Category: Uncategorized

I’ve failed but

I don’t want to sugarcoat where I am at. Right now I feel like a failure. Well, at least some of the time I do. But  I feel that by authentically acknowledging where you are at and how you have failed you can address things and turn them around. So, here goes:

I’ve failed to make a million dollars
I’ve failed to start a multinational company
I’ve failed to build a property empire
I’ve failed to be financially free by 40. Hope I can do it by 50.
I’ve lost many jobs. MANY. MANY.
I’ve lost contact with many friends and some I’ve shed
I’m not rich, well at least not financially.
I haven’t traveled enough or explored enough.

I have a lot of work to do and I tend to put it all off. This can lead to depression and even now I am avoiding my assignment.

But I am still happy. Which is interesting given that right now I don’t have a stable job, I don’t own a home, I don’t have loads of shares, I’m still happy. Most of the time.

Not all of the time. Somedays I feel so flat I can’t get off the couch I get glued to Netflix. I pretend it’s ok, but it’s not. I think about why I never hear back from mates or why I no longer have a best friend or, never really have had one.

It’s like visual flypaper just one more show, I need to watch it until the end.

So, I’ve failed, I acknowledge and accept and now I use it to move forward and make great happen.

I am creating habits. Health, Study, Meditation, learn a language and now I need to create a commercial habit. A focus aligned to a purpose. Purpose is what drives all intention, motivates all action and makes the impossible possible.

Failure is what we learn along the route to creating a successful life. Without failure there is no success, without trial there is no error. So the list of failures is endless, but the opportunity to change, to turn thing around and to make great happen is always there, with every person you meet, every meeting and in every interaction. Change is constant. Let’s make great happen.

If love to hear how others acknowledge their faults or failures and how they may be using these to motivate action, to create change and build an abundant life.

YOU are amazing.

I had a great conversation a while ago (I drafted this ages ago but never posted it). It was with an amazingly inspirational and driven woman (Sami Lee) who’s opinion and insight I value to the highest level possible. Possibly placed on a pedestal.

We talked about many, many things; identity, values, brand and how to live those things you value and that represent you. YOU. You are awesome. YOU are amazing. But why?

The YOU BRAND as a professional gun-for hire in whatever industry you are in is critical to define what you stand for, what your values are, the direction you are heading and how you align yourself to get there.

Ultimately It doesn’t’ matter what it’s called, what matters is the content and how it drives your decisions both in work, life, friendship, family and so on.

I’m working on mine but top-line they look something like this:

Priority pillars:

1 – Health – Without good nothing else exists.

2 – Family – They are your pillar of stability and life’s biggest experiment

3 – Career – Always be earning but refer to item 4, 5 & 6

4 –  Education – Always be active, always be learning

5 –  Passion – Love, Be Loved, Do What you love, Experience life, Travel, Explore, Unleash your inner child

6 – Help others – be the best they can be. Coach. Advise. Drive.

Mantra:

Make Great Happen. 

So, the above is a start. Without action there is no outcome.

 

 

 

Celebrate the little things

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For some, just getting moving in the morning can be a challenge.

The questions I ask are; what’s your biggest challenge? What’s holding you back? How can you create a life you can reflect on as accomplished. What are your values, how are you positioning them? Are you aligned?

It only has to be a life you are happy with, you see as beautiful, you appreciate, you admire within you. If others appreciate it that’s great.

Eternally there’s this nagging thought a self-doubt niggling at you that says, are you doing a good enough job.   And not just at work.  As a friend, a sibling, a son, a dad, a lover, an ex, a potential partner, consultant just about everything a person can do can niggle. Self-doubt. Most of us face it daily and each day I metaphorically slap myself in the face grab my jocks and rip up (I repeat metaphorically) to snap myself out of it.  I don’t have much in the way of assets.  I don’t own a home, I ask the question eternally what it is that I do with my money? Then I look around; the unused gadgets, the clothes, car, things, and more things. But there is one investment I can’t fault.

Her.  A priceless gift from the gods, the most incredible accident my desire has ever created. She, the little me, the creation.

Regardless we return to the struggle, the niggle, the nag. Are you good enough, have you done enough. WHAT IS ENOUGH!?

So here I sit, at a desk at a keyboard typing as if this will give me some reprise from the nag, niggle, struggle or was that the other way around?  Most of the time I can’t concentrate for more than five minutes, so I think. How can I get more, how can I achieve more, do more with less and help others do the same.

START WITH YOU. YOU. YOU.

YOU ARE THE GREATEST GIFT TO YOU. YOU ARE YOUR LIFES WORK. YOU ARE YOUR EVERYTHING. BY BEING YOUR EVERYTHING YOU CAN BE SOMEBODIES SOMETHING.

Be a better you can start here.

  1. Start your day with happiness. Instagram makes me happy, so I check it out most mornings.
  2. How can you do more of the things you love? What do you ache for? De-clutter your life? We have so much stuff we don’t need, it crowds our minds and takes us away from the things we love doing
  3. De-clutter your friends. Those that you think you need but offer nothing don’t make you a better person but expect you to make them one.
  4. Pick three simple goals. What can you achieve in the next week and how will accomplishing those things make you feel?
  5. Pick three simple tasks for the week. We alway look for the big win, when we should focus on the little things, the small wins. Celebrating small wins
  6. Pick three for the day
  7. Do five mins on each – See how you feel.
  8. Don’t complain about anything for just one day and see how how you feel. It’s amazing.
  9. Take five minutes out to just breathe – in and out.  Focus on the air entering your mouth or nose, down your throat and into your lungs. Pause

Do the above, do it for five days and see what happens, write a journal and see how you feel.  I’ve been practising it for awhile and still have a long way to go, but I have noticed, I’ve become more focused, done more, smiled more and just been happier.

If you read this, let me know how you go, I’d love to hear.

Celebrate the little things and big things will follow.

 

 

Grumpy and the projecting critic.

Grumpiness is so subjective.

There is no recompense from being called grumpy…”you’re so grumpy”

“No I’m not”
“Yes you are I can tell by the tone of your voice… You sound so grumpy right now…”
“Nope, I’m definitely not grumpy, not even really sure why you are calling me grumpy”
“Now you’re just being defensive”

Oh no, the defensive call, I’m not even being defensive, or maybe I am? I don’t think I’m grumpy, I don’t even think I’m defensive

There is no where to go from here, first you are grump, then you are defensive. Each of these statements are killer tools in an argumentative arsenal, make the defensive call and any defence supports the grumpy observation.

Perhaps you are grumpy or alternatively, perhaps you are not grumpy and the critic is simply projecting, they are grumpy and because of their inner grump have heightened sensitivity to other people grumpiness.

Are you aware of your affect on other people, of how you are interacting, responding, your thoughts, feelings actions and emotions? Are you present, right now?

 

 

 

 

Anzac Pride and infectious positive energy

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I just attended the Anzac day march in Melbourne for the first time and was struck by the pride and warmth of the men and women participating and those watching.

It served to remind me of the infectious energy of positive crowds on those around them.

One person’s positive energy is infectious, but a crowds energy will sweep you up.

Stay positive, your energy is amazing.