Daily Boost - Clarity for Life and Work

Exploring Your PossibilitiesWhat do I want to be when I grow up? The first time you ask yourself that question is when you are very young - if you ever asked it at all. Frankly, somebody else usually asks you, and you probably didn't have an answer and just took off running with this thing called life. And then it happens —Forty or fifty years later, people start asking themselves that question again after a family and career. The smart ones in the crowd don’t wait either; they begin to question who they are right now. It can be a scary time.If you are looking for a change in your life, here are a few things to understand—You can't move forward by hanging on to what you have. Remember, you get more of what you focus on in your life. If you're focusing on what you are giving up, you'll get more of that. Instead, you must direct your focus to the unknown future and look for clues about what you will do.I call the process "Exploring Your Possibilities.Imagine if anything is possible and there is no limitation or consequence. There is no commitment required, and money doesn't matter. Time has no impact. None of that matters because, once you stumble upon what you want, you will have arrived, and everything will be forever different.How do you make this happen?The secret is to put the breaks on what you are doing while you seek new adventures. It will take time to find a good fit, so you'll have to ensure that you don't slide back into your old ways. No matter how comfortable it may feel to get back in your comfort zone, don't do it.Pump the brakes. Hold the space you've created. Explore your possibilities, and let life unfold in front of you. It may not happen overnight. Then again, maybe it will. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Your Life is Repeating ItselfMy friend Louis Gates introduced me to his 9-Year Life Cycle to understand how we progress through life.  Cycles begin at birth and advance every 9 years and go like this:Year 1: You decide what you want and start asking for it.  Year 2: As the pieces come together, you narrow your focus.Year 3: The resources you need begin to arrive.  Year 4: You find yourself moving toward your purpose in life.Year 5: re-evaluation begins. Toss out what you don’t need and keep what works.Year 6: Your focus intensifies, and you work with the resources you’ve decided will benefit you.Year 7: You take stock in things that no longer serve you.Year 8: Clearing the clutter begins. It’s almost time to start the next cycle.Year 9: You explore and decide what you want to do in the next cycle.Look back on your life and notice how your 9-Year Lifecycle is always in play. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s Your Personal Ideology?There’s a lot of talk about “ideology” these days, and it’s usually not in a good way. But what about YOUR ideology? Do you know who you are?Before I go on, ideology is simply a creed, culture, dogma, outlook, philosophy, theory, or view. And let’s not forget ideas, principles, and tenants.At the end of the day, an ideology is what you stand for in this world. And, if you do it well, it’s also how other people know what you stand for in this world. It’s also up to you to decide that for yourself. After all…If you don’t know who you are and tell the world, the world will decide who you are and tell you who to be.That’s why I have a living document that establishes who I am, what I believe, and serves as a foundation of growth and change as I live and evolve. I call it my “Who I Am” document. It’s all mine, and I share who I am through my actions.How do you see yourself?How do others see you?How do you act in situations?What do you believe?What kind of people do you hang out with?What are the rules you follow for YOU?This list is endless and should be. After all, you are a complicated and ever-changing person. Can I make you a promise?It’s easy these days to seek sources outside of yourself to find out who you are on the inside.It’s also easy to let the agenda of others infiltrate your thinking and pull you down a path that isn’t who you are meant to be in this life.The very instant that you sit down and document who you are and want to be, nothing else will matter. And the more dedicated you are to documenting YOU… the more you will get to be YOU.How do you do it?That’s easy too. Just ask yourself who you are in every area of your life, document your answer, and live it daily. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do You Act Like a Happy Person?If you were to ask my wife if I was always a happy and positive person, she would likely say, "Hmm… it's complicated… but yes."As a proud high-maintenance man who has never met a conversation, I didn't want to see how deep we could go. I would have to agree. It isn't straightforward. But the answer is yes. I'm happy every day of the week. Not because I was born that way. Nope. As my Italian friends would say, "I had a good learning."Many years ago, right after high school and just after entering the adult world, I realized that life was complicated and that it wasn't going to change. I also had another learning…I noticed that no matter how difficult things were, some people I met were happy as they embraced the suck. I wanted