be full of ups and downs, we just have to keep pushing forward no matter what.

It's easy to see this when we look back on our lives. You can see points in your life when something major happens and then see how it leads to things you did later or even how it has led you to the point you are at now. You can see how relationships that ended have led you to your current relationship or how upheavals at work have led you to your current job. At the time, things which seemed like the end of the world probably opened more doors for you to get to where you are.

Remember this, when things seem to be bleak or you just can't make sense of where you are in life. We will never know the future and we will never know how what we do today will change what we do tomorrow. We can't connect the dots, except when we look to the past. Just keep pushing and things will work out, maybe not today, but if you give it your all, things will work out in the long run.

Get the Best Work

2012-01-07T09:47:00.002-06:00

At work, many people are told they would do a better job if they just did this differently or if they acted a certain way more or if they showed more or less emotion. In some cases, this type of feedback is beneficial and can help people realize they are perceived in a way they didn't know. In other cases, this feedback is telling people they need to conform to something they are not, if they want to be good at their job.

In the second case, what would happen if we placed people into positions based on the reasons they aren't great in their current position? What if we embraced the differences instead of trying to make people conform to a mold based on the set beliefs a certain position should act a certain way? How do these set beliefs change from boss to boss? How do we really know one managerial style or customer service style is better than another? What do we need to do to get the best work from the most people? I think this last question is the most important of them all.

Stressed and Overwhelmed

2012-01-06T09:26:00.001-06:00

We all have days where it feels like the world is plotting against us, when nothing works and if something could go wrong, it does. We quickly become stressed and overwhelmed. This usually just makes things worse because once the stress sets in, we can't seem to make a dent in anything. Our mind starts whirling with everything on our to-do list, but we can't figure out where to start or what to do. We feel like we are drowning in work and will never be able to get back on top of things.

This happens to the best of us. It has happened to all of us in the past and we were able to get control and get things done. We just had to focus and start doing things one at a time. It may seem overwhelming at the time, but looking back, it probably wasn't that bad. It's our reaction in situations like this that makes it so much worse. Instead of allowing the hopeless overwhelming feeling to take hold, slow down and do anything you can to help eliminate the stress. This has been floating around on Tumblr for a while and can help you get through these tough days:

Relax. We have all been there and we will all be there again. Being overwhelmed is not the end of the world and shouldn't ruin your day. Put in the work, focus on the priorities and get as much done as you can. Once you take some deep breaths and slow down that overactive mind, things will become a little clearer and you can work your way out of the pile. Even on the worst days, when the world is plotting against you, remember tomorrow will be a new day.

The Little Things

2012-01-05T09:39:00.001-06:00

I know it's cliche, but the little things in life really do matter. Yes, the big things are wonderful and amazing, but they happen so rarely and the time between them is often so long. When you focus on only the big things, you spend so much time feeling anxious or nervous or stressed or nothing. Slow down and focus on the little things. Take deep breaths and notice the world around you. Notice the people around you. Do something that makes you happy because it makes you happy. Express your love and gratitude to the people who deserve it. Spend some time reading a good book. Listen to music you love.

The little things add up quickly and once you start to notice them, you will also notice the stress, anxiety and nervousness lessen. They will never completely disappear, but when they compete with the joy and happiness the little things bring, they will be easier to ignore. We all want to be a little happier and more fulfilled and by noticing and appreciating the little things, we are well on our way.

The Life You Want

2012-01-04T09:38:00.000-06:00

We only get one try at this thing called life, so what is holding you back from living the life you want? For many of us, I think it all boils down to being afraid. We are afraid to try something new. We are afraid to go against the grain. We are afraid to take risks. We are afraid to upset the status quo. We are afraid to step into the void, without knowing the outcome. We let this fear hold us back from becoming the person we are supposed to be.

We don't have to settle for less than we want. We don't have to do what we are told to do. We don't have to follow the path laid out in front of us. We don't have to do what is expected of us. We can do what we want and follow our dreams. We can reach for the stars. This isn't the easiest path, otherwise everyone would be following their dreams instead of being trapped in the cubicles they dread. It will be scary, but do we really want to allow fear to hold us back?

There are many stories floating around of people who completely change their lives when they are told they have cancer or any other illness that may kill them. We are all going to die, do we need to be told it is going to be sooner rather than later before we start making this life meaningful for us? Start small, if you want. Do something every day that scares you. Try something new. Most of the time, the things we fear never happen. Even when they do, we find it is hardly ever as bad as we thought. Let go of these fears and start living the life you want to live.

Plans, Ideas and Solutions

2012-01-03T08:38:00.000-06:00

Preparing a plan, developing an idea and coming up with solutions are all important, but unless you do something with them, they don't really matter. The best ideas remain only ideas unless they are put in to action. The best plans remain only plans unless they are put in to action. Solutions will only work when they are put in to action. Many of us stumble on the last step because it is the hardest to do.

Doing requires all the risk. Your plans, ideas and solutions can all look amazing on paper, but there is no risk involved until you take action on them. We need people who can come up with them, but we really need people who can act on them. Take the risk and see if they actually work. If they don't work, you have to come up with more plans, ideas and solutions, but you'll have a little more knowledge when developing them. Keep pushing until you find some that do work. Implementation is much more difficult, but is the only way your plans, ideas and solutions will have value. Otherwise, they are just words on paper.

What To Do With 2012

2012-01-02T09:55:00.000-06:00

Well, 2012 is upon us and if you haven't already, it is time to figure out what to do with this year. We can continue along the same way we have lived 2011 (and probably 2010 and 2009), or we can try something new. Even if 2011 was a banner year for you, is there something more, something different, something interesting you can do in 2012?

For me, and I believe for many, there is a list of things waiting to be done. I have physical lists and mental lists of things I have always wanted to do but have not. I want 2012 to be the year I stop procrastinating and start checking things off the list. I know this sounds easy, but there is a reason I haven't checked them off the list yet.

It is often easier to continue doing the same things day in and day out and never push forward to complete things you really want to complete. We have structured our lives in a way that makes accomplishing them very difficult. We have a groove we follow and it is usually easier to keep following this groove than to pop out and change our routine.

I hear a lot of my friends talk about how they don't have the time or the money to do things they want to do. They make resolutions each year to do them and by the end of January, these resolutions have fallen away as they continue in their previous groove. Once you are in your groove, physics works to keep you there. For many of us, the forces acting upon us are the same forces acting upon nature. Just like it was easier for the Colorado river to stay in its groove for years and years, our groove keeps us where we are.

Starting a new routine can be difficult, but once started it becomes easier and easier to follow. Do you want to continue in your current groove or would you like to start a new groove, a new routine to help you accomplish things you haven't been able to accomplish just yet? In 2012, I plan on checking off some of the items on my to-do list. It's going to take work, but if these items have been sitting there for years and haven't disappeared, I think the work will be well worth it.

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T09:48:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! In Kansas City, 2012 has dawned with beautiful blue skies and chilly temperatures (though by chilly, I mean cooler than it has been, but much warmer than usual). This year is going to bring many changes to all of our lives and I am sure we will all have our share of happiness and sadness.

Sitting here, drinking coffee on the morning of January 1, I think about everything 2012 has to offer. This is a year of endless possibilities. We may not be able to control everything it will bring, but this morning, we have a choice of which path we are going to start down. Do you want 2012 to be a repeat of 2011? Or, do you want to do something else, something different, something new this year? Whatever you decide to do, start moving forward today and let nothing stop you. Let's all make 2012 a year to remember!

Planet Earth

2011-12-28T11:10:00.000-06:00

I don't care where on the political spectrum you fall, what god you pray to or what you believe, this is just wrong. We can produce and want and need, but if we continue down this path, what happens next? What can you do to help your fellow humans? What can you do to help keep this world habitable for generations to come? What must we do differently? How do we get people to listen? More importantly, how do we get people to care?

Resolutions

2011-12-27T09:54:00.000-06:00

I know I have already written a lot about 2012, but for my first day back to blogging, I decided to give you another post leading in to the new year. For many, in just under a week, we will already be struggling to keep our resolutions, be they dieting, quitting smoking, drinking less, exercising more, reading more or anything else of the sort. Many of us make these resolutions and by the middle of January, they often fall by the wayside.

I'm not saying you shouldn't make resolutions, but just deciding to do something doesn't mean it is going to happen. For many, we have to change the way we live our life to keep these resolutions. This is much harder than we think it will be and without putting in the effort, we are doomed to fail for another year. Instead, what if our resolution wasn't to do something more or less, but to focus on actually living life and not just watching it go by?

We need to take control of our lives in a more meaningful way. Instead of looking to the past and wishing you would have done things differently, focus on what you currently have and what you want to do. Plan for the future, but put in to action things today that will help you to accomplish what you want. If you want to write a play, make time each day to sit down and write. If you want to lose weight, learn to cook more healthy and tasty meals. If you want to exercise more, schedule time during you week where you will do nothing but exercise. If you want a new or different job, get your resume in order and start learning what you need to learn to land the job you want.

In 2012, lets take control of our lives and start doing what we need to do to feel fulfilled and happier. No one is going to give us everything we want, we have to go out there and get it. We have a choice to make. We can continue to grope through life, doing only what we need to get from day to day. Or, we can take the reins and start steering towards the life we want. Live with a purpose and enjoy what you do. It's not all going to be fun and games, but when you quit being a spectator and become a participant, you will have some say in the outcome. Make 2012 the year you took control.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-23T11:31:00.001-06:00

I'm heading out in a couple of hours and will spend the weekend off-line (something we should all do once in a while). I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!

Thank you all for stopping by my blog every now and again. I know there are tons of other things online for you to read and it really means a lot to me knowing you have taken the time to read some of my ramblings.

Are You Ready For 2012?

2011-12-22T09:26:00.001-06:00

We are quickly coming to the close of 2011. Before we know it, 2012 will be here and ready to go. Besides holiday gatherings and maybe some last-minute gifts to make or purchase, do you have anything left to accomplish in 2011? Do you have goals laid out for 2012? Many of us have goals and dreams that are separate from our professional lives. Shouldn't we do everything we can to succeed in accomplishing them?

For me, the next week is going to be spent traveling and figuring what I want to accomplish in 2012. I sat down a few weeks ago and came up with some ideas of things I would like to accomplish (and it was a pretty huge list). This coming week, I will narrow down the list (if possible) and put a plan of action together to accomplish these items. I know many of us do this type of thing with work, but this will be the first year where I have one for things I do outside of work. Goal-setting and planning are the only ways I will stop procrastinating and do the things I want to do. Instead of saying it can wait until tomorrow or next week, or next month, I will have a plan in place with deadlines. I hate missing deadlines, so this should force my hand to actually put in the work.

As this year comes to an end, I think about all the changes 2011 brought to my life and how 2012 will bring even more. For many, 2011 was a very difficult year. For others, it was a great year and brought lots of happiness. For everyone, January 1, 2012 is a fresh slate, a new year, and will probably bring it's share of difficulty and happiness. With a plan and some lofty goals, I know I will have a little control over what the year brings. It's impossible to know everything 2012 will throw at me, but I can focus on the goals I have set and make sure I do everything in my power to reach them. Don't we owe it to ourselves to accomplish as much as possible in 2012?

How Do You Define Greatness?

2011-12-21T09:37:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, I e-mailed back and forth with a dear friend about greatness and what it really means to be great. She had read one of my posts talking about being great and continuing to push until you get there and was interested in knowing how I define being great and how being different can be great. During this "discussion" (as it was via e-mail, so can it really be considered a discussion?), we both agreed great is a very subjective. What I may find as great and what you may find as great can be (and probably should be) two completely different things. We have our own thoughts and emotions and passions, so shouldn't greatness also be our own? Of course we can agree on some aspects of greatness or even both believe someone is doing great works, but even this might stem from differing reasoning.

For some, greatness comes from within. They want to slow down and embrace what they have and amplify themselves. They may believe they are already great, if they can only acknowledge this fact. They are tired of society constantly pushing them to do more, be more and get more. For me, it's a bit of a more meditative view of greatness...looking within and becoming comfortable with who you are and what you do is the way to achieve great works. Loving yourself. Being yourself. Being comfortable and happy with who you are and what you do.

For others, this idea may seem completely foreign. They see things on the horizon and want to keep pushing forward and learning more about the world and doing more. They don't necessarily want to get more stuff, but they want to increase their knowledge. They want to figure out what they can offer the world to help make someone else's life a little better. They are constantly driven to improve, be it personally, with what they do or how they think. They are constantly searching for something, even if they can't quite put their finger on what it is they are looking for. The search, the journey, is as important as the destination (if there can even be a destination).

The thing I learned the most during my e-mail exchange is two people can have completely different ideas of what great means and how to get there. I don't think either of our ideas are wrong, but I also don't think we could exchange ideas and practices and make them work. Greatness is a deeply personal idea and we all have to follow our own path to achieve whatever it is we want to achieve. Yes, we can learn from each other, but copying the success of someone else will bring you no closer to your goals. This life will take each of us in our own direction and to really achieve our goals, we have to do our own thing and get there in the way that makes sense to us. We can't follow others' paths, we have to walk along our own. Luckily, they are often close enough to see each other and discuss ideas and thoughts and motivations.

Treasure Map

2011-12-20T09:31:00.001-06:00

Living with passion. Following your dreams. Searching for your happiness. Think differently. Do something. These are all things I have written (some of them a lot) in this blog. As many people can guess, I am constantly trying to figure out what it is I want to do with my life. I have a good job, but I often wonder if there is something more out there. I know there are a lot of people who wonder this same thing.

As a community, I think the most important thing we can do is share our thoughts and help each other. We are all pushing through life asking questions and trying to find our meaning, our life's work, our sense of happiness. We all will struggle. We all will fail. If we keep pushing through these, we all will succeed. Your vision of success and my vision of success can be totally different. We can want opposite things, but the things we learn on our journeys are important and should be shared with others. Each person will not have all the answers, but collectively, we have way more than we do individually.

The things you learn along your journey may not be applicable to where I am in life, but I am sure the insights will come in handy along the way. You see, we are all in different points along our paths and while we will usually walk alone, it is good to have some advice saved up. This advice is our treasure map. While we may not understand everything there, as we continue to move forward it will start to make more and more sense. By all means, keep pushing forward, but don't forget about those of us who got a late start or are just now opening our eyes to the world of possibilities. We all could use a little advice sometimes.

Be Different

2011-12-19T09:47:00.002-06:00

Be Different by sovata

A lot of people throw around the word creative, but don't really want creativity. In the same way, a lot of people say they embrace change, but if the change is too "radical" they don't even want to try. This causes creative people to keep their opinions to themselves and a lot of businesses lose out on the ideas they have. To really push things forward and become great, we have to try thinks that may not work, we have to take risks and do things no one else is doing. The truly great do not follow a path created by someone else, they forge their own way through the wilderness and leave a path for others to follow.

Doing things because it is the way it has been done before or because similar great organization do it this way will only get you so far. Sometimes, you have to take the really wacky idea, the one that doesn't always make a lot of sense, the really risky one and run with it. If it works, there is a good chance you will be doing something better than anyone else. If it doesn't, then you can always fall back to the way you were doing things, lick your wounds and try something else. In most cases, one decision is not going to ruin your business or close you for good. If you work in an environment where one non-working idea will cause you to lose your job, then you are working in the wrong environment.

