Archive for March, 2008

Never Give Up!

Wednesday, March 19th, 2008

In my quest to discover what it is I truly want and to manifest my purpose, “To Make a Positive Difference and Showcase What is Possible,” I have stumbled and fallen way more than I have succeeded in achieving my goals. I have found that the more I stick myself out there the more arrows are going to get shot into my back. These arrows hold great potential to teach new ways to approach whatever it is we are doing. The challenge is not only to identify these new approaches so we can reach our goals, but also to muster the courage to continue in the quest and “Never Ever Give Up.”

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” Ambrose Redmoon

“If it were easy everyone would be doing it,” is what I remind myself every time I am challenged by an entrepreneurial endeavor, working with the public sector, or just problem solving for clients. The majority of people take the road most traveled, the road down hill. For those few who are willing to trek up the hill and take the road less traveled it is important to nurture a “Never Ever Give Up” attitude in life. The journey of discovery into the unknown is one of the greatest journeys one can pursue, because it has the tremendous potential to transform you into the person you were meant to be.

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken,” 1916

In my life the intelligence I inherited, along with my ambitious nature and a strong dedication to immersive learning, a powerful determination to “Never Ever Give Up” has developed. It has not always been easy to embrace the idea of “Never Ever Give Up.” Many times in my life I have wanted to just “throw in the towel” on many endeavors. In some cases I probably gave up too soon and in others held on too long. Like so many things in life it takes practice, patience, and courage to embrace an attitude of “Never Ever Give Up.”

“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” Harriet Beecher Stowe

Whenever I get down and feel like I can’t keep going on with something I am working on, I like to read the following true-life story. It inspires me to keep on keeping on.

Feel discouraged occasionally? The next time discouragement hits you, remember the story of a young man of limited background, possessing little more than a self-administered education. Upon completion of military service, he decided to enter politics by running for a seat in the state legislature. He was soundly defeated. He abandoned politics to try his hand at the storekeeper’s trade. The store went bankrupt and he spent the next 17 years paying off the debt. He fell in love with a woman . . . and suffered the heartbreaking experience of watching her die from typhoid fever. He then spent the next several months bedridden in a state of major depression.

Back on his feet again he decided to enter politics, this time as a candidate for Congress. He was elected by a narrow margin, and when he ran for re-election he was defeated. He also became a candidate for the United States Senate – and was defeated. He sought a position with the United States land office and failed to get the job. He was nominated for the Vice Presidency at the Presidential convention of a major political party and lost to a political unknown on the final ballot.

Running again for Senate, he waged a campaign which captured the attention of the nation, but which netted him only defeat once again. Instead of giving up, he continued to dedicate himself to the ideals and principals in which he believed. His eventual reward is familiar to us all, for Abraham Lincoln, although often discouraged during his lifetime, in the end he never ever gave up.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Let me know what you think.

Special Invitation
Please join me April 2nd and attend Mayor Kathy Taylor’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award Kick-Off Celebration at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame. This is my second year chairing the business plan competition, which is sponsored by SpiritBank. This year entrepreneurs will be competing for over $100,000 in cash, prizes and services.

What: Tulsa’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award Kick-Off
When: Wednesday, April 2, 2008 at 4:30pm
Location: Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, 322 N. Greenwood Ave.

This is the exciting part of the event; immediately following the Tulsa Entrepreneurial Spirit Award Kick-Off I will be co-facilitating a very special Think-A-Torium® – Growing Entrepreneurs and Innovation in Tulsa with Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor. This is an event not to be missed for anyone who wants to gain a better understanding of how to grow entrepreneurialism.

RSVP: Space is limited. Call Michelle Allen at 918-596-9875 today to make reservations or e-mail mallen@cityoftulsa.org by Friday, March 28, 2008. For more information about the Tulsa Entrepreneurial Award, please visit www.tulsaspiritaward.com.

Until next week, remember the only boxes that exist are the ones you create yourself.

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Passion for Life

Thursday, March 13th, 2008

The idea that we own something is really quite strange if you take the time and think about it for just a minute. Because our lives are temporary as such, so are our possessions. You can’t take them with you. When we are overly attached to the things that we own or desire to own, we run the risk of identifying ourselves with those things. Things we own and money we accumulate can be lost in a matter of minutes. If we become so attached to things that we loose our own unique self in the process we are setting ourselves up for disappointment and depression. That is because our ownership is temporary just like us. The measure of our greatness is not based upon what we take from the earth, but what we leave behind.

There is one thing that you have that is uniquely yours and you will still own no matter what is taken from you or lost. It is the most important thing you have and no one else has it except for you. No one can take it away from you. What is it? It is your passion for life, living your unique life in harmony with all life. This does not mean the drive for day-to-day lusts or the pursuit of self-actions. These will only prove to be short lived and unfulfilling, failing to bring any kind of lasting fulfillment.

“Without passion man is a mere latent force and possibility, like the flint which awaits the shock of the iron before it can give forth its spark.” Amiel

Life is a great journey with ups and downs. Part of the process is living your life with passion and joy. Joseph Campbell liked to call it “following your bliss.” Here is what he had to say on the subject. “If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. Wherever you are, if you are following your bliss, you are enjoying that refreshment, that life within you, all the time.”

Living your life with passion has the ability to release the attachment of self-centered goals and aspirations that only fulfill the needs of your ego or self. Let’s face it. This is hard stuff. No one said the journey was easy. It is worth the pursuit because it means you are allowing your true self to arise and that nothing of real importance and value can be taken from you. When you are living your true passion, you become identified with your unique self, not things, stuff, or the limitations of the physical world.

