What You Leave Behind Shapes Your Tomorrow
Your history is shaping your future. Not uncontrollably, but subtley and deliberately. Has a lot to do with our choices.
We really are a motion picture. Hollywood can only touch the tip of a life's iceberg.
You're not one of those that says; "so what" are you?
A lot of people are now faced with multiple, multiple paths and crossroads. Whether it's financial, career, family or social, it all adds up to confusion. Who do you trust? How do you know how to trust? Often people just guess and hope it turns out okay. History is riddled with folks who found those guesses produced nothing but regret.
There is an opportunity to course correct or to begin again. It won't be easy and it won't be free. But when did easy and fee get you to a better future?
If you want to know the solutions, then contact me to begin the journey and learn how Epic Living can help.
A Glimpse Of A 2011 Growth Plan
As we've crossed over into a new year, and decade for that matter, I thought I would share some of what I'm planning for 2011.
The importance of having a growth plan is nothing new to you if you've read my work before. It truly is the fuel behind any vision. If you haven't embarked on this type of journey, I highly recommend you do and we can help. Click here to learn more.
The following is my vision and some bullets from my 2011 growth plan supporting it:
God’s destiny for me is to have and live an Epic Life. This life will address multiple facets of living. My life will be a motion picture that births joy and changes lives. My legacy will be built accordingly.
I see myself as an excellent husband and father. Eileen, Lauren and Grant are my most important priority. Their lives will be wonderfully impacted by my love, time and influence.
As it relates to Influence, God intends for me to lead on a large scale and stage. I will communicate encouragement, development and opportunity to people of diverse backgrounds. The marketplace is the arena in which He intends for me to have impact. I see myself expanding that influence through speaking, writing, teaching and one-to-one mentoring. I also see Epic Living as the organization focused on developing and reproducing people of influence within the public and private sector.
My physical and mental health will be strong due to the conscious choices I will make. I see a long an vibrant life ahead as God allows.
I see my finances reflecting strength, knowledge and wisdom. I will make decisions that are investor-minded versus consumer-minded.
In His church and community, I will minister to individuals and groups by the same methods above. My key focus areas are influence development and personal growth. God will also use me as source of encouragement to all I encounter.
- 30 minutes of silence to listen to God
- Two dates per month with Eileen
- Incorporate Yoga into my exercise plan
- Network on behalf of job seekers in my community
- Execute on a “stop doing list”
- Look into natural resources investments
- Complete second book
My vision and growth plan have more elements than what I've listed, but I wanted to give this to you as source of "example." I hope it will stir you.
Your Life The Symphony
Please view the above video, it provides a necessary context for this post. You may not be a fan of Peter Cetera or Chicago, but hopefully you can appreciate what goes into the making of art and craft.
I love this song and have for many years. The version in the video clip captures an artist who owns the work. Unmistakable, how Mr. Cetera delivers something he birthed in 1976. I imagine he had some say in how the song would be arranged and performed. I imagine he had some say in who would perform the work of art as well. You have a lot of power when a gift is in your hands.
After I found this clip, and listened to it a number of times, I couldn't help but see the similarities in the form of a life living and lived. It gave me urgency around living out my Epic Life. It made me stand back in awe of what the gift of life means…what it implies for all of us. Do you know that your life is unfolding before your very eyes? Do you understand that this is happening whether you choose to participate or not?
I want my life to be as beautiful and brilliant (like the sun) as the sound of a symphony. Every instrument coming together to be somehting that could never be accomplished alone. To be a voice that, if even faint, would be missed inside of something so beautiful.
I want the above for you as well. My mission, my movement is to help you craft an Epic Life.
What I Do For Health And Fitness
The following is a typical day in my life relating to my health and fitness:
- Running, strength training and Yoga (this group rotates depending on the day and goes for an hour)
- Green tea (cold), oatmeal and coffee
- Soy/Protein shake with fruit
- Omelet w/tablespoon of cheese and salsa, soy and flax tortilla chips, flavored water
- Yogurt wi/walnuts, granola, fruit (berries)
- Deep breathes (easy to forget)
- Green tea (cold), almonds
- Lean meat, spinach and/or salad, some type of complex carb, 1-2 glasses of red wine
- Dark chocolate
- Apple
OK, now that I've given you what a day in my health and fitness life looks like, I thought I would give you a list of my weaknesses. I am human after all.
