Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Thankful...
I'm thankful for you.
Are you thankful for you?
Hmm...I ask myself that question (if I'm thankful for me) & sometimes I get different answers. Not like in a 'schizophrenia multi-personality' sorta way, but in a sometimes-my-reality-is-not-grounded-in-Who-I-am or Whose-I-am sorta way. Make sense?
Please, please understand that you have intrinsic value just on account of who your Manufacturer is.
You have value.
You are valuable.
Sometimes I wonder (for me)...sometimes I doubt...do you? Do you ever wonder if you have value or wonder what it is that you "bring to the table"?
I am so amazed at the amazing & beautiful people that I am so blessed to be surrounded by and am SO incredibly thankful to have them/you in my life.
If I know you...YOU add value to me.
If I don't know you...YOU add value to your friends.
Be thankful...
a.) For your friends...and how God made them.
b.) For you...and how God made you.
I am thankful...for all the hundreds and even thousands of 'normal', 'average', 'mediocre', 'run-of-the-mill' people that I have met over the years, whether in a brief encounter or those that I've known for some time...that to the 'average' observer may only appear "as close to the bottom as the top"...only to discover such amazing, priceless, rare gemstones of life hidden amidst all their "averageness".
And that the more we "dig" in each other's gardens...the more we dig in the garden of that "average" person we may be talking to at the time in the brief encounter at the coffee shop or in line at the grocery store or sitting next to at the basketball game or speaking with on the other end of a customer service call getting our cable fixed or in the same aisle in the pet store looking at the same goldfish or squished next to in the middle seat of the plane flight to ATL...as the "dull, average and possibly raggity curtain" of your life slowly begins to pull back...we begin to realize we've got front row matinee seats at the greatest showing of all times...the character develops, the plot thickens, the villain emerges from the shadows, the 'average, no-name' hero (you) appears center stage...all within a brief conversation, in a chance encounter, with some person who not 10 min earlier wouldn't have thought twice about speaking w/you. And now they're possibly mesmerized by your story...enraptured by your life's pulse...in awe of the irony of your average "wrapping". By all external appearances you looked to be a normal 'book' covered w/life's dust that blanketed you like an old antique automobile forgotten in the barn...
...the 'title' of your life's book almost indistinguishable from the apparent human 'debris' that has accumulated & in-turn, coroded...and they just happened to walk by this particular "book" in the hustle & bustle of their very 'un-average' life...stop...blow a little dust off you by asking you a few questions, even if pretending to be interested in you...and then it happens...your story begins to unfold like the most exotic of flowers ever to be discovered...your petals begin to peel back...the glory of your splendor begins to shine forth.
Inside of you lies the sum total of all the beautiful, horrific, exciting, dull, loving, depressing, highs and lows that you've ever had...to include all the wonderful, terrible, dumb, wise, fascinating and enchanting people you've ever met...and the "average" of all those experiences and people...resulted in a very UN-average, amazing, real, gritty, powerful, living true-life novel that exists in YOU.
Please share your story.
You are valuable.
Thank you for who you are.
I am so very thankful for you.
Go.
Do.
Pursue.
I believe in you.
Are you thankful for you?
Hmm...I ask myself that question (if I'm thankful for me) & sometimes I get different answers. Not like in a 'schizophrenia multi-personality' sorta way, but in a sometimes-my-reality-is-not-grounded-in-Who-I-am or Whose-I-am sorta way. Make sense?
Please, please understand that you have intrinsic value just on account of who your Manufacturer is.
You have value.
You are valuable.
Sometimes I wonder (for me)...sometimes I doubt...do you? Do you ever wonder if you have value or wonder what it is that you "bring to the table"?
I am so amazed at the amazing & beautiful people that I am so blessed to be surrounded by and am SO incredibly thankful to have them/you in my life.
If I know you...YOU add value to me.
If I don't know you...YOU add value to your friends.
Be thankful...
a.) For your friends...and how God made them.
b.) For you...and how God made you.
I am thankful...for all the hundreds and even thousands of 'normal', 'average', 'mediocre', 'run-of-the-mill' people that I have met over the years, whether in a brief encounter or those that I've known for some time...that to the 'average' observer may only appear "as close to the bottom as the top"...only to discover such amazing, priceless, rare gemstones of life hidden amidst all their "averageness".
And that the more we "dig" in each other's gardens...the more we dig in the garden of that "average" person we may be talking to at the time in the brief encounter at the coffee shop or in line at the grocery store or sitting next to at the basketball game or speaking with on the other end of a customer service call getting our cable fixed or in the same aisle in the pet store looking at the same goldfish or squished next to in the middle seat of the plane flight to ATL...as the "dull, average and possibly raggity curtain" of your life slowly begins to pull back...we begin to realize we've got front row matinee seats at the greatest showing of all times...the character develops, the plot thickens, the villain emerges from the shadows, the 'average, no-name' hero (you) appears center stage...all within a brief conversation, in a chance encounter, with some person who not 10 min earlier wouldn't have thought twice about speaking w/you. And now they're possibly mesmerized by your story...enraptured by your life's pulse...in awe of the irony of your average "wrapping". By all external appearances you looked to be a normal 'book' covered w/life's dust that blanketed you like an old antique automobile forgotten in the barn...
...the 'title' of your life's book almost indistinguishable from the apparent human 'debris' that has accumulated & in-turn, coroded...and they just happened to walk by this particular "book" in the hustle & bustle of their very 'un-average' life...stop...blow a little dust off you by asking you a few questions, even if pretending to be interested in you...and then it happens...your story begins to unfold like the most exotic of flowers ever to be discovered...your petals begin to peel back...the glory of your splendor begins to shine forth.
Inside of you lies the sum total of all the beautiful, horrific, exciting, dull, loving, depressing, highs and lows that you've ever had...to include all the wonderful, terrible, dumb, wise, fascinating and enchanting people you've ever met...and the "average" of all those experiences and people...resulted in a very UN-average, amazing, real, gritty, powerful, living true-life novel that exists in YOU.
Please share your story.
You are valuable.
Thank you for who you are.
I am so very thankful for you.
Go.
Do.
Pursue.
I believe in you.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Are you living intentionally?
In case you were wondering where I came up w/all these questions that I shoot your way, they're ones that have already nailed me to the proverbial 'wall'.
Some I've asked myself...and answered incorrectly.
Some I've asked myself...and have partial answers.
Some I've asked myself...and hit them outta the park!
Some I've asked myself...and the clue bus still has yet to pull up in the driveway.
So...this will be a post that I will come back to & develop over time, but just in case you read this sooner rather than later...let me go ahead & just throw this into the mix...
ARE YOU LIVING INTENTIONALLY?
What does that mean to you?
How do you "live intentionally"?
Are there areas of your life you're living more intentionally than others? Why?
How do you get those areas of your life that you're not currently living intentionally back on track?
How long have you been off track?
What % of your life would you say you're living intentionally?
How many hours of any given day would you say you're living intentionally?
How did you get off track?
What phase of your life were you living the most intentionally? Why? Why that specific time in your life? What were the circumstances surrounding that time in your life?
What causes us to be intentional?
Who's the most intentional "liver" you know? ("liver"...not the 3lb body part beneath your diaphragm)
Is living intentionally important?
What does living intentionally "do" for us?
What are the consequences for NOT living intentionally?
Do the majority of people you know live intentionally?
Do the people you look up to & respect live intentionally?
Were intentional people "born" that way?
How did they get that way?
What type of friends do intentional people have?
Do you have intentional or unintentional friends?
Does God live intentionally?
Would He want His kids to live intentionally?
Who do you know that could benefit from some of these questions?
Are any of these questions helpful to you? How?
Is there one particular question that jumped out from the above list & smacked you in the nugget? Which one? Why?
Go.
Do.
Pursue.
I believe in you.
Take the 1st step. Now.
Some I've asked myself...and answered incorrectly.
Some I've asked myself...and have partial answers.
Some I've asked myself...and hit them outta the park!
Some I've asked myself...and the clue bus still has yet to pull up in the driveway.
So...this will be a post that I will come back to & develop over time, but just in case you read this sooner rather than later...let me go ahead & just throw this into the mix...
ARE YOU LIVING INTENTIONALLY?
What does that mean to you?
How do you "live intentionally"?
Are there areas of your life you're living more intentionally than others? Why?
How do you get those areas of your life that you're not currently living intentionally back on track?
How long have you been off track?
What % of your life would you say you're living intentionally?
How many hours of any given day would you say you're living intentionally?
How did you get off track?
What phase of your life were you living the most intentionally? Why? Why that specific time in your life? What were the circumstances surrounding that time in your life?
What causes us to be intentional?
Who's the most intentional "liver" you know? ("liver"...not the 3lb body part beneath your diaphragm)
Is living intentionally important?
What does living intentionally "do" for us?
What are the consequences for NOT living intentionally?
Do the majority of people you know live intentionally?
Do the people you look up to & respect live intentionally?
Were intentional people "born" that way?
How did they get that way?
What type of friends do intentional people have?
Do you have intentional or unintentional friends?
Does God live intentionally?
Would He want His kids to live intentionally?
Who do you know that could benefit from some of these questions?
Are any of these questions helpful to you? How?
Is there one particular question that jumped out from the above list & smacked you in the nugget? Which one? Why?
Go.
Do.
Pursue.
I believe in you.
Take the 1st step. Now.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Mobile Post
Not deep, per se', but wondering how many parents' kids have ever soiled the floor during potty tng ops, creating nice "earth tones" in the carpet?
Give someone THIS gift for Christmas...
Give someone the gift of...
...YOU!!!
Sounds a little cheezy, eh?
Bear with me on this one...(not like Winnie The Pooh "bear", but like 'hang in there' "bear")...
Seriously...most of us are gonna be around all kinds of folks this Christmas & New Years. (Wow...can you believe it? Geepers crow...it's gonna be 2010 in 11 days! WOW!)
Think for a second or maybe think for like a bunch of handfuls of seconds about what makes you unique? Seriously...just stick w/me for a bit like a Post-It. What is it about you that attracts other people? No, not like in a hot & sexy sorta way, but like in a 'Why-do-you-have-the-friends-you-do?' sorta way.
By mere definition a 'friendship' is typically one in which there is give & take; there is mutual benefit; there are deposits & withdrawals on both sides of the friendship account; there is added value.
So, what is YOUR added value? If you've got any sort of friends, then you've got SOME sort of added value. What is it? Why do your friends like you? Statistically speaking, it's probably not because of your big bank account or salivating good looks. :-) Sorry, but not all of us can look like Arnold Schwarzegibbens! (Wait! What?!? Why are YOU laughing so hard on that one?!? Don't make me come through this screen & issue you a full 12 pack of the Big Hurt. Folks have died for lesser things...in fact, the boogey man checks under his bed for ME!! Evidently you haven't heard the whole line of jokes that are out there due to my superior ninja skills. We had to change the name to "Chuck Norris Jokes" just to protect my posterity.)
