It’s Leap Day. Jump for Joy. Take a Leap of Faith!
It is leap day! Take a leap.
Take a leap of faith, it is leap day. Stretch your dreams to the limit. Think big, this day only happens once every four years. Take a minute to daydream; this is an extra day is it not?
It’s a leap year; I am writing this on leap day, today is my inspiration! You may not read this until tomorrow, or next week or next month but the message stays the same. Take a leap of faith. It’s leap year, follow the Big Dream. Be like a Big Dream Hunter. Figure out where your dream lives, track it, bait it, and catch it. Catch the Big Dream!
You have to see it in your own mind and know in your heart it is right. Then break it down into chunks, daily goals, weekly goal, and monthly goals and give your self time to relax every now and then. Celebrate the little victories and they will add up to a big break through!
It’s Leap Day. Jump for Joy. Take a Leap of Faith!
We all need to W.A.K.E. – U.P.
We are all living in a dreamland. Most of the time, we just take things at face value; we go with the flow. We don’t want to rock the boat. We never ask questions, like why someone needs to raise millions of dollars to run for elected office and get paid barely a fraction of what they make in the private sector. W.A.K.E. – U.P.
Or my next question, why do so many of us work at a job where we are convinced we are smarter than our boss??? Again, because we are living in a dreamland and we need to W.A.K.E. – U.P. Or why do we pay money we don’t have for things we don’t need or even maybe be harmful to us? “OK Joe we get your point” you say, “now get on with this W.A.K.E. – U.P. topic.”
W: Ask the 5 – W questions
A: Once answered – Activate
K: Increase your Knowledge
E: Stay Enthusiastic
U: Be Uplifting
P: Remain Positive
Here we go, another famous made up Acronym. Yes, it is. Maybe one day I will make a name for myself at this Positive Motivation Game, but as always, double check and cross reference for yourself!
W.A.K.E. – U.P.
Step One: Ask the 5-W Questions! Who, What, When, Where and Why, followed by How and How Much. Any decent newspaper article is supposed to answer these questions for the reader. Do it for yourself. Double and tripe check your sources. And try to find out both sides of the story. Once you have made up your mind…
Step Two: Activate! Get off the couch and get in the game. Act on your knowledge. Otherwise why do you bother to investigate it in the first place? If has peaked your interest and you think you know the truth you should stop watching and start working. Make a difference.
Step Three: Increase your knowledge. Even if you are an All-Star right out of the gate, you are still a Rookie, keep learning from the best people and sources around you. Keep increasing your knowledge no matter how long you are in the game! Keep getting better at the things you are doing.
Step Four: Stay Enthusiastic. Be the one who keeps everyone else in the game and ready to win. Be the one who makes sure people are focused so when it is their turn at bat, they deliver. Yeah, lots of sports analogies, but every one has to be ready to pick up the ball and run with it. Your enthusiasm will rub off on the people around you.
Step Five: Be Uplifting. Try to help those who want to help themselves. Don’t drag people down and don’t let other people drag you down. Life is a game of tug of war, and there is no room for spectators or double agents. Be around people who will pull together, and give a hand up to people you know are on the same team as you. Do not let anyone drag you down, and don’t drag someone else down.
Step Six: Stay Positive. It is always darkest before the dawn. The sun will rise in the East tomorrow. Always try to find another way to encourage people. Get in their heads. What do you have to lose? Stay Positive and keep teaching what you have learned to help everyone around you get better.
Remember life is a team game and we all have to W.A.K.E. – U.P.
Ten Views a Day
Ten Views a Day gets me pretty jazzed. Ten Views, in this day and age of cute cats going viral how much is Ten Views in a day? Millions of hits for videos of almost anything you can think of and I get excited over Ten Views a Day? Yes, I am excited because I am just trying to for slow and steady growth.
At present time I get about Five Views per Post. I do not post every day, I try to keep a pretty steady output of two or three posts a week. One my Best Day, Twenty Views, some days I get shut out altogether. So Ten Views or more a day gets me excited. Ten Views means somebody is out there reading what I am posting. Hopefully I am connecting. Ten Views a Day represents hope, growth, and just how small my little corner of the blogging sphere is at present time.
I am no Self-Help Motivational Leadership Guru Yet, and notice I said Yet! I plan to keep at this… I did a post about it, so no need to back track. If you are going to do something, begin with the end in mind. In my future I just want to see growth. Ten Views a day is growth, slow, steady and simple. This all means next to nothing if I stop posting tomorrow, slow and steady growth.
Leadership is about vision, and dreams, and goals. So if I am to dream the dream, I have to set some goals. Ten Views a day, a short term goal. Then One Hundred views a day. Then One Thousand views a day. See how this is going. Again, let’s not get ahead of myself. I am thankful, very thankful for Ten Views any day, but next is to be consistent so there will be Ten Views every day. To keep posting honest, quality free advice for those who will give me a minute of their time.
I hope I am connecting, I hope I am inspiring, I hope I am motivating or all of this means nothing. Ten Views a Day get me pretty jazzed. Ten Views a Day represents hope. Ten Views a Day means I am heading in the right direction. 1st Star to the left, and straight on till Sunrise!
A Proactive Slacker: Why should you take my advice?
A Proactive Slacker: Why should you take my advice?
A Proactive Slacker, is that even possible? I am a Proactive Slacker, more on that later. Why should you take my advice? You shouldn’t; you should cross reference everything I post and find out for yourself what advice you should follow. I am just some guy with a lot to say; who likes to be right and maybe has a point to prove. Maybe this will all amount to next to nothing, or maybe I am destined for Late Night Infomercials or Day Time Talk, or maybe I can get one person to get up off the couch and chase their dreams; either way I post on.
If you need more reasons to read my posts, randomly check out some of my older posts. You should be able to find the answers you are looking for; I am just trying to be honest with myself. You can call me a blow hard, know it all. It won’t stop me posting, I can’t force you to read this stuff. Anyway, let’s get back on track. What the heck is a Pro-Active Slacker? Do you think I sit down and plot out these posts or do you think I kind follow an inspired topic to see where it goes?
I am a slacker, who has a college degree… B.S.E.E. and I have stayed busy working two or three jobs for the past 20 years. It took me wwwaaaayyyy to long to finish college cause I was too busy doing everything but going to class. The reason I failed at things was lack of effort, and lack of focus. It is that easy, and I believe the same goes for pretty much everyone. Focus and Effort can get you pretty far in this life.
Read the Tipping Point if you get a minute:
Nice Preaching, but what is a Proactive Slacker? Patience my apprentice, I am getting there. Have you heard of a Pareto Chart, click here:
So anyway, I say that 80% of your results can come from 20% of your effort. And if you really want to slack off and waste time, the best way to do it is to be as Proactive as possible.
OK, let’s say you have a mountain of work to get done. The best way to get it done is to really take charge in the first two hours of the day. Yeah, it may take a minute for this to sink in, but really think about it. Take a can do attitude in the beginning of your day, and it is easier to maintain as the day goes on.
Now you can be the kind of person who stresses out a lot, and guess what, I take that Pareto Chart and turn it around 80% of your Stress will only get you about 20% of your results, so why bother stressing out? It will only rob your energy anyway. So the bottom line is I try to find the most efficient and effective ways to get my work done so I have more spare energy and time to waste on what ever I want. That is less time I will spend stressing about things that probably won’t make much of a difference anyway.
This whole concept may seem real confusing for those who are reading one of my posts for the first time. So I would recommend you randomly click on any of my older posts and see if you can figure out what I am up too. Do I strike you as the type of guy who wants to work the hardest? Or do I strike you as the kind of guy who wants to get the most done while avoiding a heart-attack or stroke?
I hope you will take all of this with a grain of salt, two aspirin, a glass of water and a nap. It may make more sense to you tomorrow anyway. Yeah, that’s it, read this again tomorrow. If you still don’t get it, check back next week, and read it once a week for the next two months. If you still don’t get it, then feel free to stop reading my posts and write me off in any manner you see fit. But, if you see me or hear of me being hailed as a guru of any sort, read this post again.
W3LC0M3 70 CY83R5P4C3.
W3LC0M3 70 CY83R5P4C3.
Y0U 4R3 L1V1N6 1N 7H3 1NF0RM4710N 463. WH47 Y0U 4R3 R34D1N6 H45 833N 5L1C3D, D1C3D, 74K3N 4P4R7 4ND PU7 84CK 70637H3R.
7H15 M355463 15 3NC0D3D 1N70 4 V3RY 51MPL3 3NCRYP710N 7H47 4LL Y0U H4V3 70 D0 15 L00K 47 4ND Y0U W1LL 83 48L3 70 F16UR3 17 0U7.
JU57 0P3N Y0UR M1ND. 7H3 M0R3 Y0U KN0W 7H3 M0R3 Y0U UND3R574ND. 7H15 8L06 15 D3D1C473D 70 M071V4710N. 7H15 M355463 15 PR00F 7H47 50M3 P30PL3 W1LL 74K3 4 M1NU73 70 L34RN 50M37H1N6 N3W, 4ND 07H3R5 W1LL 61V3 UP N0 M4773R H0W 51MPL3 7H3 745K 15, 51MPLY 83C4U53 7H3Y D0 N07 W4N7 70 L34RN 4NY7H1N6 N3W.
H4V3 4 6R347 D4Y. Y0UR FU7UR3 15 8R16H7.
How to T.A.M.E the Stress in your life:
How to T.A.M.E the Stress in your life:
What a great title: How to T.A.M.E the stress in your life. You can take the following at face value, or you can do what you can to cross reference and verify everything that follows. Don’t take my word for it; find out the truth for yourself.
Anyway, Stress in small doses can motivate and strengthen us. But Stress left unchecked can be the cause of many problems in our lives. Let me clarify, a little bit of stress can help us get our work done before that looming deadline; or can be a way to stimulate muscle growth, like that great Saturday Morning workout. Too much stress can lead to headaches, sickness, and in extreme cases, strokes and heart attacks.
Test my theory. When we are stressed out we tend to eat, drink and smoke more frequently and we eat, drink and smoke things that are not all that good for us. Too much stress also causes us to sleep and exercise less. These things all lead to bad decisions and over the long haul bad health. I digress, this post is not about stress; it is about how to T.A.M.E. the stress in your life.
T.A.M.E. – Time, Attention, Money and Energy: These four elements are the keys to conquering the stress in your life.
1st up is Time; you got 24 hours in your day. That’s it; there is nothing you can do about it. You need to sleep 7 to 8 hours a day, so learning how to manage your time is the first step in fight against stress. As deadlines approach, stress increases. Be proactive and manage your time. Track your time and you will see what I mean, or else just keep flying off in all directions at once and wonder where all your time went.
Attention is the second element needed to combat the stress in your life. Once you have mapped out how you spend your time, you need to understand where you place your attention and what attracts your attention. Do you stay focused on what needs to get done or do you procrastinate? This will be different for all of us, but the answer is still the same, Track you time, and then track your priorities. Give the most important things the most attention. Allow yourself time to be distracted and then map out time where you will be focused on what needs to get done.
Now let’s talk about money. You can spend what you don’t have… but you can borrow yourself into a deep hole. Get control of your money; don’t let your money control you. To create wealth you have to bring in more than you spend. Or you can read a ton of books on economic theory; but they will still say you have to bring in more than you spend. If you are managing your time, you will see that you spend money on things that get your attention… see how that works?
The last element is your energy. After you have managed your time, focused your attention and taken control of your finances; then you have to have the energy to do the things you really want to do in your life. All work and no play makes Jack a stressed out adult. The amount of stress in your life can zap your energy. Do you partake in things that stress you out and then zap your energy, all work, bad diet, little sleep and no exercise? Or do you manage you life to create extra energy? Do you make Time for Recreation, Good Diet, Enough Rest and Regular Exercise?
OK listen; do not take my word for it. Ask all the Who, what, when, where and why questions. Verify where I am coming from. Cross Reference everything in the above post. And then ask yourself, is this Joe Luellen guy on to something or is he just blowing smoke? But, I will bet you if you use the above steps you can T.A.M.E the stress in your life!
Time, Attention, Money and Energy, track where you a placing each on of these elements in your life and see what happens.
15 minutes a day to change your life.
15 minutes. I know you have more important things to do. You are too busy to find 15 minutes to change your life. But, 15 minutes a day is all it takes. Think about 15 minutes of serious exercise can make all the difference under the sun. It does not take a Super Wonder DVD Workout. Put on your shoes and go jogging for 15 minutes a day. A lot of us could run for an honest 5 or 10 minutes, let alone 15 minutes.
15 minutes of non-distracted reading on a subject you want to learn more about, and in a year or two, you could hold your own with experts in almost any field. I am talking about 15 focused minutes on any given subject. 15 minutes a day on any hobby, be it cooking, music, any sport, pretty much anything. I am talking about 15 focused minutes. It is fun to just goof around from time to time, but if you give your self 15 minutes where you really submerse yourself. Give it everything you got.
15 minutes of perfect practice everyday makes perfect. Want a better golf score? 15 minutes of intent filled, focused practice. You will get better, if you are serious. Want to find a new job? 15 minutes a day. 15 minutes of e-mails and phone calls. See where most people go wrong is they go for some crazy flurry of activity and then expect everything to change overnight. No 15 minutes everyday, and slowly but surely things will change, habits will form and new routines will be created. You will get better if you really want to get better.
15 minutes a day can change your life, unless of course you have something better to do.
Little Miracles!
Thank God for little miracles. They happen around us and a lot of times we do not notice them. Well today I took notice of a little miracle and I would like to share it with the world.
I got up early this morning to catch a plane home. It was damp and foggy, and I did not have a morning coffee, 4:30 AM to catch a 6:00 AM flight. There was a haze over the freeway as I drove along, singing very badly to on of my Artist Select Mix CDs. Anyway, I made the drive to the airport, but missed the last chance gas station in the fog. So I had to drive around the airport and back onto the highway and back track to fill up the rental car.
One my way back around, I took the exit back to the freeway, but the gas station was a second side exit. Missed it again, OK done to the next turn around and I missed the turn to get back on the freeway and had to take another U-turn in a parking lot. How many wrong turns can you take? So I made it to the correct exit on the 3rd or 4th try. I have taken this drive many times before, and I had plenty of time, so I thought. I refilled the gas in the car and cut my way through the fog back to the airport.
Got to the airport, and the rental car return slots were full, so I had to drive back around. Drop off the car and off to the Check In. I get to my Airline counter and they tell me, I am too late for the flight, they can let me on, but my luggage may have to come on a later flight. OK, I said. Told them about the fog and they agreed, it was pretty bad on the drive in to work. So off I go to the terminal.
Security runs my jacket twice because I had too much change and too many keys in my pocket. To much Metal, I had to be rechecked. Just another slight delay on my way to a flight I am already late for. So I am making my way through the terminal, and to the gate. It’s not a big airport, but I see that no one is at my gate. I walk a little faster, and the flight attendant sees me. “No need to hurry” he says, what is your last name. Luellen, I tell him as I am walking up. I check in and I am the last person on the plane, everyone and I mean everyone was already sitting down and settled in.
So much for my bag making this flight; everyone is already ready to go. Then the captain announces over the intercom, that there will be a slight delay, they have to wait for air traffic control to clear them because of the fog. The fog is making the plane late. Just then I got a nice little thought, my Luggage will make the flight. The same fog that made me late delayed the plane and made it possible to load my luggage. I knew the whole time I was running late, but it never really bugged me. I did not know for sure until I landed but my luggage was at the baggage claim.
Little Miracles:
Do not fall for the “Pitch”, find the Truth.
Do not fall for the “Pitch”, find the Truth.
I am not trying to “Pitch” anyone, “Pitch” as in sales pitch. I am not trying to get anyone to agree with me as much as find out the truth for themselves. The truth, like it or not, is always the best option. You can run from the truth, you can hide from the truth, you can be in denial of the truth, but sooner or later the truth is the only thing you can really count on.
So how do you tell the difference between the “Pitch” and the Truth? Watch a few infomercials and you will start to see a pattern. They always start out with asking a few qualifying questions that you will say “Yes” too. Examples, “Would you like to have more free time?” “Are you tired off annoying junk mail?” “Would you to get in shape and enjoy better health?” Or how about, “Would you like to make more money and be your own boss? Most people will start out by saying, “Yes!” To find out the Truth you do not ask simple “Yes” questions you ask the Standard 5-W, 2-H questions; Who, What, When, Where, Why, How and How Much? Ask those questions first and see if the answers add up to something that makes sense.
Most Infomercials are very quick 3 act plays, and they all end with “Act Now!” They start with the Question they think you will answer “Yes” and then move to showing you a product or service. Many times this will include testimonials from Celebrities, Experts or Everyday People just like you. The end of the pitch will include a price, which they will tell you is a “Deal” compared to other offers; and if you act now they will sweeten the Deal. They will double or triple the offer, cut the price and throw in extra gifts; Only if you Act Now.
Now let’s talk about the Truth. The truth is not a high powered sales pitch. If someone tells you something, ask the 5-W, 2-H questions, if they can not answer those basic questions, the information is incomplete and could just be hear say. Don’t make your decisions based on incomplete information! Now, if you accept the information, verify as much as you can, search it out from trusted sources. Once you know the Who, What, When, Where, Why, How and How Much of the information, take a minute. Look at both sides of the story. After reviewing as much information as you can find, always, and I mean always sleep on it. Rarely act same day and never act on impulse. The Truth does not expire in 24 hours. Sleep on it. Gather the data and then let your mind rest. Clear your thoughts.
If you go to bed and can’t sleep, you did not gather all the data to make a clear decision. If you are seeking the truth, it can stand a few basic tests. The Truth should be able to stand the ultimate test, Time. If you get up the next day and can not make a calm, clear informed decision, I say it again; you do not have all the information you need. Do not fall for a high pressure, right now “Pitch!” Seek the Truth. The Truth almost always gets confirmed over time. Remember look at both sides of any offer, information or data that comes your way, and then give it a minute to simmer down. The Truth does not to get you all excited and then tell you have to act now. Rarely if ever will this be the case. Sometimes, you know the truth and fail to act, but most of the time, the truth will allow enough time for confirmation. But remember, it has to be from Trusted Sources! Trusted Sources; do not let a lie cover another lie.
So this is just a very quick way to tell the difference between a “Pitch” and the Truth. Always find out the Truth and make a calm and informed choice.
Intelligence, Influence and Income.
The world exists on many levels, many circles and many layers.
Let’s face it, there is no I in Team or Layer, but Three-I’s can open your two eyes to the levels of reality that exist in this world; Intelligence, Influence and Income.
World Leaders and the Ultra Rich do not live in the same neighborhoods or stand in the same lines the rest of us stand in. Prime example… Air travel and Airports; First Class or Coach? That is if you even fly at all. The only time we are equal is when we born and when we die, all the time in between… not so much. If you were born into a family of wealth and influence, your life will be incredibly different then the average person.
You can change your circle, you can change your level if you have the ability to recognize the subtle differences that surround you and bind you on a daily basis. Increasing you Intelligence and your Influence can have a profound effect on your Income. This change in Income will change the world you live in. Short on friends, hit the lottery and see what happens. Everyone who has every known or heard of you will find you and come knocking on your door.
We have all been told to go to school, get a job and work hard; and your pay is based on your efforts. Some jobs pay everyone the same, regardless of your effort, which is a bad deal. The real deal is to learn to work hard, and then learn to work smart. If you can set up a system that pays you if you are there are not, then you can increase your income by increasing your influence. If you set up and manage a system that runs 24/7 then you get paid 24/7… and if you are training other people to work the system, and giving them a piece of the pie, they will work to increase their share, which in turn increases your share.
There is nothing better than being born into it, if you will of course continue to grow the system. If you start on the top, it is a lot easier to stay on top. For those of us who were not born on top, we have to learn to do the things that people who have built and sustained wealth have done. They learned to reinvest in themselves and in the systems they control. We can all get there, wherever there is, but you have to open your eyes to the Three-I-s Intelligence, Influence and Income.
60secondmotomojo 