Why Not Do It This Way?
“The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind, but how to get old ones out.” — Dee Hock
The Problem Is
March 16th, 2010Sunny With A Chance Of
March 15th, 2010
Sing Like No One Is Listening
Sunny with a chance of amazing!
Happy Monday everyone.
Having a GREAT week is ultimately up to each one of us. Our attitude shapes our behaviors, and our behaviors reinforce our attitude.
It’s a revolving door, so to speak. It’s also a habit.
And the easier it is to do, the harder it is to change.
Remember today’s forecast. Be prepared. Bring your sunglasses and sunscreen.
Guest Blogger Skip Gaskill
March 14th, 2010
All Gave Some, Some Gave All
Today’s post brought to you by returning Guest Blogger, Skip Gaskill:
Freedom Isn’t Free!…..Really?
Most people in this country really don’t/can’t grasp the reality of our country being at war today. We hear about it in the media every day but we as a country are not “really” at war. Why do I say this?
Because with the exception of the families of the fallen and the families of the deployed, we aren’t being asked to do without commodities like soap, sugar, butter, etc., as families were during WWII. We aren’t in blackout conditions at night for public safety. We aren’t working around the clock to produce tanks, ships, or airplanes to meet the needs of the Services. We come and go as we please, we go to work, we go to school, we go to parties, dances, sporting events, etc. We have our freedom.
Why?
Because our leaders knew there was going to be a fight one way or another. Our enemy hates us and our way of life. Our very lifestyle is a threat to their beliefs and they are on a campaign to destroy it. So, our leaders decided that it would be better to fight in the enemy’s front yard rather than our own. This decision means that we don’t have to deal with air strikes, suicide bombers, IED’s, or close quarter battle in our streets, our alleys, our yards, and in our homes.
This is a good thing right?
Absolutely yes…with one minor drawback.
It’s a double edge sword…because we took the war to the enemy’s front yard we don’t/can’t feel the threat (which I’m here to tell you is real) here at home and it makes it difficult for us to comprehend the seriousness of the threat. We feel safe. We are Free.
If you take nothing else away from this blog please consider this…don’t ever take your freedom for granted…someone paid the bill on our behalf.
Quote:
“Freedom has a taste the protected will never know.” – Anonymous (found written on a C-Ration Crate, Khe-Sanh, Republic of Viet Nam)
All We Can Do Is Try
March 13th, 2010
Yesterday, an unsolicited LinkedIn invitation reached my inbox. Being an open networker on LinkedIn and Twitter, I gladly accepted Matt’s LinkedIn invite.
Social media tools really are like anything else in life – you get out of it what you put into it. Period.
Did you know social media has surpassed pornography as the number one Internet activity?
We often hear of blind spots, mostly with a negative connotation.
But not yesterday: “Great profile and great blogs. It seems you live your life as you present it.”
When you’re a small business startup, you are everything: Visionary, Marketing, PR, HR, Finance, Spokesperson, Ambassador, Idea Creator, Innovator, Spiritual Director, Artistic Director, Secretary, Networker, Errand Boy, Office Manager, “Gopher”, Rookie, CEO, Janitor, and everything else.
All you can do is try. But until you actually try it on your own, you have no idea.
I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
Twitter Summary
Twitter = jeffnoelmidlife
Soul Silver Pokemon
March 12th, 2010
Pokemon (Pocket Monster)
What do children want?
Seems to me they want their parents to notice stuff.
Notice what they like to do and how well they do it.
Last night our son and I put a five dollar deposit on the new Pokemon game, Soul Silver, which is being released Sunday, March 14. The deposit ensures we can reserve a copy.
Otherwise, they are very likely to run out.
Apple’s iPhone sometimes has similar challenges.
What’s the moral here?
Cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon. Little boy blue and the man in the moon. When you coming home? I don’t know when. But we’ll get together then….
What Derails Our Confidence?
March 11th, 2010
What derails our confidence?
Everything.
Then, perhaps we should watch this You Tube video for our hourly dose of inspiration.
Before you decide to not click the video, let me simply ask you, right now, are you inspired to start your day? Are you 100% confident in your ability to be remarkable and indispensable?
I get nothing if you click through and watch it. Well, almost nothing. I get the peace of knowing that I tried my best to help you this morning.
If you click here, you’ll see a common man, working for the phone company, who has every reason to back down from his destiny.
But he didn’t. And neither should we.
Will be back again tomorrow for another shot at helping you with your daily dose of “don’t settle”.
PS. The clip has 63 million views so far.
To Sin Or Not To Sin
March 10th, 2010
Trash is as trash does.
Sins of commission (trying to do the right thing) are forgivable…
Sins of omission (doing nothing when you should be doing something) are not.
Is it acceptable to throw trash on the ground, because others have?
Is it acceptable to throw away your dreams because others have?
No Hometown Prophet
March 9th, 2010
Famous
Yesterday’s post, with the quote sent from Sally, is a reminder of how difficult it is to have the confidence to feel like we can make a difference.
People who know you well, will not notice your transformation, and therefore, you are much more susceptible to their ridicule and your own doubt.
And during this Lenten Season, many are reminded of Jesus’ story. Jesus wasn’t considered a Prophet in his home town, but he should have been.
Instead, he changed the course of history with his humility. And his prophetic promise, and sacrifice.
No Matter Your Position
March 8th, 2010
Mid Life Celebration
“You have the opportunity to be a powerful influence on the lives of other people, no matter your position in life.” — V.J. Smith
A reader of the five daily blogs I write sent this quote in a separate email.
It’s powerful.
It’s powerful when you come to realize that if you believe long enough and hard enough, it’s contagious. And no amount of rank or position can take that away from you. None.
Blog Post From 2007?
March 7th, 2010Three years ago, I took a first try at writing a book. It lasted one day. Know what happened next? Nothing? Nothing happened. Well, I took a second try a year and a half later with a blog post entitled “One Push Up”.
Daily writing began in earnest a year ago. So literally, prior to that, I was writing one post per year. Ya with me.
Here’s the very first “blog post” I ever wrote, three years ago. Maybe reading this will give you hope to not give up on your dream.
EVERYTHING’S IMPORTANT
(April 02, 2007)
How many books and articles have been written, over time, about what’s really important in life? In business? In leadership? In raising children? In becoming successful? In learning to prioritize your life? In achieving financial freedom? In becoming the best you, you can be? The answer, we all know. It’s thousands and thousands. This begs a profound question. What are they all trying to say? Really?
Two of the most magnificent days in your life are the day you were born, and, the day you figure out why!
Have you figured it out yet? If you’re like me, and the rest of your human brothers and sisters, the obvious answer is no! Most of us, simply because we’re human, will go to our graves not knowing . How tragic is that? It’s criminal, eh?
How then, is it possible to travel for decades on this glorious planet, and never figure this out? This too is a no-brainer. It’s because, “EVERYTHING’S IMPORTANT”!
What do you mean, Jeff? Think about it. We have all had bosses, or maybe we were the boss, and, it’s one fire-drill after another. Everything’s important, right. It gets so confusing that we finally just cave in and say, “OK, everything’s important”. It’s that seemingly insignificant moment that you doom yourself to a life of mediocrity. Really!
It’s like the story of the frog in a pan of room temperature water, sitting on the stove. A group of teenagers slowly turn up the heat to see what the frog will do. We all know how this plays out. The frog never notices the slowly changing water temperature and dies as the water finally reaches the boiling point.
How is this possible? It’s possible because you and I are weak. We are conditioned to accept mediocrity. We are shown images of greatness in the media. Constantly. No one ever talks about the serious, but do-able, effort required to be excellent. And so it goes. We give up, It’s perfectly acceptable to give up. Everyone does it. Why should you be any different? Because!
Because if you don’t try harder, you will never know the difference between joy, liberation and inner peace, compared to the alternative – a life sentence in your unfulfilled journey. Is this your legacy? The legacy you want your children to see and model? Go to jail, go directly to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200 dollars.
Right now you should be feeling some pain. Emotional, psychological pain. This is a very good sign this book is for you.
It has taking years, no, decades, to discern the truth. You’ve probably heard it said: “Wisdom comes from experience, and experience comes from making mistakes”. The truth is here at your fingertips. In these pages. You can do what you want at this point. The choice is yours (there’s a BFO)!
I know of no other person who’s invested more time and emotional labor to simplify life’s truths. They say, “to teach is to learn twice”. Your journey is like mine. We are born. We grow and learn. Somewhere on your path, is your answer to your question, “Why am I here”?
Are you ready?
Pause!
Yes, pause and think.
This will make you feel uncomfortable, no doubt. You should get used to this feeling, so that, in time, you will welcome your pain that comes when you slow down, and look inside yourself. You will discover, there is no other way.
If you think about why you are reading this book, then your answer to continue or not will be automatic. Yes!
Please turn the page when you are ready.