Anyway...if I were to poll your top 5-10 friends, what would they say they appreciate most about you? Why do they enjoy hangin' out w/you? (And, yes, if you are in the very, very small minority of people out there w/monster bank accounts & Zoolander-esque (ridiculously, ridiculously good) looks then you already know the answer why your friends like you! (LOL...just kidding! Gee whiz, lighten up!)) Do you make your friends feel better about themselves when they're with you? Do you make them laugh (at you or with you? Either way will work.) :-) (That was another good one, by the way. If I need to start holding up the ever-so-effective "Applause" sign, I will. Man, this is a tough crowd.) Or maybe you're a great listener? (Or maybe you're just really good at fake listening putting up w/your friends ridiculously meaningless banter!) :-) Or maybe you're empathetic. Maybe you're a great problem solver. Maybe you have a good smile. Maybe you're non-threatening. Maybe your confidence attracts others to you. Maybe others can genuinely tell you love them. Maybe they feel sorry for you. (Hey, I'm just sayin...) Maybe it's because you're a great story teller. Maybe you're an encourager. Maybe you share common experiences.
I don't know what it is, but whatever IT is...is important. Identify that & develop it. Know that THAT is what YOU bring to the table. Feed it. Maximize it. Strengthen it. Make that "gift" to them, your friends, even better, even sweeter, even more special.
Just think...you're like a big giant fingerprint. You know, there are no two fingerprints alike...which is absolutely mind boggling to even think about. Wow...talk about a Creative Designer/Manufacturer. That's just amazing to me that God makes everyone SO incredibly unique. Hmmm...but, that's the whole point...there is no 'fingerprint'...there is NO human bean (that's how little kids say it) out there in the history of the universe that's JUST LIKE YOU!!! Wow...that's flat out uhMAZING!!!! Take a scoop full of seconds to think about that!! Now you KNOW you've got to have some unique qualities about you...b/c God didn't make ANYONE else on the planet like you! You are different...in a good way...(not in a Rainman sort of way.) You ARE a gift. A one-of-a-kind. A series number of "1". You are a big giant fingerprint. (Well, some of us are "bigger" fingerprints than others...) :-) But you are unique! You absolutely bring something to the table that others are actually incapable of bringing to the table--at least not exactly the way YOU would do it. You have immeasurable value.
Here's another way to look at it: (quick homework) Write down a list of your top 5-10 friends and then next to their names, write why you appreciate them. (C'mon, gee whiz, kids, it'll take you a max of 5 min to do a 'rough' list. Go for it.) Do you see any trends? Who do you have surrounding you? Why are they your friends? What do you have in common? Why do you appreciate them--individually & collectively?
Now...really take a minute to observe the "gift" inside others...some of the ones you may have just identified above. What makes your closest friends unique? What makes them special? Why do you enjoy their company? When you do make time, why do you find it worth your while to make time for them? Why?
Now, as mentioned in a previous post of mine in this blog...have you told them lately why you appreciate them? Or, even better, have you written it down in either an email or letter why you appreciate them? Do it. No kidding. Do it. How long is it honestly gonna take you to do that? Even if it takes you 10 or 20 min to write a sincere, genuine "No-kidding-here's-why-I-really-love-and-appreciate-you" letter for each one of your closest friends, it will be absolutely worth it. And, I can almost guarantee that it will be a gesture that they will take with them like their closest travel campanion every where they go for the rest of their lives! You don't think so...ok, let me ask you this: How many people have ever taken the time to write YOU a letter like that...in your lifetime? And if you ARE one of the lucky ones (which would still be in the very, very small minority) to receive such an amazing gift from someone, you can probably count on ONE hand the number of letters you've received like that. So...it's just a hunch, but you probably still remember it. Well...give THAT gift to someone else this Christmas or New Years...or this Tuesday...or Friday...or this day that ends in "y".
One last "soapbox thought" on this one: What is probably THE biggest thing that the VAST majority of people feel when someone close to them dies? "I didn't tell them how I truly felt about them." Or, "Man, we never got closure to the loose ends in our relationship." Don't be that person that experiences that. Make the investment. When it all comes down to it, we can only control what we can control. Make the effort. Take the step. Bust out the paper & pen or jump down on your laptop & start writing/typing the first words. Tie up those loose ends. We don't know when our "number is up" in the grand scheme of things.
Even before you open up all those Christmas presents on Friday, Dec 25th, know that you are already surrounded by "gifts" from God. Tell both the "real deal" Santa Claus (i.e.: God...not some dude named St. Nick) and the "gift"..."Thank you." Tell both the Giver & the gift why you're so appreciative of them.
And, finally, understand, remember...that you are ALSO a gift. An amazing gift made by an amazing Gift-Maker filled with all kinds of whiz-bang skills, talents, heart and abilities made w/the specific intent to be a blessing to everyone around you. Use your gift. Today, tomorrow, & every day you blink open those wonderful eyes of yours.
Merry Christmas.
You...are a gift.
Thank you.
Go.
Do.
Pursue.
Take the 1st step.
...YOU!!!
Sounds a little cheezy, eh?
Bear with me on this one...(not like Winnie The Pooh "bear", but like 'hang in there' "bear")...
Seriously...most of us are gonna be around all kinds of folks this Christmas & New Years. (Wow...can you believe it? Geepers crow...it's gonna be 2010 in 11 days! WOW!)
Think for a second or maybe think for like a bunch of handfuls of seconds about what makes you unique? Seriously...just stick w/me for a bit like a Post-It. What is it about you that attracts other people? No, not like in a hot & sexy sorta way, but like in a 'Why-do-you-have-the-friends-you-do?' sorta way.
By mere definition a 'friendship' is typically one in which there is give & take; there is mutual benefit; there are deposits & withdrawals on both sides of the friendship account; there is added value.
So, what is YOUR added value? If you've got any sort of friends, then you've got SOME sort of added value. What is it? Why do your friends like you? Statistically speaking, it's probably not because of your big bank account or salivating good looks. :-) Sorry, but not all of us can look like Arnold Schwarzegibbens! (Wait! What?!? Why are YOU laughing so hard on that one?!? Don't make me come through this screen & issue you a full 12 pack of the Big Hurt. Folks have died for lesser things...in fact, the boogey man checks under his bed for ME!! Evidently you haven't heard the whole line of jokes that are out there due to my superior ninja skills. We had to change the name to "Chuck Norris Jokes" just to protect my posterity.)
Anyway...if I were to poll your top 5-10 friends, what would they say they appreciate most about you? Why do they enjoy hangin' out w/you? (And, yes, if you are in the very, very small minority of people out there w/monster bank accounts & Zoolander-esque (ridiculously, ridiculously good) looks then you already know the answer why your friends like you! (LOL...just kidding! Gee whiz, lighten up!)) Do you make your friends feel better about themselves when they're with you? Do you make them laugh (at you or with you? Either way will work.) :-) (That was another good one, by the way. If I need to start holding up the ever-so-effective "Applause" sign, I will. Man, this is a tough crowd.) Or maybe you're a great listener? (Or maybe you're just really good at fake listening putting up w/your friends ridiculously meaningless banter!) :-) Or maybe you're empathetic. Maybe you're a great problem solver. Maybe you have a good smile. Maybe you're non-threatening. Maybe your confidence attracts others to you. Maybe others can genuinely tell you love them. Maybe they feel sorry for you. (Hey, I'm just sayin...) Maybe it's because you're a great story teller. Maybe you're an encourager. Maybe you share common experiences.
I don't know what it is, but whatever IT is...is important. Identify that & develop it. Know that THAT is what YOU bring to the table. Feed it. Maximize it. Strengthen it. Make that "gift" to them, your friends, even better, even sweeter, even more special.
Just think...you're like a big giant fingerprint. You know, there are no two fingerprints alike...which is absolutely mind boggling to even think about. Wow...talk about a Creative Designer/Manufacturer. That's just amazing to me that God makes everyone SO incredibly unique. Hmmm...but, that's the whole point...there is no 'fingerprint'...there is NO human bean (that's how little kids say it) out there in the history of the universe that's JUST LIKE YOU!!! Wow...that's flat out uhMAZING!!!! Take a scoop full of seconds to think about that!! Now you KNOW you've got to have some unique qualities about you...b/c God didn't make ANYONE else on the planet like you! You are different...in a good way...(not in a Rainman sort of way.) You ARE a gift. A one-of-a-kind. A series number of "1". You are a big giant fingerprint. (Well, some of us are "bigger" fingerprints than others...) :-) But you are unique! You absolutely bring something to the table that others are actually incapable of bringing to the table--at least not exactly the way YOU would do it. You have immeasurable value.
Here's another way to look at it: (quick homework) Write down a list of your top 5-10 friends and then next to their names, write why you appreciate them. (C'mon, gee whiz, kids, it'll take you a max of 5 min to do a 'rough' list. Go for it.) Do you see any trends? Who do you have surrounding you? Why are they your friends? What do you have in common? Why do you appreciate them--individually & collectively?
Now...really take a minute to observe the "gift" inside others...some of the ones you may have just identified above. What makes your closest friends unique? What makes them special? Why do you enjoy their company? When you do make time, why do you find it worth your while to make time for them? Why?
Now, as mentioned in a previous post of mine in this blog...have you told them lately why you appreciate them? Or, even better, have you written it down in either an email or letter why you appreciate them? Do it. No kidding. Do it. How long is it honestly gonna take you to do that? Even if it takes you 10 or 20 min to write a sincere, genuine "No-kidding-here's-why-I-really-love-and-appreciate-you" letter for each one of your closest friends, it will be absolutely worth it. And, I can almost guarantee that it will be a gesture that they will take with them like their closest travel campanion every where they go for the rest of their lives! You don't think so...ok, let me ask you this: How many people have ever taken the time to write YOU a letter like that...in your lifetime? And if you ARE one of the lucky ones (which would still be in the very, very small minority) to receive such an amazing gift from someone, you can probably count on ONE hand the number of letters you've received like that. So...it's just a hunch, but you probably still remember it. Well...give THAT gift to someone else this Christmas or New Years...or this Tuesday...or Friday...or this day that ends in "y".
One last "soapbox thought" on this one: What is probably THE biggest thing that the VAST majority of people feel when someone close to them dies? "I didn't tell them how I truly felt about them." Or, "Man, we never got closure to the loose ends in our relationship." Don't be that person that experiences that. Make the investment. When it all comes down to it, we can only control what we can control. Make the effort. Take the step. Bust out the paper & pen or jump down on your laptop & start writing/typing the first words. Tie up those loose ends. We don't know when our "number is up" in the grand scheme of things.
Even before you open up all those Christmas presents on Friday, Dec 25th, know that you are already surrounded by "gifts" from God. Tell both the "real deal" Santa Claus (i.e.: God...not some dude named St. Nick) and the "gift"..."Thank you." Tell both the Giver & the gift why you're so appreciative of them.
And, finally, understand, remember...that you are ALSO a gift. An amazing gift made by an amazing Gift-Maker filled with all kinds of whiz-bang skills, talents, heart and abilities made w/the specific intent to be a blessing to everyone around you. Use your gift. Today, tomorrow, & every day you blink open those wonderful eyes of yours.
Merry Christmas.
You...are a gift.
Thank you.
Go.
Do.
Pursue.
Take the 1st step.
What are friends 'worth' on your journey?
Wow...was able to spend about 4 hrs with a very dear friend of mine tonight.
He's a super dude & has been an amazing friend for the past 12 yrs.
What are your friends "worth" to you?
Are you spending enough time w/them?
What's preventing you from spending more time w/them? Is whatever your excuse is for not spending more time with them "legitimate" or just an excuse? If they died tomorrow, would your excuse for not spending time w/them still be "legitimate"?
He challenged me & caused me to think about a lot of things from a different perspective.
Who is in your inner circle?
Are you in their inner circle?
What do they bring to the table?
What do you bring to the table?
My buddy recently lost his baby brother who was married to a wonderful lady & had 2 beautiful children: 6 & 10.
In 6 days is the 1-Yr Anniversary of my Pops going to be w/the Lord.
Death...is such an incredibly interesting reality of life. It has a way of bringing out some amazingly painful & beautiful things from one's insides. Death is like a permanent sweet & sour sauce. One minute I think about my Pops and all these awesome memories come to mind & neat warm fuzzy emotions seep through my pores...then, the very next minute, the thought & corresponding feelings come to mind of how Elena will never be able to sit on Abuelo's (Grandpa's) lap anymore. She won't get the amazing opportunity to experience & witness first hand the amazing incredible love he had for his God and everyone God made.
Death is an interesting & most-likely, unwanted 'mentor'.
Have you lost someone close to you?
How did it feel?
What did you learn from that person's life?
What did you learn from that person's death?
Do you have any regrets?
What can you do to prevent from feeling that again if/when you lose someone else close to you?
Can you do something differently based on what you learned from them?
Both my buddy & I learned that that we need to stand guard at the door of our heart & mind to be ever watchful & mindful that the busyness of life & work & personal ambitions should never creep and seep into our souls at the expense of those closest to us...choking the very desire of spending time w/our family & friends right out of us(--& the tragedy of it all is that most of us don't even realize it's happening to us).
That is such an empty, cavernous, hollow feeling to reach the pinnacle of all that life has to offer...to stand at the top of the most glorious vista that has ever been witnessed...with absolutley NO ONE to share it with. To have "arrived"...and be all alone at the same time.
Isn't true "success" in life measured by the depth & quality of the relationships we have?
What is the depth & quality of the relationships you have w/those closest to you?
Who would show up to your funeral?
Notice I didn't say, "How many?" The number of people that show up to your funeral is not a great measuring stick of "impact".
A president or rockstar or super celebrity that dies may have thousands in attendance, but how many of those thousands were truly, deeply impacted at their core because of the direct impact of that person's life on theirs? Not to imply that those types of people that have thousands attend their funeral are incapable of impacting at the core level, but don't confuse quantity of impact w/quality of impact.
That's all I'm saying.
Speaking of 'saying'...who would give your eulogy?
What would be said at your eulogy?
If, God-forbid, your time was up tomorrow, what would you be remembered the most for?
What would the epitaph on your tombstone say? ("Here lies a once very busy dude.")
What would that small, horizontal 'dash' represent between your birth date & your 'expiration' date?
Here's a better question: What do you want it to represent? What legacy do you want to leave?
So...backwards plan...beginning at your death and working backwards.
If you would like to live a long, happy & successful life (whatever that means to you), & die when you're 90 (for example), then what needs to happen in your 80's? Who do you need to be and what do you need to do when you're in your 70's? How about your 60's? 50's? 40's? 30's? Your 20's, and so on?
When you're 90 & you've reached the end of your earthly journey, who do you want to have impacted the most?
How will you have impacted them the most?
Who do you need to be now, in order to end the way you want to?
What do you need to do to have the type of impact on the world around you that you want?
Who has lived the kind of life you would like to model your life after?
Who has had the type of impact that you would like to have?
How have those closest to you impacted you?
Have you told them?
One of my favorite quotes of all times is this: "To understand the true value of someone (or something), imagine your life without them."
Please communicate to those closest to you now...with a letter, an email, a phone call, or a visit...just how you feel about them. It would only take you a handful of precious minutes. What a pithy investment for such a massive return. Have no regrets. Leave nothing on the table. Let them know exactly how & why they have impacted you. Be specific. Imagine how it would make you feel if your inner circle did that to you.
Again, I challenge you..."What are your friends worth on your journey?" (Do they know?)
Go.
Do.
Pursue.
I believe in you.
Take the 1st step...now.
He's a super dude & has been an amazing friend for the past 12 yrs.
What are your friends "worth" to you?
Are you spending enough time w/them?
What's preventing you from spending more time w/them? Is whatever your excuse is for not spending more time with them "legitimate" or just an excuse? If they died tomorrow, would your excuse for not spending time w/them still be "legitimate"?
He challenged me & caused me to think about a lot of things from a different perspective.
Who is in your inner circle?
Are you in their inner circle?
What do they bring to the table?
What do you bring to the table?
My buddy recently lost his baby brother who was married to a wonderful lady & had 2 beautiful children: 6 & 10.
In 6 days is the 1-Yr Anniversary of my Pops going to be w/the Lord.
Death...is such an incredibly interesting reality of life. It has a way of bringing out some amazingly painful & beautiful things from one's insides. Death is like a permanent sweet & sour sauce. One minute I think about my Pops and all these awesome memories come to mind & neat warm fuzzy emotions seep through my pores...then, the very next minute, the thought & corresponding feelings come to mind of how Elena will never be able to sit on Abuelo's (Grandpa's) lap anymore. She won't get the amazing opportunity to experience & witness first hand the amazing incredible love he had for his God and everyone God made.
Death is an interesting & most-likely, unwanted 'mentor'.
Have you lost someone close to you?
How did it feel?
What did you learn from that person's life?
What did you learn from that person's death?
Do you have any regrets?
What can you do to prevent from feeling that again if/when you lose someone else close to you?
Can you do something differently based on what you learned from them?
Both my buddy & I learned that that we need to stand guard at the door of our heart & mind to be ever watchful & mindful that the busyness of life & work & personal ambitions should never creep and seep into our souls at the expense of those closest to us...choking the very desire of spending time w/our family & friends right out of us(--& the tragedy of it all is that most of us don't even realize it's happening to us).
That is such an empty, cavernous, hollow feeling to reach the pinnacle of all that life has to offer...to stand at the top of the most glorious vista that has ever been witnessed...with absolutley NO ONE to share it with. To have "arrived"...and be all alone at the same time.
