Category Archives: Uncategorized

we learn by taking action

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“We learn by taking action and seeing whether it works or not.”

—Patrick Lencioni, Author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Image from Unsplash by Rawpixel

In the book BOLD – How to Go Big, Create Wealth, and Impact the World, authors Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler point out key strategies to achieve breakthrough results.

It seems that most innovative and pioneering organizations and people use a form of rapid experimentation and iterations to come up with amazing products and services. Those products and services eventually come into our lives just like a delivery from Amazon.

One example is the process Google X (or just “X”) uses to support their prolific product development. Their “Never Fail to Fail” innovation principles use this rapid iteration process to fail frequently, fail fast, and most importantly, fail forward.

EXERCISE:

How can you increase your level of action and experimentation to create far more innovative solutions to better your world?

Pick up a copy of BOLD to examine many other ideas to make a far bigger dent in your own universe.

Friday Review of Posts on Thinking

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FRIDAY REVIEW: THINKING

How often do you think about the way you (or others) think? Here are a few thinking-related posts you may have missed. Click the links to read the full messages.

 

“The ability to perceive or think differently is more important than the knowledge gained.”

 

 

 

“Great minds like a think.”

 

 

 

 

“If you see the world in black and white, you’re missing important grey matter.”

 

 

 

If there was only the ‘right’ way to do something, Fosbury would never have flopped

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“If there was only the ‘right’ way to do something, Fosbury would never have flopped.”

—John Whitmore, 20th Century South African Surfer

Image of Fosbury doing the flop

image from itv

When was the last time you asked for directions?

When was the last time you asked more than one person for directions to the same destination?

With today’s technology, we check Google maps, Waze, or other tech tools to see what is recommended. What is the fastest route? The most scenic? Which has the fewest tolls?

What is the best, or in the case of today’s quote, the “right” way to go?

Where do right and wrong apply in your personal and professional communities? Where do you find yourself on the same page, or on the other side of decisions, resulting in friction or upset?

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can and will you be far more open and accepting of other’s right to be right?

We remain young to the degree that our ambitions are greater than our memories

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“We remain young to the degree that our ambitions are greater than our memories.”

—Dan Sullivan, co-founder of Strategic Coach

Image from Humanlongevity.com

How long do you expect to live?

Dan Sullivan, the co-founder of Strategic Coach, expects to live 156 years. Over the years, he has had a voracious passion for longevity and optimal health. In the Exponential Wisdom Podcast, he and Peter Diamandis explore where the world is headed by discussing cutting edge technologies and global trends.

Exploring topics such as gene editing, stem cells, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology, they look into the multi-disciplinary crystal ball of the future of health care. Peter Diamandis, founder of Human Longevity, Inc., expects to live 700 years. He is best known for his X-Prize Foundation and competition, and the commercialization of space. Sullivan and Diamandis encourage the rest of us to release the idea of traditional retirement. They council us to stay actively engaged in making our future ambitions far more extraordinary than our past.

EXERCISE:

Consider reading Peter’s book Abundance, or Dan’s book The Laws of Lifetime Growth, to help guide you to an even more extraordinary future.

Check out their podcast on this and other provocative subjects at exponentialwisdom.com

Friday Review of Teaching

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FRIDAY REVIEW: TEACHING

Who was your best teacher? Who are you teaching today? Here are a few teaching-related posts you may have missed. Click to read the full message.

 

“Teaching is an instinctual art, mindful of potential, craving of realization, a pausing, seamless process.”

 

 

 

“To teach is to learn twice.”

 

 

 

 

“The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see.”

 

 

 

Don’t stop when you are tired. Stop when you are done

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“Don’t stop when you are tired. Stop when you are done.”

—David Goggins, American ultramarathon runner

image of David Goggins running

Image of David Goggins from Madbarz

A job well done is a wonderful phrase, whether said by us, or a respected colleague.
The power and satisfaction of completing something big or small has a way of releasing lots of those “feel good” hormones associated with happiness, pleasure, and overall life satisfaction.

On the other hand, consider all those half-done, in-process projects in either your personal or professional worlds – especially the ones that don’t quite light you up with enthusiasm. What emotions and feelings are associated with these matters? How often do you stop your efforts due to some level of fatigue or frustration, or perhaps procrastinate and decide to get back to these efforts later rather than sooner?

EXERCISE:

Where and on what priority matter could you use the experience of being tired as a trigger or catalyst to dig deeper into your own grit and persistence to “get’er done”?

What comes out of you when you are squeezed is what is inside you

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“What comes out of you when you are squeezed is what is inside you.”

—Wayne Dyer, late American Self-Help Author and Speaker

image of a rolled up tube of toothpaste

Image from Wikipedia

How many times each day do you brush your teeth to keep your pearly whites pearly white, strengthen your gums, and freshen your breath? Did you know that there are numerous additional uses for toothpaste that can be realized with a few more squeezes? Alternative uses include:

  • Cleaning your hands after cutting smelly foods such as onions
  • Cleaning jewelry
  • Cleaning crayon marks from painted walls
  • Defogging sports eye wear
  • Treating acne and other skin conditions
  • Nail care
  • Removing carpet stains and shower slime

EXERCISE:

Where and how would a few more squeezing situations bring out even more of your unique talents and abilities? How would a bit more squeezing bring out more of the best in others in your personal and professional communities?

Friday Review of Posts on Teamwork

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FRIDAY REVIEW: TEAMWORK

What are your thoughts and beliefs about teamwork? Here are a few teamwork-related posts you may have missed. Click to read the full message.

 

“Teamwork is the ability to direct individual accomplishment toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”

 

 

 

 

“A single leaf working alone provides no shade.”

 

 

 

 

“Vital to every operation is cooperation.”

 

 

 

 

Just because you can’t keep up doesn’t mean you can’t show up

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“Just because you can’t keep up doesn’t mean you can’t show up.”

—Brendon Burchard, High Performance Author

Image of people running on the street

Image from Unsplash by Mārtiņš Zemlickis

Striving for excellence is a powerful thing. It gives us all a sense of passion and purpose that is fundamental to living a happy, fulfilled life. There is, however, a dark side to the pursuit of excellence when we compare ourselves to others that have demonstrated superior skills and abilities.

In such cases, many of us don’t even bother suiting up and showing up to contribute our abilities and capacities for fear of looking bad and not keeping up.

EXERCISE:

Where and on what personal or professional issue is it time to summon the courage to show up and contribute your best, regardless of the outcome?

It pays to keep an open mind, but not so open your brain falls out

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“It pays to keep an open mind, but not so open your brain falls out.”

—Carl Sagan, 20th Century American Astronomer

Image from medium.com

Who in your personal or professional life do you consider the most closed minded and stubborn? If you are like many of us, you might say, “Where do I start?” and be able to create a reasonably long list in mere minutes. What are the benefits and down sides of having such a closed-minded view of things?

On the other hand, who are the most open and receptive folks you know? Who are those who will try on the views and perspective of others, easily and fully? What are the benefits, and in the case of today’s quote, the downside of seeing the world primarily through the lens of those around you?

EXERCISE:

Imagine your mind is a screen door or window. How would the flow of air on a summer day be similar to the healthy flow of new ideas with a wider perspective foster more quality relationships and life success?