So how do you discover your unique and powerful passion? Each and every moment of your life is an opportunity to uncover and live your unique passion. You will know when you are living your passion because everything will feel right. There will be no hesitation, no second thought. There will be nothing but harmony and bliss. You don’t need to do anything but let the harmony and passion flow through you. When you feel this kind of alignment with life, your unique passion, follow it, live it to the fullest, and don’t stop living it.

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Harold Whitman

When you are living and following your passion, you align with what has been there all along just waiting for you to start living the life you are suppose to be living. When you can become aware of this you begin to meet people who are in alignment with your passion and new doors of opportunity will open. Please don’t be afraid of what is behind these doors. Stepping into the unknown will allow you to open the doors to live the life you are meant to be living. Go ahead, open the door and step on through. It is here that you will discover the passions that have the potential for you to live your life to the fullest.

Living your life of passion in the end will come from within and not from striving for outer appearances, what people will think, or from outer circumstances, what is happening to you. Nothing is more important or joyous than living and dancing the life that is uniquely you.

When you are living your life with passion you are quite honestly the richest person on the planet. No amount of gold or money can take its place. And here is the clincher. When you are living your passion, monetary rewards will flow through you more naturally. Your ability to detach will allow you to give more freely and in return gain greater rewards than you have ever thought possible. Just like a boomerang when you give without being attached to the outcome the rewards that come back to you are that much greater.

Go ahead. Align with “what is” instead of “what is not.” You are only here a short time. Make the most of it by “living your life with passion.”

Remember the only boxes that exist are the ones you create for yourself.

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Thursday, March 6th, 2008

What’s it all about?

Is it about buying the next big thing?

Is it about being seen at the next big event?

Is it about looking like the next big model?

Is it about cooking in the nicest kitchen?

Is it about making more and more money? 

Is it about being recognized and admired?

Is it about becoming famous?

Is it about looking good and being cool?

What is it all about?

Is it about making a positive difference in the world? You know, giving back to society in a meaningful way, a way that has no agenda tied to it other than to give back and make a difference without expectation of anything in return.

“The purpose of life is not to be happy – but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you have lived at all.”  Leo Rosten

Seems so easy doesn’t it? Yet so few of us are doing it.

Maybe it is the type of reality we are creating for ourselves today. I don’t know about you, but it seems that more and more people are interested in being something that they aren’t, something that they wish they could be, anything but who they are. Seems strange on the surface, but diving in deeper you can see it all around you.

In my life, I am being bombarded by people and corporations reaching for something of greater meaning to grasp onto as they work to grow their businesses and personal lives. Not a day or week goes by where I am not contacted to explore how I might be of assistance in helping a struggling organization or person in need of a new direction in life.

At first glance this may seem normal, or something that is in line with the type of work I do. Yes, my focus is on helping people and organizations to reach for their full potential. This naturally attracts me to people looking for something more in their lives, something with meaning and purpose.

Over the years of doing this type of work I can honestly say that I have never seen such a strong urge by so many people across all sectors of life looking for an answer to something greater than themselves, people searching for a purpose for their lives. It is almost like a switch has been turned and people are starting to look at what they thought their live were about and want to explore possibilities that are beyond what are in front of them.

I believe strongly that we all have a purpose in life, something that each of us is uniquely called to do, and that there is a purpose deep inside of us that calls us and knocks on our hearts to fulfill.

That is why I keep asking the question, “What’s it all about?”

There has to be something beyond the acquisition of money, stuff, things, meetings, eating, sleeping, influence, power and creating.

Our mental environment today does not support us in our quest to make a difference unless we can buy it, consume it, or control it. Do you realize that you will see more advertising and branding messages in a year than my Grandfather saw in his entire life? Yes his entire life. Amazing if you ask me!

What’s it all about?

“You give but little when you give of your possessions.  It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”  Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

The longer I live and the more I work towards living my life’s purpose of making a positive difference and showcasing what is possible the more I realize that to live a life with purpose and passion is to give back. The greatest gift we are all given is the power to make a difference and to give back. This is what it is all about.

There has to be something to it. Whenever I start working with a person or company to support them in discovering and living their unique purpose it inevitably leads them to giving back, making a difference, and contributing something of value to our society. The most interesting thing is that their purpose is rarely ever driven exclusively by money, even with the most money hungry people I know. Yes, they want the money, but when you get them into a creative space where they focus on their passions and purpose their dialogue usually moves way past their money and instead they focus on how can they leverage and maximize their money to make a difference. This always brings a smile to my heart and face.

There is nothing, and I mean nothing more important than to discover and live your life’s purpose. It is what you were put here on earth to do. It is where you will find the greatest joy in life, where you will make the most important relationships, and how your decisions will be guided.

Is this what it is all about?

I really think so. Here is the challenge. Discovering and living your life’s purpose is hard work. I mean HARD work. It means that you have to dive deep inside of yourself to uncover who you are, what makes you tick; the good, the bad and the ugly. This is why so many people are not doing it. It is just easier to go through life on autopilot and act more like the Proles as described in Orwell’s epic book, Nineteen Eighty Four.

Never before in history have there been so many with so much and at the same time without greater meaning in their lives. Perhaps we will arise to a new world, a world were people focus on discovering and living their unique life purpose.

Until that time I am afraid we will keep asking the question, “What’s it all about?”

“This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.”  George Bernard Shaw

Let me know what you think.

Until next week, remember the only boxes that exist are the ones you create yourself.

 

 

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