Will you lead the way?

Jim Rohn once said, “If you want to attract the committed………..you must be committed!” It is not possible for us to conquer our challenges if we are not committed. It is even more impossible for us to lead the way for others, no matter what we share or how we share it………………….if they don’t see us and hear us as committed. We don’t have the luxury of only talking the talk, we must walk the walk. This is not something for just every day, it is for EVERY MOMENT!

Each of us has a challenge that works to hold us back. We must be committed to work past it! This is the work we must do to lead the way for others.

A huge monster wave would scare a regular swimmer into not even trying the wave. He would stand on the shore and watch others. The surfer is different! For him the wave creates a tremendous thrill. He has ridden the waves. He knows the thrill of victory. He has conquered. He is the example for those on shore. Only because he has conqurered, can the future sufers conquer the waves!

Now apply that to your own circumstances. If we believe we have a gift to share, if you truly believe this is your purpose and life gift, if you believe that beyond a shadow of a doubt…..Then you must believe this! YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO CONQUER YOUR CHALLENGE! Let your challenge create a tremendous thrill in your life! Your are closer than you think to overcoming! You all are conquerors not is spite of the challenge. You are conquerors in the MIDST of the challenge!

We can’t expect others to follow if we are not willing to do our own work.

Make a commitment and a promise to YOUSELF to not let ANYTHING come between you and your purpose!

If you do the work, they will follow. If you build it, they will come. If you show the way, they will lead others!
NOW IS THE TIME TO AWAKEN A NATION! NOW IS THE TIME TO AWAKEN THE DREAMERS! NOW IS THE TIME TO START A REVOLUTION!! IT BEGINS WITH US!

WILL YOU JOIN OR WILL YOU STAND ON THE SHORE? YOUR CHOICE!

I dare you!

Are you done yet……………………..? I am!!!

Every day I speak with people who want their lives to be different. Every day I listen to a long list of excuses of why they can’t have the life they want…………the shortest distance between two points is a straight line……………so why don’t people move in a straight line toward the goal of their dreams……………..they make side trips that take up time and energy. I am just as guilty as anyone else……………..

Well I am done! I am done …I am WAY done!!!!………….. I am getting on with it!

I am committed to work harder on myself! Jim Rohn, my mentor once said……….. “Work harder on yourself than you do your job!” I have been sharing that will people in my classes for years. I have never made it my complete mantra………………………until now!

“To attract attractive people, you must be attractive. To attract powerful people, you must be powerful. To attract committed people, you must be committed. Instead of going to work on them, you go to work on yourself. If you become, you can attract.

We can have more than we’ve got because we can become more than we are.

The big challenge is to become all that you have the possibility of becoming. You cannot believe what it does to the human spirit to maximize your human potential and stretch yourself to the limit.”
Jim Rohn

The question is how do we become more than we are?

So………..I went back to the basics…………..
I went back to the keys of becoming remarkable. If you haven’t downloaded the Ten Keys to Remarkability make sure you do that today! I re-read each one slowly. I wanted to think through which keys I wasn’t doing very well at…………….keys I have known in my heart what I need to do.

I know I lack discipline………because I am not disciplined I lack the ability to take action……………lack of action is why I haven’t reached my goals. I get overwhelmed, then I get frozen, then I look back and focus on what I should have done………not what I could be doing.

I was at the gym working out. Ever since I had a stroke I have been trying to be more physical, get more exercise……..so Glen walks up and asks if I have ever been in a body building contest! “No,” I said! He said, “You should.” ………….I laughed it off……………

A month later I saw Glen again…….he asked again………this time he said, “ IF YOU CAN DO THIS…………YOU CAN DO ANYTHING! I felt like someone stabbed me in my heart. I knew at that exact moment………what I needed to do. I needed to do this contest…………for me It is not about being a bodybuilder NOR being in the contest. For me it is about being DISCIPLINED enough to do the contest.

Jim Rohn, my mentor said, “JUST CHANGE ONE THING”…if you change one thing your life will begin to change……..I found, for me “CHANGE ONE THING AND REPLACE IT WITH SOMETHING ELSE” was the key ………for me that is what worked. I needed to take a radical change…….one that I knew would affect every single person around me.

Here is what my day was like…………get up, go to work, dinner, TV , drop into bed, do it all over again. If I had a glass of wine………it was really over…………..I got nothing done. I can remember feeling like the wine covered my pain……………but the pain no longer existed………. it had become pure habit………………a habit that was holding me back.

