Daily Boost - Clarity for Life and Work

Wisdom of GratitudeI woke up this morning with an incredible zest to expand my feeling of gratefulness. Well, there is not so much to expand as to recognize all the things that I am grateful for but haven’t thought about lately.That’s the thing about living in a fast-paced world where our daily activities, big and small, fly by and are quickly forgotten. It’s always been that way. There is nothing new in the world. That got me thinking about one of my favorite quotes —“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” —Robert BraultAs a no-regrets kind of guy, I admit to sometimes not living in gratitude. Thankfully, the wisdom of others is always making sure I remember what is important—Here are a few of my favorites.“If a fellow isn’t thankful for what he’s got, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he’s going to get.”—Frank A. Clark“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” —Eckhart Tolle“Who does not thank for little will not thank for much.” —Estonian Proverb“Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: It must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.”—William Faulkner“Enough is a feast.”—Buddhist Proverb“When you are grateful, fear disappears, and abundance appears.”—Anthony Robbins“When eating fruit, remember the one who planted the tree.”—Vietnamese Proverb“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”—William Arthur Ward“A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue but the parent of all the other virtues.”—Cicero“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”—Robert Brault Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Be The Change You Wish To SeePeople have always sought change for themselves, their life, or the world. There is a constant truth if you want to change; you must change before anything else changes.Many intelligent folks agree -Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”Leo Tolstoy, “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”What about Albert Einstein?  “The world, as we have created, is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”Do you want to change something about today, tomorrow, or the future? You must change before anything else changes.Have you learned lessons from past experiences? You have already changed, and your future is better for it.Rumi said, “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”If tomorrow you want to be better than today and Yesterday, something has to change. That something is you.If you want to make more money, serve more. Do you want to be happier? If you want this life to be well-lived, something has to change today. That something is you.What if you want everything about your life to be perfect? Listen to Winston Churchill. “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”It’s so simple.  You Must Change Before Anything Else Changes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Freedom Formula - Choice and MeansEvery time I walk into the gym, I pump myself up to exercise my body and have somebody else exercise my brain. This morning I found myself in a conversation when Ron asked me a question…“Since you’re a Coach, tell me if I’m right. Your most important goal is always to have freedom in your life - right?”You should have seen his face when I said, ‘Nope.’ Don’t get me wrong, I’m an American, and freedom rings in my bones - but there is a cost to getting that freedom, which makes life fun.I went on to tell Ron that, after a lot of experience, I have settled on two driving forces: the ability to choose and the means to make it happen. I believe true freedom comes from choosing the path that makes you a better and happier person AND makes the world a little better because of your choice.I also believe that having a true choice almost always comes down to having the means to make it happen. Whether it be skill, friends, or money, without the means, you have a minimal choice.Choice + Means = Freedom. That’s a winning formula no matter where you are in your life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Instant Gratification is The Secret to SuccessRuss, from North Carolina, is asking for help with an instant gratification issue. He wrote-So many people want everything now, thanks to modern technology. Educating people is becoming more difficult because they are looking for instant gratification. If their empty void is not filled quickly enough, they get easily frustrated and give up.Please do a podcast on converting from instant gratification to goal-driven.My take on this is probably not what Russ is expecting because instant gratification drives people to get what they want. Let me apply a little Scott Logic…First, there is not one person on the planet who doesn’t want what they want right now. No matter how satisfying hard work is, nobody in their right mind willingly puts off getting what they want. That’s not how humans are wired.While I know it can be frustrating, business people, governments, and great communicators figured out a long time ago that everybody wants what they want now. That’s never going to change. But I have a different take…‘I want my cake and to eat it too’ - and there’s nothing you can do about it!In other words, I want little bits of instant gratification to enjoy while working toward my BIG ASS goals. That’s what they call motivation! So does everybody else.It’s widely known that humans have an attention span that’s less than a goldfish - but as long as I’m willing to keep dropping food into the tank, I can keep their attention.BIG ASS goals are driven by little bits of reward along the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ugly Sweaters Make Good ConversationWith the arrival of ugly sweaters and too much egg nog, the holiday season is upon us, which means that you may find yourself involved in more conversations with more people than you do at any other time of the year. To make sure you enjoy every conversation you have, I want you to remember two things…First, unless you live under a rock, you will find yourself in the middle of a calorie and alcohol-induced conversation that, as Dave Ramsey would say, 'That's stupid!' When you find yourself in that situation, keep those two words in mind, keep your mouth shut, smile, change the subject, and take a walk outside. Never let anybody else ruin your day.Now that we have the negative out of the way, let's talk about being the most fun and interesting person at any event you attend. If you do nothing else, remember