Jonathan Sprinkles' Behind the Scenes Blog

YOU are invited to join my Virtual Birthday Party!

Jonathan Sprinkles — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:20:34 +0000

Visit me at http://www.HappyBirthdayJonathan.com

I’m already there!

Jonathan

PS…If you have any birthday wishes, please post them below. Thanks so much!

Jonathan Sprinkles Wins Disney’s Mentor of the Year…AGAIN!

Jonathan Sprinkles — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:19:17 +0000

See the behind-the-scenes pictures at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=390243&id=752550583&l=46e7c8afd2

Jonathan Sprinkles’ Teleseminar Featured On Texas Business School Website

Jonathan Sprinkles — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:32:11 +0000

Jonathan Sprinkles Featured On Texas Busiss School Website As An Expert On Persuasion

Click the link below to listen to the FREE teleseminar: The Power of Persuasion.

http://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/alumni/careers/programming/

What did you think?

Please leave your comment below…kiss it or diss it?

Jonathan Sprinkles – Audience Feedback You DON’T Want

Jonathan Sprinkles — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:54:41 +0000

I’m really not sure how I feel about this event. There was a lot that I could focus on to say, “This was a good one.” There was also some very timely feedback that was extremely concerning to me.

On the surface, I’m proud to say I ROCKED. I happily watched a room of students actually *grow* as I spoke. The energy was so contagious, people kept looking in and wanting to know what the heck we were doing. I was enjoying being “on.”

But…there were a few issues that nobody outside of myself would have known about that were big detractors from my performance.

Although I was very good, I wasn’t great. I had some good things to say, but I felt myself fishing for the next line a couple times. Fortunately, I found it…this time. I am not always so fortunate. I know why this happened. It was in my preparation.

Yesterday, I was still recuperation from *Presentation Power* and had zero focus. I “kinda at best” remembered that I was supposed to speak today. After checking my calendar, I finally started making my preparations for the event.

While I drove to the school, I was on the phone. I got to the school and made another “quick call” as I walked from the parking lot inside the building. Although my talent was revved up, my Spirit was flat.

I learned in Bible study many years ago that there are two different ways to learn about God. There is “logos”, a general teaching and there is “rhema” a very specific message that applies directly to your life. I was sent to deliver rhema. I was only prepared to give logos. For what I do, this was counterproductive at best and totally irresponsible at worst.

SPRINKLE OF WISDOM

When you speak, you should be “full,” like you have a secret you’re dying to tell. Full like a bladder that needs to be emptied (sorry). But you get my point. When you are really focused and really prepared, you feel like you have the perfect message for the group.

The second thing that put me off kilter was the comment a yound man gave me afterward. He shook my hand and said, “That was great. I’m so glad I came. You told us things we already know but need to hear.”

This young man was right. But…he also told me why I am one step away from being replaced. As a speaker, if you’re not adding value beyond “common knowledge,” you’re never going to ascend into new markets or new pay grades. Everyone at the top has something of their own that they are hired to teach to organizations. They’re experts. “Dream Big” isn’t worthy of a $35,000 check. Not unless it’s coming out of a celebrity’s mouth.

SPRINKLE OF WISDOM

There are tons of ways that you can become a perceived expert. For example, you can take your information and sequence it as a “formula” so it has more value. Or you can package it as an acronym or acrostic that helps audiences better remember your stuff. See for yourself, all the top folks have systems, not speeches.

I’m going to do better next time. This year, I will grow out of my old habits and turn the corner. If I am going to be great, I have to develop great preparation.

Connection is key

Jonathan

Your Connection Coach

Exclusive Interview Featuring Jonathan Sprinkles

Jonathan Sprinkles — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:07:40 +0000

“How to WIN in 2010”

Click here to see the interivew!

Post your comment below. What did you think?

The 5 Minute Motivator – “You’re Working ‘Too Hard'”

Jonathan Sprinkles — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 04:55:05 +0000

You’re Working “Too Hard”

I am hearing a lot of talk about the condition our country is in. I agree, times are tough–but not for everyone. There are some who, right now, are enjoying greater levels of prosperity and piece of mind than ever before. While some are shutting down, someone is hiring. While some are planning their bankruptcy, someone is planning their vacation. Things aren’t bad for everyone, and most importantly, they can be really good for YOU.

I was reading this morning a passage that said, “Be still as God works.” I thought about how, although this is “goal setting season,” you are statistically more likely to abandon your plans than you are to actually see the fruition of your thoughts. That sucks. Based on what the passage suggests, it may be happening because you’re working…too hard.

I’ll explain.

Because you’re a smart person and a hard worker, you should expect your efforts to produce a positive outcome. You will almost always receive high marks, make lots of money and have people tell you how great you’re doing. This shouldn’t surprise or impress you. It should be a given. However, on your pathway to purpose, your feedback mechanism shifts to a more substantive level. You grow beyond seeking to do what feels good to your esteem and instead seek to do what is ‘right’ for your life. Instead of asking, Am I a success you need to be asking, Am I being obedient?

Think about places and people with whom you are currently spending a lot of your time and ask the following questions:

Do you feel at peace, even when things aren’t going as planned?
Do you feel this accelerates or distracts you from your life’s purpose?
If there were no consequences for changing your mind, would you make the same decision again?

You see, a diligent person can go to law school, but if he or she was supposed to be using her skills in another arena, he or she would consistently encounter what I call “divine discontent.” Nothing will ever fully satisfy her, no matter how many awards, applause or outward symbols of success she earned. Satisfaction comes only to those who are doing what they know they were put here to do.

If you are constantly experiencing a high level of doubt or stress about places and people in your life—that’s called A CLUE. It is life’s way of showing you that it’s time for you to GO or time for you to GROW.

One area we all need to grow in is where we place our faith. Stress is a natural reaction, but it is also a sign of a lack of faith. Stress says, “What if it doesn’t happen?” Faith says, “It’s already done.” Don’t get me wrong, we all freak out sometimes (well, I do!) but when those moments arise, you have to ask yourself in whom have you placed your faith. When I lose focus and believe things happen strictly because of my efforts, I worry because I am aware of my own flaws and finite abilities. But when I remember that God is in control of everything (no exceptions), I chill out and start asking for clarity instead of forcing things to happen. There is an old expression that is apropos even today, “sometimes you just have to let go and let God.”

As you sit down and plan the next step in your life, you may want to try something different this time. Instead of making a list of what you could do, you may want to consider putting the pen down, getting quiet and asking what your assignment is.

There are two important days in every person’s life. The first is the day they were born. The second is the day they discover why they were born.

–Kirbyjohn Caldwell, Author, The Gospel of Goodsuccess

Jonathan Sprinkles – [The 5 Minute Motivator] “I’m Living A Dual Life”

Jonathan Sprinkles — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:51:38 +0000

Hi, my name is Jonathan.

For the first time EVER, I am willing to admit something publicly that has been a source of shame for years.

I have been living a dual life.

It all came to a head a couple weeks ago when I was talking to my sister on the phone. She was in the car with my six-year-old niece, Chloe, who I hadn’t spoken with in months. I told my sister how much I regretted not checking in with her in so long and asked her to put Chloe on the phone. That’s when it all hit the fan…

CHLOE: Hello?
ME(In my most excited voice): HEEEEY CHLOE BEAR! How are you? I miss you sooooo much!
CHLOE (Sounding lethargic): I’m fine. Just tired.
ME: What? Why are you so tired, sweetheart?
CHLOE: I was up late last night.
ME: Huh? Up late? You mean, past your 8:00pm bedtime? What were you doing?
CHLOE: I was painting my nails.
ME: You were? Reeeealy? What color?
CHLOE (Getting more energized): I painted them pink.
ME: Really? Woooow! I bet you look so pretty with pink nails. I wish I could see them right now. You’re so creative and smart.
CHLOE: I painted my toes purple, too.
ME: Wooow. Pink…and…purple? I bet you look soooo preeetty, just like a princess!

We talked for another 10 minutes, discussing school, cartoons, her new baby cousins, and other issues of equal importance to a six-year old. Then she put her mom back on the phone.

ME (Reverting back to sounding lethargic): Hey.
MY SISTER Hey.

The rest of the conversation was spent in a friendly, but not nearly as engaged nor excited tone as my initial conversation with Chloe. Then it hit me:

Why do we feel justified about treating kids like they are the most amazing beings on the planet while treating adults like crap?

I paid close attention to my interactions with people over the next week and realized, to my chagrin, that NOBODY got as much unfiltered, unedited, all-out love as I gave to Chloe. I didn’t get excited when I saw or spoke with people. I didn’t compliment them freely. I wasn’t interested in the minute details of their lives. Half the time, I didn’t care.

Needless to say, this exposed an insidious level of hypocrisy in my life. While I claimed to love and appreciate and value certain people in my life, they received only a fraction of my ‘whole’ self. Consciously or unconsciously, I was choosing to “turn on” for kids and “turn off” for adults.

After spending some time in deep thought about this, here are a few reasons why I believe this happens:

Children return our love – I remember when my father would pick me up from kindergarten, there was a long walkway between the school’s gate and my class. As school ended, I stared out of the window for my father’s car, anxiously waiting for him to pull up. Every day, I’d time it perfectly. I would wait for him to get three steps into the gate and, backpack and all, I would run full-speed down that walkway like a 747 airplane getting ready to take off. And like an airplane, I spread my arms and jumped into his chest (sometimes a little too soon and he would have to nearly dive to save me from killing myself). To me, seeing my father was the best part of my day. It didn’t matter that he had just dropped me off eight hours earlier. In my mind, every afternoon was a fresh start. I’m sure this made him feel the same way.

Children are pure – People have said, if you want to see God, look into a child’s eyes. I believe it. Kids haven’t been tainted by the fears and failures that we have, thus they don’t have the self-protective walls that we do. In preschool, our assignment was to draw a picture of our families. I drew several brown stick figures for my mom, dad and siblings. Then I drew my fuzzy dog, Ginger. Finally, next to me, I drew a curly blonde boy. My teacher had no clue what I was doing. She said, “Jonathan, I thought you were drawing your family.” “I am,” I exclaimed. “This is Brandon.” Brandon was the kid who sat next to me in class. In my world, this blonde-haired boy was my real brother, he just lived in another house!

Children live for our affirmation – My brother Brian taught me to drive. Unfortunately, it was long before I was driving age. I was no older than five the first time I got behind a wheel. He put me in his lap and we sped down the streets of Los Angeles. This was around the time of the game Spy Hunter, so I pretended to be a secret agent escaping from the bad guys. “Faster! Faster! They’re catching up,” I yelled. If they got too close, I would pull the lever to release the invisible shield (also known as window washing fluid). Brian egged me on the entire time. The more he told me I was a top spy, the harder I worked to save Los Angeles from terror. I now understand why Jack Canfield, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul, says, “Don’t talk down to your kids, talk up to your kids.”

When it comes down to it, these three reasons for being so open toward children are poor excuses for being so defensive with adults. It makes no sense that I smile at a child and shrug at my assistant. If I could care about purple toenails, why was I so ambivalent when someone told me their family member was ill? There were things that I often say or do to adults that I would never say or do to a child. With the exception of being untainted, my peers have the same qualities listed above as kids. And any lack of purity in our relationship may have been caused by a lack of trust I created!

The blatant double standard is a mechanism that is rooted in self-preservation, protecting myself from a group of people who could potentially pose harm. The way I treat people has little to do with them and everything to do with me and my own personal level of security. If it were about capacity or “this just being the way I am,” I wouldn’t have been able to shine for Chloe the way I did. This was entirely about having the wrong mindset as it pertains to my interactions with people.

I get disgusted when people treat their dogs better than they treat humans. But now I guess I need to look inward and ask myself why I treat little humans better than I do big humans.

I hope this brings you as much clarity as it has for me.

Test yourself for the next few days and see how many people you openly, unashamedly love on.

How many 747’s are taking off in your direction?

Jonathan Sprinkles & Team Sprinklisms Win 2009 Pinnacle Award!

Jonathan Sprinkles — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 02:33:17 +0000

We did it y’all!

Click here to read the article about the award (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/biz/6672032.html)

More will be coming soon.Stay tuned.

Still shouting!

Jonathan

“Your Connection Coach”

What do you think?

POST YOUR COMMENTS BELOW!

Jonathan Sprinkles – Drake University Just Got Sprinkled!

Jonathan Sprinkles — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:45:28 +0000

Jonathan Sprinkles – Alderson-Broaddus College Just Got Sprinkled!

Jonathan Sprinkles — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:42:09 +0000