Isn't true "success" in life measured by the depth & quality of the relationships we have?
What is the depth & quality of the relationships you have w/those closest to you?
Who would show up to your funeral?
Notice I didn't say, "How many?" The number of people that show up to your funeral is not a great measuring stick of "impact".
A president or rockstar or super celebrity that dies may have thousands in attendance, but how many of those thousands were truly, deeply impacted at their core because of the direct impact of that person's life on theirs? Not to imply that those types of people that have thousands attend their funeral are incapable of impacting at the core level, but don't confuse quantity of impact w/quality of impact.
That's all I'm saying.
Speaking of 'saying'...who would give your eulogy?
What would be said at your eulogy?
If, God-forbid, your time was up tomorrow, what would you be remembered the most for?
What would the epitaph on your tombstone say? ("Here lies a once very busy dude.")
What would that small, horizontal 'dash' represent between your birth date & your 'expiration' date?
Here's a better question: What do you want it to represent? What legacy do you want to leave?
So...backwards plan...beginning at your death and working backwards.
If you would like to live a long, happy & successful life (whatever that means to you), & die when you're 90 (for example), then what needs to happen in your 80's? Who do you need to be and what do you need to do when you're in your 70's? How about your 60's? 50's? 40's? 30's? Your 20's, and so on?
When you're 90 & you've reached the end of your earthly journey, who do you want to have impacted the most?
How will you have impacted them the most?
Who do you need to be now, in order to end the way you want to?
What do you need to do to have the type of impact on the world around you that you want?
Who has lived the kind of life you would like to model your life after?
Who has had the type of impact that you would like to have?
How have those closest to you impacted you?
Have you told them?
One of my favorite quotes of all times is this: "To understand the true value of someone (or something), imagine your life without them."
Please communicate to those closest to you now...with a letter, an email, a phone call, or a visit...just how you feel about them. It would only take you a handful of precious minutes. What a pithy investment for such a massive return. Have no regrets. Leave nothing on the table. Let them know exactly how & why they have impacted you. Be specific. Imagine how it would make you feel if your inner circle did that to you.
Again, I challenge you..."What are your friends worth on your journey?" (Do they know?)
Go.
Do.
Pursue.
I believe in you.
Take the 1st step...now.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Why Not You?
Have you ever met anyone that had "made it" a little further down the success road than you & after you had sized them up they actually weren't all that much better than you?
You wondered, "Gee whiz, I know I've got at least a FEW things more squared away than that guy & yet they're going gangbusters living the good life & you're sucking wind like a Kirby vacuum. What's up with that?"
So...just a thought...why don't YOU become that person for someone else? Because the reality is that everyone on the planet is better than you at some things and you're better than others at some things. So where does that leave you?
Right where you started.
Sitting right in the middle of your life w/all the potential numbness caused by the hustle & bustle of the 'all important' cast iron idol of 'busyness'. Was that ever your goal?
Is that 'busyness' that we're caught up in what we want to be known for on our tombstone? "Here lies a very busy person who didn't really accomplish anything much of significance...but boy, were they busy!"
I don't know about you, but that doesn't do it for me.
I definitely don't think my kid would be excited about that legacy. "Guess what, guys, I bet you $5.00 that my Daddy was busier than your daddy."
So, again, I throw out to you...why not you? Why not take the 1st step in the direction of your calling or your passions & dreams? Why not you?
Does 'Coach God' pick the "starters of life"? Well, if that were the case, what about all those people who are life's starters but don't even believe in God?
No, I don't think God picks life's starters. I believe YOU do. I do. WE do. WE decide if WE'RE gonna start or not--by our little teeny weeny thoughts & decisions & actions we make on a sometimes second-by-second basis.
Who on earth has these huge goals & dreams as a little kid while you're laying on your back underneath the magnificent star-laden sky and demands that "One day...one day...I'm gonna grow up & be a BENCHWARMER of LIFE!"?!? No little kid on the planet has those kinda dreams. I've asked hundreds of little kids over the years what they wanted to do or be when they grew up & to date, not one has ever retorted they wanna be a benchwarmer.
I believe there's a "significance" seed planted in all of us as a kid that one day when we grow up, we're gonna do something of significance that has impacting value. Haven't you heard, "I wanna be a fireman or policeman or the president; or maybe a balarina or a teacher or doctor." We've all heard that before...many times over. So, why do you think that is? Why are those such common responses in the VAST majority of kids. Has that EVER changed? Is that a generational thing? Did the kids of the 1300's or the kids of the 1700's or the 1950's or 1980's ever change those trends from 'significance' aspirations to mediocre meaningless aspirations? Hmm...something tells me that, that particular trend has NEVER changed. I find that VERY interesting.
'Signifance' dreams have never changed over the years century to century, culture to culture. Wow...that's awesome!
I challenge you to go back to your childhood & ask your little 7-yr old self what you wanted to be when you grew up? What did the 7-yr old you say? How is the adult-you gonna respond to the 7-yr old you?
Are you gonna listen & take heed?
I believe...I KNOW you can be one of life's many starters.
Feed & nourish that 'significance' seed inside you. Water it. Tend it. Nurture it.
Go.
Do.
Pursue.
I believe in you.
You wondered, "Gee whiz, I know I've got at least a FEW things more squared away than that guy & yet they're going gangbusters living the good life & you're sucking wind like a Kirby vacuum. What's up with that?"
So...just a thought...why don't YOU become that person for someone else? Because the reality is that everyone on the planet is better than you at some things and you're better than others at some things. So where does that leave you?
Right where you started.
Sitting right in the middle of your life w/all the potential numbness caused by the hustle & bustle of the 'all important' cast iron idol of 'busyness'. Was that ever your goal?
Is that 'busyness' that we're caught up in what we want to be known for on our tombstone? "Here lies a very busy person who didn't really accomplish anything much of significance...but boy, were they busy!"
I don't know about you, but that doesn't do it for me.
I definitely don't think my kid would be excited about that legacy. "Guess what, guys, I bet you $5.00 that my Daddy was busier than your daddy."
So, again, I throw out to you...why not you? Why not take the 1st step in the direction of your calling or your passions & dreams? Why not you?
Does 'Coach God' pick the "starters of life"? Well, if that were the case, what about all those people who are life's starters but don't even believe in God?
No, I don't think God picks life's starters. I believe YOU do. I do. WE do. WE decide if WE'RE gonna start or not--by our little teeny weeny thoughts & decisions & actions we make on a sometimes second-by-second basis.
Who on earth has these huge goals & dreams as a little kid while you're laying on your back underneath the magnificent star-laden sky and demands that "One day...one day...I'm gonna grow up & be a BENCHWARMER of LIFE!"?!? No little kid on the planet has those kinda dreams. I've asked hundreds of little kids over the years what they wanted to do or be when they grew up & to date, not one has ever retorted they wanna be a benchwarmer.
I believe there's a "significance" seed planted in all of us as a kid that one day when we grow up, we're gonna do something of significance that has impacting value. Haven't you heard, "I wanna be a fireman or policeman or the president; or maybe a balarina or a teacher or doctor." We've all heard that before...many times over. So, why do you think that is? Why are those such common responses in the VAST majority of kids. Has that EVER changed? Is that a generational thing? Did the kids of the 1300's or the kids of the 1700's or the 1950's or 1980's ever change those trends from 'significance' aspirations to mediocre meaningless aspirations? Hmm...something tells me that, that particular trend has NEVER changed. I find that VERY interesting.
'Signifance' dreams have never changed over the years century to century, culture to culture. Wow...that's awesome!
I challenge you to go back to your childhood & ask your little 7-yr old self what you wanted to be when you grew up? What did the 7-yr old you say? How is the adult-you gonna respond to the 7-yr old you?
Are you gonna listen & take heed?
I believe...I KNOW you can be one of life's many starters.
Feed & nourish that 'significance' seed inside you. Water it. Tend it. Nurture it.
Go.
Do.
Pursue.
I believe in you.
Is It Too Late?
Oooohhh...grasshoppa...
Great question and, honestly, one that I ask myself on a regular basis...
Is it too late?
Am I too old?
Has my prime already come & gone & I, ashamedly, didn't even NOTICE it?!?
Do I even have a prime?
Am I honestly capable of true greatness?...whatever that means
Have I already gotten beat up by the Sledge Hammer of Time?
Has time snuck up behind me & put me in an eternal sleeper hold?
And to all the above honest introspection laced with a hint of self-doubt, what do you do? What do you say? How do you respond?
In a deep, profound, loud, gutteral answer...NO!! NO!! NO!!
I/you...WE are NOT too old!!
In fact, we are NEVER too old.
Time has NOT snuck up behind us and choked us out...it MAY have snuck up behind us, but then we QUICKLY reach up, grab its arm, bend forward rapidly, throwing, heaving time rapidly over our shoulder & BODY SLAMMING IT!!
There's NO time...like the PRESENT!
As long as you/we have breath whisping through your wind pipes...then you STILL HAVE TIME!!
Grab my hand and let's...
GO...
DO...
PURSUE...
(I believe in you.)
Great question and, honestly, one that I ask myself on a regular basis...
Is it too late?
Am I too old?
Has my prime already come & gone & I, ashamedly, didn't even NOTICE it?!?
Do I even have a prime?
Am I honestly capable of true greatness?...whatever that means
Have I already gotten beat up by the Sledge Hammer of Time?
Has time snuck up behind me & put me in an eternal sleeper hold?
And to all the above honest introspection laced with a hint of self-doubt, what do you do? What do you say? How do you respond?
In a deep, profound, loud, gutteral answer...NO!! NO!! NO!!
I/you...WE are NOT too old!!
In fact, we are NEVER too old.
Time has NOT snuck up behind us and choked us out...it MAY have snuck up behind us, but then we QUICKLY reach up, grab its arm, bend forward rapidly, throwing, heaving time rapidly over our shoulder & BODY SLAMMING IT!!
There's NO time...like the PRESENT!
As long as you/we have breath whisping through your wind pipes...then you STILL HAVE TIME!!
Grab my hand and let's...
GO...
DO...
PURSUE...
(I believe in you.)
A question...
Ok...
Are you sitting down?
I think this one's gonna jump "3-D Like" out of your screen and possibly reach all the way around your esophagus and firmly (in an attention-getting sort of way) squeeze, so as to get you to look it square in the eye and FACE IT.
"What has not pursuing your passion(s) got you?"
Or
"How has not pursuing your passion(s) benefited you?"
OR
"What have you learned or gained from not pursuing your passions?"
Just a thought...
Why?
Because I believe you CAN...
Go...
Do...
&
Pursue...
and discover an adventure...a world...
I've GOT it!!
Why not be your OWN AVATAR?!?
You CAN!
I believe in you.
Go
Do
Pursue
Are you sitting down?
I think this one's gonna jump "3-D Like" out of your screen and possibly reach all the way around your esophagus and firmly (in an attention-getting sort of way) squeeze, so as to get you to look it square in the eye and FACE IT.
"What has not pursuing your passion(s) got you?"
Or
"How has not pursuing your passion(s) benefited you?"
OR
"What have you learned or gained from not pursuing your passions?"
Just a thought...
Why?
Because I believe you CAN...
Go...
Do...
&
Pursue...
and discover an adventure...a world...
I've GOT it!!
Why not be your OWN AVATAR?!?
You CAN!
I believe in you.
Go
Do
Pursue
Felt Guilty for Being Passionate?
Ever felt guilty about being consumed by your passions?
Don't.
Don't feel guilty about your passions.
Don't stop being consumed by your passions!
Don't!
DO...please...realize that the "Great Global Manufacturer of People" made you...yes, YOU...the one reading this...with specific, amazing skills, talents & abilities...AND wishes, wants, needs and desires....FOLLOW THEM.
God wired you like a specific ninja type of Dell or Mac computer.
There IS something YOU were created to do & pursue...are you doing it & pursuing it?
What are you hesitating to do & pursue?
Go!
Do!
Pursue!
...w/boldness...
...in your own unique, specific way...
Go!
Do!
Pursue!
...take the 1st step...
...that's it!!!
The First Step...
Go!
Do!
Pursue!
Don't.
Don't feel guilty about your passions.
Don't stop being consumed by your passions!
Don't!
DO...please...realize that the "Great Global Manufacturer of People" made you...yes, YOU...the one reading this...with specific, amazing skills, talents & abilities...AND wishes, wants, needs and desires....FOLLOW THEM.
God wired you like a specific ninja type of Dell or Mac computer.
There IS something YOU were created to do & pursue...are you doing it & pursuing it?
What are you hesitating to do & pursue?
Go!
Do!
Pursue!
...w/boldness...
...in your own unique, specific way...
Go!
Do!
Pursue!
...take the 1st step...
...that's it!!!
The First Step...
Go!
Do!
Pursue!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Passions...
What are yours...your passions?
Are you following them?
What's holding you back?
Gee whiz...great question, you know.
As crazy as this may sound...one of mine is dancing...I know...can you believe it?
Me...dancing...what?!?
Mr. Wannabe Hardcore...dancing...geepers crow...almost sounds like oil and water or like me and slam dunks or like NC and snow.
Whatever...it is what it is.
I'm crazy about 'breakin it down' and that's the bottom line. I hear a beat & my head starts automatically, almost unconsciously bobbing to each & every melodic thump of the woofer.
Is dancing the point of this 'base' bantering? Of course not...it's about identifying your passion(s) & following it...regardless of its popularity among the masses.
Ok...so how about the whole 'practicing what you preach' principle? Yeah, well, let's just say that I do great at leading by example...sometimes a good example and sometimes a bad example. Either way...don't we all lead by some sort of example...good or bad?
So what?...Embrace whatever example you've got right now in every area of your life...look at it in the mirror...and accept it. Then...start improving little by little...one at a time...baby steps...in each of your areas of passions.
Take one of your passions...and start feeding it. Just a little at a time. How about just doing one thing a day to begin nourishing that little pilot light inside the deep cavernous parts of your innards. Maybe a little tablespoon at a time. Maybe just beginning a little google research on your passion. Maybe printing out some of your findings and starting to file some of your fantastic findings.
Embarking on this journey (even ever-so-delicately & slowly) should, should begin to energize & enervate you. You should start to feel a bit like the Energizer Bunny and even get a little lost in the 'sauce' of time.
Speaking of time...what do you get 'lost in time' doing? What do you do that makes you forget about time? Make a list.
Some of mine...hanging out w/my amazing wife, Kath, & my super little 'Cambiadora del Mundo' (world changer); dancing; hoops; personal coaching; speaking; hangin' with the peeps, helping people find their passions, connecting people, meeting new people, learning...(& if I thought more about it, the list could probably go on.)
Ok, so are they all equal-level passions? Probably not, but they're all fairly high up on the list!
Alright...I've got 'tracer burnout' now...(means I'm wo out!), so I'm "aw dun", as my 2-yr old daughter says in her attempt at saying "all done".
Be patient with yourself.
Take the 1st step...
Are you following them?
What's holding you back?
Gee whiz...great question, you know.
As crazy as this may sound...one of mine is dancing...I know...can you believe it?
Me...dancing...what?!?
Mr. Wannabe Hardcore...dancing...geepers crow...almost sounds like oil and water or like me and slam dunks or like NC and snow.
Whatever...it is what it is.
I'm crazy about 'breakin it down' and that's the bottom line. I hear a beat & my head starts automatically, almost unconsciously bobbing to each & every melodic thump of the woofer.
Is dancing the point of this 'base' bantering? Of course not...it's about identifying your passion(s) & following it...regardless of its popularity among the masses.
Ok...so how about the whole 'practicing what you preach' principle? Yeah, well, let's just say that I do great at leading by example...sometimes a good example and sometimes a bad example. Either way...don't we all lead by some sort of example...good or bad?
So what?...Embrace whatever example you've got right now in every area of your life...look at it in the mirror...and accept it. Then...start improving little by little...one at a time...baby steps...in each of your areas of passions.
Take one of your passions...and start feeding it. Just a little at a time. How about just doing one thing a day to begin nourishing that little pilot light inside the deep cavernous parts of your innards. Maybe a little tablespoon at a time. Maybe just beginning a little google research on your passion. Maybe printing out some of your findings and starting to file some of your fantastic findings.
Embarking on this journey (even ever-so-delicately & slowly) should, should begin to energize & enervate you. You should start to feel a bit like the Energizer Bunny and even get a little lost in the 'sauce' of time.
Speaking of time...what do you get 'lost in time' doing? What do you do that makes you forget about time? Make a list.
Some of mine...hanging out w/my amazing wife, Kath, & my super little 'Cambiadora del Mundo' (world changer); dancing; hoops; personal coaching; speaking; hangin' with the peeps, helping people find their passions, connecting people, meeting new people, learning...(& if I thought more about it, the list could probably go on.)
Ok, so are they all equal-level passions? Probably not, but they're all fairly high up on the list!
Alright...I've got 'tracer burnout' now...(means I'm wo out!), so I'm "aw dun", as my 2-yr old daughter says in her attempt at saying "all done".
Be patient with yourself.
Take the 1st step...
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