I felt like I was standing on a cliff. I could see what I wanted to accomplish. I could see the other side. I could taste the other side……I felt the other side……….I just couldn’t get there.

Doing this body building contest would be my bridge……………………it was the discipline I needed to go forward.
The Remarkabilty Challenge was born! I was believing that…………….. IF I CAN DO THIS I CAN DO ANYTHING!
This is about me getting unstuck. This is about moving forward! This is about getting out of the rut! This is about no more excuses. This is about developing mental and physical discipline this is my journal about moving to the next level in my life purpose, my goals and my dreams! For months I have been in internal pain. I get what I have to get done, but nothing toward my future goals and dreams. It seems that l have been stuck for months. I am desperate to change……….this is my final attempt to move. I feel failure is right around the corner if I don’t accomplish this!!!!

This journal will be raw……..I am not going to hold anything back. If you follow this you get the good, the bad and the ugly.

I remember Rolf Meyer, co- author of the new South African constitution, said he had a point of transition and a process of transformation. Six years ago when I started my business, moved and changed my relationship I made my point of transition. The process of transformation has been difficult.

In going from one thing to another we seem to revert back to the comfortable. I am comfortable in all my training situations……….in going to my goal of reaching one million voices I am not so comfortable.

One of my favorite quotes is, “Don’t be in such a hurry to go back to what you once were………….when God wants you to become something you have never been!” I want to become something I have never been!
The remarkability challenge is my personal attempt to get unstuck.

If you feel like you’re stuck join me. If you feel like you have to do something to get unstuck………join me in the 14 week remarkability challenge!

Come up with your own way of getting unstuck. Download the 10 Keys to Remarkability. Read through the keys. Think through what might be the area you are stuck. Come up with a 14 week plan; pick a start date and an end date. Define what the final goal is. What does it look like ………be specific? Remember change ONE thing! The result is MANY things change as a result!

I sure could use the support and would be happy to help support you. If this interests you, email me at remarkabilitychallenge@speakamerica.com and let me know what is your start date, end date and the goal you’re trying to achieve. Let me know which key you’re trying to work on. The last date to start is June 7th. It doesn’t matter when you start………….as long as you start!!!!

I was really afraid that I could not do this………..you have felt that, we all have …………..so I didn’t tell too many people until I gained some strength. I am in my forth week, the early hard part is over……..now I am ready to move forward to reach my goals! Now I am ready to help you in those first weeks reach your goals! I don’t have all the answers, but I will share what I have learned in the first almost 4 weeks.

Don’t wait any longer. Now is the time to start moving in the direction you have always wanted to.

IF WE, YOU AND I CAN DO THIS, WE CAN DO ANYTHING!

From here on out we travel together!

I DARE YOU!!!!!

~Bart
Email me at: remarkabilitychallenge@speakamerica.com! I look forward to hearing from you!

Mastermind Group Participants

Recently we had the opportunity to participate in a mastermind event hosted by America’s Premier Experts with Nick Nanton and Jack Dicks. The event took place in LA and involved business leaders from around the country.

The men and women in the room were experts in various industries and had much to share! Over the course of the experience we all shared information about our businesses, challenges we were facing, and inspirations we were curious to test. The power of ‘like-minds’ encouraging each other, brainstorming on each others’ businesses, and challenging the routine way of thinking was amazing!

The experience reinforced to me that when we try to ‘go it alone’ we lose the power of collaboration! When we are so close to our businesses we run the risk of having ‘tunnel vision’ and losing sight of new opportunities. We all need to move beyond the fear of competition!

We came back from LA inspired and renewed! The power of the ‘mastermind experience’ encouraged us to look differently not only AT our business but also HOW we run our business!

I encourage you to try it out! Gather some trusted advisors together and ask them to help you brainstorm on whatever professional or personal challenge you are facing! Ask for thoughts on how to improve and grow your existing business!

The outcome will be amazing! You will come to see differently, think differently and feel differently! The challenge of the mastermind experience will allow you to grow beyond what you can image! Try it out!!

Survivors in Haiti

A Gift from the Human Spirit

 

This morning I woke from a sound sleep with one word blazing across my thoughts: ‘Resilience’.

