Speaker, Artist, and Educator
What would your perfect day look like? What would it need to include?
It’s fun to think about a perfect day, but of course, we realize, a perfect day isn’t really possible. Still, how great would it be if your day included most of these qualities you listed? Half? Some? It would still be an incredible day, right?
I wonder how many of us aren’t even hitting one of these per day? Why is that? I’m guessing it’s because we didn’t make time for it and plan it into our day. Continue Reading…
I have heard a lot of people tell me that they were born without an artistic gene in their body, and that they don’t have any artistic skill. But I don’t really believe it.
I believe everyone is born with a desire and the natural ability to create and express themselves artistically. It’s what happens once you start making the art that determines whether or not you’ll continue as an artist.
Children take to art naturally. They create architecture with wooden blocks, sculptures with Play-Dough, and wonderful works of expression with paint, crayons, sticks, mud, legos, and any other medium they can get their hands on and use. They even create art with their food at the dinner table! Children are born artists.
As we grow, we create art, and it is either encouraged or deterred.
The encouraged become the artists of the world. They see what others miss. They create expressive works. They add value.
The deterred are still artists, but just need an awakening. They need a little encouragement, an opportunity, a gentle nudge. Some of the deterred rediscover their artistic talents later in life. They paint the picture, write the novel, bake the cake. Sadly, many others never find it. They cling to the fallacy that they just weren’t born with that special gene.
I am fortunate that my parents encouraged me.
Here’s how my parents helped unleash the artist within me.
My parents:
Recognition is an important part of leadership. It can do wonders for your corporation, school or family. When recognition is implemented correctly it can increase retention, decrease absence, raise production, improve quality, change attitudes, and in general create a momentum of success and positive energy.
It has been wisely stated that a great leader humbly accepts the failures of his organization as his own, and passes any praise and success on as the accomplishments of his colleagues. In addition, I have always been reminded that a great leader criticizes in private and praises in public. Clearly, recognition is an essential act of leadership. Clearly recognition is important, but so many organizations get it wrong. Many in leadership positions just don’t know how to effectively implement a recognition program, acknowledge someone for their efforts, or how to reward employees.
It’s all about making it personal.
I just finished Mark Sanborn’s book The Encore Effect: How to Achieve Remarkable Performance in Anything You Do. I highly recommend it to you, regardless of your occupation, because we should all be striving to improve, and The Encore Effect delivers.
Mark Sanborn is an amazing speaker, and his National Bestseller The Fred Factor is one of my favorite reads. I was excited to read The Encore Effect because I knew it would assist me on my quest to become a great speaker and performer, but like all good books, the lessons I learned applied to every aspect of my life. The Encore Effect improved not only my speaking, but helped be a better father, husband, educator, and artist. I highly recommend it not only for you, but for your entire team.
The Encore Effect highlights five areas for remarkable results: passion, preparation, practice, performance, and polish. In-depth explanations and engaging stories are aligned with Continue Reading…
Escape velocity is described as the speed an object needs to be traveling in order break free of a planet’s gravitational force. On Earth, escape velocity is seven miles a second, or 25,000 miles an hour. That’s fast. The good news is, that once an object reaches escape velocity it no longer requires further propulsion. If the object fails to reach this speed, consequently, it is pulled back.
For a long time the science community believed escape velocity was unobtainable. That nothing would ever leave Earth’s atmosphere. Now, you and I benefit from the thousands of man-made satellites orbiting our earth. They allow us to communicate, prepare for weather, direct our course and more. Escape velocity achieved. Benefits obtained.
Right now you are sitting with a cold-blooded killer with a similar hold on you. Stress. Continue Reading…
You’re Blowing it!
It’s not procrastination. That sounds too sophisticated.
You’re not stalling. That’s just too nice.
You’re blowing it! You are about to miss a once in a lifetime opportunity because you are more interested in reading your Twitter Feed or updating your current Facebook status.
Life is short and we all have goals and dreams. We work toward them or we don’t. When we don’t achieve our dreams we make excuses and cover up our inaction with niceties. We act like we will eventually get there and that everything is going to be fine.
Well, what if you’re wrong? Live your life without regrets and get your dreams on the production line.
Journal Assignment for the start of a new year or venture:
Shoot for about a page or whatever works. Don’t concern yourself with spelling, grammar, or what others might think. Just get it done.
Today is a three-parter:
1) Make a list of your goals and resolutions for the new year or new venture. This is a list. Think finances, health, professional, spiritual, family, home, personal, mental, etc.
2) Write a short Continue Reading…
I was recently asked about what makes a good journal entry.
Here are my thoughts:
Too often people greet one another with a hearty, “How are you?” without any genuine concern, and when the recipient begins to inform them of exactly how they are doing, the greeter tunes them out. We have a sort of linguistic apathy or sterilization that takes place in our society. Our language undervalues the meaning of certain words and phrases over time.
Leaders make decisions. It’s what they do.
Each and every time a leader makes a decision they are impacting a life.
Apply the ‘Domino’ or ‘Butterfly’ effect and the number of lives impacted by a leader’s single decision is sometimes mesmerizing.
That is why leaders need to: respond rather than react, seek wisdom, listen to counsel, and reflect frequently.
Once a decision is made, however, it is not final. Leaders must be decisive and firm, but when a poor decision is made, and it happens, it is a leader’s duty to make it right.
I firmly believe that leaders must take the motto “We’ll make it right!” to heart; it’s never too late to right a wrong.
In an earlier post, I discussed the three steps Continue Reading…
