Archive for the ‘Daily Mind Shifters’ Category

Actually had a conversation with someone about the idea of living ‘effortless’. My days are setup in what I feel is very productive and conducive for my growth. It’s as though everything builds upon another. It’s though what I’m doing now, is a ‘fruit’ of its preceding path.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not perfect in any way. I do have days that get blown out of the water, but when that happens, it’s usually because of again, something that proceeded. Or… a circumstance I was having trouble working through.

However, for the most part I have my days laid out as such. Now, I’m using the word ‘effortless’, not in the sense of avoiding challenges, but embracing them. When I think of ‘effortless’, I think of something or someone that is in line with their purpose, and using their given resources, talent, their environment for its best use possible towards that purpose, that the strength, energy, and passion needed to move forward is almost effortless.

When we’re at our best, moving through challenges becomes an effortless progression.

If you think about it, everything under the God’s creation is an effortless evolvement. The only ‘being’ that gets to choose their path of effortlessness is “us”, the people of this world with free will. Everything else grows and changes without effort by default.

The question for me today, is… will I see the issues I face as a problem that requires effort to even face up to, or will I see it as a challenge that requires no effort to face because I’m inspired to overcome it?

For me, excuses pop up quickly when I don’t have a system that’s conducive to my energy and overall growth. Something that gives me a real reason to do it!

There are important things that need to be done, such as paying bills, and organizing paperwork, which just takes too much time and gets me off focus. Without a purpose, I don’t like doing them, and will always come up with excuses not too.

However, it all changed when I converted all of this to how I handle my over-all stewardship and resources. What’s been given to me I’m called to increase, maintain, and benefit towards an inspiring picture that I see in my mind’s eye and on paper every morning.

To me, it feels great to maintain, and think of new ways I can increase and beautify my world.

So these days… I actually look forward to cutting grass, pulling weeds, working out, etc…

What about you, are your daily actions in line with your goals? Maybe it’s time to think about why you do everything you do. If you have an inspiring reason to do it, then that maybe enough to get you moving.

I find it’s not the threat of not doing it that gets me going, but it’s more like the inspiration behind the why I’m doing it that gets me moving.

I think it was Tony Robbins that once said, “People aren’t lazy, they simply have impotent goals; or goals that don’t inspire them”.

Do you think it’s wise to grow-up? Well, I think so. I believe we’re called increase and to live by a set of principles and morals to guide our way through life; something that we can sink our roots into and stand for. They become like guiding river rocks for our life to flow in a direction of faith and fortitude.

But this is a different role that most people play out in their minds when they think of growing up. People believe that growing up means just not accepting responsibility, but living for it.

Responsibility should be a reflection of what we give our hearts to, not giving our hearts to responsibility.

When this happens, people tend to give up the joy of life all together. It takes the “Fun” out of the equation. I happen to live for fun, so does that mean I’m not a grow-up???

Unlikely… My growth relies on ability to accept my principles and values, and live with and for them to the core, that as a result I take responsibility for my actions to increase my life, and it’s those actions which speak louder than words. How I live for them, portrays my character.

And guess what??? I still get to play and have fun!

I saw something the other day that said, “You don’t stop playing because you grow-up; you grow-up because you stop playing“.

How amazingly true that is…

Have you or do you make excuses for things you know need to be done? Also, if you could just quit making excuses, would your life be any different, and how?

I know I have! “It’s too early for this, I’m tired, my feet hurt, I’m not smart enough, I don’t have an Apple computer, my phone doesn’t work, but I won’t be able to…..” We all have done it, and most of us continue to do it from time to time. It’s easy to put things off to relieve the pressure of right now.

I think it’s a matter of perspective of what is right now. Most people see it as a pressure point that creates stress, so the natural thing to want is an escape. The questions we turn to are all about “how can I put this off or what excuse can I give to buy me some more time?”

We all know that time stops for nobody. When you can see time as something that’s not waiting for you, and you can compare your conditions to someone else in worst conditions that is either making things happen or would line up for an opportunity like yours, then it’s easier to remind ourselves what excuses are really there for.

In reality, there are no excuses. Just our own choice to sit idle and let time pass us by, or use whatever means we have right now to step forward.

In the series of 10 rules all ExceptionZ break, we just begun this week’s discussion about “Excuses”, so feel free to chime in here.

In my own growing up and maturity, I’m always learning, developing, and feel I tend to gravitate towards a life of humility even deeper and deeper than the year before, the year before that, and so on.

I was contemplating lately about humility. The ocean is vast but in all humility. It sits low, while all the rivers remain high, and rushing forth in its own beauty for people to bask in. The rivers say “look at me”. I am fast, and beautiful, and I give you a great source of wealth and information right now.

But as the old adage goes, “in the end, all rivers lead to the ocean.” In other words, what remains high, and appears to be shiny, and perhaps the immediate solution, flows towards what remains low, anyway. Or what in reality is the real solution, and appears earthen, worn, maybe rustic… but real.

Intentionally, grow to be a vast source of your strength, your knowledge, your talents, but in all humility remain low, like the ocean, and eventually all rivers will flow towards you, anyway.

I was asked a great question by my friend Ivan Bickett ! Basically what would I do different, and as a result what is the one piece of advice I would give new startup business owners. Read on to hear my thoughts…

Someone shared with me a quote the other day by rap artist Eminem. The quote said something along the lines of, “You have enemies? Good! It means you stood up for something in your life…”

I think that line is right on point.

Now, I don’t believe that most of us intend to make enemies. We usually desire to build relationships, to make meaningful connections for the benefit of something meaningful to us, and perhaps something bigger than us.

But life tends to share differences in all things, with a settled medium somewhere in limbo. If you are appealing to everyone, there may be a chance your relationships, your stewardship, and everything under the sun that you’ve been given to interact with may be somewhere in this mediocre limbo. In this place, you slip through life under the radar, fearing to exceed anymore than you have because it may cause differences with others.

If you truly live life from your heart, whatever your heart speaks will not appeal to everyone, and sometimes it does create enemies. But to the ones you do sync up with, it will so at a much deeper level, and the relationships become genuine and you have a much better shot at making a significant contribution during this adventure on earth.

If you make enemies, then make it matter. Have a purpose!

Personal accountability is one of the biggest missing behaviors in our world. What ever happened to just doing things for the sake of just doing them, and taking ownership rather than always pointing the finger towards someone or something else?

This is why true leadership is rare, but not that hard to find because they stand out like glowing light bulbs in a crowd. A lot of times you’ll even find the leaders in employee roles versus the managerial roles, while the managers consciously or unconsciously adapt.

Though leadership may be in the employee role at times, some people in managerial roles will still continue to use control as a form of leadership. But that’s okay, because true leaders can only be contained for so long. The world either adapts, or the leader rises.

A lot of people think they are leaders because they can just change people around them. This is the complete opposite of what real leadership is all about. You can’t change someone, nobody can! You’ll always hear the cliché that the only person you can change is yourself.

But yet, we still continue to point, and take any kind of responsibility off of ourselves. I don’t know, maybe it’s because when the sh&# hits the fan, we don’t have to own up to it.

True leadership will always own up, no matter if it’s their responsibility or not, they still take ownership. The world naturally changes around them, not by force, but by response to the leader who has taken the time to change his or herself, first!

When we change, our world changes. But it starts with us; always…

I was talking with someone the other day about why a lot of people are not moved to speak from the heart whenever they’re trying to land a career with an employer, and this is an apparent hold-up for people. The lack of enthusiasm tends to hinder people from landing a great career. His response was an obvious one, and he believed that simply their confidence level is not strong.

Very true! So if confidence is the lack that separates us from achieving great things, how do we increase our confidence?

Put it this way, everything in its true form is a real, genuine, shiny, and magnificent piece of creation. A lot of times, just the same as with tarnished metal, it’s about removing the muck that keeps the metal from shining.

Confidence is a living, breathing spirit that we all have. Looking inward to find our true selves helps us to know our path in life. It allows us to remove the muck that keeps us from shining, and doing the things necessary to get to where we need to get.

Dan Miller, author of 48 Days to the Work You Love and No More Dreaded Mondays, says that “85% of process to having the proper confidence and career direction to move forward with real meaning comes from looking inward first. The rest is just the application”

Knowing “you” and what sets you apart will give you the confidence you need about your true direction in life. You will radiate the message just by your actions which naturally displays, “I am here to serve, and you need me on your team!”

Does the economy stink? Well, sure; but only for some, not for all. It looks very depressing to many people who are without jobs, hate their jobs, or are on the verge of being let go. But only if their aim is to keep things the way they always were. To them the economy doesn’t seem that hopeful, but to others there is a new horizon, and things appear to be very hopeful!

The economy and work models are just changing. New innovations; new creative initiatives are invented everyday. It’s discovering whether or not you want to be apart of the new or apart of the old.

Preparation and constant learning will set you up for the new.

Where are you heading?