Personal Development

Episode 134 – We’re All Fighting Battles (Time And Chance Happeneth To Them All)

Personal Development, Podcast / By

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Ecclesiastes 9:11 “ I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.”

Our recent health scare put me in a contemplative mood. More so than normal.

So many others have much more severe worries and concerns. It makes me ashamed to think of my own life – and family. But so it goes. Our life matters, if only mostly to us.

None of us could get out of bed in the morning if we carried the weight of everybody’s sorrow. That funeral procession you pulled over for the other day…you didn’t know who was in that hearse. Perhaps you were carting the kids to a birthday party where some little child was celebrating turning 5. Those are the ironies of life. Some mourn while others celebrate. Some die while others are born.

I hope you’re experiencing good times. We all need the mountain top experience. Hang onto it for as long as you can.

Maybe today you’re in the valley. Maybe you’ve been there so long you can’t remember what the mountain top looks like. Hang in there. Endure. Overcome. Slog through it. You’re strengthening the muscles you’ll need for the ascent back to the top.

We’re all learning as we go. Going up demands different skills than going up. We need both if we’re going to successfully navigate through life – and help others do the same.

Go hug your wife. Or husband. And your children. And grandchildren. Don’t leave out close friends either.

Take care of yourself. Your family deserves it. Don’t ignore your health or fitness! It’s incredibly selfish if you neglect or abuse yourself. So, if you didn’t know it before now you do – it’s why I go to the gym daily! I decided a few years ago that I couldn’t “do that” to Rhonda.

Leave me a review over at iTunes, please!

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My Current Reading Habits (And Some Changes I’m Going To Make)

Personal Development, Video / By

My love affair with books didn’t fully engage until late in high school. Well, that’s when it began. During my first semester of college it was full-blown. It’s been relentless ever since.

Before that reading was a favorite thing, but not books. Magazines. I loved Popular Science. Audio. Stereo Review. High Fidelity. Rolling Stone. Melody Maker.

Peppered in there somewhere were a few sports biographies, historical biographies and Mad Magazine’s Snappy Answers To Stupid Questions, Vol. I and Vol. II.

It dawned on me – don’t ask me what took me so long – that my reading habits are terrible.

One, I juggle too many books at one time.

Two, I suffer too much book envy.

So I’m going to attempt to change a few things. What about you? What do your reading habits look like?

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Escaping What Could Have Been: Love Works Wonders In Our Livelihood

Leadership, Personal Development, Video / By

In 1973 the Texas Rangers drafted a left-handed high school pitcher from Houston, David Clyde. Due to many circumstances beyond his control, his career was derailed by abusive ownership and management. Not yet ready for the major leagues, he was thrust into the spotlight in hopes of driving up fan attendance to a struggling baseball franchise that had just moved from Washington, DC to Arlington, Texas. He burned out. Physically. When a pitcher’s arm goes, he’s useless to his employer.

David Clyde is the poster child of “what could have been” in baseball circles. Just another sad story of a person put into a bad circumstance.

Andy Stanley has a leadership podcast that I listen to. Last week Andy talked with Joel Manby, CEO of Herschend Family Entertainment, about his new book, Love Works. In the interview, Joel talks about having been the North American CEO of Saab. One Easter Sunday he got a call from the Global CEO of Saab, calling him on the carpet for poor financial results. His boss demanded he get on a plane and fly to Sweden immediately. Upon arrival he was berated in front of all his peers.

I’ve not read Joel’s book yet, but I plan on it. Today, Michael Hyatt blogged a review about it.

From major league sports to corporate boardrooms to family living rooms – there are countless people stuck in situations that are holding them back. Preventing them from what’s possible. Catapulting them toward the land of What-Could-Have-Been.

I hope you’re not among them, but if you are — there’s hope. You can do something about it. You must do something about it, starting today!

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The Fear Of Failure Has No ON/OFF Switch

Personal Development, Video / By

What’s does it mean to fail anyway?

Does failure have a time zone…or a time component? That is, if you’re unable to accomplish something in a predefined period of time…does that make you a failure? Or does it just mean you’re a slower learner?

Beware of the person who says they have no fear.

Remember when the NO FEAR brand was a big deal (well, maybe it still is, but I don’t see it much these days). I admit I had a few baseball caps from that company. I embraced the notion of moving forward in spite of fear, but I’ve never believed we could just make up our mind that we would no longer be afraid.

Sure, fear can be overcome, but isn’t there something about fear that makes us alive? Don’t we get our juices going when we’re afraid? How else can you explain the wild attraction people have to horror movies like SAW? Some of us enjoy being afraid.

Have you ever been scared enough to run? Scared enough to do something other than what you were doing? Me, too.

There are times when fear drives us to take actions we wouldn’t otherwise take. And there are also times when we have to face our fear – and do the thing we’re afraid of any way!

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Episode 132 – One May Be The Loneliest Number, But It Is Also The Most Magical Number

Entrepreneurship, Personal Development, Podcast / By

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Three Dog Night circa 1970 (give or take)

In 1969 Three Dog Night had a hit song written by Harry Nilsson, ONE.

It was the first song on their first album. Think about that because it’s important for today’s show.

We’re all chasing increased website traffic. We want a bigger audience. A larger market. More people.

Whether we’re writing a blog or selling a product, larger audiences trump smaller ones.

Just like more money is better than less money.

Being popular is better than being unknown.

An increase in audience brings with it a potential increase in sales, connections, joint venture opportunities, more dynamic relationships and a host of other benefits.

No, you’re not foolish to crave all these things…or to even chase them with all your might.

But, as the saying goes, “You gotta crawl before you can walk.”

I hope you’ll subscribe to the newsletter. Just enter your email address in that box in the upper right hand corner. I’ve got some special treats in store for you if you do!

Thanks for listening.

 

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The Novice Expert

Communication, Personal Development / By
"I don't need no stinking class."

Surfing is like anything else. You’ve got to learn it.

Now, I’ve never taken a surfing class, but I’m sure one or more of these guys is thinking, “I don’t need this. I just wanna go surf.”

The world is full of people who know not that they know not.

They’re a sad lot, but they do provide some killer YouTube content.

But there’s another group. They know something. Many are even highly educated. They’re just inexperienced.

“I don’t need no stinkin’ experience.” 

That’s the caption underneath their photo.

Recently I was indirectly involved in a sales situation. The business owner was lamenting how a novice salesperson was chasing a deal he felt was a long shot. Worse yet, the company had some resources tied up in chasing the deal. As I am wont to do, I shot my mouth off telling the business owner, “It’s like trying to be a vitamin when the client wants and needs and aspirin.”

We talked about how hard it can be to convince a prospect that they need whatever we’ve got. Again, I couldn’t resist mouthing off, “But, I’ve only got 40 years experience so I don’t likely know enough.” We chuckled and he replied, “Yeah, your 40 years has likely jaded your perspective.” More laughter.

The serious issue is that I know very clearly that there are many things I don’t yet know. I feel like I’m the guy Dirty Harry was talking to when he made this exhortation…

A man’s gotta know his limitations.

Many novices don’t yet know that. Their confidence – real or fake – gets in their way and works against them.

Many experienced people are just as guilty.

Today try looking for things you can learn. Don’t presuppose you know the right answer. Maybe you do, but it won’t hurt if you remain quiet for a few minutes. Don’t be so quick to think, “I don’t need to listen to this. I know exactly what ought to happen.”

You might save yourself embarrassment. You might learn something. Or, you might foster greater confidence from others.

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