that everybody is listening "WIIFM' broadcasting live in their mind. All anybody cares about is 'What's in it for ME?'The secret to starting or participating in a conversation that will make you a communications expert is to never make it about you and always make it about who you are speaking with. When you do, magic happens…When you make OTHERS the most interesting person in the room, YOU become the most interesting person.So, take a breath, enjoy the season, and see if you can learn a little bit about every person you meet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Where Did Your Motivation Go?Today is the day I use my Perfect Week Planner to figure out where I will spend my time next week. And, like every week, I have the same realization…Where the heck did my week go? And now, with the weekend in sight, my mind moves to riding the motorcycle mode and all best are off. Oh well, Monday is coming - right? More on that in a minute.Wait, Scott! How the heck are we going to stay focused, progress toward our goals, and get important stuff done if we run out of juice before the week is over? Why does that Monday motivation that has my hair on fire run out before I get everything done? Okay, let’s cover two things:1) Motivation is a finite resource that will fade. On average, your brain runs out of motivational calories after about 48 hours of focused work. It would help if you had a recharge.2) God willing, no matter how much you don’t get done this week, there is always the next week in your future. Yes, another Monday is coming. What doesn’t get done this week will get done next week.A long time ago, Tony Robbins said, ‘Most people overestimate what they can do in a week and underestimate what they can do in a year.’ Keep your eyes on the prize that is driving you. Your goal should be to reach your stated outcome, no matter what gets in the way or how long it takes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why You Don’t Need a WHYA while back and friend and I were chewing the fat about getting what we wanted out of life. It’s a common topic among my friends and should be among yours. It makes sense; what you focus on is what you get - right?As we talked, I realized that as I’ve bumbled and stumbled my way through a very colorful life, I’ve also stumbled upon a simple idea…Getting what you want in life requires that you know what you want in life. But what happens when you have no idea how the best things arrived in your life?I get that kind of thinking blows away the theory of WHY most of us talk about. Yes, your WHY is why is going to get you through the tough times of life. Sometimes it’s the only thing that will. But in my world, I’ve learned something else…Sometimes, the most happiness we find in life comes when we’re entirely unaware of WHY we are doing whatever we are doing.Huh?And I can’t tell you how often my wife has asked, “Why are you doing that?” My answer is usually, I’m not sure. I guess it needed to be done.So, as I sit here listening to ‘Girl Named Toms’ new Christmas album, I can’t help but wonder what magic you are missing out on because you are spending too much time seeking a mystical WHY instead of honoring the choices you have already made in your life.My Scott Logic tells me that when you explore the possibilities when they arrive in your life, without thinking about it, and go with the flow, you will be happier - even though you might not admit it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scared, Excited, or Something Else A few days ago, I stumbled into a conversation with a young man working behind the counter at a store I visited. It didn't take long before we knew a lot about each other.He was a student at Emory Riddle Aeronautics University here in Daytona Beach. I run into a lot of those kids. Being a pilot myself, we instantly bonded. Then he asked a question that caused me to pause…The Daytona/Port Orange area population is very diverse - with more than a few retired. Since I'm a guy with a bit of gray hair, a couple of wrinkles, and seemingly lots of free time on my hands, he asked…"Are you retired?"I shot back, "Not yet - in a couple of years!”What he said next stopped me in my tracks."Does that scare you or excite you?"I have to say. I don't get stuck with words very often. But after a few seconds, I said -"Neither! I love what I do and how my life is going, and I am thrilled about tomorrow more than today!" That's when he said, "I hope I'm that way when I get older - not to say you're old.Always remember -When you do what makes your heart sing, life gets better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creating Your Wonderful LifeWith the holiday season on its way, wouldn't it be great if you received the gift of the wonderful life of your dreams? What if you could have lots of free time, less stress, more money, and great relationships? In my years of coaching folks all over the world, I've learned a few things about lifestyle design:1) Everything begins when you become aware of what you want and accept that it's up to you to get it.2) If you believe your dream can be real as soon as you start living it - it will be.3) You are the Boss of you, so there's no reason for a delay. Stop planning and start doing. Forget wishing, hoping, and dreaming. Start with little bits of happiness and work toward living your dream every day. Most people are drifting in the winds of life. True happiness arrives when you start driving through life.Living your wonderful life is entirely up to you. Be aware of the change you desire; believe it can be yours, and start living it now.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are You Stuck in The Middle? Have you ever found yourself stuck in the middle?I was speaking with a client trying to be everything to everybody. His business was not growing. His life was not happy. He couldn’t seem to find a way to make progress. That’s when I said…“My friend, you are stuck in the middle. Nothing good happens when you are in the middle.”In business and life, having low expectations and being surrounded by like-minded folks is okay. It’s also okay to reach for your dreams, have high expectations, and expect that of others.What happens if you’re in the middle?When low and high expectations combine, confusion is the result. Mediocrity overtakes quality. Frustration will be your daily friend.The choice is yours. If I were you, I would make the decision never to get stuck in the middle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices