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FMU

by Walt | Jan 16, 2014 | Success | 0 Comments

We were walking along the trail, in the rain, as I remember it, carrying on an erudite conversation.

We had been a week on Kilimanjaro, now filled with vast – and half-vast – ideas.

Bob articulated a principle that I found absolutely fascinating… and compelling.

“Where did you learn that?” I asked.

“I made it up,” Bob said.

Further on down the trail, he shared another idea, novel and exciting. “Where did you hear that one?” I asked.

He laughed. “I made that up too!”

Much later, thoroughly exhausted, well fed, and more than a bit lubricated by local brew, we sat around the dinner table talking expansively into the evening.

Plots and plans for the future; strategies and ideas.

Bob shared a concept that I thought was so cool.

“Where did you discover that?” I asked.

He threw his head back – and roared: “I just fucking made it up.”

We quickly branded around a new ‘educational institution:’ FMU.

And why not? All great original ideas spring forth from the emptiness of the Infinite Universe. (Indeed, all of creation.) Sure, we’re informed by a body of knowledge that has gone before us, influenced by our surroundings and impacted by culture. But it is from the limitlessness of our imaginations that wonder arises; magic from the recesses of our minds. Think Morse code, micro-chips, cell phones and robotics, not to mention space travel, light bulbs, the Sistine Chapel and the David.

It’s all made up! Every bit of it.

Including who we think (and say) we are.

Our identities. We make those up too.

But then – so often – we forget.

And get stuck; hung up on ‘something’ that we perceive to be permanent, ‘something’ someone told us once: good, bad, achiever, loser, gifted, child of an alcoholic, learning disabled. Or perhaps later, ‘hung’ on a job that became who we thought we were: teacher, lawyer, manager, mechanic, artist, entertainer.

We forget that we made them up to start with… and that, at any time, we get to change them.

We always get to change them.

That to change, to evolve, IS the path to success; the way to prosperity, freedom and fulfillment.

And that failure to change is death.

Mahatma Gandhi suggested: Be the change, become the change you seek.

We make up who we are. Why not make up something good?

And if you’re ever looking for that post-graduate degree, don’t forget good ol’ FMU.

Be A Pig

by Walt | Jan 9, 2014 | Success | 0 Comments

So maybe you’ve made some New Year’s resolutions. Or set some goals.

AND, you’ve decided: This year is going to be different. This year, you’re not going to quit. This year, you’re going to keep going. This year you’re going to follow through.

You’ve decided that you’re NOT going to let another year slide by!

You’ve actually written down your goals. You’ve wired in some new disciplines; you’ve established some new practices. Maybe you’ve even put in place some systems of support.

That’s awesome. Good on you!

But before you get all puffed up about your efforts, let me ask you a critical question: WHY are you doing what you say you want to be doing? Why have you made those resolutions? Why have you set the goals you’ve set?

Your ‘WHY’ is a critical component in determining whether you will be successful in the year ahead. Without a clear exciting purpose, without a compelling ‘why,’ you WILL fail.

You see, we are only motivated by two forces: pain; and pleasure. And for most of us, we need at least a modicum of pain (or a kick in the you know what) to move us out of our comfort zones… even if they are not terribly comfortable. A certain level of misery is necessary to move us out of a bad relationship or out of a job with a terrible boss or out of a financial situation that’s just not working.

But to sustain forward progress, we need to have a clear vision; we need to be able to see something compelling and promising, something alluring and exciting, just beyond the horizon. We need that ‘pull’ in order to overcome the resistance, surmount the odds and go the distance.

And our ‘whys’ need to be ours; and ours alone.

Do you know your ‘WHY?’ If you don’t, STOP right now. Take some time; get clear.

And then, when you really know your ‘why,’ it is essential to ask yourself this question: Are you truly committed to your goals? Or are you just interested?

There’s an old military adage that if you want to ‘take’ the island, you’ve got to burn the boats. You need to cut off all means of retreat.

If you’re really going to succeed, you’ve got to be ‘all in.’ You must have the mindset that you will go the distance, no matter what.

This is the rocket fuel of goal setting and goal achievement: Being all in, completely invested, cutting all means of escape back to your old bad self. To really succeed, you must have the level of commitment that says: “I will do whatever I need to do to get there. No matter what.”

There’s that old story about the relative contributions of the pig and the chicken to a breakfast of bacon and eggs. The chicken is ‘interested.’ The pig committed.

So are you committed to your outcomes this year? Or just merely interested?

Be the pig. Go all in.

The Secret to Tripping Out

by Walt | Jan 2, 2014 | Finding The Way, Journeys, Success | 3 Comments

Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement. -W. Clement Stone

Imagine, if you will, that you’re about to embark on a long trip. Maybe it’s a drive across the country; maybe it’s a tour of the grand capitols of Western Europe; maybe it a sabbatic leave in the South Pacific.

Now, imagine imagining that trip; imagining that destination; picturing yourself walking down the cobblestone streets, climbing the Eiffel Tower, taking long strolls down those beautiful white sandy beaches.

Where did it begin?

Maybe you saw it in the travel section of the Sunday paper. Maybe you saw an ad in the window of a travel agency. Maybe it popped up on Facebook. But somewhere you saw an image, a description, a picture. Maybe it was just in your mind!

And you imagined yourself… there.

Then maybe you Googled a bit; popped onto Trip Advisor; or maybe you ran out to the bookstore for a Fodor’s or Lonely Planet Guide.

You got out some maps; went to the AAA; began to lay out the route.

If it’s a drive, you plotted your course, planned your stops, booked your overnights. You know where you’re going and what you want to see.

The car’s been tuned, the oil changed, the radiator checked.

On your GPS, you’ve locked in your waypoints. Your destination certain.

You’re good to go.

If you’re flying or cruising, you’ve bought the ticket. (It’s non-refundable.) You know where you’re landing; you know your ports of call. You’ve booked the hotels and reserved the excursions.

You know those little restaurants you want to visit, the museums you want to see, those sites and vistas you cannot miss.

You’ve got the clothes, the suntan lotion, the cameras, the cash, the credit cards, the traveler’s checks, the passport.

You’ve got it all laid out. It’s crystal clear.

You can’t wait.

Because, you can see yourself, so clearly… right there.

Now, imagine, if you will, that you’re about to embark on a long trip.

It’s called 2014.

Where will your imagination take you? And what exactly do you need to do to get there?

Your Heart’s Desire

by Walt | Dec 26, 2013 | Finding The Way, Success | 1 Comment

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12

How are you today?

I hope you’ve woken up rested, refreshed and satisfied after your Christmas celebrations.

But if, instead, you’re feeling dazed and depleted and maybe a little bit empty, you are not alone.

The holidays are a huge source of stress; a seemingly never-ending torrent of buying and wrapping and eating and drinking and binging and networking and connecting and partying; with concomitant unceasing demands and obligations and expectations.

Likely you’ve spent the last several weeks hustling around fulfilling everyone else’s wants. Tending to the needs of others.

Maybe you think you’re done.

Except that you’re not.

It’s today. Another day. And while you can, perhaps, distract yourself for a little while longer, ringing in the New Year, the day is coming soon when you will face the expanse – or the abyss – of the year ahead.

So today’s question is not about all those other folks you’ve been attending to. It’s about you.

What do you want?

What do you really want?

Not what you think you should want; or what you think you’re expected to want. Not what your father wanted; or what you’re mother thought would be right. Not what your partner or boyfriend or girlfriend or neighbors want. Not what your clients want. Not what some well-intentioned teacher or guidance counselor wanted for you.

Rather, what is it you want ? For yourself? Right here? Right now?

The folks who read this blog are, by their very nature, givers. The challenge for givers is receiving. The challenge for givers is getting quiet enough to listen to the still small voice that speaks to us of our heart’s desires. The challenge for givers is giving to ourselves what it is we really, really want.

Because, we presume that what we want is bad. Or selfish. Or self-centered.

Or more frequently, we forget what we wanted. We become numb to our heart’s desire.

So on the threshold of a new year, I have a challenge for you: Set aside some time just for you; and spend some time asking yourself (and perhaps journaling about) these questions:

If I could make my life any way I wanted it, what would my ‘perfect’ day look like? My ‘perfect’ week? What time would I get up? What would I wear? Who would I spend my time with? What work would I do? What projects would I pursue? What travels would I take? What would my ‘perfect’ life look like?

If this were my very last year on earth, what would I do? Would I stay in the same relationship; would I keep the same job; would I hang out with the same people; would I go the same places; would I do things the way I’m doing them right now?

If money were no object, if I won the $30 million dollar Powerball, what would I do? After I bought all the toys I wanted, where would I go; who would I go with; where would I spend my time; what experiences would I want to create; what legacy would I want to leave?

Because here’s what’s true: Those whispers that are in our hearts, those dreams that we have, those projects we want to create, those places we want to go, the empires we want to build, the impact we want to make… they’re not random musings; they’re not accidents. They are the call of our Spirit, the Divine within us, showing us – telling us – the way.

So think. Write. Draw. Free flow. Tear down the boundaries. No limitations. Let your imagination run wild.

And then get busy. Because, that’s what you want. That’s what you really want.

That’s your heart’s desire.

Why You Don’t Want Blockbuster Success

by Walt | Dec 19, 2013 | Success | 0 Comments

As the flakes began to fall, I remembered all those days of yore when we’d be hurrying out to Blockbuster™ to stock up on movies in the teeth of the oncoming storm. (And, of course, that concomitant stack of DVDs on the kitchen counter that likely was overdue.)

No more. Streaming video from Amazon™ now. Whenever and wherever we want it.

And Blockbuster™… is gone. Because they believed, as the dominant player and market maker, that their business model would last forever; that the status quo was too powerful to fail; that they could never get hurt; that they would always reign supreme.

They got complacent.

And complacency is bad.

In business
In finance
In marriage
In health and wellness

Complacency is about disinterest, arrogance, indifference, lack of foresight, and lack of care.

It’s about inattention.

It’s about ignoring what is.

You don’t want to get complacent. Because when you get complacent, the rug will surely be pulled out from under you.

I have suffered massive business turmoil and relational upheaval when I’ve taken my eye off the ball.

You want to keep your eye on the ball.

It’s ok to be discontent. It means you know you can do better, be stronger, go farther, up your game. Often we need the nudge of discontent to push us and move us beyond our comfort zones; to dislodge us from the status quo.

It’s ok too to be content. In fact, it’s good to be content.

Contentment is a deep knowing that the work you have been doing, the investments you’ve been making, and the attention you’ve been giving, have yielded fruit, are paying dividends.

Contentment is confidence, suredness, and groundedness; satisfaction with a job well-done.

Contentment brings gratitude.

But whether from a place of discontent or a place or contentment, the essential questions are always: