In the early morning when you wake up, let the first thoughts be ones of gratitude.
What are you thankful for?
At the end of the day, let the same attitude of gratefulness complete your day.
Do this, and you’ll begin and end each day with an amazing lightness in your heart.
Get up. Go to work. Come home. Eat dinner. Watch TV. Repeat.
Is this your life?
Are you at the point where you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired about life? When you look back five years, do you see the same five years ahead of you?
“I’m Fine, Thanks” explores the topics of mediocrity and complacency and features interviews with people from all over the United States and Canada. To read more about the movie:
17,354.
That’s how many days I’ve lived so far. I never really thought about that number until I sat down last night to read 20,000 Days and Counting by Robert D. Smith. The book was from Keith St. Onge, who received it from Andy Andrews.
I first came across Robert via his guest post on Andy Andrew’s blog and I shared my thoughts on 48days.net:
What Did You Have for Breakfast? How About a Couple of No’s
Robert’s post gave me a whole different approach to facing rejection and he expands on this outlook in his book.
Yes, there’s some talk of death in this book, but it serves the purpose of waking us up to examine our lives and understand how we can leave a legacy of difference during our time here on earth. The message is clear: live with intensity.
Robert asks in the book, “Are you getting so bogged down in the day-to-day minutiae of your life that you overlook the power of each moment?” And there’s more: “Do not wait for impending death to light the fire of action inside yourself. Act today. Start small. There are opportunities hiding in the ‘day-to-day.’” We definitely have to be mindful of the power of each moment because that is all we really have– the here and now. This reminds me of a line in one of John Denver’s songs: “The moment at hand is the only thing we really own.”
Last night, before I sat down with the book, I was experiencing a high level of crankiness about small things. I was lamenting about my weight gain, grumbling about the frustration of learning how to barefoot backwards and just generally in a very rotten mood. An hour and half later, I closed the book and reflected on several key points. The first thing was to switch to an attitude of gratitude– after all, here I was down in Florida getting to barefoot water ski with some great people. I took each of the negatives and switched them around to positives. Life is too short to give in to the grumbling.
Tomorrow is day 17,355. It’s gonna be good.
Every year, Chris Brogan selects three words to guide him and keep him focused throughout the year. The three words are a “shorthand representation of your bigger story,” Chris explains. Chris shares his three words for 2013 in his post, My 3 Words for 2013.
What a cool way to start off a brand new year.
I didn’t do a lot of thinking on this one, I just went right for the words that felt right. These are the words I want to live, breathe and embrace for 2013:
This year, I want to dream bigger and bolder. In the past, I’ve set goals which were “realistic” and not always something my heart wanted. I want to let my mind go wild with visions, dreams and ideas, no matter how big or scary they seem. I want to capture the stuff in my head on paper, in a place I can find it time and time again– and put that stuff into action.
Do you remember what it was like as a kid, swinging on a swinging way up so high without a care in the world? A time when you were so deep into the moment that time literally stood still and your heart was so full it was going to burst.
2013 will be about moments like that.
This is the biggie for me. I LOVE this word. It’s a word which gets me so excited I just want to share it with everyone. Like a little kid with presents, I’ve been tearing off the wrapping paper of my passions and enjoying the gifts I find. 2013 is the year I want to help others unwrap their passions.
So how about you? What are your three words? Take a moment to pick out the three words of 2013 to shape your year. What will they be? Share them in the comments below or hop on over to Chris’ site and share them here: Chris Brogan’s 3 Words.
Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to share my story of unwrapping my passion for barefoot water skiing after abandoning it for two decades. It was for a movie, I’m Fine, Thanks.
Heck, I didn’t know Grant Peelle, the director, or Adam Baker, the guy behind Man vs. Debt when this opportunity first presented itself, but my intuition said, “Say yes.” The movie would include interviews with Pat Flynn, Chris Guillebeau and Jonathan Fields–guys who were well known in the social media/blogging arena. So the crew was set to come to Chicago in early April.
But there was one problem: I had ACL reconstruction surgery in December and I wasn’t cleared to ski. The doc said, “No way. Absolutely not.” My custom-made brace wasn’t ready.
The next day, I posted a request on Facebook to borrow a brace. The flurry of responses I received were not pleasant. My dearest friends had decided I lost my mind. I was not cleared to ski, the graft was at its weakest point, and I was planning to borrow a brace that wasn’t even made for me. I received some texts, emails and messages basically telling me how stupid I was for even thinking about barefooting on a newly-reconstructed-still-healing ACL.
I told the film crew about the situation and thought we’d have to drop it. But something deep down kept gnawing at me. My intuition was still telling me, “Do this.”
So I prayed for a sign. I needed the reassurance I was doing the right thing. The gut feeling was so strong, I could not ignore it.
Sure enough, I found my sign. Moments later, I opened the door to the garage and saw my hip-to-the-ankle hospital brace lying there. I had placed the brace on the garbage heap several times but my husband and kids had never hauled it out to the curb on garbage day. It sat in the garage for two solid months.
That’s my sign!
So that’s how five guys landed on my doorstep on Tuesday morning on the last leg of their U.S and Canada trip covering nearly 15,000 miles of terrain. Besides Grant and Adam, the crew included Bryan Olinger (cameraman), John Cropper (cameraman) and Dustin Koester (production assistant).
It was a blast working with the Crank Tank crew–five great guys! They filmed the interview in my living room and the next day, we took off for the Fox River in St. Charles and met up with my footin’ buddies, Kevin O’Connell and Tom Hart. I slapped on the huge brace, crawled out on the boom and did two runs down the river. It was a beautiful, cold spring day. The crew also captured Tom and Kevin on the water, but that footage didn’t make it in the movie.
Both Grant and Bryan did some barefooting for the first time. Oh wait, let me say this: Grant did some spectacular faceplanting that day.The poor guy was sore for days afterwards.
Adam wrote about their journey here:
The Making of I’m Fine Thanks, Part One
The Making of I’m Fine, Thanks, Part Two
Well, the day is finally here– the movie is out! You can order the DVD or download the digital version (yes, it is captioned) here:
I’ve watched the movie twice so far and plan to watch it again and again. If you’re living a life of mediocrity and complacency, the movie is a great wake-up call. Shape your life so the next time someone asks how you are, you can say, “I’m more than fine, I’m $%&* awesome!
Grant sums up the movie so perfectly at the end:
“If I learned one thing on this road trip is that there is no script. Life isn’t about which job you take– it’s about chasing your passions and holding on to them through the ups and downs.”
I’m giving away a DVD of the movie randomly to one person who leaves a comment by midnight, November 12, 2012. Tell me what kind of answer you’d give if someone asked about your life today.
Every day, I spend some time meditating in quiet thought. I start with some gratitude, for I find it gets me in a good frame of mind. Then I spend some time “sitting for ideas,” a process I learned from Debra Poneman.
I love finding new places to meditate surrounded by nature. This morning, I went out to a dock in Winter Haven surrounded by reeds. It was the perfect place to be alone in thought.
I had been feeling so weighed down for a while, the result of going in too many different directions. It’s that lovely “ADD” aspect of me. I try hard to control it, but sometimes I let it get the best of me.
After the go-go-go of the last several weeks, the stillness of the morning took over. I sat there for a long time. A hawk flew overhead. I thought of my friendMary Clark who passed away recently and I began to cry.
A good, cleansing cry. I needed it.
As I stood up to walk back, a bird flew out from the reeds. It was a red-winged blackbird.
My dad.
/missin-dad-one-year-later/
During a lunch break at the International Center for Deafness and the Arts, I was talking to one of the teen cast members and asking her about her dreams. “I want to be like Marlee Matlin,” she said. “I love her on the show, Switched at Birth.”
The teen went back on to the stage to rehearse for Nunsense. As I was sitting in the lounge, my eyes caught an essay written by a very young Marlee Matlin. It was posted on the wall next to several pictures of Marlee during her time at ICODA. Marlee began her acting career as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Her original costume was now enshrined on the wall.
“If I Was A Movie Star,” Marlee titled her essay. Here is the rest:
If I was a movie star, I would ride in a limousine.
When I go out of the limousine, I would give everyone my best autograph and I would let people take my picture! OOhh, when I am on the stage, I would give everyone my best smile! 🙂
I would have a huge house which would have mirrors all over. I would love when people would write me letters. I would love to send them back but it’s hard to write to all the people.
I would love to meet all movie stars! They are so nice!!
I want to make movies all my life.
Here’s my autograph:
Signed: Marlee Matlin
I sat and marveled at the letter. Young Marlee Matlin had manifested every single thing written in that essay. Every. Single. Thing. And more. Her bold vision had morphed into reality. Nine years before her Oscar moment, Henry Winkler told her to follow her heart and not let any barriers stop her from achieving her dreams.
She was the youngest person to ever win the Academy Award at age 21. Many people wrote her off as a one-time-wonder. But Marlee held fast to the dreams that she envisioned. And today, she has four Emmys sitting on a shelf in her beautiful home (I’m sure there are mirrors on the walls) and she’s emerged from a limousine over and over.
Perhaps anyone reading Marlee’s essay back then might have thought it was an impossible goal. An impossible dream. Randy Gage, in his post, Goals That Work, says:
So if you have a bold vision, the bold goal will seem believable to you. If you don’t, it won’t. It’s just that simple. So as to whether you achieve a goal you don’t really believe – I don’t think so. Once in a while circumstances will conspire to drag you over the finish line. But almost all the time, you need a strong belief in a goal to have a real chance of achieving it.
What about you? Do you have a bold vision you want to turn into reality?
I woke up this morning tossing and turning. On most mornings, I meditate and I do my “Grateful Prayer” to get me in the right frame of mind for each day. But this morning, my mind fought me. I couldn’t shut out the negative bombardment that was popping up left and right. Things have been “off kilter” for me lately. You know how a spinning top slows down and begins to wobble? That’s me.
So with a sigh, I got out of my warm bed and went downstairs to work on a presentation for Mom’s Night Inn. But I checked into Facebook first. And there, two of my favorite “Whole Hearted” friends, had posted a TED talk by Brene’ Brown. I love TED talks, but I know they’re long and deep and I had a presentation that I needed to kick some butt on. But when two of my “spiritually centered” friends post something, I listen up.
And I’m glad I did. Brene’ Brown is a researcher from Texas. I had actually been following her on Twitter for a while now but didn’t realize it. Her TED talk is about vulnerability–the more we show the authentic, real, messy sides of us, the more we connect with others. The more we take that plunge into courage and embrace the imperfections, the more we experience life and ourselves on a deeper level.
“Believe that we’re enough. Because when we work from a place that says, ‘I’m enough,’ then we stop screaming and start listening. We’re kinder and gentler to the people around us. And we’re kinder and gentler to ourselves.”
Brene’, you could be my therapist any day!
Well worth the watch:
When Dave Ramsey’s signed copy of EntreLeadership arrived in the mail, I settled down for the night and figured I would read a few pages. Two hours later, it was one a.m. when I turned out the light. Yup, the book captivated me right from the start. Bill Kybels, a senior pastor from Willow Creek Church, summed up my feelings about the book:
“I love this book! One minute Dave sounds like a Harvard prof, and the next minute he is coming at you like an alley fighter! Either way you will wind up being a better leader.”
You cannot lead without passion, Dave writes. How true this is. The most successful leaders are driven by passion, and it is this passion that sustains them year after year. After reading the chapter on passion, I immediately thought of Hands & Voices. When I first joined this parent-driven organization, there were just three chapters. I agreed to start the fourth chapter– only because I saw the passion that burned in the eyes of Leeanne Seaver and Janet DesGeorges. Their passion mirrored my own, and I knew I found a home in this organization. If there’s a testimonial to the power of passion that leads, then Hands & Voices embodies it. In less than ten years, we went from a handful of chapters to world wide.
But back to the book. At first glance, one might simply think this is a business book about leadership, nothing more. At first, I wondered what I might get out of it– after all, I’m a mom, a writer, an early intervention provider and a board member. But then I remembered that I’m also a Send Out Cards distributor, and hello… that’s a business. And since I’m at the beginning of it all, I’m where Dave was back when he set up a card table in his living room. Dave calls this his playbook, in fact, he calls this a “championship playbook for business.” But I find that definition to be too narrow. When I turned the last page of this book, I realized it was so much more than just about leadership in business. It was in fact, a playbook for life.
Throughout the whole book, I found myself underlining bits of wisdom that I could apply to every day life. One of my favorites: “You are never too old. You are never the wrong color. You are never too disabled. You are never the wrong political party. There is never a big enough obstacle to keep a person with passion operating in a higher calling from winning. ” Good stuff. And it applies to anything in life.
You know what else I liked about this book? Dave opens up wide about the mistakes he made along the way and shows how he evolved as a leader. How many times have we placed someone on a pedestal and thought to ourselves, “I’m not like them, they’re so successful, so good at what they do, I could never get to where they are.” So we don’t even bother to try. We don’t push ourselves and test our limits, because we’re measuring ourselves against someone who has paid the price to get where they are today.
Not only is Dave a great leader, but he happens to be a barefoot water skier as well. Deep into the book, in a chapter about recognizing others, he shares a tidbit about Keith St. Onge, the two-time World Barefoot Champion:
“Because of our success and the media I do, I have been blessed to meet many famous and world-class people. A few years ago I met and became friends with the world champion in a particular sport. I was a little worried that he would be arrogant and instead he was gentle, kind, polite, and an amazing athlete. As we talked late one night at my kitchen table he told me of the untold hours and sacrifice his father had gone through to help him train through his teenage years. He humbly attributed his world champion status to his dad’s encouragement and sacrifice.”
Without Keith knowing, Dave sent a two-page letter to his parents, Claude and Jackie, sharing what he observed from working with Keith and thanking them for being great parents. “I was totally emotional reading it,” said Claude. “Having Dave compliment our son and us– well, I had tears of joy. I read it more than once.”
“When I got that letter, I felt so proud,” said Jackie. “For a long time, I didn’t feel that I had anything to do with his success. I was grateful that Dave took the time to share what he thought about Keith, that he expressed his feelings in a letter to us.”
The ripple of that letter goes on. When I first read a copy of Dave’s letter to Keith’s parents a year ago, I started to become more aware of how I could recognize and honor others in my life. I sent out cards, letters and emails and took more time to acknowledge the impact of those I’ve crossed paths with. And that’s what EntreLeadership will do for you– it’s not just a playbook for businesses, it’s a playbook for life. Dave ends the book saying, “Go make a difference in the way business is conducted.” But you won’t change just the way you conduct business, you’ll change the way you journey through life.