To be the best, to be the business or organization everyone wants to work for, you have to do things differently than others. You have to offer different products and services or the same products and services in different ways. You have to embrace creativity. You have to embrace change. Just saying you do is not going to be good enough, you have to actually do it. Try something new, come up with new ideas, do the normal things in a different way. Just try something to push forward. If you continue to do what others are doing, you have to find a way to do it better than everyone else. But, if you do things your own way, then you can set the bar for everyone else. Try something new. Look for new ways to do old things. Shake things up. Be different. Be great!

Daydreams

2011-12-18T10:07:00.001-06:00

We live in a society where we are always hustling around trying to get things done and doing as much work as we can possibly accomplish. Daydreaming has been frowned upon since we were children. We were always told we shouldn't sit idly by, imagining what we want to imagine as nothing can ever be accomplished by daydreams. I disagree. I think we should not only be allowed to daydream, but encouraged to do so.

The world in which we live is changing at a rapid pace and creativity is an important asset for everyone to have. We have to be able to imagine things yet to exist and come up with ways to make them and use them. One hundred years ago, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to imagine the world in which we now live. It took people who thought differently to bring in to our lives the things we now take for granted. We have come forward in so many ways, but we still do not encourage each other to take time and imagine how they would like things to be. Creativity is valued in some circles, but in many still, we want our workers to be cogs, we want our students to do well on standardized tests, we want people to do what they are supposed to do and nothing more.

Is this really the world we want? Or do we want people to dream of a better place? Our imagination is limitless. We can develop amazing things, but only if we can envision them first. Sitting idly by and letting our mind wander can bring new ideas and new products and new ways of doing things. There will always be struggles and there will always be failures, but daydreams help us overcome and see things in a different way. Our imagination can take us anywhere, but only if we let it. Where do you want to go?

If You Were Waiting For A Sign...

2011-12-17T16:28:00.000-06:00

Click here to check out a wonderful website of similar artwork and designs.

We are all waiting for something to happen before we really make change in our lives. We are waiting until we have enough money saved or enough time off or until we can find another job or until we can get something going on the side or until we have the time to sit down and do it or any other excuse in the book. We continue to wait, continue to put off chasing our dreams and goals and slowly slide further and further in to depression and cynicism. When are we ever going to learn? When are we going to make one decision, take that one first step, towards doing what our heart tells us to do?

I'm just as guilty. I put off doing things until I have plans or more money, but the truth is, I am afraid. I am afraid of failing and losing everything and many other horrible things my imagination can pop in to my head (and trust me, I have a very active imagination). I sometimes think if I continue on the same path, things will change. If I can only think about this differently or do that differently, things will change. The truth is, we just keep on coming up with excuses on why we aren't out there doing everything in our power to grab a hold of happiness and never let go. Sooner or later, we all have to realize that without taking a risk, we are never going to really succeed.

The best piece of advice I have seen recently: "Whatever scares or excites you, go do it."

100

2011-12-16T09:31:00.001-06:00

Welcome to post 100! When I started here, I wasn't too sure what it was going to be or if I would continue with it. For a while, I stopped posting to it at all and went with a Tumblr blog as I was usually just reposting other people's thoughts and insights. It took a while, but this fall, I wanted to see if I had anything of my own to say. Writing here became a habit and the last fifty-some posts have been in the same number of days. I haven't missed a day since late October and for me, this is quite an accomplishment.

I think writing, but especially blogging, is a somewhat selfish act. The act of grabbing the thoughts flowing through my head and getting them on paper is a type of meditation for me (hence the title of this blog). I write because I feel better when I write. I write because it allows me to work through things and see ideas I wouldn't be able to see if they were just traveling as figments of my imagination. I write because I love to write. I love knowing people are reading what I have to write and this helps to keep fuel in the tanks and allows me to write more. Many of the posts you will find here are deeply personal and many of the topic points are things I struggle with in my life. Writing this blog is a cathartic act, but I hope any readers will walk away with their own ideas or thoughts or musings, too.

I wish I could give you all the answers to life. I wish I could tell you how to always ignore fear or find fulfillment or find happiness or do the work or think for yourself or stand up for yourself or be better than you can dream or do something amazing. What I have realized in writing this blog is no one really has the answers. No one can give you a blueprint for your life. No one can tell you which path to follow or even how to find a path to follow. We are all in this together. We are all spinning round and just trying to do the best we can. We all fear and hope and dream and wish. We all want to be great. We all want to do something important. We all want to take the first step to the rest of our life. We all want to do more. If any of the posts I have written have helped to make you think or dream or hope or try, then I have done more than I could ever wish.

Whatever happens, I will continue to write. I will continue to put my thoughts on paper and will share them with the world. In this blog, you are going to find conflicting arguments and probably ideas that don't make sense. I just hope you can find something of value in all these ramblings. If you do, share them. If you like this blog, share it with others. If you don't like it, then I thank you for stopping by and wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavors. Go out and live life with passion and abandon. We only get to try this once, let's make lasting memories and leave knowing we did the best we could.

Ten Things We Should All Do

2011-12-15T09:29:00.000-06:00

1) Work smarter

2) Play more

3) Spend more time with family and friends

4) Travel

5) Learn something new each day

6) Smile

7) Exercise

8) Find a project

9) Read

10) Help other people

Do Trust in the Things You Love

2011-12-14T09:35:00.000-06:00

This video exemplifies why I am in love with Do Lectures. Mickey Smith comes across as a very nervous and unassuming man who has done a lot of interesting things in his life while chasing his passion. He has a great story to tell and shares a beautiful video near the end. His story may challenge you to do more, want more or try more. Life is precious and we should go through it with a smile. As he says in the video, "if I can only scrape a living, at least it will be a living worth scraping."

Take a few minutes, sit back and enjoy this lecture. Think about what kind of life you want and what you feel the need to do. We can learn a lot from the people around us and the internet has made this group of people even larger. We are lucky to have so many people doing so many great things. How can you not help but be inspired?

Impossible

2011-12-13T09:36:00.000-06:00

I recently read Impossible: The Manifesto by Joel Runyon and many parts of it have been stuck in my head ever since. Joel was like many of us, doing what he was told and expected to do and waiting for the payoff that never came. Many of us do what we are expected to do, go to high school and get good grades, go to college and get good grades and then send out tons of resumes to get the job we are expecting since we did the previous two. For many of us (and for Joel) this didn't really happen. Joel's life changed when he asked himself two interesting questions:

Are you telling a good story with your life?
Would anyone want to read it?

Constantly waiting for something to happen to us is a terrible way to go through life. We have to get out there and make things happen. We have to create and challenge and just do as much as we can. Our life is precious and short. Why do we continue going through life bored and unhappy? We are in control of our destiny, we just have to have the courage to grab hold and steer. Life is never going to be easy, but it is also never going to be as hard as we fear.

No one is ever going to give you a blueprint to happiness and fulfillment. These are personal and the direction we take depends on who we are. Impossible isn't going to show you how to tell a good story, but it will challenge you to figure it out for yourself. Take a little time and read the manifesto (and then read it again, if necessary). This could be the jumping off point for the story you want to tell. Stop waiting for things to happen; do what you dream, be it big or small. Start writing a story others will want to read. Start living with purpose.

Complainers and Fixers

2011-12-12T10:05:00.001-06:00

Challenges; problems; obstructions; difficulties---these are all things we run up against every day. It is impossible to eliminate them, but how we react is what separates us. No one like to have challenges or problems or obstructions or difficulties, but some people will bitch and moan when they appear and some people will lower their heads and figure out how to move past them. Some of us will wonder why we deserve this and others will wonder what to do to fix them.

