DREAM THINK DO | Motivation, Encouragement & Strategy

Valentine's day is right around the corner… so today's subject is CRITICAL!  And hey… it's always good to find ways to inject some extra romance into a date.  The good news is… it's a lot easier than you might think!  And whether it's early in your relationship… or you've been together for a while (my bride and I have been married for 29 years!!!)... you can use these strategies to bust out of the norm, and take a ho-hum date to "dream date" status!  We're going to get you real-world strategies that won't break the bank and won't involve a two-week trip to Fiji!  You'll be able to apply these concepts and have more romance, connection, AND fun!  So let's get to this! RELATED DREAM THINK DO EPISODES: Melissa and I talked about the 5 Love Languages in www.mitchmatthews.com/214  3 Keys to Breaking Free from the Past with Travis Crutcher: www.mitchmatthews.com/344  "Surprised By Prayer" - Another interview with my bride Melissa: www.mitchmatthews.com/207   RESOURCES: 5 Love Languages: You can find out more at: Discover Your Love Language - The 5 Love Languages®: (www.5lovelanguages.com) The FIVE Love Languages are: Quality Time Words of affirmation Physical Touch Acts of Service Receiving Gifts       Grab Mitch's game: "Q Dates" at www.mitchmatthews.com/store   STEPS: Know YOUR Primary Love Languages Know your SIGNIFICANT OTHER'S Primary Love Languages Plan THIS date... around your SIGNIFICANT OTHER'S LOVE LANGUAGES   BONUS TIP 1: Create a Mixtape! Playlist - Mixtape!!! Put a playlist together of songs that mean something to you as a couple! Use Apple... Spotify… or put a literal mixtape together! Examples from "Our History" Playlist: "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel "I will always love you" by Whitney Houston "Crazy Love" by Van Morrison "I can't help falling in love with you" by UB40 "My One and Only" by John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman Other romantic examples (you're welcome): "At Last" by Etta James "I want you back" by Colbie Caillat "I'd love you all over again" by Alan Jackson "I won't give up" Jason Mraz   BONUS TIP 2: Ask and then REALLY LISTEN!!! Grab Mitch's game: "Q Dates" at www.mitchmatthews.com/store    Conversation Starter Questions: Complete the following sentences: My favorite class in high school was _________? (Why?) A perfect Saturday morning is when I get to ______________________. One of my favorite things about my week is when I ________________. One of my favorite TV shows from my childhood was ______________. (Why?) My favorite season of the year is ____________. (Why?) Other questions: If you could meet any celebrity, who would you want to meet and why? If you could have a personal assistant do one thing for you, what would you have them do? If you could instantly learn how to play an instrument, which instrument would you want to be able to play?  Where would you want to perform? If you could take a trip anywhere in the world (cost is not an issue), where would you want to go and why?   BONUS TIP 3: Be a Tourist: My friend and coaching client, Lisa Even (www.EvenConnection.com) suggests giving yourself permission to be a "Tourist" in your own town.  Try things you haven't tried.  Go somewhere you haven't gone.  Be willing to risk looking like a "tourist" to see something for the first time.  And/or to see something you've seen a hundred times… through new eyes!   BIG SHOUT OUT TO SOME NEW REVIEWERS ON APPLE: Thanks to Aree and Mandy who left reviews on Apple Podcasts!  We couldn't do this without you guys!  If you haven't already, please leave a review wherever you listen to the podcast.  You can get to the show on Apple here: www.dreamthinkdo.com.   MINUTE BY MINUTE: 0:02 A new topic for Dream Think Do 2:58 Let's start planning your next dream date 7:50 Focus on romance even if you're busy 13:24 One resource every couple needs  19:10 Date night example from Mitch and Mel 26:32 Having fun with acts of service  28:21 Mitch's romance playlist 34:30 Shout-outs! Did you hear your name? 37:53 Ways to love your significant others 43:11 Little things can make every day better 46:00 What's coming up next on Dream Think Do   I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Leave a comment and let me know what stood out to you from this episode.  More importantly, let us know a favorite way to take a date to the next level?  BIG or small… what's some of YOUR special sauce?  I can't wait to hear from you! Lastly, don't forget to share this episode!  And when you do either tag me or just include the #dreamthinkdo and we'll send 5 lucky sharers a copy of "Q Dates!"  You can find me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.  Let's connect!

Have you ever felt STUCK? If so… you're not alone!!  Maybe it was when you wanted to try something new.  Write a book. Launch a company. Volunteer for an organization you were passionate about.  Or maybe it was when you were experiencing a plateau with your career.  Deep down… you wanted something… but you felt stuck.  You could see your goal on the horizon… but it felt like you were running in mud!  If you've ever been there… this episode is for you.  In it… I walk you through 4 surprising strategies to help you get UNSTUCK!  Oh… and the REALLY good news is that each strategy is something you can start to use immediately!  So let's get to it! Minute by Minute: 0:02 What's inside this episode 2:12 A look into Mitch's life this week 5:00 Why Mitch loves the DO-ers ion the world 8:45 The side effects of fear (and how to overcome) 12:00 The four keys you may need to get unstuck 12:30 Keys to get unstuck #1  20:45 Keys to get unstuck #2 (listen in to hear #3 and #4!) 34:00 A stat from a post-pandemic world that will break your heart 44:22 How to get connected with a great coach 48:50 The daily "small things" that create big results 52:28 Why Mitch is glad he didn't say NO to this event 1:00:35 Coming up next on Dream Think Do I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Leave a comment and let me know what stood out to you (big or small) from this episode.  Then include something you're going to do the next time you feel STUCK!  And hey… be sure to share some of your favorite hacks for getting yourself unstuck too!  I can't wait to hear from you! Lastly, don't forget to invite a friend to join you!  Share the episode with them and come up with your ways to get UNSTUCK and make this year a great year… no matter what!  

We're declaring this week (the 3rd week of January) as our first annual: "RESET WEEK!"  Why?  Well… I think we can all agree that it's a solid idea to establish a specific time each year to set some new goals and start some new habits.  That's a good and healthy thing.  Right?  But who's the jackhole who suggested we try doing that during the holidays???  Seriously?  That timing is nuts!  Heck… I think it's the biggest reason why most New Year's resolutions fail so quickly!!!  Think about it… is the best time to start a new diet really the same week you're just coming off a glutinous multi-day tour of Christmas meals with four different sets of family?  Is the best time to establish a new exercise plan really the same week you haven't gotten out of your PJ's for 3 out of 7 days?  Is the best time to experiment with better spending habits the same week the employees at Target started to greet you by your first name when you walked in for that one last "quick" gift?  The answer is no.  A very solid no.  On all counts. That's why we're calling THIS week our first… official… "RESET WEEK!" In this podcast, I walk you through three powerful and deceptively simple (and fun) strategies to help you set some new goals, get clear on what you want and truly thrive this WEEK and this YEAR!  Let's give ourselves some grace and some space to "reset" and to set ourselves up for a MUCH better year!  Who's with me?  #letsdothis RELATED EPISODES: Manage Time & Live more Intentionally: Click here A Calendar-Driven To-Do List: Click here You've Got a Dream… Now How Do You Ask for Help?: Click here Dream BIG. Start Small: Click here MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE: We're digging into 3 questions to help guide you through your "RESET WEEK!" Question 1: What's something you want to give yourself PERMISSION to be a NOVICE at? Question 2: What's something you want to BE more this year? SPECIFIC STRATEGY for QUESTION 2: It's always good to ask yourself "What do I want to DO today?"  Right?  That's a solid question.  But it can also be powerful to first ask yourself, "What do I want to BE more today?" I'll talk you through this more on the episode but here are some sample "BE" words to get you started: CLICK HERE TO SEE THEM! STEPS: Come up with some of your "BE" words this year Create a list and keep them so you can refer to them weekly / daily As you're planning for your week and/or day… decide on a few "BE" words to focus on Then tie some specific items on your "To-Do" list to those words to keep them top of mind Listener Spotlight: Click here to see if we gave you a shout out! If the Dream Think Do podcast has helped you in some small or big way… please leave a review on Apple's platform.  You can find the show here: www.dreamthinkdo.com.  And… we always love to hear from YOU and get your thoughts on each episode.  So please leave a comment below and let us know what you think of THIS episode! EVEN MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE: Here's the 3rd question to help guide you through your "RESET WEEK!" Question 3: What's something you want to change or tweak this year? It can be big or small… but here's a simple process to help you get clear on a few specific things. STEP 1: Create a list of "possible" areas for tweaks and changes.  Here are some areas to consider. Internal: Mindset Outlook Spiritual-Life Beliefs Habits External:  Career Business Relationships Network Team STEP 2: Pick one to three and ask yourself, "Why would this be important to change this year?" "If you get clear on your WHY, your HOW will always come!" STEP 3: Ask yourself, "What's one small but significant step I could take this week?" PERSONAL EXAMPLE: I love doing this DREAM THINK DO podcast, but as it grows… it's possible to fall out of love with it.  It can get overwhelming.  Example: We get 50+ pitches a week to be on the show! But I prayed about it and took this 3-step process.  As a result, I realized for 2022, I'm going to simplify and only teach from 3 different playbooks I'm excited about!   The Abundant Life Playbook The Elite Coach Playbook The Growing Business Playbook Then… as another small but significant step, I put a schedule together for the Q1… listing out all the things we could dig into based on those 3 playbooks… and I started to get more and more excited! So strap in folks… 2022 is going to be an AWESOME year and we're going to get a LOT done!!! I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Leave a comment and let me know what stood out to you (big or small) from this episode.  Then include something (big or small) you're going to do to RESET!  Oh… and if you think giving yourself some intentional time and space to RESET is important… let me know you agree!   Lastly, don't forget to invite a friend to RESET with you!  Share the episode with them and come up with your ways to RESET and make 2022 a great year… no matter what!

We're doing a DEEP DIVE this week on 3 surprise gifts from the Manger story.  That's right!  You and me.  We're talking about a story that may feel "familiar," BUT there's a danger when something feels familiar… right?  The danger is that we might tune out or we may miss some of the surprise gifts that can still be tucked inside.  I was reminded of this recently, when I was asked to teach on the shepherds from the Nativity story and the birth of Jesus.  Specifically, I was asked to dig into Luke 2:8-18.  As I did… and I went deep… I uncovered some elements I'd never seen or thought about before… even though it was a very familiar story.  And wow… they were good surprises.  Whether you're a big fan of reading the Bible or not… this episode has something for you.  At the VERY least… you'll hear some things you can use to impress your friends at Christmas parties!  But… if you listen in and stay open… I think you might really appreciate unwrapping these surprise gifts as much as I did!  So let's get to this! RELATED POSTS & DREAM THINK DO EPISODES: This post helps to explain some of why I believe what I do: mitchmatthews.com/our-6-miracle-story/  Melissa (my bride) joins me and we talk about some fun prayer stories: www.mitchmatthews.com/207  I talk about 3 Keys to Having Your Best Holiday Season Yet: www.mitchmatthews.com/105 MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE: We're diving into a familiar (awesome) story from Luke 2:8-18.  Yup.  We're talking about the Shepherds from the Nativity story and the birth of Jesus.  Here are the specific verses we're referring to from the New Living Translation (emphasis added): The Shepherds and Angels That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger." Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others-the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,  "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased." When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished… ___________________ In the episode, I also refer to one of my other favorite stories from the Bible. It's the story of David and Goliath.  Now, THAT is also a "familiar" story… so it might be easy to dismiss.  But trust me… it's stories like this that kept those Shepherds (and us) inspired and OPEN to the crazy cool stuff God was going to invite them into.   And since I'm referring to elements of it in the episode, I'll include the full story here too.   1 Samuel 17-12-51 - New Living Translation… emphasis added. Jesse Sends David to Saul's Camp Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. Jesse was an old man at that time, and he had eight sons. Jesse's three oldest sons—Eliab, Abinadab, and Shime—had already joined Saul's army to fight the Philistines. David was the youngest son. David's three oldest brothers stayed with Saul's army, but David went back and forth so he could help his father with the sheep in Bethlehem. For forty days, every morning and evening, the Philistine champion strutted in front of the Israelite army. One day Jesse said to David, "Take this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to your brothers. And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along, and bring back a report on how they are doing." David's brothers were with Saul and the Israelite army at the valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines. So David left the sheep with another shepherd and set out early the next morning with the gifts, as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the camp just as the Israelite army was leaving for the battlefield with shouts and battle cries. Soon the Israelite and Philistine forces stood facing each other, army against army. David left his things with the keeper of supplies and hurried out to the ranks to greet his brothers. As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel. As soon as the Israelite army saw him, they began to run away in fright. "Have you seen the giant?" the men asked. "He comes out each day to defy Israel. The king has offered a huge reward to anyone who kills him. He will give that man one of his daughters for a wife, and the man's entire family will be exempted from paying taxes!" David asked the soldiers standing nearby, "What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?"  And these men gave David the same reply. They said, "Yes, that is the reward for killing him." But when David's oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. "What are you doing around here anyway?" he demanded. "What about those few sheep you're supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!" "What have I done now?" David replied. "I was only asking a question!" He walked over to some others and asked them the same thing and received the same answer. Then David's question was reported to King Saul, and the king sent for him. David Kills Goliath "Don't worry about this Philistine," David told Saul. "I'll go fight him!"  "Don't be ridiculous!" Saul replied. "There's no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You're only a boy, and he's been a man of war since his youth." But David persisted. "I have been taking care of my father's sheep and goats," he said. "When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock,  I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death.  I have done this to both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!" Saul finally consented. "All right, go ahead," he said. "And may the Lord be with you!" Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. "I can't go in these," he protested to Saul. "I'm not used to them." So David took them off again. He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd's bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd's staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine. Goliath walked out toward David with his shield-bearer ahead of him, sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy. "Am I a dog," he roared at David, "that you come at me with a stick?" And he cursed David by the names of his gods. "Come over here, and I'll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!" Goliath yelled. David replied to the Philistine, "You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven's Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord's battle, and he will give you to us!" As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. Reaching into his shepherd's bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground. ___________________ We're going to talk about 3 surprise gifts.  And as you'll hear… I needed them, and you might too!   NOTE: If history is your jam… and you'd like to dig into more of the historical dialogue around the manger that I mention, you can click here and here and here to start THAT journey.  If you go down this trail… enjoy!  Heck… nerd out!  My encouragement is that as you dive deeper into the information… it builds your sense of awe and wonder around the humble beginnings of Jesus' entry into this world as well as the very tangible historical aspects of this amazing story. MINUTE BY MINUTE: 0:02 - What to expect today 1:57 - Conversation begins  2:48 - How Mitch found these 3 surprise gifts 4:08 - This is a safe place 7:10 - What Mitch learned in his Jeep classroom 8:14 - What Luke tells us about that time 16:35 - The beauty of story  28:25 - A clue you don't want to look over 36:19 - Miracles can happen even at your day job 40:03 - An introverts prayer 48:02 - The third and most important question 58:49 - The power in a prophetic act 1:02 - Merry Christmas! See you in 2022. I want to hear from YOU! What do YOU think?  What resonated with you?  Which gift (question) did you need?  Where could you apply one of those questions… this week?  Let me know because I'd LOVE to hear from YOU! And hey… if it clicked with you… please share this episode with a friend!

Travis Crutcher is my guest.  Travis is a Success Coach and Speaker who helps dynamic people get clarity, increase impact, and live a life they love!  He's a Retired Army Ranger - with some amazing stories of heroism and leadership thanks to multiple tours in the Middle East!  After retiring and spending some time in the corporate space as an executive… he launched his coaching and speaking business.  I'm VERY proud to say that he's a member of Acceleration… my mastermind for coaches and speakers.  And that's given me a front row seat to see him killing it with his business and more importantly… he's making the world a better place!  His podcast "The Above Average Podcast with Travis and Jess" is now in the top 1% of all podcasts!  (By the way… his bride Jess is pure awesome!)  Travis has a true passion for helping people live their best lives… and as you'll hear… he's had to make some decisions to let go of some things in order to live HIS best life.  So we're going to talk about 3 KEYS TO BREAKING FREE FROM THE PAST!  Because… let's be honest… we ALL have things we need to let go of and move past… in order to live our best life!  And this DREAM THINK DO episode is going to help you do it! RELATED DTD EPISODES: GUEST: Jilian Michaels "This Might Surprise You" https://mitchmatthews.com/323 A Deep Dive with Mitch: "Dealing with the B.S. of your Blessings" https://mitchmatthews.com/339 GUEST: Amanda Zwanziger* "Busting Free From Paralysis"  https://mitchmatthews.com/338 NOTE: I'm honored to say both Amanda (Episode 338) and Travis are amazing members of ACCELERATION - my Mastermind for Coaches and Speakers.   If you're interested in finding out more about ACCELERATION send us a note here. MORE ABOUT TRAVIS CRUTCHER: Travis' Website: www.TravisCruther.com  The Above Average Podcast with Travis and Jess: www.traviscrutcher.com/aap  Travis on the Instas: https://www.instagram.com/travis__crutcher PHOTOS OF STRYKER BRIGADE: Travis mentioned that BEAST of a vehicle the Army Rangers were tasked with learning and maximizing!  Well, here it is!  BOOM! (Literally!)  CLICK HERE! SPOILER ALERT:   The 3 Keys To Breaking Free are: "Question everything"  Be sure to listen to the interview to find CRITICAL ingredients you have to add to the "Question Everything" strategy to make it work! (It might surprise you!) "Decide"  This might sound TOO simple… but listen to the episode to find out how to walk it out... no matter what! "Rewrite the script" Travis and Mitch both had to apply this KEY and it made all the difference, but be sure to listen to the episode to hear about a potential pitfall to avoid! I want to hear from YOU! What do YOU think?  What's something that stood out to you from what Travis shared?  Heck, what's something that has helped YOU to let go of the past?  Let me know what YOU think!  Drop a comment below.  I can't wait to hear from YOU.

We're welcoming Chandler Bolt BACK to DREAM THINK DO!   If you know him… you love this guy.  Chandler Bolt is the host of the wildly popular Self Publishing School Podcast and he's the author of 6 bestselling books including his most recent book titled "Published."  He's also the founder & CEO of Self-Publishing School… which is an INCREDIBLE online resource for writing your first book.  And in recent news… Chandler was just named to Forbes' 30 under 30 list due to SPS's success with helping more than 6,000 authors to write… publish and market their books!  He's doing a lot of good in the world… and since I know A LOT of you want to write books… I wanted to have Chandler back to help us to dig in and figure out the steps needed so you can finally get your BEST SELLER done!   HELPFUL LINKS:  The first 50 People can grab their FREE copy of Published here: www.publishedbook.com/published Check out Self Publishing School here: http://self-publishingschool.com  Watch Self Publishing School training videos here: http://bit.ly/SPS-YT  OTHER DREAM THINK DO EPISODES MENTIONED: 3 Keys to Publishing your FIRST BOOK (with Chandler Bolt): www.mitchmatthews.com/160  Write and Publish YOUR Best Seller (Part 1): www.mitchmatthews.com/061  From Sky Slopes to Bestseller (An interview with Chandler Bolt): www.mitchmatthews.com/006  New Perspectives, Simple Truths & Tree Houses (An interview with Chandler's brother, Seth Bolt from NEEDTOBREATHE): www.mitchmatthews.com/043 MINUTE-BY-MINUTE: 0:02 Spoiler Alert! We have a gift for you. 2:11 Welcome back Chandler Bolt 4:07 How Chandler and Mitch met 5:22 Who? not, How? 8:20 Why Chandler is republishing his book 12:51 The best advice for beginner authors 16:36 How to overcome overthinking in your writing 18:00 Never deal with imposter syndrome again 21:38 The importance of niching down 28:43 Chandler ideal writing day 33:30 Start before you're ready 34:44 Mitch's minute I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! What did YOU think?  What stood out to you?  What helped?  What got you thinking you could do this (which you can!!!)?  Drop a comment below and let me know.  I can't wait to hear from YOU!

This week we're talking about GRATITUDE!  Why?  Well… gratitude is our brain's superfood.  If we can feel gratitude... it helps us to feel happier, less depressed, more creative, and more abundant. Heck… it can even work in our brain's memory centers to help us remember more!  ALL the good stuff!  BUT... how do we stir it up?  Especially on those days when it might be a little hard to feel grateful?  On those days circumstances make it a real stretch to feel gratitude?  We know we want to… but how do we get there?  In this episode, I share some science and a few of my own favorite strategies.  BUT I also share 12 tips from YOU… Dream Think Doers who answered the call… "How do YOU get to gratitude?" It makes for a very special episode that I think you're going to love.  Most importantly… we're going to help YOU to find YOUR "Gratitude Secret Weapon!"  So let's get to this! RELATED DREAM THINK DO EPISODES: The "Christmas Carol Method" of getting to Gratitude: https://mitchmatthews.com/304/ The "Rest vs. Restoration" Experiment: https://mitchmatthews.com/330/ DREAM BIG… No Matter What (with Amberly Lago): https://mitchmatthews.com/310/  The FIVE Non-Negotiables for an Ideal Day (with Sarah Yourgrau): https://mitchmatthews.com/294/ MORE ABOUT THE The Gratitude Secret Weapon EPISODE: Gratitude is our brain's SUPERFOOD.  (The upside is that it doesn't taste nasty like Kale. LOL!)  There's PLENTY of science to show that when we intentionally stir up Gratitude… it makes a BIG difference IN our bodies and WITH our perspective on the day and our world!  BUT the question is: HOW do you get there? With this episode, I'm going to walk you through 14 different strategies to help you fill your Gratitude ToolBox!  The extra-special part of this episode is that 12 of those ideas come from YOU!  That's right!  I posed the question on Facebook and you guys BROUGHT IT!  (By the way… if we're not connected on Facebook… make sure to reach out there! Let's friend it up… friend!) The "Gratitude Secret Weapon" is a simple two-step process:  1.) Acknowledge the importance of Gratitude  2.) Find YOUR way to stir it up! My GO-TO Gratitude Strategy:  "Gratitude… NOW!" Listen to the episode to get the full story, but I like to ask the simple question: "What can I be grateful for... RIGHT NOW?" Melissa's GO TO Gratitude Strategy:  "Gratitude for YOU!" Again… listen to the episode to get the full story, but my bride finds that her "Secret Weapon" for stirring up true gratitude is to relay her gratitude to someone else.  She LOVES to tell others how she's grateful for them.  It's a true gratitude win/win! SO… I asked YOU what YOU do to stir up gratitude… to get your brain some of that superfood!  And you BROUGHT it!!!  You submitted ideas… and I'll admit I added names to make them a bit more memorable!  But here are the ideas… in your own words.  So… here we go! 1.) "Snooze Bar" Gratitude Denise Griffitts: "What a lovely idea! I used to be one of those people who would hit the floor running and as my mom would say, oh crap she's awake. But over time I have learned to stay in the bed, breathe, and examine what I am so grateful for. It starts the morning in a perfect kind of way. There's a lot to be said for quiet moments of reflection." 2.) The "Tuck the Day Away" Strategy: Annie Caves:  "Honestly I think it was realizing it is good and bad in every day- and what you focus on is made bigger. I heard that how you end your day is how you "tuck it away" in your mind- so I ask the questions: What good thing happened today? What am I grateful for tonight? It helps me to tuck each day away as a good day! It is truly a practice - and when life SUCKS is when I am more mindful of finding what I'm grateful for." NOTE: A LOT of people suggested keeping a Gratitude Journal.  Chuck Thuss brought his to our recent "Next Level Speaker Event" and he showed folks how he's been doing this for YEARS and it's made a HUGE impact on his life. 3.) "Dinner Table" Gratitude Dan Zehner:  "Every night with our kids, everyone in the family shares at least one thing we're grateful for. My 3-year-old is constantly grateful for pre-school (too cute). Sometimes it's a favorite toy, time with mom and dad, or just getting to watch their favorite show. It's a great time as a family!" 4.) Find It and Turn it UP! Denny Ransom:  "My daily(ish) practice:  I pull up mental images of the people and things in my life that I'm most grateful for.  I cycle through those images until I feel a sense of gratitude in my body.  Once I have that feeling, I turn all of my attention to how gratitude feels in my body, which tends to amplify it.  Once I have that feeling 'turned up as much as I can get, I start repeating a little mantra I have:             "My life is filled with blessings, I am grateful."  Through repetition with this process, I've pretty much anchored the feeling of gratitude to that phrase.  If I'm struggling, or need quick access to a state of gratitude, now I can just say that phrase a few times and the feeling of gratitude comes alive in me almost instantly.  This practice was a game-changer for learning how to quickly access resourceful states." 5.) "Happy Memory" Gratitude Julie Thompson:  "I learned recently to think back on a happy memory and remember the feelings of gratitude and joy I had. I might think about a family vacation, a special holiday, or a time that I experienced joy while in nature, like standing on a mountain and being captured by the view. I also name things out loud for which I am grateful, and I use Ann Voskamp's monthly gratitude list of ideas from her website." 6.) The "Gratitude Together" Strategy: Cheryl Swisher:  "I am part of a group and we submit 1 thing daily that we are grateful for the next 30 days." Create a group and start doing this! 7.) The "It's Not ALL Me" Strategy: Patricia Ortega:  "I can be a little prideful, so I start with what I'm most proud of (big success at work, owning a home, good marriage...) then I stop and think about how it was NOT all me who made that happen (sometimes it's not me at all!)... I have been blessed by other people, circumstances, resources, that made these things possible.  For example my husband's amazing grace, patience, love, and leadership play a major/primary role in making our marriage great, and it's what I'm soooo grateful for ❤️.  So my little activity works on both my gratitude and humility. Because God knows we need both. :)" 8.) The "It's a Wonderful Life" Strategy: Nicholas Andrew: "For me, gratitude starts with selflessness. I meditate on what I have and then picture my life specifically without those things.  I get deep into what it would feel like to not have who and what I have. I then look again at what I have In my life and the fact that I wake up every morning to it. I thank God for waking me up and then just have a moment of silence with myself. But going deep on the emotions of what life would be like if you lost everything puts what you do have in perspective. I don't take little things for granted as much. My Attitude is Gratitude!  For me, it starts and ends with Flip'n your mindset to Flip your Reality." QUICK LISTENER SHOUT OUT!!! See if it's you! Click here. 9.) The "Grateful TOGETHER" Strategy: LeeLee Genovese:"Gratitude is the single most important practice I have ever taken on. I do it daily, usually in my journal, but also focusing on things I am grateful for, happy about, excited about, proud of, committed to, who I love, etc.. to mix up the focus.  I also have categories to spread the grateful love around and think about my mind, body, spirit, family, nature, experiences, beliefs, friends, tangibles, and intangibles, ohhh Love it so.  ***BUT, the single most exciting part of my gratitude practice is that at the beginning of last year my husband and I started one together.  Simple and sweet and my favorite part of the day. It is also a blessed way to end the day as we do it just before we go to bed, pillow talk gratitude if you will.  I started asking my husband what he was grateful for and he loved it so much we often race to be the first to ask. Just the asking warms my heart. The things we share always fill my heart with happiness and love. Communication is powerful as we often learn about each other, or are reminded about the wonderful things we both like doing together, dream together, set goals and intentions together. It is surely a powerful practice for any relationship, I highly recommend it. I'm addicted and can't sleep without it." 10.) The "Random Acts of Gratitude" Strategy (RAGS): Heather Medford: "I practice random acts of kindness. I'm pretty good about doing that often, but especially if I am in a funk, I will go out and intentionally share smiles and kindness! It's the best way to snap myself back into gratitude!" 11.) The "Write a Letter" Strategy: Aree Bly: If I really want to go big, I write a letter.  Full-size paper.  Pen.  Envelope with a stamp.  It's like writing a journal entry about how an individual has impacted me, and also letting them know it.  So I get my own gratitude and I get to share it with them. Win-win. 12.) The "Send it Ahead" Strategy: Sonja Sorenson Arnold: "In the morning I send my gratitude ahead of me. I think about (sometimes write them down) what is happening today that I will be grateful for.  I think about who I will see and activities I will engage in and let myself feel that gratitude. Then when they happen I can add a second layer of gratitude... even when if they play out differently than expected!  I'm still thankful and move into gratitude! So there you have it. 12 + the two from Melissa and me.   14 different ideas for sparking gratitude. REMEMBER: The key is: Recognize the power of gratitude in our lives Find YOUR secret weapon  a.) That thing that YOU do! b.) Maybe it's one of these 14 c.) Or maybe you adapt one of these d.) Find YOUR way… and that will be YOUR "Secret Weapon" One last note… In the end… I've found that having a number of different tools to get to gratitude is my secret weapon… because I like to mix things up AND I have a short attention span… so I need to keep things fresh!  If you can identify with THAT… I hope these 14 added some new tools to the toolbox! Okay… well… if you're in the US… I hope you have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving!  And no matter where you are listening from in the world… know that I'm GRATEFUL FOR YOU!  Seriously!!! Please share this episode with someone who might need it!  And if you haven't already… please leave a review wherever you listen to the podcast! LASTLY… I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Let's keep the conversation going!  What's one of YOUR favorite tools for getting to GRATITUDE?  Big or small… comment and let me know!  I can't wait to hear from YOU! And until next time… keep bringing your awesome!  Because the world needs it!  Episode Minute By Minute: 0:02 What to expect today 2:02 Episode starts 2:12 The scientific truth behind gratitude 6:28 What sparked the inspiration for this episode 12:22 Step up to the gratitude buffet 14:23 The snooze bar strategy 17:53 Keep a gratitude journal 18:59 The dinner table strategy 20:01 The Find it and turn it about strategy 26:17 The it's not all about me strategy 30:31 Shout-out time! 33:17 The grateful together strategy 34:04 The random acts of gratitude strategy 36:07 The write a letter strategy 38:03 What's your secret weapon?

Dr. Mike Patterson is a lifelong learner dedicated to helping leaders and teams get stuff done!  He's the author of the book, "Mission First, People Always: The Definitive Guide to Balancing People and Performance."  I can say that Mike is a leader you want to learn from… because he was actually a leader for me when I first entered the corporate world YEARS ago… and his leadership style had a huge impact on me.  That's why I'm so excited to introduce him to YOU!  In addition to an impressive pedigree in education, Mike has also been an officer in the Army; and he's been a leader in sales, marketing, and training with the corporate world.  More recently… he's teaching doctoral programs AND doing consulting and speaking… that allows him to work with leaders and teams from many of the world's top organizations. We're talking about what it takes to be "Mission Focused" and how we can get there as individuals and as leaders! RESOURCES: Mike's Website: drmikepatterson.com Mike's book: https://www.missionfirstpeoplealwaysbook.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichaellpatterson Mike's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealdrmikepatterson OTHER RELATED EPISODES: Lindsay Strage: Someone who's living her MISSION: https://mitchmatthews.com/337 Is being a SPEAKER part of YOUR mission: https://mitchmatthews.com/332 Jess Ekstrom: Someone else who's LIVING her MISSION: https://mitchmatthews.com/242 MORE ON ARTHUR GUINNESS: During our conversation, we mention that Mike pointed to the founder of the Guinness Brewery as an example of someone who LIVED true to his MISSION.  Here's a few fun (and inspiring) facts you probably didn't know! https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/facts-arthur-guinness https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/content/pdf/archive-factsheets/general-history/arthur-guinness.pdf MORE ON MIKE PATTERSON: Mike teaches in the doctoral programs at Pepperdine University's Graduate School of Education and Psychology and California Baptist University.  Other academics:  Wheaton College on a 4-year Army ROTC scholarship While on active duty in Germany, Mike earned a MPA from Troy University.  A few years into his business career, he earned a MA in organizational leadership with high honors from Biola University. Followed by a Certificate in Biblical Studies from Biola's Talbot School of Theology.  Then Mike completed his doctoral work at Pepperdine University's Graduate School of Education and Psychology.  His consulting firm is Ambassador Associates. Their goal is to help clients bridge the gap that sometimes exists between people and performance.  MINUTE BY MINUTE: 0:02 What to expect today 1:20 Conversation starts 2:17 How Mitch and Mike met 6:23 The importance of "seeing" people 9:55 Why your mission truly matters 18:27 You are blessed to be a blessing 19:42 How to get more clear on your vision 24:48 Conflict triggers and how to use them 31:09 Help your team (and yourself) staying on mission 38:31 What Mike wishes he understood sooner 40:05 Mitch's minute NOW… I want to hear from YOU! Comment and let me know what stood out to YOU from my convo with Mike.   More importantly… what might be your MISSION for 2022 and beyond? Here's some questions to guide you: What do you want to see more of in 2022? What change do you want to be a part of in 2022? What's a small but significant step you can take towards THAT… today? Comment and let us know.   What's YOUR mission for life and/or leadership?  And/or why do YOU think it's important to get clear on your mission?  Or… why do you think it's not?  Or… how do YOU get clear on your mission?  What questions do you ask yourself?  What questions do you suggest for people to help them get clear on THEIR mission?  Let me know your thoughts.  I can't wait to hear from YOU!

Jon Acuff is a creative force for good.  Heck, I'd even call him a creative juggernaut.  He's written 7 NYT bestselling books in the last 11 years… including "Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done," and "​​START: Punch fear in the face, escape average and do work that matters."  His most recent book is "Soundtracks - The Surprising Solution to Overthinking."  (It's crazy good!)  Guys… 7 books in 11 years?  Creatively… that's like having 7 babies in 11 years.  Not only that… but he's talking with and creating content for a lot of people.  He's an INC Magazine Top 100 Leadership speaker and has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people at conferences and companies around the world.  Plus, he's creating content for his "robust" (total understatement) social media following.  Oh… and he's got his podcast too… "All it takes is a goal."As he delivers all of this amazing content… he brings powerful tools and strategies… with some serious doses of humor… truth and hope.  During our conversation… we're going to talk about how he creates all of this content AND how he has to apply the strategies from his own book… to bust through the overthinking trap that can shut us all down!  It's a powerful and fun conversation I think you're going to love!  So let's get to it! FIND JON ON THE WEBS: Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/authorjonacuff/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonacuff/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/JonAcuff Websites: https://acuff.me  https://www.amazon.com/Soundtracks-Surprising-Overthinking-Jon-Acuff/dp/1540900800    EPISODE MINUTE BY MINUTE: 0:02 What to expect today 1:27 Episode begins 4:30 A look into Jon's creative process 10:02 Why speaking is perfect for introverts 15:41 Jon's journaling routine 20:36 How Jon sets his week up for success 27:11 Your key to stop overthinking for good 32:02 Finding your "broken soundtracks" 41:12 Jon's Doppelganger 42:48 How to add more honest humor to your life 44:43 A new project Jon is working on 50:26 Mitch's Minute  I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Okay… so I shared some of my biggest takeaways during my Mitch's Minute (which may have been a little bit more like 10 minutes!).  How about YOU!?  What's something that struck you from this conversation?  I want to hear from YOU!     Somewhere you've been overthinking and you need some new "Soundtracks" Something you needed to hear Something that resonated (big or small) Something you TOTALLY agreed with Or… something you DIDN'T agree with at all Or… what's a NEW "soundtrack" that you're playing after listening to this convo         Leave a comment and let me know.  I can't wait to hear from YOU!

With a podcast called "DREAM THINK DO," it's not a surprise that we talk a lot about the keys to ACCOMPLISHING our goals and dreams.  But recently, I realized that we don't talk a lot about what happens when we actually ACHIEVE some of those goals and dreams.  And let's be real #realtalk.  We need to celebrate those blessings and be grateful when a goal is achieved and a dream is realized.  AND at the same time... we need to recognize that there can be some challenges that come when we actually receive some of the blessings!  We can experience some discomfort… heck... even some problems… when some of our dreams are realized.  The very things we'd wanted... the very things we'd prayed for...  can… at times... cause some "stuff." You know what I'm talking about.  Those blessings can also sometimes bring some new challenges to navigate. It's something we're calling the B.S. of your blessings.  It's critical… and we need to talk about how to acknowledge the BS and then what to do with it!  Oh… and we need to have some fun as we do all of this too!  Let's get to it! RESOURCES & PODCASTS REFERENCED: The NEXT SEASON: https://mitchmatthews.com/331 From FREE to FEE: Becoming a PAID Speaker: https://mitchmatthews.com/332 A Hiro's Journey: What I've learned from our Akita puppy so far: https://mitchmatthews.com/322/ MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE: Okay… if full transparency… when I say "BS" I may not be talking about the "BS" that might come to mind. LOL!  But… I did that to have some fun... and to make this concept even easier to remember.   The BS I'm talking about is something I've started calling: "Blessing Shift." What is BLESSING SHIFT? Blessing Shift is what happens when we experience some discomfort… some change… some pain… after we've achieved a goal or a dream.  We all have to acknowledge that sometimes… some "tough stuff" can come with the "good stuff."  Right?   The big thing is we need to ACKNOWLEDGE it and then decide what to DO with that BS. I give some examples in the episode… of some recent BS that I've experienced (with one story involving Hiro) as well as BS some friends and other Dream Think Doers have been experiencing lately.  Then… we'll dive into the steps to deal with the BS. STEPS to DEAL with the BS: STEP 1:  Acknowledge the BS STEP 2: ACCEPT the BS ADAPT to the BS  or... ALTER the BS QUESTIONS for each STEP: STEP 1: Acknowledge the BS What are some of the blessings in my life currently (big and small)?  - Feel the gratitude What are some of the possible "blessing shifts" that I might be experiencing right now? Where do I need to acknowledge some of the blessing shifts? Now… pick one to walk through STEP 2 with STEP 2: ACCEPT, ADAPT and/or ALTER the BS Where do I need to ACCEPT the Blessing Shift? (Maybe even celebrate them?) Where do I need to ADAPT TO the Blessing Shift? How could I make some small but significant changes to help adapt? Where could I get some additional training to help me adapt? Who could I be learning from to help me to adapt? Where might I need to give myself a little grace AS I/we adapt? And where do I need to ALTER them? Where do I need to set some new boundaries? What's something (small or big) I need to STOP doing because of this BS? What's something (small or big) I need to START doing because of this BS? Do I need to just sell the Mercedes?   (As in… do I need to dump, ditch or delegate the BS?) NOW… I want to hear from YOU! Comment and let me know where you're seeing a "Blessing Shift" right now in your life.  Big or small… what's an example of some BS for you right now? Then… let's keep this convo going.  If you're up for it... let me know how you are either ACCEPTING it... ADAPTING to it... or ALTERING it.  I can't wait to hear from YOU on whether this resonated WITH you… helped you or offended your delicate sensibilities. (LOL!)  Let's have a BS CHALLENGE! As we're ramping up for the big THANK YOU DAY of Thanksgiving here in the US… I thought it might be a good time to explore the potential BS in our lives.  I mean… what if we got people talking about what they're grateful for AND we got them talking about how they're either ACCEPTING, ADAPTING to or ALTERING any BS they've been experiencing this year.  Heck… it could be gooooood.  Right? So… invite a friend or some family to this episode and have a little discussion about the BLESSINGS from this year as well as some of the BS that may have hit too!  Then talk about some of the ways you want to Acknowledge... Accept... Adapt and/or Alter those amazing freeeegin' blessings in your life!   Tag me... and/or share the link for the episode and include a hashtag #blessshift and let's see where this goes!  You in?  I hope so!  #letsdealwithourBS :)