Perhaps it is because I sat in tears last night watching the news coverage of the devastation in Haiti. Perhaps it is because I sat in wonder watching as amid the crumbled buildings and loss of countless lives, there were crowds of people walking in the streets together chanting hymns. Perhaps it is because around the desparation and gangs yielding machetes there continue to be survival stories. I sat in wonder watching the human spirit rebound.

According to the American Heritage Dictonairy, ‘resilience’ is described as: “1. The ability to recover quickly from illness, change, or misfortune, buoyancy.”

Within moments of the earthquake in Haiti, there was resilience to be found as strangers helped strangers. The resilience continues as the country and the world reaches out to help those in need.

In our travels to Kenya last summer we witnessed first hand this spirit of resilience with the students, adults and children. (www.letyourlifespeakfoundation.org) Then too I pondered this spirit as we worked with individuals that were striving for better lives despite the incredible odds against them.  There spirit would ultimately move them to success.

How does one recover amid such  hardship? How does one see beyond their immediate world to strive for their desire for a better life? How does one overcome incredible odds to live a life of success? RESILIENCE!

We have only to embrace this gift from the human spirit we have all been given.  We can choose to become so absorbed in our problems that we will continue to suffer, or we can embrace the spirit of resilience and realize that we have the ‘ability to recover quickly’ and reach our dreams.

When in doubt, look around you. When faced with fear of possible hardship ahead, look around you. When overwhelmed with sadness, look for moments of happiness. The gift of the spirit of resilience is all around us! It is inside us! It is to be shared with others!

Today I am grateful for the remarkability of resiliency. It allows us to recover and grow stronger! It allows us to share the spirt with others. Today I am grateful for the gift from the human spirit that will aid the people of Haiti and others in need around the world.

The Path to Remarkability!

The Paths Untaken- Both the Past and the Future!

I have had the privilege of helping two people over the last two weeks really identify their gift and life purpose.  It is an amazing experience to see the transformation, relief and hope that comes from gaining understanding why they feel they are here.

Time and time again I see people truly wanting to follow their heart, live out their dreams and live the life I believe they were meant to live.  We settle for so little!  We resign ourselves to having less! One of the women I was working with said it perfectly, “We may as well lie down and die!”  We may not be ‘laying down’ physically………………but we are doing it emotionally and spiritually.

Our lives are a journey.  A journey of discovery and learning.  The journey has a beginning, middle and an ending! The path is like climbing a mountain.  It has ups and downs, twist and turns.  For some of us reaching the top is easy, for others it is a struggle, painful and disappointing.

Most people would believe reaching the top is the goal.  To them it is the epitimy of success…………more money, bigger houses, more cars, more toys and more vacations.  The result of success is all those things and more.  It in my opinion is not the end.  It is purely the byproduct of following the path we have been called to walk.

I believe the real goal is not to reach the top of the mountain.  The real goal…………….is to see what is on the other side! The goal is to see where we have come from, to look from the top of the mountain….to see the paths we have taken and most importantly to see that paths that are our FUTURE! We climb the mountain to cross into the life we were meant to live. ……..to live bigger lives than we thought possible, to receive more than we thought was possible and to give more than we thought possible!!!

For all of us we have ‘paths not taken’ in our past and we have ‘paths not taken’ in our future. Most of us focus on the paths not taken in our past, instead of looking to the paths of the future.  Which are YOU focusing on?……..the paths not taken in your past or the paths not taken in your FUTURE?

Each of us has to climb at times in our lives some mountain of difficulty.  It can be relationships, medical issues, careers, financial, spiritual or something deeply personal.  We can’t avoid the mountains.  They will come.  These small mountains give us strength, they form who we are.  They are our experiences.  Each time we reached the top of the mountain, we looked two ways.  We looked to the path we have taken.  As we look back we see different paths we could have taken. Ones that might have been easier, ones that would have got us to the top of the mountain faster.  We learn.  We know which paths to avoid, which paths are better for us in our journey.  From the top of the mountain we can also see how to go down the mountain to the rich valley and see the next mountain that lies in our future……..our next goal.  Most likely it is a bigger taller mountain!  Our next chosen challenge……………….. we would not have the strength, or the experience, the knowledge, the wisdom to climb the next mountain if it were not for the the paths and mountains our past!

