Gratitude Archives - Page 43 of 50

Working Together Is Great

Posted on February 11, 2021

Working on your own is ok. Sometimes it can be good, fun and challenging. However, working together is great! Especially when you enjoy their company, work ethic and standard.

I’ve been working with Alex Cooper and Roxane Brazeau quite a bit recently. It’s been a lot more work in the last week, especially on the YouTube #shorts I have been putting out. Jaime Nyland and Chris Kasgorgis have also been offering support, useful data and great observations.

Who you work with can shift depending on the project and people’s availability. Try to surround yourself with helpful people. Especially those that are slightly obsessive about the topic. It helps to raise everybody’s game, which is helpful in itself.

Think about where you can find the high level players in your field. They don’t need to be the most famous either. Sometimes people with a small following know as much or more than the ones with large followings. It really depends on who is more focused on gathering the information from a variety of sources. And also, who can assess it quickly and effectively too.

When you find a good group of people to bounce ideas off of and raise your game, make sure to keep in touch frequently. Sometimes the next project comes along and the team disperses. Enjoy it while you can.

Working together is great.

Action Gratitude Observe Reframe your thoughts Think About It

Help Your Friends

Posted on February 9, 2021

If everyone did a little bit to help people they knew, everyone would be getting some help. Help your friends when you can. You may not be able to assist all the people in town, but you can make a difference to some.

It could be a simple phone call or sending them something you found online. Other times you may need to lend them your car or make room in your house when they visit. Towards the more extreme, you may hire them or let someone sleep on your sofa for a few weeks or months.

We don’t always know which bit of help will be of most use. But it is quite probable that most of it will be.

Life’s challenges can pile up on people. They don’t always know how to ask for things, especially help. Try your best to notice the signs and signals of growing distress. A little intervention at the beginning can be most useful.

Often a few choice words at the right time, with the right intent, is enough. Usually people know what the problem is. More frequently, they know the solution to that problem too. Regardless, any help at the right time can be invaluable.

Be observant, empathetic and kind. And help your friends.

Action Goals, Results & New Thinking Gratitude Health & Fitness Observe Progress Reframe your thoughts Think About It Time

Embrace Your Future Self

Posted on February 8, 2021

It is hard to be an adventurer, exploring new realms, when your feet won’t leave the comfortable shoreline. Embrace your future self and ride headlong into the exciting world you are seeing for yourself.

There seems to be three main aspects involved in changing your life. The first one is simply recognising where you would like to be. The second one is deciding you are going to get there from where you are. Finally, you need to see yourself at the finish line and truly be that person.

One of the most difficult parts about change is truly being that person at the finish line. We can be hesitant, uncertain and uncomfortable. This may be for several reasons or just one. However, the quicker you can mentally and emotionally become that future person, the sooner you will be there physically too.

It makes sense too. If you would like to be driving a red Porsche, you will need to start thinking of it. The more you can clearly see yourself sitting behind the wheel, the more likely it is to happen. Your mind will shift nicely from ‘not’ to ’fully bought’. In doing this journey, even if only in our head, the easier it is for the mind to accept it as true.

Once something is true, it will be.

Embrace your future self.

Action Gratitude Observe Progress Reframe your thoughts Time Video

It Is Done!

Posted on February 5, 2021

That feels so good. That moment when you have completed the task. You cannot control it anymore. It is out of your hands. It is done!

It is an exciting and glorious feeling. When all the tension and build up can drain calmly from you, it is a tremendous feeling. Some feelings will be of relief and some will be of pride, confidence or joy.

Think back to when you have completed a big project. Or even think of a little one that you felt was important and worthy of your time. Maybe it was after completing an exam, driver’s licence test, or first overseas trip. For many, the feeling of relief is large after a public speech.

There is often an adrenaline rush and then a calming moment of satisfaction. In addition, you know you do not have to do it again soon, so there is peace in your heart.

I felt the calm satisfaction on Wednesday evening when I completed my first YouTube Short. Thanks to Alex, Roxane and Jaime for guidance on technical aspects. Thanks also to the many people in the YouTube and social media rooms in Clubhouse who gave great information. Also, a thank you to the How To content creators on YouTube. In particular, Sean Cannell’s comments in Clubhouse and his videos at Think Media. Naturalvita Tutorials also had a good tutorial.

It is done!

Gratitude Observe Think About It

Sometimes It Is Who And Not What

Posted on February 1, 2021

Who says someone can be more important than what is said? It seems a little odd to me but it happens. Sometimes it is who and not what that makes all the difference.

Do you remember your parents telling you something and you didn’t believe them. Maybe it was when you were a teenager. Or perhaps you were in your 40’s. They said X and you did Y.

Having your own children is the cosmic giggle from the universe. Now the shoe is on the other foot. You will be imparting brilliant, relevant and fascinating advice, or information, and it will fall on disinterested ears.

However, a friend of theirs will say the same thing and it will be all high fives and wow. If you’re nodding to this, remember you did/do the same thing to your parents. You may dismiss your parents as being from a bygone era. In doing so, try not to dismiss the pertinent advice they are giving for your benefit. Listen carefully.

