The Power of Words
Starting Each Day With A Little Thinking...Kindness
There’s no better way to brighten your day than by doing something nice for someone else. And that’s the essence of kindness. Much like courage — which I define as putting one’s self at risk for the good of someone else — kindness is “referential”. Think about it for a minute. If everyone took the time out to bring chicken soup to their sick friends, would the act of bringing chicken soup still be considered kind? What about if everyone ran in to burning buildings to save the baby, would that act still be seen as courageous or just normal? Finally, what about MLK standing up for the rights of people back in the 60’s, is standing up for your rights still considered courageous? This last example shows why courage and kindness matter — if you step up in either area, you can and will make a difference in the world. In the civil rights space, there’s still a long way to go before we get to where we need to be. However, if Dr. King had not had the courage to push the envelope, we likely would not be where we are today.
In the kindness space, there’s two that come to mind immediately. The first is Mother Teresa. While there’s some debate on what she did and did not do, there’s little doubt that her displays of kindness changed the world. The second example is right there in front of us — Mom! Most Mom’s are that kind soul that are always there to comfort us. They provide the security and reinforcement that allows us to grow. That’s a pretty big influence in my book.
With that in mind:
What act of kindness will you perform today?
As always, thanks for the time.
Blog Challenge – Day 3
Natalie’s challenge today is: “What’s your definition of freedom in business and adventure in life?”
- The definition of freedom in business is “easy”: freedom in business is having the ability to pursue what you want when you want. However, the bigger issue is what do you need to have this freedom? The answer to that is three fold. First — and foremost — you need the right attitude/belief that you are actually free. Without this, you’re absolutely sunk. There’s folks out there with more time, money and ability than most of us that don’t feel free; and, accordingly, they’re not. Attitude is number one. Second, you need to understand that your business does NOT own you, you own it. While some would argue that if you’re doing what you love, you’re not working; and, as a result, I’m dead wrong on this point. I disagree. The question is with regards to “freedom in business“. The key here is business. With a business, you’re ultimately beholden to a set of customers. Freedom in business is understanding that it’s just that: a business. Now hopefully, your business matches your passion and you’ll stay after that passion even if the business goes away. Third, and last but not least, you need a secure source of income. Egad, he’s brought up money!!! Indeed. Money’s not evil in itself. In fact, Jacob Needleman in “Money and the Meaning of Life” would argue that money is a gift from God. Without it, commerce would not have developed and we would not have grown as we have on this earth — imagine if we were still bartering. I don’t think we’d have a Suitcase Entrepreneur guiding us through this challenge!!! The reality is you need to make sure you have a path to financial security/financial independence to truly be free in your business. Now the exact number is a much different issue — and in many cases, it’s a lot less than we normally think. Check out Chris Guillabeau’s stuff for some more insights on this topic.
- Now we turn to “adventure in life”. Unlike freedom in business, I don’t think there’s as strict a definition in this instance as one person’s definition of adventure is another’s idea of boredom and a third’s idea of lunacy. In my mind, the closest we can come to a universal definition of “adventure in life” is that thing/those things that allow us to lose ourselves for some period of time. For some that’s writing, for some running, others use hallucinogenic drugs, some put their lives at risk, some play bridge, some chase love. The key in my mind is that there’s something for you that allows you to be totally absorbed and lose yourself. Personally, this topic is super challenging to me as I’m a control freak (what do you expect I’m an engineer!!!). And I’m particularly controlling with my mind. I hate to let it go / I want to always be pursuing the rational. Ironically, my new adventure is “doing nothing” — which for me is doing a big something that’s more than a bit scary!
Kudos to Natalie for the questions so far. If you’re following along and accepting the challenge, you’re likely learning a ton about yourself. That’s something special that we all should appreciate.
If you want some more information on the challenge, check out the post on day three at:
http://suitcaseentrepreneur.com/blogchallenge/blog-challenge-day3
Fear – Part 2
“We have nothing to fear but fear itself”
While many think of Winston Churchill as providing the famous quote on fear, Franklin Roosevelt actually introduced the concept in his 1933 inaugural address:
- “Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyses needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
Nameless. Unreasoning. Unjustified.
Let’s take them one at a time. Nameless. Some folks are just plain scared. When you ask them “of what?”, they often have difficulty explaining what they are afraid of. The first step to overcoming fear is to define it.
Unreasoning. Once you define the fear, you need to quantify it. How likely is it to happen? What’s the worst possible outcome? Have you taken any steps to mitigate the risks? Basically, what’s your plan to make sure (i) it’s as unlikely as possible to occur and (ii) if it occurs, you’ll be best equipped to handle it.
Unjustified. Fear exerts control. It influences our behaviors. It effects our mindset. If we have addressed the fear (named it) and outlined how we will deal with it (reasoned our action plan), what more can we do? The final step in letting going is to believe that we have done all in our control, if that’s the case, why would we let fear continue to grip us? This last step is the most difficult. While the first two are strictly rational in nature, this third step introduces emotions in to the equation. Most people can overcome the fear by cycling through steps one and two. Some, even after understanding the fear and knowing they have done all they can, are still gripped by the fear. For those, they need to reach out to their friends and family for guidance. Go back through the process with them by your side. Sometimes just having that partner along makes all the difference in the world.
With that in mind:
Have you taken the time to face your fears?
As always, thanks for the time.
Blog Challenge – Day 2
All right, we’re on to day two of the blog challenge. Today Natalie’s making us think big:
- If you woke up tomorrow and were free to do anything you wanted with your life, what would you do and who would you be?
This one’s not as easy as yesterday. In fact, it’s EXACTLY the problem I’ve been wrestling with for the past couple of years. There’s two parts to the question, so let’s take them in order:
- The “what would you do” part, is the more challenging. That’s because there is not a single answer. Rather, there are a number of activities that I would undertake given complete freedom. They include (i) spending time exercising / working on my health, (ii) spending time learning and reading, (iii) spending time playing games (golf, fishing, poker, bridge, etc.), (iv) spending time helping others define their goals and objectives, (v) spending time helping people put in place the financial mechanisms to achieve their goals and objective, (vi) spending time sharing thoughts in general / establishing myself as a recognized expert in how to of achieve work / life balance + how to help others achieve more.
- For the “who would you be” part, that one’s a bit easier. I’d be (i) a good husband, (ii) a good dad, (iii) a good friend, (iv) someone who helps others learn, grow and live better.
That’s two in the books and twenty-eight to go. Wish me luck and feel free to leave a comment or suggestion.
If you want some more information on the challenge, check out the post on day two at:
http://suitcaseentrepreneur.com/blogchallenge/blog-challenge-day2
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