The problem is some of us never reach the top of the mountain.  All we see and focus on is the paths not taken in our past.  We see the regrets, the mistakes, the wrong turns, the wrong choices.  The top alludes us…………….the paths to the top of the mountain are not as easily seen.  They have hidden turns and twists.  They have obstacles in the way.  It seems too hard.  We give up.  We end up living on the side of the mountain instead of the top or crossing into the valley of our dreams.  We compromise for no reason.  We live in the paths not taken of the past!

Some people climb their mountains, reach the top and create the paths of their future.  For a select group of folks they reach the fork in their path that allows them to choose to climb the mountain of their purpose.  This will be the highest mountain they will ever climb.  This mountain will allow them to stand above the clouds.  This will allow them to see their lives like they have never seen before.  This will allow them to see all the paths not taken in their past, to see the paths they have taken and understand how they couldn’t have climbed their own Mount Everest without all those little mountains.

Most importantly, as you stand on the top of the mountain you get to see all the paths not taken in your future.  You have a choice.   The paths are limitless.  You are now in full control.  Now you are creating and choosing your destiny.  The path to the life you were meant to live is in full view.  It is reachable.  It is all downhill.  It is all for the taking

You now may say I have the ultimate success.  I have reached the top of the highest mountain in the world for me!  You are fifty percent correct.  Reaching this mountain and crossing into the valley comes with personal responsibility. Your job, your purpose, your life gift, your reason for being is now solely………………to help others reach their ultimate mountain top and show them the paths not taken into their future.

YOU ARE NOW ON THE PATH TO REMARKABILITY!

I dare you to reach your mountain top and take the paths not taken to your future!

Remarkability is Creating a Path and a Bridge from the Life You Live to the Life You were MEANT to Live

Remarkability Experts Bart Queen & Glenna Griffin at the Golden Gate Bridge

I have had the opportunity over the last year to see some pretty remarkable places. I stood at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. I saw the power of two oceans meeting each other creating some of the most dangerous passage areas in the world. I stood on the edge of the Grand Canyon. One can only stare in awe of something so magnificent. I stood on top of an ice glacier in Alaska. I saw the blue light come from the massive ice flow. Each of those was an amazing experience.

Last month I stood on the mountain overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge on the north side. It was early in the morning, the sun was peeking through the clouds, and the fog seemed to be interwoven into parts of the bridge. Some places you could see the bridge. At other points it was hidden. Standing at a distance it seemed scary for cars and pedestrians to keep moving forward not knowing where the bridge led. Did it end, what was at the other side? Would it take me in the right direction?

I stood in amazement as I watched the hundreds of cars zoom across the bridge with no hesitation or reservation. Their thoughts were not on the bridge, how it was built, what direction was it taking them, or did it end. They most likely were enjoying the beauty of crossing the bridge and of arriving at their final destination.

I sat in silence. I sat in awe of one of the greatest bridges in the world. The Golden Gate Bridge got its name from Captain John C. Fremont in 1846. The name really referred to the strait- the OPENINING that the bridge SPANNED. The strait led to some of the richest, fertile land along the western coast of the United States. California would become known as the fruit, vegetable and bread basket of the West.

The history and development is just as powerful. The idea of the bridge and its initial vision was passed in the California State Legislature on May 25, 1923. The final plans were submitted on August 27, 1930……….over 7 years later. Construction finally began on January 5th, 1933. The bridge opened on May 27, 1937 to pedestrians and the following day to automobiles.

From the vision to its REALIZATION ……………14 years! So what does that have to do with you and I?

I think there are two huge lessons we all can learn from about the building of the bridge: The first is your life represents a ‘golden gate’ to millions of others.  The second is your life is a safety net for those who will follow you. Your courage to LET YOUR LIFE SPEAK is the catalyst for others! We have no choice but TO BE PART OF A GLOBAL HUMAN REVOLUTION!

The first lesson:

I BELIEVE EACH OF US HAS A GOLDEN GATE. I BELIEVE EACH OF US HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO STAND AT THE OPENING OF A GOLDEN GATE. THE QUESTION ISN’T WHETHER WE HAVE a GATE! THE QUESTION YOU MUST ASK YOUR SELF IS…… “WILL YOU CROSS OVER, PASS THROUGH TO THE LIFE YOU TRULY WERE MEANT TO LIVE?”

For those of you who decide to take the journey, for those of you who leave the safety of the ‘known’….…for those of you who take the first step, then the second, then the third, you only have one option……………….YOU MUST FINSIH THE JOURNEY……….NO MATTER WHAT THE OBSTACLES OR THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES!