to be one of them. I wanted to be the person that didn't need rose-colored glasses to be satisfied. That meant I needed to think like them…Can you accept that merely being alive means you will run into occasional challenges?Can you realize that dealing with challenges is a privilege that comes with being alive?Will you welcome frustration and be satisfied that it only means you are moving forward?Are you able to accept responsibility for solving your challenges? Do you have a "bring it" mindset for everything life throws at you?Finally -Are you expecting to get a great night's sleep, no matter what happened today or will happen tomorrow?That's how happy people think. That's how you should think too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Different Look at Time Management In my entire life, I've always found it interesting that there never seems to be enough time in the day. Still, most days, everything seems to get done. If it doesn't, the world didn't end, and I survived to check off another item from my to-do list tomorrow.I know I'm not the first human on the planet to face the problem of time, but I think I'm one of those smartypants who have figured out how our time works in real life. And it was 180 degrees from what I felt that time was all about.Pay attention now. How you look at time is about to change.First, when you run as fast as possible to get things done, time moves quicker, and less gets done. Even worse, with every minute filled, there is never enough time to do the things that make your heart sing. If you're like me, that will eventually lead you to sabotage your list so you can do something fun for yourself. It's a never-ending cycle.On the other hand, when you slow down, hold space for yourself, and focus on results relevant to your goals, time slows down, and you get more done. Not only that, you magically find yourself with lots of free time that you need to fill. Finally, a chance to read a book, binge on Netflix or hang out with family and friends. The choice is yours.Of course, if you've ever studied Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity, this sounds familiar. As he determined—time is relative. In other words, the rate at which time passes depends on your frame of reference. So, what is your frame of reference?In our case, I'm not asking whether you are moving fast or slow; I want to know if you are focused on the essential things in life that matter to you. Everything else disappears when you do, times slow down, and you enjoy your day like you were born to do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Being Positive, Practical, and PeacefulI must admit that I get in trouble because some of the Scott logic that comes out of my mouth doesn’t sit well with many folks these days - and they let me know. One of the biggest comments…“You seem like such a positive guy, and then it’s like something clicks in your head and goes negative and ruins my day.” While I don’t think I ever go negative, I’ve heard that many times. Here’s the thing…It would be easy for me to get caught in the feel-good trap of chasing positivity - if only for being positive. But I’m not interested in that. I am interested in the results. For me, that is a peaceful, content, joyful, and meaningful life. If you’ve been alive for over a couple of decades, you know all of that is found lurking in the truth. That’s why I consider myself a practical positive guy, and you should too. I believe an optimistic attitude is power in life; I also think that you can never be truly happy until you are willing to dig deep into the not-so-positive challenges in life. Until you do that, you’ll you blocked. That’s why you’ll always hear me cover both sides. Frankly, I’m not interested in what we can and will do in our lives. I’m interested in the millions of interactions, decisions, and feelings we encounter daily that become the life we will have lived someday.Stephen Fry said, “sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”Almost everything that freaks folks out begins with words from others and yourself. Keep that in mind because… When you choose to be positive and practical and ground yourself in the truth, you will become at peace with everything around you - including yourself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daring Yourself To Live Your Dreams“Please! Can somebody stop the world? I want to get off!”Okay. Just for you, I pressed the magic button, and the world stopped. Whatcha gonna do now?If you don’t have an answer, there’s no need to freak out. It’s common for people to get slowed down, and think about what their life could be like, and I have no idea.But let’s say you are one of the few who decide the time has come to turn directly into the challenge.Many years ago, I adopted a philosophy that became the driver that would change everything. I decided I would always turn face-first into any challenge that stood between me and my dreams. Yes, I would face my passion head-on and do whatever it takes to make it real. Do you know what happened next?I tripped, stumbled, and fell into a pile of my own crumbled dreams. That’s when I realized that deciding to face your passion was only the beginning. Before you can face your passion and live your dreams, a few more