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Are you smarter than a squirrel?

The common squirrel (Rodent-us Cute-us). I know some people think of them as tree rats but I rather like the bushy tailed Friends.

Despite being small squirrels are a keystone species and one of the most successful animals on the planet. They inhabit five out of the seven continents.  How do they do it?

It all starts with a burning desire for food in this case.

The Video above shows an Olympic level gymnastic skill as well as cognitive reasoning that you would scarcely imagine a rodent would have.

What the video does not show us however is how many times the squirrel fell while learning the obstacle course. Each time dusting himself off before starting all over again. He kept trying until he got to the prize at the end.

We often see people after they have arrived and say wow what an incredible athlete, what an amazing business person, or aren’t they lucky. But we didn’t see how many times they fell before hand.

If you are not willing to fall a couple of times maybe you could use a lesson from our furry Friends.

Have a Great Memorial Day

I hope everyone reading this (those in America) are enjoying (enjoyed) this extended holiday weekend!

Just take a moment to remember our fallen brothers and sisters.

You owe it to them to live your life to the fullest and follow your dreams. They have paid the ultimate price to insure your freedom. The least you can do is show them you have not squandered their gift to you.

Semper Fi

Motivating Yourself doesn’t have to be Torture

Me waterboarding Creative Loafing reporter Alex Picket. Courtesy St Pete Times

Once again our nation is talking about the harsh interrogation tactic of Waterboarding.

What baffles me is if we are so mindful about how enemy combatants are treated why are so many people willing to torture themselves?  Especially when they are trying to get motivated!

Think about it? People have a tendency to forcefully try to motivate themselves to do something. When they resist they’ re own badgering they beat themselves up and make themselves feel guilty for not doing what they told themselves they had to do.

Have you ever been guilty of this? I know I have.

As intelligent, creative individuals of free will many of us have a tendency to rebel against authority figures. Even if that figure is ourselves.  So what is the solution?

Well I would like to suggest a  couple of ideas;

1) state your goals in a toward fashion instead of an away from. In other words say what you do want not what you don’t want.

2) When you are  telling yourself what to do avoid the use of  necessity words ( must, have to, ought, shall, should,won’t, will not, shall not,can not) after all there is nothing you really have to do ,except take another breath. Make it a nice deep one while you are at it.  Use words of  positive possibility(may, might, could, can). That way you at least know you have a choice and having a choice is always better than no choice.

3) Talk nicely to yourself. We all use internal dialogue to give ourselves instructions. Make sure you are not speaking in the voice of your parents or worse an Ex. Use a nice soothing tonality when you talk to yourself. You are a person too. You deserve to be treated well.

If you don’t do something you intended its o.k.; its not the end of the world.

 

P.S. Special thanks to Wendy Godmere for very publicly reminding me not to torture myself. The book is beginning to crystallize!

The Tower & the Treasure

Once upon a time, in a place far far away…

there was a sheer mountain…

…and on top of the mountain was a magical singing tower…

…inside the tower were piles of magificant treasure!

 

O.k. it was not so long ago. It is not so far away especially if you live in Florida.

The mountain wasn’t so sheer. Yes we do have a mountain in Florida (well sort of)

And the singing tower is the treasure itself! Even the surrounding garden is inspiring.

It is one of those hidden treasures that for those of us in Florida is in our own back yard. I have met so many people that will save up for five years to go see some monument in Europe but have have not seen this magnificent piece of architecture right here. It reminds me of that story Acres of Diamonds. The man searched the world over for treasure when it was on his own farm the whole time.

If you like reading biographies of the ultra-suuccessful  Edward Bok is certainly worth studying. Bok tower is worth seeing. It is one of the magical places that bring you back to when you were a kid and you still believed in magic, princesses and all those wonderful things. It is right outside of Lake Whales FL. The picture of the tower is a link to the website if you want to look into it more. 

P.S. Remember the hidden treasures in your back yard.

Biting off more than you can chew

It was suggested to me by a well meaning friend that with a new project I had started I might have bitten off more than I could chew.

That’s good! When we talk about expanding your comfort zone this what we mean. You take on things that are currently outside your skill set. Then you learn by doing which is the most effective way build your learning into muscle memory.

If you think you might have  bitten off  more than you can chew just ask yourself…

Am I Hungry?

American Made by American Heroes

A couple of week ago I had the privilege of interviewing John Campbell of Vetmade Industries. Above is just a tiny sample of 1/2 hour interview.  After John retired from the Army he planned on living a quiet life as a woodworker. Little did he know how deep the need to serve was ingrained into his system. Before long he risked it all to start Vetmade Industries a non-profit company that hires and trains disabled veterans. They build some very nice Adirondack furniture.  Take a look at their website. http://vetmade.org/

John’s business model seems to revolve more around how many disabled vets he can employ as opposed to just the bottom line.  Imagine what the Economy would be like if everyone adapted that kind business thinking. How much of your business revolves around the need to serve?

Shake Hands and Smile

Life is all about connections. In this world of computers, texting, and on line networks the importance of personal face to face connections can never be emphasized enough. A warm smile and a firm handshake can carry you far.

I have personally had a bit of a challenge learning to smile. When I went through Marine Corps bootcamp we were taught not to smile (Yes they really do brainwash us).  But now there is no need for me to look tough. I would rather have the endorphin rush of a good smile

We should never be afraid to make a new acquaintance. Unfortunately many of us were brought up not talk to strangers. Our parents did this for a good reason to keep us safe.  Later in life at some level we can still have that idea that its not safe to talk to strangers even though it is no longer a useful belief . It’s o.k.,  smile, shake hands, you might make a new Friend. 

Making new friends at the Clearwater Aquarium

The Mastermind Group

 

Hardly a year has gone by since my friend Chris Krimitsos told me he was creating one of the greatest Mastermind groups ever. I had my doubts. I had attended a lot of boring networking groups that didn’t measure up. 

Enter The Wealth Building Annex(TWBA). From our first meeting in a VFW building with a crackly sound system, to the Westshore Hotel and additional sub-groups popping in major cites around the nation. My how fast it has moved.

 I have met some amazing people including Brian Tracy, Jay Conrad Levingson and many others along the way.

 

I think we are going to need a bigger room

Who is that crazy looking guy with Brian Tracy? Someone call Security!

                                            

I would advise anyone who really wants to go places join a mastermind group. If you don’t know what a Mastermind is I would recommend reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

You don’t have to join this group but if you really want to accelerate your life learn to Mastermind.

“When a group of minds are coordinated and function in harmony, the increased energy created through that alliance becomes available to every member of that group.”

Napoleon Hill    

 

 

 

 

What a beautiful day

 Here in Tampa Florida today is absolutely perfect! There is hardly a cloud in the sky and it is very mild in temperature. This is probably one of the last perfect days this season before the Florida heat and carnivorous bugs arrive. I am sitting in my back yard watching a pair of Cardinals gather seed out of my feeder for their young.

 It is a beautiful day to…set some goals. As I sit here in my back yard I also have my trusty yellow legal pad out and I am writing down goals, and then doing a reverse timeline. The reverse timeline starts from the end goal and then works backwards to set up what you need to have done by when to meet your goal. It is great way to chunk things down so they don’t seem so lofty and overwhelming.

 It kind of reminds me of a similar day last spring when I was sitting in the back yard with a friend of mine. The Cardinals where down then too. My friend also had his trusty legal pad. He was telling me that he was going to create probably the greatest Mastermind Alliance ever devised! It sounded intriguing but I was not so sure if he could do it. After all that was a pretty ambitious goal.

 

 Did he pull it off? I will tell you more about it next post. It is too nice a day to be staring at a computer screen.