There are two different mindsets in action here, one is the complainer and the other is the fixer. There are probably many more mindsets out there, but I think most will fit in to these two categories. The complainer overreacts, becomes frustrated, complains to anyone who will listen and takes things as a personal affront to who they are. The fixer sees the problem for what it is, may become a little frustrated, but quickly realizes frustration and complaining won't solve the issue. The fixer realizes these things happen and knows the only thing they can do is figure it out and move on.

We see these two types of people all the time. There are a lot of complainers out there and one problem with them is they bring the mood down for everyone involved. Their complaining causes a negative environment and makes it harder for others to be positive. They suck the life and energy out of every room and can warp the views of the people around them. Constant negativity and overreaction can cause problems for even the best worker. Surrounding yourself with these people can cause morale to drop and work to suffer. Do we really want people around who are constantly negative?

The fixer may have times of frustration, but they realize there are always going to be challenges, problems, obstructions and difficulties. They know to expect them and take a little pleasure in fixing them. They may not be overly positive all the time, but they aren't running through life thinking the world is out to get them. They realize all problems can be solved and the less complaining they do, the quicker they can get past any obstacle. They help to keep other people calm and they don't overreact to the situation.

Who would you rather have in your company or as a friend?

Take the First Step

2011-12-11T16:44:00.001-06:00

I think there are many people walking through each day wishing they could figure out their passion and then start following it. I know I have often floundered in the thoughts of wondering what I was supposed to be doing, what would bring fulfillment into my life and what would give the happiness I often seem to be missing. I have struggled with these thoughts and never made any move as I always wanted a plan in place. I needed to know what I was going to do and how I was going to pay the bills and where I was going to end up. This rarely, if ever, happens.

If you speak with anyone who is doing what they love and making a difference in the world, they will all tell you plans tend to change, focus tends to change and the direction tends to change. Every day brings new challenges, new knowledge, new ideas and new paths for us to follow. We will never be able to plan out the rest of our life (or even the rest of the month) because we will never know what is to come. Everything is not going to work the way we want, just because we want something to happen or events to unfold in a certain way. This doesn't mean we are going to fail; it means we are going to make choices along the way to keep on moving forward.

Of course, make some plans, but realize they are very likely to change. Yes, you may need to think about how you are going to pay the bills before making a radical decision. There are always going to be reasons why you should or shouldn't do something and the reasons why you shouldn't are going to be the loudest voices in you head. This voice loathes risk, hates taking chances and abhors change. This voice rarely has anything good to say and focuses on the worst case scenario (and usually even exaggerates these). We are so used to listening to this voice, we usually don't even realize when it is speaking. This voice may seem very rational, but it is not. We all have to learn to listen for this voice of fear and find the best ways to ignore it.

There is one sure way to start your journey towards finding your passion and allowing your purpose to embrace everything you do. Take the first step. Yes, it is going to be scary, but the other option is to sit back and listen to the voice and continue to hope you will one day be smacked in the face with your passion and everything will be given to you on a silver platter. This is never going to happen. Start searching, start doing, start dreaming and start moving towards something. You don't even need to know what that something is just yet, but for most of you reading this, you know what you have now and what you do now isn't everything. For most of us, we have a lot more to offer the world. We have a lot more art to make and the only way we are ever going to find the courage is to start moving forward. Once you start moving, it will take more energy to stop than to keep going. You will never know what doors will open for you along the way unless you take the first step.

Aspirations

2011-12-10T13:23:00.001-06:00

"What are your aspirations?" An innocent question posed last night as I snacked on some veggies at a holiday gathering. My answer...I have no clue. This isn't entirely true as there are lots of things I would like to do, but I have never been sure where to start. The question of what I want to do with my life floats through my mind at least once a day. In fact, I think about this all the time.

Many of us have lots of ideas and thoughts and dreams, but I can't seem to latch on to just one whenever I try to decide on my next move. I have thought about trying lots of different things, but the more I think about them, the less I actually do. I wish I had an answer for this question each time I was asked. I really wish I could say I was doing it right now. I love animals and I have a passion for their welfare, but I don't think this is where my aspirations end. I am still searching for my true self. I am learning who I am and what I have to offer the world.

There are some people who know exactly what they want to do or who they want to become. I am envious and a bit distrusting of anyone who claims this. I don't understand how someone can be so sure of what they want to do and how this never changes for them. Maybe there really are people like this. I just know I will continue to search, to learn, to try new things and one day I believe I will be able to to figure this out. I just hope I have the courage to jump at any opportunity to keep pushing forward.

What The World Needs

2011-12-09T09:09:00.001-06:00

The world doesn't need more cynics.
The world doesn't need more naysayers.
The world doesn't need more tortured artists.
The world doesn't need more people happy with the status quo.
The world doesn't need more sleepwalkers.
The world doesn't need more takers.
The world doesn't need more doubters.
The world doesn't need more detractors.
The world doesn't need more pessimists.

The world needs more dreamers.
The world needs more thinkers.
The world needs more doers.
The world needs more people trying.
The world needs more risk takers.
The world needs more teachers.
The world needs more questioners.
The world needs more people challenging the status quo.
The world needs more change makers.
The world needs more optimists.

Which list describes you?

Keep Pushing

2011-12-08T09:36:00.001-06:00

Our life brings a strange collection of ups and downs, good and bad, success and failure. Many of us strive for more ups than downs, more good than bad and more success than failure. This is a normal reaction to each type of event. But, when we strive for these are we missing out on chances and risks which may pay off even more? If we fear failure, do we limit the success we can have? When we fear the bad, do we limit the amount of good?

Life is about taking chances and trying new things and doing things differently. Life is about figuring out who we are and what we can offer the world. Is it possible to truly find yourself without all of the above? Can we really know success if we have never risked enough to fail? We will never produce great work if we are constantly striving to not fail, to not do bad work. Dealing with the downs, the bad, the failures---these are the lessons we must have. We have to learn how to overcome, how to keep the down times from eating at our soul and keeping us from trying and risking again.

When we push ourselves and really try, there will be times when we don't succeed. Instead of dwelling on the failure, we must learn from it and try again. This is the only way we will be able to do great work. Everyone fails. The world is not against you. Shit happens. Don't let it ruin your day, your month or your year. Figure out why things failed and then try again in a new and better way. Keep learning and pushing and sooner or later you will get the up, the good, the success. When you have dealt with the others, these will taste so much sweeter.

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Positivity Breeds Positivity

2011-12-07T09:31:00.001-06:00

In this hectic world, it is very easy to become frustrated and negative very quickly each day. One thing can go wrong (the alarm doesn't go off, you're running late, the car doesn't start) and this throws us in to a tailspin of negative thoughts and frustration. This happens to everyone and once we are in this negative mindset, it can be really hard to pull ourselves out. Negativity breeds negativity. Once our mind is focused on the negative, we see it everywhere. One simple occurrence in the morning can ruin our entire day.

I have found a way to combat this and it sometimes works really well. When I start to get frustrated with something happening, I pause, take a few deep breaths, close my eyes and imagine something good. I think about my fiancee or my family or something funny that happened the day before. I try to pull myself out of the funk before it grabs hold. The interesting thing I have learned is positivity breeds positivity, too. If I can catch it soon enough or if I can focus on something positive each morning, I have better days. When I don't, I tend to have negative days. By knowing this, I can work towards having more good days than bad. As with everything we do, it takes work.

It Takes Work

2011-12-06T09:25:00.001-06:00

Some mornings, when I sit to write a blog post, the words come pouring out of my fingers and I have no problems coming up with something to say. Other days, like today, I can sit and think and struggle with the words and thoughts and not know what I am going to write. Either way, I open up this blog and sit with my fingers poised above the keyboard and put in the time to do the work. I love to write and I am thrilled when people respond to or share my musings with others.