things must be faced first.You must face your stress.You must face your relationships.You must face your health, finances, and spiritual beliefs.You must face your friendships, the clothing you wear, what you eat, and what you dream.Yes, living the “I know there must be more lifestyle” is freakishly simple and no big deal; you do whatever you want whenever you choose to do it. But it doesn’t take long to realize that getting whenever you want requires that you face a few things first.It’s simple. As scary as it may feel, no matter how much you don’t want to do it, everything becomes possible when you deal with all the stuff in your life and take control. So, the next time you find yourself trying to figure out what’s stopping you from living your dreams, there might be a few things that you want to handle first. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do Leftovers Make Happiness?When I began training and competing with my dog in agility, I made a rookie dog trainer mistake. I wasn't consistent, and my dog was getting confused. One day, my trainer said, "For a dog, one time means all the time. Every time you let them do something new, they're just going to keep doing it."Now, as silly as it sounds, that came to mind a couple of weeks ago when my wife, a creature of routine and habit, did the same thing.We were invited to attend Thanksgiving with family, and Joi's training kicked in instantly—"I like going to their home, but what about leftovers? I like leftovers?"As a guy who has experienced Joi's "No eating out at the restaurant until all the leftovers are gone" rule, I knew this was a big issue. But, like a good husband, I got out of the way and let her figure it out.A couple of weeks later, after enjoying a nice day, I watched as Joi carried her share of leftovers to the car, thinking to myself, "Good. She got her leftovers." Boy, was I wrong—Joi came home from the gym the following day, headed for the kitchen, and started cooking - LEFTOVERS! She wasn't reheating them. She had purchased a small turkey and all the ingredients she needed to keep with her routine for the weekend. At that moment, I couldn't control the look on my face."What? I like leftovers, and I look forward to it. It's what I do, and it makes me happy."Like a good husband, I didn't say a word. My only thought was, I guess we're not having pizza tonight.Do leftovers make you happy? Maybe. YOU make you happy. Do what you do. You can always have pizza next weekend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Success With No Will Power RequiredWhen will you get yourself to do what you say you want to do? More people than you know lose sleep over that question. If that sounds like something you have experienced, you’re not alone. Almost everybody begins their journey when a thought pops into their mind. Then, day-to-day life keeps them busy, and they spend frustrating months fixin’ to get ready. You know, starting to prepare… so you can begin to do… so you can do… and say you did. If that doesn’t work, you summon your friend, Will Power. Will is not a person, but more like a kind of friend that you don’t know why you keep letting into your life.They are a bit of a slacker, live rent-free in your mind, say they want to help, and never deliver on their promise. Will’s job description should read -- to force you to do things you say you want to do but can’t get yourself to do. When you give up, Will leaves.The good news is, there’s no need to force yourself to do anything. Achieving your biggest goals in life has nothing to do with Will Power. Instead, shift your mindset - “To act at your discretion without constraint.” That’s the definition of Free Will, Will Powers, good cousin. Use your Free Will to harness your excitement and choose the path of least resistance. Start making the slightest changes in your life. Those steps will lead to big results sooner than you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Somebody Need You Right NowWhen I was a teenager, I was a weekend moviegoer, and it was the age of Rocky, Star Wars, and Jaws. Besides, with only three channels on television, getting out of the house was the top item on my to-do list.As a kid with big dreams, it was easy for me to slip into the fantasy world of films and let my mind run for a couple of hours. By the end of the film, I was always excited to get on with life and become like the folks I watched in movies.That’s when life got in the way.Like many young folks, I graduated high school, charged into the world, and waited for Somebody else to lift me into my dreams. Well, things didn’t work out the way I expected. That’s when my mother-in-law gave me some very useful advice that I needed to hear —“You know, right now, Somebody needs what you have to offer, but because you’re sitting around the house, they don’t even know you exist. Get out there and let them know you are here.”I can’t tell you how many times in my life I’ve said to myself —“Somebody out there needs what I have to offer. My job is to find them and let them know I’m here.”It’s the same for you.If Somebody needs what you have to offer, your job is to find them and save their day.That’s how you write and star in your own life movie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices