Life Phases

1) Stuff – I need stuff.  Stuff is cool when I get it.

2) More stuff – If some is good, more is better.

3) Different stuff – I want certain stuff I like.

4) Purpose, Philanthropy, Helping Others – stuff doesn’t turn me on anymore.  Now I want to do what I was meant to do, and I enjoy helping others.

What phase are you in?

You're in charge.

“When life gets tough, some of us feel that we’ve lost and life has won.  But life isn’t trying to defeat you.  Life isn’t even a participant – the game is yours.” – Mo Gaudat

The game is yours.

You are in charge of your own life.

Let’s go.

Do you have ADD?

Many people have it.

Their lives are not what they could be because of it.

It’s so sad.

ADD.

Adventure Deficit Disorder.

When was the last time you went on an “adventure”?  That doesn’t mean traveling to the next state to sit by a pool. 

It means when you try something where you don’t know the outcome exactly…you go somewhere very different – out of the box for you…or maybe you have a goal to help someone but you have to gather resources and get uncomfortable…or you go into the wilderness and explore…

A real adventure is one you are a little nervous about but you put yourself out there anyway.  One you really look forward to it and you can’t stop talking about it afterwards.  It stretches you.  You become a different person.

Do you have at least one real adventure planned for this year?

Tell us what it is in the comments!

…

Seize Opportunity

“Any man who has been successful has leapt at the opportunity chance provides.”  – Doris Kearns Goodwin

Some people say they don’t get opportunities.  I think opportunity has come into sight to many people, but they just don’t recognize it.  The more you learn the more opportunity you see.  You have to prepare yourself to see it and take advantage of it.

Some people think opportunity means “an easy win”.  But opportunity has to be met with action, and that means work.  Opportunity doesn’t mean free lunch.

Opportunity is all around us.  In fact, there is so much of it that we have to choose what opportunity we are going to take because we don’t have enough time to take advantage of it all.

Do you see an opportunity?

And?

You must believe in this…

If you are going to believe in anything at all, you must believe in you.

Wisdom = K + E + R

Wisdom = Knowledge + Experience + Reflection

Knowledge is a good starting point.  Read the books. Listen to the audios.  Watch the videos.  But knowledge is just a start to real wisdom.  

Then you have to try things. Do it.  Get in the game.  Get your hands dirty.  Use your knowledge and develop a higher level understanding of what works and what doesn’t – and of the finer dimensions and combinations of qualities it takes to succeed.

This gets you much closer to real wisdom.  But there’s one more thing you have to do – reflect.  You have to think about how your knowledge and experience fit together and what you might have done differently along the way.  You have to discern what the key steps are – what is most important, and what is less important, and what the pitfalls are.  You have to gain clarity so that you can explain to others how this is done and how they can do it, too.  

I can tell you that when I have learned and practiced many things.  But when I sat down to write a book, manual, or training class about it, I had to get clear and bring it all together.  It forced me to reflect when I had to teach it.

Wisdom + Knowledge + Experience + Reflection

Pick a subject you want to really be a master at – one that you love.  What step are you on?   What’s next?

Dog food?

A woman sees her child start to feed the dog a part of her donut.  “NOOOOO!” she yells.  “It’s not good for him!” … and then watches her child eat the donut.

You wouldn’t fill the dog bowl with soda would you?

You should be treated better than the dog.

I mean…right?

Who do you say you are?

Your behaviors are usually a representation of your identity.

It is impossible to behave contrary to who we believe we are.

What and who do you say and believe you are?

Can you think on it and make an updated decision on who you are?

To get better, start by acknowledging the truth.

“All progress starts by telling the truth.” – AA founder.

Of all people, the easiest one to deceive is ourselves.

When the need for illusion is great, to save our ego, make an excuse, defend our actions, we tell lies that we believe.

When we start to tell the truth to ourselves and then others, we can get better from there.

If we don’t tell the truth, we are often handicapping our ability to get better.

Do you want to get better?

Tell the truth.

Two kinds of freedoms

Freedom from, and freedom to.

Having “freedom from” is great.  Freedom from violence, oppression, disease, and injustice.

“Freedom to” is next level.  Freedom to do whatever you want when you want.  Now that is freedom.

Of course, it comes only with discipline, learning, and creating value for others.