Like everyone else, I have my doubts. Many times, I have wondered if I should continue to write on this blog, even though I have only been doing this for a short period of time. I wonder if anyone would notice if I quit writing, if anyone would really care. We all go through periods wondering if what we do is really worth the time. We really are our own worst critic. We doubt and then we feel the fear and then we quit. I know I have followed this path more than I would ever care to admit. We start doing something we love and want to do. After a while, we realize what we love and want to do takes work and we may not be as good at it as we want.

I know this blog doesn't produce a ton of traffic. I know there are many other blogs with better writing, better thoughts and a better style. There is a very, very good possibility I will never have the best blog on the web. Hell, there is a good possibility I will never have a great blog. While I would love to have either or both of these (who wouldn't?), I write because I love to write. I blog because I love to blog. I put thoughts out in to the world to see if someone else can grab hold of them and make them better. Maybe some of the things I write will help people in their struggle towards their goals. Maybe people will love what they read and keep coming back to read more. As I continue to write, I know I will get better. I know I have to put in the work. I know each morning I will sit with my fingers over the keyboard and wait for the words to come pouring out. I hope this blog will help others. Even if it doesn't, I know it has helped me.

Turn Off The Television

2011-12-05T09:39:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, I wrote about the importance of relaxing to revitalize your body and mind. While there are some people you know who seem to have endless energy and never need a break, I know most, if not all of us, need to take the time away to recharge and refocus if we want to create beautiful work. We have our own talents and skills and we have to find a way to connect these with what we want to do. Everyone has dreams. Everyone has goals. We start to fall short in reaching them when we don't understand how to leverage our talents for the greatest good.

Many people work in jobs where they are unable to (or have yet to figure out how to) use their talents and skills. They continue to toil away at this job to pay the bills and haven't connected the dots to figure out how to utilize what they offer to create a more lasting impact. In many cases, what we do outside of the daily job utilizes these skills and talents in ways we could never do within the work. We live in a society where we label each other based on what we do for a living. We have titles and ranks that may have nothing to do with what we can actually offer the world if we were using our skills and talents.

Many people feel stuck by their place in life because they are afraid to let go of what they have to try something different. They see their pay or their benefits and wonder if it is worth giving them all up to do something "crazy". This is a personal choice. But, it doesn't have to be the only choice we have. Many people create beautiful things while working a job to pay the bills. It's a good way to start, but requires motivation and dedication because it involves working outside of the work we do to pay the bills. It requires reorganizing your life and giving up some of the things we do after a long day (or in my case before a long day) of work.

We may hear this a lot, but turn off the television. Many of us spend so much time glued to this box watching things that don't really bring anything in to our lives. I used to be this person. I would DVR tons of shows and then spend my downtime catching up on the latest episodes of House or Survivor or anything else that looked good at the time. I would veg out in front of the television and the next thing I knew, I had been there for hours with nothing to show for my time except I could talk to other people who did the same thing about the shows we watched. I wasn't really growing or becoming a better person by doing it. I'm not saying you have to remove television completely from your life, but take control of the remote and spend some time creating instead of watching.

You have the ability to bring some beauty in to the world utilizing your skills and talents. The world deserves your creations. What if we could do something that brings a lasting impact, even if it is for just one other person? How would we feel? We have this ability. We just have to do instead of watch.

Relaxation

2011-12-04T16:08:00.001-06:00

For many of us, we are constantly going. With laptops and smart phones, we are never really able to leave work behind. We are constantly checking e-mails or receiving phone calls or making lists of the things we need to do once we are back in the office. We are not giving our bodies and minds the rest, relaxation and recharging we need to be at our best.

I am as guilty as the rest...I am constantly checking my work e-mail or hopping on the database to see how the day is going while I am away. I receive and return phone calls on my off days and haven't taken a day completely away from work for longer than I would like to admit (and this was only because I was out of cell phone coverage). No matter where you work, there are always going to be coworkers who do not respect time off, do not take enough time off themselves and assume everyone is going to answer the phone when they call. Don't fall in to this trap. There is a reason voicemail was invented.

Instead, make sure you are giving yourself the time off you need. Turn off the phone, kick up your feet and read or listen to music or go out to dinner or go see a movie or do whatever it is you find relaxing. There are very, very few things that could happen at work requiring your attention on your time off. In some situations, this may not be possible, but you have to build time into your schedule for you. We are never going to be able to do our best work unless we give our bodies and our minds a chance to recharge. Take time for you and let things go. It's the only way to continue to do your best work.

Spoken Word

2011-12-03T16:30:00.001-06:00

Sarah Kay is an amazing spoken word poet who gave this talk at TED. The Domino Project, in their wisdom, published this poem as their last work. I have to admit, I am a huge fan of spoken word poetry and have loved it for as long as I can remember. Following in the footsteps of the greats, including my favorite poet-Allen Ginsberg, spoken word poets touch our hearts and souls in ways other performance or written pieces can not.

Take a few moments to watch this video and think about purchasing the book, if for no other reason, then to remind people poetry is alive and well. Poetry can help us communicate and can reach out to touch the souls of other people. We all have stories to tell and I can think of no better way to tell them.

Stop Talking and Do

2011-12-02T09:22:00.001-06:00

Seriously, how is it already December? Life is flying by and seems to fly by at a much faster rate the older I get. It feels like only yesterday we were celebrating 2011 coming in to existence. I look back at the last year and realize I have had a really good year, even if I didn't accomplish or do a lot of of the things I wish I had. For most people, this is true when we examine the year as it comes to a close.

Yesterday, I wrote about goal setting for the upcoming year and wondered how I would be able to accomplish more of the goals I set. Motivation and focus are the two important traits I need to stoke to actually do the things I want to do. With a little more work and a little more organization, I hope to do more in 2012 than I have been able to in other years. As December 2012 rolls around, I hope I can look back at the year and realize I did accomplish more of what I wanted to accomplish, as well as having another great year.

For me, and I am sure for many of you, we push our goals thinking they can be done tomorrow or next week or next month and we never seem to get to the point where we can start working towards them. For next year, one of my goals is to really focus on doing the things I want to do. I need to stop the procrastination and focus on really doing the work. I am not sure if I procrastinate because I am afraid of not being able to handle doing what I want, because I don't want to put in the work and then have the final product be less than I imagined or because I just think there will always be time. It's probably a mixture of the three.

I have to train my mind to realize there is no time better than now to focus on all of the things I want to do. The time is never going to be perfect and pushing off my goals is only going to end with never actually accomplishing the things I want to accomplish. I don't want to look back in December of 2015 or 2020 and wonder how I still didn't accomplish the things I am thinking about this year. There is always tomorrow is a mantra I have to remove from my vocabulary. I want to actually do everything on my list of goals and the only thing holding me back is me. As I look back at 2012, I want to see the year when I learned to do instead of just talking about it.

Goals for 2012

2011-12-01T09:12:00.001-06:00

As we quickly race towards 2012, I am thinking a lot about goal setting. For the first time in my life, I want to have personal goals defined for things I want to do, learn and experience in the coming year. I have often done this type of goal setting at work, but this is the first time I have done it in my personal life. I know some of the goals are measurable and some are not, but they are all going to be goals. These goals touch on things I have been talking about doing for years, but never have focused on accomplishing. My hope is by setting goals, there will be a little extra motivation to stop talking and actually start doing.

Do any of you set personal goals for each year? These are not New Year's resolutions as I have found these often fall by the wayside before January comes to a close. I have started writing down some goals I have for next year and during this next month, I will add and subtract and figure out how my priorities lie. I will have no problem coming up with the goals, but I do have concerns I will let the year slide by without focusing on many of them. If you are a goal-oriented person, what tips do you have to keep these goals in the front of your mind?