- Chocolate (all varieties and applications)
- Sugar Cookies
- Apple Crisp
- Regular tortilla chips
- Egg Nog
- Pizza
I do indulge from time-to-time, but the first list is my "everyday habit."
So why do I bother? I've been given this gift of life and I want to take care of it. I also have enough years of totally disregarding my health to know it's important to not take anything for granted.
Aspiring To What’s Not Really There
Very easy these days to want success, fame and fortune. I mean who wouldn't want that? When the economy is not performing like we want or we're knocking on the door of landing a prized client, it kind of justifies our pursuit. An understandable discontent to be sure.
But it's an illusion. Think of it like a golden carrot that's always one step out of our reach. And just like a drug, we keep coming back for more. We always find an excuse for what we know deep down is true.
In my experience what we aspire to should be Real and within our reach. That implies that we can aspire to the wrong things. And the wrong things create a question of trustworthiness.
Can you be trusted with the vision given to you? Can you be trusted with the aspiration that comes along with?
The following are some tough questions to ask as you consider:
- Are you involved in things bigger than yourself?
- Can you be content even when nothing seems to break your way?
- Do you have a desire to find your limits?
- If you died today, what and how big would the void be?
- Do you have to "take" in-order to win?
- What charms you?
- Is there anyone besides God who knows all of your secrets?
- If you have attained some level of success, fame and fortune, could you walk away from it?
- If everyone you knew, and loved, recommended you give up, could you continue the journey anyway?
- Have you rejected comfort?
Moving Forward In An Uncertain World
The Power Of A Great Life
It’s Almost Never About You
We're self-preservationists at heart. This works well if shipwrecked or lost in the jungle. In general, though, it's a dangerous mindset.
Where this really shows up is when we are trying use clients to get us to where we want to go, which is unethical. But it also shows up when we're honestly trying to help. Either way you need to stop and realize what's number one. As in, your client. No talking points, no radio spots, just authentic love.
If you've built your career/business model around "you first," then it will be painful to change. You may have already tuned me off if that last sentence applies.
The following outlines some ideas to consider as you seek to get it right with existing clients, and prospective one's too:
- Just like God, a client's time-frame may not be the same as yours. And if you're in the "service" business (we all are), then you don't get to make this call. You can be polite in persistence, but ultimately you're a servant.
- Stop marketing that you care, when your actions communicate something different. Washington, D.C. may have made us think that everyone has a price, but most clients desire authenticity.
- Be willing to risk loss. Those who have lost, even though they did there best, change the world and are wildly successful.
- Stand your ground in the face of critics and conformists. If memory serves, the word is courage.
- Your work is truly a motion picture. Make it the kind that people want to see over and over again.
The Roots Of Greatness
How well do you execute on the following:
- Returning the client's call-same day.
- Slowing down to admire a fresh snowfall or beautiful sunrise.
- Seeing people as a source of connection.
- Trusting those who work for and with you (this is a big one for those "in-charge".)
- Involving yourself in something bigger than yourself.
The answers to the above will reveal two things:
Your true values (the type you would deny or hide)
Opportunities for growth
I don't recommend seeking greatness if your motives are suspect. But if you are aligned with motivations around changing the world, it can be a good thing…just make sure you have people around you that aren't impressed-by you. I firmly believe that most people want to leave a mark before the clock runs out.
In the end, the roots of greatness are nestled in doing the small well. It's the stuff of obscurity, humility and authentic love/care. If those situations disappoint, you may have issues with self-worth or identity. Needing the applause of others is a dead-end road. Eventually, the "crowd" moves onto another show. Believe me, I know.
So start working on doing the small well. Slow down, be ok with coming in second, let someone else have the last piece of cake (figuratively speaking), find someone to love/care for.
Here's the secret:
If you won't do the small things well, you'll never be able to do the great things well.