Monday, November 14, 2011

Be More ChildLike.


Happy is the person who has not lost their childlike heart.
--Keith Elkins

Think back to when you were a child and think of how open you were to experiencing the world around you…The excitement of each new thing or experience that you came across. Something as simple as seeing a butterfly or getting messy while finger painting. Sometimes we lose track of the qualities that we had as children.

As adults we get distracted thinking that we have to always be serious when it comes to work and all the adult activities and responsibilities that we have. I am not talking about becoming irresponsible and approaching everything we do as a joke. I am talking about holding onto and reminding ourselves of the value of always being childlike. The following are just a few of those qualities.

Being in the Moment: When children are at play that is all that they are focused on. When they are eating that is all that they are focused on. When they are reading or being read to that is all that they are focused on. They are not thinking about what happened yesterday or what they need to do tomorrow. Being childlike means being focused only on the present.

Imagination/Creativity: Children have the most vivid imaginations on earth. They can sit and play with toys for hours making up imaginary people and situations. When they color or draw it is unbelievable what they can create simply because they have no mental limitations as to what is possible. I have a game that I play with my grandson called the story game. Each one of us tells the other a story that we totally made up in the moment. It gets pretty interesting at times. What story could you make up?

Persistence: WOW! This is a big one. As adults we often get discouraged and look at failures as the end. When someone says “No” to us we simply give up. A child’s persistence is without fatigue. Have you ever seen that small child in the store that keeps asking for a piece of candy or a toy and the parent starts off by saying “No” to the child? Then ten minutes later that child has exactly what they wanted before leaving the store. Now that’s persistence!

Smiling and Laughing : As we grow up sometimes we control our natural instinct to smile more and laugh out loud. Make sure to find joy in the moment and never hesitate to smile or laugh… laughing at yourself is an extremely valuable skill. Make it a point to laugh and smile as much as you can throughout the day. You will change the quality of your life as well as the people around you.

I Challenge you to take an inventory of some of the valuable childlike qualities that we all had at one time and make it a point to start using them to improve the quality of your life.

LIVE OUT LOUD!

Monday, November 7, 2011

Back Out of the Noise.

“It has become appallingly clear that our technology has surpassed our humanity”
---Albert Einstein

How many hours a day are you connected to technology? The 800 pound Gorilla, used to be the television but now it is email, facebook, twitter, laptops, smart phones, or ipads. If you sat down and figured out exactly how much time you are actually connected…it would probably shock you. I love technology and I think it’s necessary and valuable in today’s world. I also think that because we are so connected at all times that we have become disconnected to many things around us.

It is important to back away from the noise. Just like going on vacation… when you come back you are refreshed and re-energized. In the workplace it is necessary to utilize technology but outside of work it is a good idea to not answer every phone call or constantly check emails, or facebook. Recent research demonstrates that couples taking their laptops, ipads, and smartphones in the bedroom contributes to marital disconnect. Rather than connecting with conversation and in other ways… use your imagination. It does just the opposite.

How many times have you been having a one on one conversation with someone and you, or both of you are constantly scanning your smart phone during the conversation? The challenge is that everything we do is a habit, so being always connected to technology becomes such we don’t even notice that we are doing it. It’s really about being more balanced in all that we do and making the necessary adjustments to get there.

I challenge you to take time to get outside, have conversations, spend quality time with family and friends and go on a technology fast for just a block of time everyday. You’ll be glad that you did.

LIVE OUT LOUD!

Saturday, November 5, 2011

How Resilient Are You?



Setbacks are setups for a comeback


How do you deal with setbacks and adversity? How do you think, feel, and act when things don’t go the way you expect them to? Do you get frustrated, angry, sad, or more determined? We all go through challenges in relationships, finances, career, family, and health. The key is what you focus on the most. If you focus on frustration…that is exactly what will grow and expand. Instead work on looking past the obstacle and focus on overcoming it and getting more creative about the solutions that you come up with.

There are four ways to empower yourself with the ability of being more resilient when challenged by setbacks. They are:

Face It: Very often the basic human instinct when faced with problems is to ignore, or avoid them at all costs as if they will just disappear. We all know that this strategy does nothing but prolong the inevitable. Things don’t improve, they actually get worse. Facing up to challenges is the best way to overcome them.

Handle It: After facing your challenges you are ready to start handling them. At this point you can clearly understand what your challenge is and what you need to do to overcome it. Focus more on building a strategy.

Accept It: Accept the fact that you are not in control of what may happen to you at all times. Life comes at you from some crazy directions and you need to accept that you can’t control everything. Also accept the fact that you are in control of how you respond to things that happen.

Let It Go: I like to say Let go and Let Grow. Challenges happen and if you get angry, depressed, frustrated and hold onto the anger and don’t let it go it will consume you. If you let go of the negative thoughts and emotions and allow yourself to adopt more positive and healthier ones you will be much more successful.

Just remember that obstacles are not there to obstruct you but to instruct you. Get started today in adopting the proper attitudes necessary to be more successful in life.

LIVE OUT LOUD!!!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Be The CEO of You Inc.

Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be
---George Sheehan

What if you conducted your life as if you were the Chief Operating Officer of a major corporation called YOU Inc.? How would you conduct yourself? What would be the mission, vision, and values for YOU Inc.?

Most of us wander through life letting life happen to us rather than creating a life that is fulfilling, passionate, and successful…not only for us but also the people around us. Your mission for You, Inc. should be to create a personal business plan outlining areas like your physical health, family, finances, education, spiritual growth, etc. Remember that everything is created twice, first in the mind’s eye and than in the real world. If you never sit down and develop philosophies and framework for each and every area than you are simply wishing your life away. It’s almost like trying to nail Jell-O to a tree. You’re never going to get any closer to what you want.

I’m going to give you three exercises to get you started. If you have read any of my articles you know that I have a personal strategy that I call “The Power of Three”. I look at three things that I can do daily to move forward towards anything that I want to achieve.

Exercise #1: What is Your Brand?

Come up with your personal brand or logo for YOU Inc. something that represents you and what you stand for. Please don’t come up with a heart or a smiley face. Design a symbol that truly represents you.

Exercise #2: Who is on Your Board of Directors?

Now I want you to fill six seats on your board of directors with individuals either living or not. It could be someone that you have read about in history that had the experience or values that you need on your board. Take your time and pick individuals that you would want to be surrounded by to give you guidance and good counsel.

Exercise #3: Who is Your Everyday HERO?

Think about someone that is living that inspires you to be a better person because of the example that they demonstrate in their own life.
So, your homework is to complete these three exercises to get closer in making YOU, Inc a Great Success. Get started!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Choose Happiness!

Valerie’s Happy Restroom

Recently I flew into the airport in Charlotte North Carolina to catch a connecting flight to Costa Rica. While in the airport I was having lunch and then it happened. I noticed a woman coming through the dining area cleaning tables. There was something different about her. She cleaned the tables like Picasso would paint a master piece and with just as much passion. Not only that, she was dancing and singing while doing so. Not dancing and singing like someone who just wanted attention. She did it from a soul level; she was truly a happy person.

I noticed as she went through the dining area cleaning, dancing, and singing that everyone around just lit up. People sitting reading their newspaper or on their laptops all of the sudden stopped looked up and smiles popped up on everyone’s faces like a field of flowers opening their blooms. After I completed my lunch I had to meet this woman. I walked up to her and said. Excuse me, I was having a good day however since I have seen you I’m having a great day. What is your name? She responded with joy and pride “Valerie”.

I then asked her why she was so happy. She said “If you can’t have fun at work don’t go”. She explained that happiness is a choice and that she chooses to be happy and chooses her attitude. She followed up with the fact that she had worked in the airport for two years and she started as a restroom attendant. Not a position that most people would be happy about. Not Valerie though she not only chose her attitude she called her restroom, Valerie’s Happy Restroom. She even posted clips on You Tube. She was than promoted to the dining areas because her supervisors felt like she would come into contact with more people.

I asked Valerie if I could have a hug and she gave me a hug that was so strong it would embarrass a grizzly bear. I asked her if I could take a picture of her and she agreed without hesitation. Valerie then told me that she wouldn’t be in the dining area the next time I came through the airport in Charlotte. I asked why? She said that a company in the airport heard about her attitude and joyful spirit and they hired her to be their organizations customer service representative. WOW! Talk about your attitude determining your altitude. Valerie not only affected the lives of anyone that came into contact with her she also affected her own. Valerie promoted herself from the restroom to the dining room to customer service representative for a large company.

Ask yourself this question; what impact is your attitude having on your life and the lives of the people you come into contact with? You can choose!

LIVE OUT LOUD!!!