The idea I have come up with, but not yet decided on, is to make a schedule of focus for the coming year. I will take the goals I want to hit and then figure out the best way to fit them in during year, while keeping in mind big upcoming big dates, October 13, 2012, and events happening throughout the year. I can print out this schedule and have it hanging throughout the house to remind me of where my focus should be each and every day. I have not decided how much of my list I will make public, though I know I am more likely to stick to the schedule if other people know what I am supposed to be doing.

Do any of you have thoughts, ideas or tips on setting goals, reaching your goals or keeping your goals a priority?

Frustration

2011-11-30T08:40:00.001-06:00

Many of us spend way too much of our time being frustrated by things we have little to no control over. We get frustrated by traffic; we get frustrated by things people say or do; we get frustrated by the things people do not say or do; we get frustrated when our order in a restaurant is wrong; we get frustrated with the weather; we get frustrated when the cable goes out; we get frustrated when electronics aren't working properly. We spend so much time being frustrated over little things and let these frustrations ruin our day.

Every day, something we don't want to happen is going to happen. We have to learn to ignore these little things or fix them without getting frustrated when they happen. We have to start looking for the good instead of dwelling on the bad. The key is to learn to not only let go of these frustrations, but to learn how to keep them from frustrating us at all. We have to find a different mindset, one where we focus on the good things happening and not on the bad. We have to relax and realize most of our frustrations stem from circumstances out of our control. We have to let go and let whatever happens happens. If it is good, celebrate. If is is bad, figure out how to fix it (if we can) and continue moving forward.

Frustration brings little good to our lives and easily compounds. Once we allow something to become frustrating, we begin to notice more and more things which frustrate us. Instead, early in every day, find something going well and think about how good we feel knowing this. As we get better noticing the good, we will start to see these good things compounding more and more and we will begin to feel less frustration for the others. Finding the good isn't always as easy because we have to focus our minds to notice the good and resist the urge to focus on the bad. Our days will never be perfect, but the people who have more good days than bad do this by focusing more on the good. Lots of little things happen throughout our days, isn't it better to spend our time focusing on and celebrating the good? With less frustration, how much more can we accomplish each and every day?

Confidence

2011-11-29T08:42:00.001-06:00

For many people, confidence can be very difficult to come by. This is not feeling we are superior, but feeling we are doing the right thing or a good job. Many people will wonder if they are doing good enough work or leading people in the right direction and worry they are not doing either well. Even if we have faith in our abilities, it can be hard to truly believe we are doing good work.

I often see lack of confidence in the way I take things people say as being negative when it is not meant as such. When our confidence wains, we will often assume innocuous comments are meant as an attack on our abilities or actions. When we think we are not doing a good job (even when we are), we will see others critiques or passing comments as more than they are meant to be. Having confidence, truly believing in ourselves, can be difficult for most of us as it requires faith, even when things aren't going as well as we hope.

Every day, we are confronted with problems and difficulties and failures. All of these have the ability to derail our confidence and cause us to wonder if we are moving in the right direction. Once we start to lose our confidence, we start to imagine this lack of confidence from others, too. Most of us work in an environment where we don't have someone helping to boost our confidence when we start to lose it. When the confidence levels drop, it is also hard to believe the people who are trying to help us bring it back to the level it should be. We are our own worst critics and have a hard time believing others think we are doing a good job when we don't see it.

We have to push through the dips in confidence, fix what needs to be fixed and keep pushing towards our goals. No one goes through life without doubting their work or their abilities, but the great ones keep pushing and trying to do better when they start to lose confidence. We have to be able to give ourselves credit and trust we have it in us to do great work. We have to be honest and see when we are not doing our best work and challenge ourselves to do better. At the same time, we have to see when we are doing everything we can and have confidence in it. This isn't always easy to do, but the more we work on it, the better we will get. We have to keep pushing and doing the best we can. We have to believe in ourselves if we ever hope to see how much others believe in us.

Endurance

2011-11-28T09:21:00.001-06:00

Moving from good to great isn't usually about talent or who you know or what you do (though these can all help), it is about endurance. It is about putting in the work when it becomes difficult or monotonous or terrifying. You can have all the talent in the world, but without the ability to push through, to find your second (or third or fourth) wind, you will not be able to move to the next level. Are you willing to put in the work?

It takes 10,000 hours of practice to truly master something. This could be a sport or a musical instrument or writing or surgery or anything else you can think of. To reach greatness, you have to put in a lot of time and a lot of work. Much of this work may require you to toil in obscurity. You have to be able to get up each morning and force yourself to do whatever it is you need to do to become great. You need the motivation to continue to practice when no one is looking. You need the motivation to practice, no matter what is happening in your life. You have to put in the work, even if the people around you think you are nuts. You have to ignore the naysayers and do what needs to be done.

Most people do not have the endurance to do this. This endurance requires confidence, drive, love and determination. Moving from good to great requires you to put in the work, but putting in the work does not always mean you will move from good to great. This is why many people choose to quit. If there isn't a reachable goal, they tend to pull up and move to something else. For other people, the putting in the work, the practice, the difficulty are the the goal. They want to be great, but they know they may not get there. They love the hard work and have the hope of getting better and better, but know they will never be perfect. For them, the journey is more important than the destination. This gives them the endurance to continue on, in spite of the difficulty, the criticism, the doubt. Do you have the endurance for the chance at greatness? Or, would you rather play it safe?

Decisions

2011-11-27T12:25:00.001-06:00

No matter what decision you make about anything, there are going to be people who agree with you and people who will not agree with you. A lot of the people on both sides can be ignored, but the difficulty comes when a person who disagrees with you is one who's opinion you value. In these situations, we have to remember their thoughts on the decision are colored by their perception and their goals. They may have good points, but the points may not apply to you or the circumstances surrounding the decision. Ultimately, every decision we make has to be the best one for us, even when we take in to account other people.

This is the interesting thing about us; we all perceive the world in our own ways and every decision will be a personal one, no matter how much it may appear to be similar to other people's decisions. We can all think about what we would do in someone else's shoes, but we can never truly imagine what it would be like to be in their shoes. We are different and therefore have a different way of looking at things. Remember this whenever you feel like changing your mind because of someone else or when you feel like a loved one is making a huge mistake. We all do things for our own reasons...it really doesn't matter if you wouldn't do the same. Make decisions based on what you think and feel. You can take into account the thoughts and beliefs of others, but you are the person responsible for you. If the decision is right for you, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

A Collection

2011-11-26T11:10:00.001-06:00

During this weekend of mass consumerism, here is a collection of organizations and companies people should know more about and support:

These are just a few of the companies and organizations I love. Click on each picture to learn a little more about who they and and what they do. What are some of your favorites?

Giving Thanks Part 2

2011-11-25T09:21:00.001-06:00

What would happen if we, as a world society, expressed our gratitude every day instead of at random times selected by the calendar? Would there be more peace and less war? Would people be able to get along a little better, no matter their race, religion, color or nationality? Would we be more willing to work together to solve some of the major problems plaguing the world? Would we be more likely to care about HIV epidemics in Africa or starving children throughout the world or the homeless in our own cities and towns? Would the world be any different? Would you be any different?

Giving Thanks

2011-11-24T09:19:00.001-06:00

On this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for all the people and animals who have made such an amazing impact on my life and helped me to become the person I am today. I am thankful for the people toiling every day to make this world a better place. I am thankful for the dreamers, the teachers, the nonconformists, the change makers and everyone else who inspire us to be bigger and better than we ever thought possible.

I am thankful I am able to share this day with people I love. I would not be the man I am today without the help and support of my family. I am thankful to an amazing woman who has decided to share her insight, love and passion with me on a daily basis. I am thankful for more than I could ever put in to words and more people than I could ever mention (though I hope you all know who you are). Thank you all for what you do, seen and unseen, to help push us towards a better tomorrow!

