Daily Boost - Clarity for Life and Work

Happiness WalksFor years, I've built a reputation for being a guy that never misses a chance for a good conversation. Sometimes I head out the door for a good old-fashion "Talkabout" - an ode to Crocodile Dundee's "Walkabout."I'm not sure when it began, but since exploring life's possibilities is a core value, I know why; there is no better way to learn something new than striking up a random conversation with another human. But there are rules:1) You must be focused on exploring and open to following whatever direction the conversation goes. No judgment. No challenging. 2) Your mouth should be open as little as possible. Everything you say should focus on learning more from the person in front of you.3) No matter what you hear, remember that you checked your ego; you are here to listen and learn. When you feel the need to make it about you, it's time to move on to the next conversion.Maybe I should start calling them "Listenabouts." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's Your Life Vision?Do you have an image of what you would like your life to be - except when life gets in the way?There's no doubt that daily life events have a funny way of distracting us from reaching goals. It's just too easy to put them on the back burner. That's why you need to become the keeper of your vision.Every day thousands of opportunities will arrive on your path and detour you from what you want. That's why it's up to you to guard your vision by asking a simple question - Will this opportunity move me closer to the lifestyle I desire or further away?Simple.Know YOUR vision. Defend YOUR vision. Live YOUR Vision. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Living a Curated LifeSometimes I wonder if it’s possible to live an authentic life that looks the same from the inside and outside. In other words, can you walk your talk and have everybody understand what you are saying? My wife and I visited St. Augustine a few weeks ago and spent several hours in the Lightner Museum. On the surface, it was an interesting collection of stuff that didn’t seem to go together - except that it did. Like all good museums and lives, it was well curated.Our day-to-day lives are much the same—a collection of experiences and things we understand but others may not. We may also feel fear over expressing ourselves. We may not even believe it’s possible. Then again, you’re already doing it anyway - right?Another fear we have is what others will think about the crazy lives we’ve built - which can hold us back too. That’s why it’s time to curate your life.When you walk into the Lightner Museum, it is a collection of collections. Each individual is unique, with nothing to do with others on display. However, when you curate all the crazy collections into one group, magic happens. It’s the same as what with your life.Accept who you are on the inside and curate your collation of dreams and desires into a personal experience that makes sense to you - then present it to the world and watch what happens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So, What Do You Do?Two people came into a restaurant and walked up to the bar. While it sounds like the setup for a joke, what's about to happen is much more serious.My friend and New York Times Best Selling Author, Joel Comm, has a favorite question for times like these -So, What Do You Do?Asking that simple question can propel hours of conversation - as proven by my client.While attending an event, she was standing at a bar when the gentleman next to her asked, "So what do you do?"Her quick response was to say, "Anything I want!"Obviously, her answer caused question marks to rise from her new friend's ears as curiosity rose.Frankly, my client's answer wasn't the defacto narrative she had spewed for years. She's nearing an early retirement, and her next phase is unclear. Still, she knew one thing— she wasn't going to talk about the past-- and that scared her to death.She was also fearful of what others will think, say, and do about her response. She should not have been.Asking, "So, what do you do" is an excellent door-openers that allow us to not talk about ourselves and express interest in others - something everybody loves. It's also an opportunity for you to give an honest answer that will likely stimulate the imagination of the person you are speaking to.Talk about a great conversation starter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Practice Makes GreatnessIt’s been said that Practice makes perfect. That might be true if you were able to practice perfectly. If that were the case, why would you need to practice?Practice does not make perfect. Practice makes permanent.  Practice bad thinking, and you will get all the bad thoughts you could ever want.Practice makes permanent.Practice bad manners and are sure to get better at being rude.Practice makes permanent.Practice bad relationship skills, and you are guaranteed to miss out on the best life has to offer.Practice makes permanent.It is always that way, it will never change, and you can harness its power.Practice being positive, forward-thinking, and believing that life is good. That’s what you will get.Practice being a good person that is always thinking of others. You will find yourself surrounded by good people.Practice being present, respectful, and loving in your relationships. You will never be alone.Yes, practice makes permanent, but it also makes for greatness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your Happiness EquationIs there a magic formula for happiness?Yes. It comes down to how you look at the world.Most folks do one of two things:1) They view everything from an emotional place. When life is good, everything is excellent. When things go wrong, life is terrible. Remaining stuck in the emotional zone is like writing a letter in the sand with a rising tide; it will never stick around long enough to make you happy.2) Others view the world from a black-and-white and logical perspective. But life is not always logical. Using your analytical brain for everything is like painting a wall black and expecting a rainbow of colors.I’ve found the best way is to naturally ride the highs and lows of emotions, tap into logic to navigate what crosses our path, and get back to the fun of emotions as soon as possible.Emotion + Logic + Emotion = Happiness.First and foremost, humans are emotional creatures that will not change. But logic allows us to sort through our feelings and make the best decision. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Raising Your Self-ConfidenceI got off the phone with a client who told me I insulted her with a comment on a recent call. I said, “Your self-confidence is low, and that’s okay. Everybody has low self-confidence - even if they walk with a swagger that says otherwise.”It turns out she had spent the entire day thinking about my comment. She didn’t realize that I was only referring to a moment in time along her journey. We had a short conversation and sorted things out. Afterward, I sent this -No matter how long you live, how much you succeed, or how much swagger you have in your walk, there will always be someplace where you feel like the underdog. It’s the same way for everybody. As soon as you take the next step, your self-confidence is forever boosted - until the next step arrives. The process will continue throughout your life.If you want unstoppable self-confidence, get used to feeling uncomfortable and taking action anyway.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if everything you did today came with no limitations and good consequences?  What could you do with your life?Limitations can be helpful. Staying within speed limits keeps you from getting tickets. That's good.Limiting yourself to a job that doesn't serve you? That's bad. Fear of change usually creates limitations. Or is it the fear of harmful consequences? What would happen if all consequences were good? Asking someone on a date may cause fear and hold you back. That all goes away the instant you hear, "Yes!"Reach for the good!Roll through your day believing that you are ten feet tall and bulletproof. Anything is possible! The Universe might prove you right. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is a simple formula that you can apply to get what you want, enjoy the process, and ensure that it will last for a lifetime.1) Get clarity. You must clearly define what you want. When you don’t know your path, you will drift with frustration.2) Accurate Thinking. Assume that you are not getting the correct information. Double-check and confirm. Then move forward. The more accurate your understanding of your plan, the more comfortable and quicker it will be to get there.3) Leverage. You may think that you can do all the heavy lifting yourself, and you can see in the beginning. But why? You’ll get there faster if you find a way to leverage every action for maximum results. Don’t go it alone.4) Systemization. Create ritualized actions that move you closer to what you want. Once there, automate those actions. Your purpose required an operating system to stay focused and on track.Get what you want to be using CALLS to action: Clarity. Accurate Thinking. Leverage. Systemization.  Life is about to get much more relaxed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a child, I remember heading out the door for a day in an endless adventure. It usually concluded with a game of Hide-And-Seek.  Those days seemed to last forever.These days, most of us are still running until the sun goes down. But there's so much to do that we rarely have time to ponder the bigger picture.Remember-You will always find time for your most important tasks. You will eat, sleep, pay bills, feed the dog, and take care of your children - no matter how crazy life gets.When life gets crazy, and you scream, "Something has to GIVE…" it's usually your dreams for the future that get put off.Steven Covey reminded us how important it is to focus on what's important as much as possible. Make sure you put yourself on the list too. Then, when life goes off the rails, fix it as soon as possible, get back to what's essential, and keep moving.Not all dreams come true, but the important ones always seem to come your way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices