August 14, 2015 - Being a River

I have always found mentors; mainly because I really like to learn. Although I didn’t know they were called mentors until recently. Linda really likes to learn the science of things. I like to learn the behaviour of things. So when my Uncle Ralph taught me about White Oaks and how he used their flowering time as an indicator of other things happening in the vineyards, I was really interested. About the behaviour of the white oak and the insect he was monitoring. Linda would have been interested in the science of phenology, entomology, botany and everything else. I’m just telling you that as a point of reference. Not a judgment or anything.

When I started reviewing my life (my behaviour) I came to realize I have been trying to emulate the great people in my life. A short list would be my Dad, my Grandpa and Uncle Ralph. There were many others, this is but a short list.  All three were rivers. I have met many other people who turned out to be reservoirs.

You see a river has knowledge enter at its headwaters. The river then churns the knowledge up and mixes it with other knowledge that enters the river through the many tributaries. Those bits of knowledge adhere to each other, oxygenating, purifying, and becoming more and more nutritious. Then as the river flows, that knowledge can be taken out and used by whoever needs it. If the person taking from the river is one of the 5% that knowledge enters their river and mixes and the “circle of knowledge” continues.

Unfortunately, most people, the 95% are reservoirs. Knowledge enters their reservoir and may or may not mix with other knowledge, there is very little oxygenation, no purification. There is no easy way to get at this knowledge, and when it is accessed, it comes out in a container, flat, stale and perhaps not understandable.

My mother in law of all people once called me a generous person. She believes I just give my knowledge and skills away without compensation. On one hand she is right. I give freely of what I know and can do. I never heard of Emerson’s Universal Law of Compensation until I was walking this earth for almost 50 years. “Do the Thing and You shall have the Power. But he who does not the Thing shall not have the Power.” My dad, grandpa and uncle knew this law and taught it to me without revealing the name.

I believe now and then and always will that payment comes back in any deed we do. Good or bad. You can undo a bad by doing good but the bad gets re-paid.

I gave a homeless guy a Twonie yesterday. He looked a little strung out. But he was well spoken and polite. Now he said he was going to buy poutine and I have to believe him on that. Now if his heart was good, and he wasn’t lying to me, the universe will guide him to pay that townie back. I do not expect him to pay me back – ever – not from him but somewhere. I may already have been paid and am paying back….. BUT he will pay it forward. Let’s just say he gets the money together to but that poutine. I picture him buying the poutine and leaving the shop. He’ll sit on the edge of a wall and some other homeless guy comes along and he shares it with him. THAT is how the Universal Law of Compensation works in my mind.

Compensation comes from everywhere and always will come from the unexpected. You never know how one small act of kindness will ripple its way through the Universe in ways you never may see. So be kind. Pay it forward through acts of tithing, kindness, whatever you have to give – give.

Jim Rohn said something about the key to success in life – as if there was only one – and he said it in this phrase. “Study, practice, teach”.

Study your life, your trade, everything. Learn every day about something new in your life. “Good leaders are good readers.”

Practice your life, your trade, everything. Be better today than you were yesterday, plan on how to be better tomorrow. Always improve – in every area of your life.

Teach your life, your trade, everything. Not everyone wants to be taught but you will know the ones that want to be taught. Be a mentor. Be open.

Be a river.

July 25, 2015 - Adjustments

I have posted a few times that I am working to get into a routine with regards to my success pathway. And so here I am.

Today will be a good example of what I am doing. I have a friend, my ACN upline actually, who also has a time-for-money commitment. I help him out with his landscaping business on occasion. This morning I am headed to Burlington to help him out with a project.

This came about last night and has kind of disrupted my plans for the day. I am told by some business mentors that saying no is the most powerful thing you can do. In this case, I cannot let a friend down. So what am I going to do?

I adjusted my schedule so I will be able to help Todd out. I am headed out in a moment. I will then do the ACN development work this evening and forgo something else.