Dreams

2011-11-23T09:28:00.001-06:00

This tree really has nothing to do with this post, I just like it.

We all dream. We all have dreams. Our most important dreams are those we have when we are awake. These are the things we are supposed do. We are meant to chase our dreams and if we try hard enough, we just might catch them. Once we do, we are lucky enough to be able to dream again and come up with something new to chase.

The worst thing we could ever do is ignore these dreams. We may never feel the time is right to start chasing them. We may have too many responsibilities or too many bills or too many people relying on us. We may feel as if we owe our company or our boss for the job we have or feel it would be selfish to quit. We may be afraid of failing. We have probably become really too good at convincing ourselves we still have time and we can start tomorrow, which becomes the following day or the following month or the following year. We are amazing at coming up with excuses. While we may never feel the time is right, the time you choose, right now, is the right time to start chasing your dreams.

We dream for a reason. Our emotions and heart and intuition know what we want to do, what we should be doing, how we can bring the most good in to the world. Because we have become so good at ignoring these, we dream. It's the best way for the emotion and heart and intuition to be heard. Listen to them and start chasing.

Is This The Life I Want?

2011-11-22T08:47:00.001-06:00

Do you ever ask yourself: "Is this the life I want?" How do you answer this question? If you are asking the question, then you are probably not doing everything you yearn to do. This doesn't necessarily mean you have to change everything; maybe you just need to add a little more to your already full plate. Maybe there are some tweaks needing to be made and these tweaks could lead to a lot more happiness.

Usually when I ask myself this question, I have changed some major things in my life. I have moved across the country and quit jobs without a plan and ended relationships and quit drinking. Rarely do I ask myself this question and then adjust minor things. I always assumed it was the major things which didn't allow me to follow my heart and do all the things I want to do. Sometimes this is true, but I have started to realize sometimes, I don't have to quit my job or move across the country, but I just need to create a little more, I need to give a little more, I need to travel a little (or a lot) more.

Many of the things we want to do with life can be accomplished by changing the little things. I could travel more if I stopped eating out for lunch and instead started saving this money. I could create a little more if I just blocked it in to my schedule or stopped watching TV (which has actually opened up a lot of time for me). I could give a little more if I just schedule times when I am going to volunteer. Most of us say we want to be happy, but we have no idea what this means or what we need to do to get there.

Instead of asking if this is the life you want, instead ask yourself what needs to happen to love the life you live. Really think about the answer. Come up with ideas or thoughts or dreams of what you want to do and what you think will make you happy. Then work to get them. Dreams only really matter if you work to make them a reality. Work hard to get them and then come up with new dreams. Continue to tweak and change things until you are able to find the life you love. This isn't going to be easy, but truly enjoying life is worth the effort.

Want More or Give More

2011-11-21T09:25:00.001-06:00

How would the world be different if everyone had a place to sleep, a roof over their head, money in their pocket and were able to read? What great things could people bring in to this world if they weren't spending their entire day trying to survive? We will all continue to worry about things going on in our lives, but this can hopefully bring a little perspective to those worries. For most of us, whatever happens, good or bad, it will not be the end of the world. For many other people, it could be.

Instead of always wanting more, maybe we should give more.

Things to remember

2011-11-20T13:20:00.001-06:00

1) Stop comparing yourself to other people. We all have unique experiences and different passions. Live your passion.
2) Look for the good in every interaction, no matter how difficult.
3) Don't be afraid to live the life you want to live, no matter what other people think.
4) Strive to learn something new each day.
5) Learn from, but don't dwell on, the past.
6) Strive to make the world a better place, even for just one other person.
7) Don't be afraid to make yourself happy.
8) Laugh as often as possible. Life doesn't have to be so serious.
9) No one is "normal". Embrace your weirdness.
10) Love freely
11) Fail with grace and gusto
12) Be yourself

Do things the long, hard, stupid way

2011-11-19T17:46:00.001-06:00

This is another great Do Lecture everyone should watch. If you haven't checked out the Do Lectures yet, please do so. In each and every one, you will find something that speaks to you. We can learn a lot from the people around us and the internet allows the number of people to expand exponentially.

Based on the title of this lecture, I was pleasantly surprised at the direction it took. Sit back and enjoy!

Decisions

2011-11-18T09:10:00.001-06:00

On our path through life, sometimes things become hard. We aren't sure what we are supposed to do next and we aren't sure if the effort is going to be worth it. I have seen this numerous times throughout my life and I have made different decisions each time. Sometimes I quit and find something else to do and sometimes I battle through everything thrown at me to see what is on the other side. I wish there was a magical equation we could use to decide if the effort is worth the outcome but their really isn't one.

Whether to stay the course or to leave it is a personal decision and one each of us have to make on our own. We can seek input from others, we can look to our friends and mentors to see what they would do, but we have to remember every experience is different for every person. We are unique and as such, our struggles our unique as well. Every decision we make is a personal one; we need not be afraid of what others think of our decision.

When we look back, we have the ability to see the decision and the outcome, so we will often wish we had done something differently. When I look back at dropping out of law school, I sometimes wish I would have continued on this path and became a lawyer. I think about the good things I could have done with the degree and wonder what I would be doing now. But, I would not have landed in animal welfare, I would not have met my wonderful fiancée and I would not have started to share my life with some of the amazing animals I now do. Things would have been completely different and I have no way of knowing if this path would be better or worse than the one I am currently following. There is no way to know what our life would be like if we made other choices, so there is no reason to look back and wish we had done something differently.

No matter the quandary and no matter the decision made, our lives will change because of them. We can not even hope to see the magnitude of change caused by any of our decisions, the lives we will touch or the things we will do. We just have to make the best decision for us in the moment we are making it. The key words in the last sentence are "best decision for us" as this is all we really have to go on. Yes, all of our decisions affect others, but we can never really see all the ways this may be true. Be open, be true to your spirit, think about what you are doing and what you want to do, then make the decision. Listen for the little voice of passion and follow your heart. It will lead you to where you want to be.

Winter

2011-11-17T09:10:00.001-06:00

As I sit here on a cold November morning, I can't help but think of winter and snow. Yes, like most other people, I often complain about the cold temperatures, the hazardous driving conditions and the ice that always comes with a Missouri winter. But, I also think about why winter brings happiness to my household.

Dinners of soups or chili or stews, reading a book in front of a roaring fire, the warmth and comfort of my bed on a cold morning, the muffled existence caused by an overnight snow, watching my St. Bernard run around with glee in a blanket of white, nights spent playing board games or cards with the woman I love, snow angels, hot apple cider and tea and everything else winter brings in to my life. Winter is a time of closeness.

Everything occurring around us can be seen as good or bad, it all depends on the perception we wish to take and how we are going to allow ourselves to think about each occurrence. We can choose to see the good or the bad, but it is our choice. We can complain about the things we have no control over or we can choose to see the good. Start looking for the good and see if your life, your frustrations, your patience or your outlook changes. Make today beautiful.

Gratitude

2011-11-16T09:29:00.001-06:00

During November, I have noticed a lot of Facebook status updates of people giving thanks for things in their life. Each day, they post a new status expressing their gratitude. While some may find this to be a little cheesy, it is a very effective way to put your mind in to a place where you notice the good around you.

In The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor argues this is one of the best ways to get stuck in a "Positive Tetris Effect" and bring happiness to our lives. Every day, write down three good things that happened to you in the last 24 hours. These can be small or large things, but the goal is to take five minutes each day to write down just three things for which you are grateful. By doing this, you become more adept at noticing the good happening in your life. When you focus on the good, the negatives don't seem to matter as much.