If your best mate told you the same thing, then do it when your parents mention it. And give your friends due time while considering their view. Oftentimes friends can dismiss a point of view because they think their friend has no idea. However, an expert in the field might say the same thing and you will quote them all day long.

Sometimes it is who and not what.

Financial Gratitude Progress Think About It Time

How Do You Give Back?

Posted on January 26, 2021

Do you do something for charity, your community, people coming up behind you? It’s good to reflect on this. How do you give back?

I am trying to add more of this into my days. I do it sporadically and I would like to do it in a more structured way. It starts with giving my time to people who are building their careers or businesses. Then, Money for charitable causes and effort for good causes.

Getting clear on how to apportion time and money, and setting those aside for good causes, is a useful exercise. It makes you stop and think about what you do now, what might be good and even how it makes you feel. Should you set aside more time and money? To whom and how should that be done?

Some people are very good with structuring their thoughts around this. I’ve known people to set aside x amount of money and y amount of time. Then they gift that away through the year. Other people simply donate a lump sum and that’s that. All requests after that are denied.

Some people will give money freely but not their time. While others do the opposite. There are those that give 1% of their income while others give away most or all of it, like the incredible Chuck Feeney.

How do you give back?

Action Gratitude Observe Reframe your thoughts

When The Stars Align

Posted on January 24, 2021

You push and grind and patiently wait. One part of the puzzle is all it will take. Twisting and turning until everything’s fine. That’s when the stars align.

I love the visual I get when I think of stars aligning in space. I see maybe 10 or 12 massive bodies of matter moving into a straight line with millions of miles between them. It’s quite awesome to behold. It’s like giant tumblers inside a massive combination lock.

All the tumblers need to be in the correct position for the magic to happen and to unlock the mystery. When the stars are in just the right position, the world is your oyster.

It is such a wonderful feeling to have everything working out. Think about how many millions of things have to be working together for an amazing day to happen. Your arms, legs, heart, head, speech, movement, temperature, community, etc must all be in ideal conditions. Simultaneously!

That may be why it feels so special when those types of things happen. Whether it is for a minute or a whole day, it is simply the best feeling. Everything is in unison and giving off a glow. It might convince some of a magical force in the universe.

There is a powerful beauty when the stars align.

Action Gratitude Progress

Talkin’ About A Resolution

Posted on January 20, 2021

We are three weeks into the new year. How are things going? How are you feeling about nearing the end of the first month? I’m talkin’ about a resolution.

Several weeks ago, billions of people made commitments to themselves about what they would do better this year. You were one of those people.

Were you serious about it? Or was it simply wishful thinking? A serious goal requires a serious plan. Something written out with a strategy and a plan to execute.

If you didn’t have it on 1 January, you can create it now. Write out what you will do this year. Then write out what components of those goals will be done in each month. By writing out each month and the milestones you will reach, you are preparing your mind to achieve the goals.

Get this information in your planner. You will do amazing things with some planning. It will make the work easier and increase the probability of success. Each milestone is critical along your road to success. You need to be a little obsessive, not laissez-faire.

You will need some emotion, passion and energy. Get sparked and drive hard toward your goal. Achieve something in January.

I’m talkin’ about a resolution.

Action Gratitude Observe Progress Reframe your thoughts

Lift People Up

Posted on January 15, 2021

It is so easy to be dismissive of people with a different viewpoint or life circumstance. Initial reactions can be harsh. But lift people up and you can help to make the world a better place

If you are a level 10 person in your field, you may find it frustrating that a level 2 person is giving inferior advice. This could be especially true if they were giving the advice to a level 1 person. We might even think there is an injustice that the level 1 person is getting inferior information.

However, from the level 1 person’s perspective, they may be delighted that they are getting any useful information at all. It may not be precise, perfect, expert level information, but at least it will help move them forward. As they get wiser, they will be able to seek out level 5, 7 and eventually level 10 advice.

Level 10 people might be frustrated with this natural evolution. Though, they could help the level 2 person improve their offer. Presumably all level 10 people were once level 2 people. So there should be some natural empathy there.

The world is imperfect. We can rail at its imperfections, or we can work together and bring others to the top of the mountain. The more we reach back and help those still coming up, the better society will be as a whole.

Lift people up.

Action Gratitude Time

Reaching A Milestone

Posted on January 9, 2021

I’m about to hit another milestone. It sure does feel good when that happens. I’m sure you would agree. Reaching a milestone can be quite an exciting, enjoyable or reflective event.

I started my daily blog on the 10th January 2020. My goal was to write and release a blog post every single day for one year. That would include weekends, bank holidays, and yes, even Christmas Day.

This is number 366 so I have realised that goal! I will have written about 81,000 words during this interesting year. I’ve learned many things about writing, posting, social media, people and myself.

12 months of writing every day seemed like a big task. For 366 consecutive days I would need to spend about an hour per day writing, releasing, posting to social media channels, monitoring metrics and interacting with people online. But now, looking back, it seems to have gone so quick and been so simple.

I’ve loved getting feedback on my posts, especially if it has helped people consider a different perspective. Sometimes it seemed to reinforce one they already had, which can be a real positive too.

What milestones are you about to reach? Which ones are you setting for the weeks and months ahead? What will keep you on track and focused?

Reaching a milestone feels great. Good luck and best wishes.