Brian Tracy says, "Most people are focused on stress relieving rather than goal achieving activities." No NETFLIX for me tonight.

I was up at 5 (ish), took the dog for a walk, planned my day, read some from "Think and Grow Rich", did some house work and am now off to see Todd.

Todd and I have a mastermind group where we meet every Sunday morning and have breakfast and talk about our successes. I look forward to that immeasurably. It may sound like a hardship, going to help Todd out now but I am so looking forward to the intellectual growth I will have today.

July 24, 2015 - Motivation

So, as you can tell by the date in this post, I haven’t kept up with my blog entry (ies). Oops. Not oops, it really was a lack of motivation. I feel like crap as the past month evaporated. Simply evaporated. I really fell into a pit of non-motivation.

I was doing my time-for-money gig today and was listening to random things on my I-Pod. One was a short presentation by Chris Widener. I downloaded a success series he has for free on his website. This was the first time I had heard this presentation.

I am sitting on my mother-in-law’s deck overlooking Temperance Lake and pondering my day. I am pushing myself into a better head space and the location certainly helps me out. I am most fortunate to have this environs in which to work.

Six Rules to Staying Motivated

1. Get Motivated Daily

Each and every day you must get yourself motivated. Someone complained about this to Zig Zigglar – that you have to get motivated ever day. Zig said, “Well you have to bathe daily don’t you?” Its true. Motivate daily.

I wake each morning and go through a ritual of a daily gratitude review. Kind of like a prayer. Starting tomorrow, I am going to include my motivation into that. Jim Rohn says you must finish tomorrow, on paper, before you go to bed. I’m going to work this motivation into my daily ritual.

2. Have a Vision for Your Life

I have a vision for my life. I have written a lot of it down but not all of it. And a vision for my life is not a list of goals or money I want to make or things I want to do but a REAL VISION. This is more of a life philosophy rather than just a set of goals. My Vision includes helping as many people as possible reach their goals.

When you have a vision for your life you then have a Reason to Act. Rather than moping around waiting for things to happen, a person with a clear vision will be inspired to act every day.

Its really apropos that today I also heard a favourite quote of mine. “If you don’t know where you are going, you might end up somewhere else.” – Yogi Berra

Figure out your vision. You don’t need to tell anyone BUT get it crystal clear and easy to recite.

3. Fuel Your Passion

Whatever your passion is or passions are, fuel them daily. Read, listen, watch everything you can that will help teach you and inspire you on your quest for your passion. Here is a personal hint that helps me with my passion – TEACH. There is an old saying along the lines of “To teach is to learn twice.” Teach, mentor, however it works, it really does help keep my passion fueled.

4. Work Hard Enough to Get Results

You can do the first three things and still not stay motivated. The very best thing to help keep Big Mo moving along is to get results in the first place. Now, the way that is worded sounds as if I am suggesting you limit your efforts.

Absolutely NOT. Work hard and get results. If you aren’t getting results but are doing everything right – work harder. Eventually, the results will start and then all of your efforts will develop momentum.

5. Put  Good Things in Your Mind

Turn off the TV. Turn off the news. Turn off the mindless drivel that masks itself as entertainment coming out of your TV, Computer or hand held. Turn on things like positive TED talks, books, magazines, blogs that will stimulate your thinking and help you grow your psyche.

I heard today that the average North American watched 23 hours of TV a week. That is a part time JOB! If that person just went to a retail store and got a minimum wage job and banked the money, in Canada that person would be able to save $7,875 each and every YEAR!  I believe many people watch far more than that. That’s just TV as far as I know. I wonder what it is factoring in NETFLIX and other online drivel like silly cat videos….

6. Ride Momentum When it Comes

Don’t let your foot off the gas. EVER. You are in a race and the prize is personal fulfillment.  Once you get some momentum it is much easier to keep going than it is to start again. Keep on truckin’ And keep on keep on truckin’ no matter what.

I am going to put these rules up on my board. I am going to read them every morning and every evening. I NEED to re-focus my efforts into a positive, motivated self. And I am going to do it.

July 4, 2015 - Above all else.....

Guard Your Heart

I think I have written about Guard Your Heart before but thought I should write about it again as I thinking about it while walking my dog this morning.

The proverb is “Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.” Solomon

I am sitting at the edge of Temperance Lake, having my coffee and planning my day. I am building my business and take a few moments every morning to do some personal mind training. I like Dennis Waitley’s slogan. “No train. No gain.” I am following Robin Sharma’s 20-20-20 rule. Wake up at 4:45. Out the door at 5:00 for 20 minutes of aerobic exercise, then 20 minutes of persona development and then 20 minutes of planning and structuring of my day.

Bosley tired after walk:

 

Today my schedule is a little off as I did not plan well earlier in the week. I don’t have a whole lot to read for development although I am re-reading “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill.

Guard your heart….. Rings true for me. I am staying at my mother-in-law’s place. She is an extremely negative person. I have to guard my heart. I also have to stop and think about why she is negative. When I try to understand her, I understand myself a little better too. Here are my thoughts. Actually they are not all my thoughts. Many conclusions I have drawn with the help of my mentor, Todd Baranowski.

First of all, she is of the negative generation. That generation (m parents too) were brought up to get training, get a job, work, retire, die. She and her husband did that. She was mainly a stay-at-home mom, although trained as a registered nurse. They worked (he, the majority of his career at IBM). They retired. They travelled a bit and then he died. Hey, what can I say, the plan worked for them.

That brings me to number two on the list of causal factors for her negativity. He died. She is a very sad person. They had built a very nice retirement house. That is where I am sitting right now. They were supposed to have shared the remaining years together enjoying this. In fact, I am pretty sure she would have me trade places with her husband… I’m not planning on letting that happen.

Number three – she is lonely. She lives in the country and really doesn’t have a huge circle of friends to draw on. She used to go to church and a service club and dropped both.

Number four – she is jealous. She is jealous of people like me who are trying to seek out their dreams and passions and enjoy their life. 

I also try to remember - Hurting people hurt people.

There is one simple thing I do every morning as I awake and every evening as I go to bed. I “count my blessings”. Gratitude is the word that I am building the rest of my life on. I am very grateful to have the life I have, the country I am living in, the family I have, the friends I have and the material possessions I have. I am able to pay my bills, eat well and sleep in relative comfort. 

Who could not be grateful when this awaits those who look for it. I am an extremely fortunate person.

 

I guard my heart. As Jim Rhon says, I take sword to those enemies that wish to destroy me from within. Its not easy. Those horsemen of my personal apocalypse almost won over me. Its been a long, long battle but I am prevailing.

My life today is better than my life yesterday and not as good as tomorrow’s will be. But I live for today as Emerson said (and I paraphrase), “live today as if today was King. As if today was doomsday (the last day of your life)”. And I try to do so.

Someone asked me something along the lines of “Do you always have good days?”. To which I replied yes. Then they asked “How?”. And I said, because I refuse to have bad days. Happiness is a choice.

Please, above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.

July 3, 2015 VISION

Vision is the spectacular that drives us to do the mundane.

Wow. That says it all. Darren Hardy et al always talk about your “why”, having why power, having a BHAG – Big Hairy Audacious Goal. I have goals. I have a big hairy audacious goal too! Remember, a  goal is a dream with a deadline.

So what is keeping me from my goals? My inability to drive myself through the mundane. As I am writing this it is 6:41 am. I have been for my walk, I have a coffee in front of me and what else have I accomplished? Nada.

Vision is the spectacular that drives us to do the mundane.

I have to keep my vision in the forefront constantly. I used to get back from my walk every morning and write my goals out. Paul Tracy says that you have to write out your goals every day without looking at yesterday’s list. Do that for thirty days and the real list will appear and your goals will be met.

Well, starting right now. RIGHT NOW. My life is changing.

Talk to you soon.

Matt