What would happen in the word if everyone started focusing on the good, started noticing the things which bring happiness and started to pay less attention to the things which bring negative thoughts and frustrations to our lives? Would we be able to do more, create more, make more lasting change? If nothing else, wouldn't the chance to be a little happier and help to make those around you a little happier bring positive change? What if we all made the decision to express our gratitude, not only on Facebook, but face to face with the people we want to thank?

Start out by setting five minutes aside each morning or evening and write down three good things that happened to you each and every day. As you begin doing this, you will see areas in your life where you can express gratitude to the people who bring you happiness. It's simple, takes very little time and could improve your outlook, your mood and your work. It may be a little difficult for some of you at first, but if you keep on writing, it will become habit. Are you really too busy to give up five minutes each day? Try it and feel free to let me know how it works.

Be Great

2011-11-15T08:55:00.001-06:00

Many of us are dreamers and thinkers and visionaries, but we get stuck when it is time to do. We aren't sure the best course of action or we think we need a full plan or we just hold back when we have the opportunity. I know I have done this more often than I would like. Dreaming, thinking or envisioning a better world, a better job or even a better day is great, but without actually doing something, none of it really matters.

We have to do something. When we look around and notice great people, it isn't because they had great thoughts or ideas, it is because they put these thoughts and ideas in to action. They realized they didn't always need to know the best course of action or have a plan, they just started doing. They took their idea or thought and ran with it. They didn't hold back; they released their gifts to the world. Things might work out or they might fail. The great people realize that either way, they will have more thoughts and ideas to work on later. When we start doing, we free our mind to come up with more (and sometimes better) ideas. Everyone can come up with an amazing idea, it's the truly great who actually do something with it.

Fear

2011-11-14T09:05:00.001-06:00

I have written a lot about fear in my previous posts, but I haven't really addressed it directly. We often let fear control our decisions and sometimes don't even realize it. It takes thought and reflection to understand the fear we feel. Many of us are not comfortable examining the roots of our fear or trying to figure out which fear is the real fear controlling us. For me, when faced with a decision, I always wonder which fear is driving what I want to do. Am I looking to leave a job because I don't think I am good enough or smart enough to do it and I want to get away before other people realize this? Or, am I looking to leave because I know the job I am doing is not the one I want to do?

It can be very difficult to figure out which fear is actually the motivator. We have to delve in to the fear, fight with it and figure out which is real and which is not. There may be aspects of both or many in any decision we make, but most of us are hesitant to do this introspection as we aren't sure what we are going to find when we start. We spend so much time being afraid that we don't really make many choices. We look for ways to keep busy or indifferent, be it watching too much TV, going out all the time or as it was in my case, drinking.

We hide from fear. We aren't ever sure when it is going to pop up and we don't want to spend our time examining it or figuring out what it is keeping us from doing. Instead, we try to ignore it and by doing so, we are inactive. We don't make meaningful choices; we don't figure out what to do next; we don't do anything of consequence. We have to learn how to examine our fear and then use it to our advantage. This isn't something we are ever taught in school and can be very difficult to learn. Most of us will continue to struggle with this for the rest of our lives, but as long as we are aware of the fear, we will work to make choices because of what we want and not due to the fear.

This isn't going to be easy and we are going to learn a lot about who we are (and some of it may not be great). Acknowledging and examining the fear will help to make our lives better because we will start making decisions that matter. We will start to figure out what we want to do. We will know what the fear has been keeping us from doing and we won't let it hold us back. We will still feel the fear, but it will no longer have a strong hold over who we are. We will be in control and we will be able to accomplish more than we ever have.

Where O Where Have The Days Gone

2011-11-13T17:50:00.001-06:00

I sit here on a Sunday evening in mid-November, 2011, and wonder where the days have gone. It feels like only yesterday I was graduating college and the world was full of possibilities. I look back at how much I let fear keep me from chasing my dreams. I just floated through life, working many jobs that did not require a college degree to pay the massive and asinine debt I amassed while in college (and shortly after college). I drank too much, cared what others thought too much and convinced myself the dreams others had for my life were also my dreams.

I have often convinced myself the dreams of others were the dreams I held. It's one of the reasons I bought a house, even though I enjoy moving around a lot. It's one of the reasons I quit writing and continued to work a variety of low wage, entry level jobs which required absolutely no passion. It's one of the reasons I chose not to use the networking I had done to interview with companies I would have enjoyed working for. It's one of the reasons I continued drinking long after I knew I should stop. I was in control of all of these decisions and I know it. I also know fear held me back from chasing my own dreams and following my own path.

Since opening my eyes and seeing what I was doing, the great things is I have control over my future. I get to decide what comes next in my life. If I want to make changes, then I get to make changes. If I don't make the change, then I have no one to blame but myself. It's different when I can see it clearly. Before, I could blame it on things not working out, the world being against me or it just not happening the way I wanted. This knowledge is invigorating and terrifying at the same time. While I can't snap my fingers and make things exactly how I want, I can put in the hard work and the time to get there.

I get to choose my path in life. While this may seem like a hugely daunting task, there will be numerous other paths to follow as well. I can change my mind and choose one of the others. This is the gift most people don't realize...we don't have to live the rest of our lives with the paths we have already chosen or the ones we choose now. Follow your dreams and if your dreams change, follow the new ones. Live the life you want to live...the only person stopping you is you.

Make the Choice

2011-11-12T09:43:00.001-06:00

Most of us, from time to time, will pause and look at our life. We will examine what we do, who we are and dream of the future to come. We may wish things were different. We may be content with where we are. We look at the past and view events with a different lens than when we experienced them. We view the decisions we made with the gift of knowing where our life is and wonder what would be different if we had only made different choices. We will regret some things and we will celebrate others.

Dwelling on the decisions of the past does nothing to change the future. We control who we will become and the imprint we will leave on the people around us. We can't control the past, but we can alter the future by focusing on the moment. It sounds a bit philosophical, but wondering about the past and the choices made will do nothing other than make us forget about the moments we have now. Yes, we can think and we can celebrate the good, but there are choices now demanding out attention.

None truly know what the future holds, but the choices made now, the choices of today, shape tomorrow. Choose to do what makes you happy. Choose now to develop the skills you want for tomorrow. Shape your own dreams and chase what is going to make you feel alive. While we do all of these things, we can never forget to enjoy the moments we have today. These moments, today's choices, are already shaping tomorrow. Dream and plan and learn and build, but also live.

Forget about regret. Forget about what was. Forget about what could have been. We all have the wish of having done things differently, but none of us can change the past. We can start doing things differently now and guiding our life in the direction we want. We can become who we want to become, though the only way is to experience the life around us. To build the future we yearn for, we have to embrace life today. We don't want to look back and regret these moments. Make the choice to have experiences you will celebrate tomorrow.

Be Yourself

2011-11-11T08:47:00.001-06:00

Forget about who others think you should be and become the person you want to be. If we spend all our lives trying to please others, trying to fit into the mold other people think we should fit and working to be someone we are not, we will never be able to reach the goals we think are important. We all have the capacity to do amazing work, but we have to embrace our own uniqueness and do what moves us.

We all have others we look up to and want to be like, but we will never be able to do the work they are doing. We have different passions and desires and thoughts and muses and will only be able to be the person we are. We can have mentors and heroes, but we are all different. We do things our own way and think in our own terms and dream in our own way. We will be able to do so much more when we embrace who we are, when we become comfortable with who we are and when we choose to use the talents we have to create good.

Be the best you possible. Don't try to be just like anyone else. Embrace your quirks. Figure out how to use your talents to do the things you want to do. We will never be able to do what we want until we become comfortable with who we are. This sounds very easy, but most people will tell you it is not. We all have doubts. We all have faults. We have to become adept at not listening to the doubt and acknowledging and improving the faults. No one has lived the same life, had the same experiences or have the same mix of passions. Utilize what makes you different to bring great works into the world.