Imagine if the designers, builders, and workers stopped half-way as they were building the Golden Gate Bridge. What would have happened if they decided it was taking too long and too much effort? Imagine the impact for the last 73 years if we COULDN’T pass to the other side.

See………….. you don’t have a choice about letting your life speak. It is not something that is optional….. your gift, your life lesson is the bridge and path to help others. When we are not true to ourselves, we build homes that will not stand, we build relationships that will shatter and dreams that will become nightmares. YOU are the bridge to millions of people who will follow. You are the key link to helping others reach their destination. You will literally save someone’s life. Without you others will stand on the mountain, see the richness that is at their fingertips, but never taste the honey of the life they were meant to live.

It took 14 years to build one of the most awe inspiring bridges in the world. Fourteen short years to create an international symbol of hope to the millions who come to see and walk across it.

Yet……………WE quit before we even start. “It’s too hard, that won’t work, people will laugh at me, I have a family to support, I need more education, more skills, more money, I need to write a book first…..” We are not short on excuses. Why aren’t we as quick with reasons WHY to do it….to make a difference ….as we are with reasons why NOT to do it!!!…let’s focus on answers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know you can do this!!!!!!! If we DO start………….we then quit because it takes too long. Our lives are not worth 14 years? The lives of others are not worth 14 years? You dedicate 18 years to your child, you HOPE for a life time with your spouse of significant other. DO we question that time?

 Is 14 years not worth leaving A LIFE OF INTENTIONAL LEGACY BEHIND, A PATH FOR OTHERS TO FIND THEIR WAY? IS NOT 14 YEARS WORTH LEAVING A GOLDEN GATE FOR OTHERS TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL? You need to understand that once the golden gate is created, once the bridge has been built……………IT STANDS FOREVER. YOU TRULY LEAVE A LEGACY BEHIND! You will become a bridge that others will cross on their way. They will cross with confidence, hope and determination.

We cannot allow TIME to be an excuse! Each day we must move forward no matter how small the step. Today will you take a step? Any step? Today will you take a step for someone else? Will you take a step for someone you don’t know? If we help only one ………….we have given our life tremendous value.

So I already know what you’re thinking. You’re scared. Your mind is coming up with more excuses than you had before. I know, because I have been there. I also know I get stronger every day.

Fear is the number one thing that keeps us from taking that step! There were 11 deaths in building the Golden Gate Bridge! They estimated there would be over 35. One death per million in construction costs. The reality was very few perished. The rate was so low because they put a safety net underneath the floor of the bridge. If someone did misstep the net would catch the men.

This is your second lesson from the bridge!

We too have a safety net. All those who have led the way in letting their lives speak have shown us we can do the same. We also must be the safety net for those who will follow behind us! When I think of a safety net, I think of the rope that supports it. They say a cord of three strands is not easily broken. Our strand is built upon three of the keys of remarkability- our vision of purpose, our belief in our gifts, and our ability to act. It will support us and those we carry, help and show the way too.

You must believe that failure is not an option.

You are the bridge and safety net for others. I want you to imagine yourself as the human bridge for thousands of people. Because of you others will cross without hesitation. They will speed to their destination………….confident that the bridge will carry them to the other side. For those who are gripped in fear, you will represent the safety net that will keep them from falling. Each of us has no idea how truly powerful we are. Each of us has no idea how much impact we can have on the world. Some of our impact we make out of choice, some of the impact comes from just being ourselves, from letting our lives speak

You must be true to your gift. If we are not ………….all those who have failed, lost, died in trying have died in vain.

You must be true to your gift. Your purpose is your gift….your gift is your calling, your calling is to save lives in a way only you can! This is the ultimate communication….your whole life speaking! Together we stand on one side of the golden gate…together we can cross. Together we can be the safety net. Together we can make a difference. Together we can save lives.

I dare you!

Your Life Purpose Awaits. Cross the Bridge!

When we contemplate where we are in our lives at the moment and envision where we hope to be in the future the distance between the two can seem overwhelming. It is not unlike standing at one end of a bridge and wondering if we will be able to make it to the other side, to where we need and want to be.

Recently on a trip to San Francisco, I had the opportunity to stand at one end of the famed Golden Gate Bridge. The bridge is a magnificent structure and the distance from one end to the other is significant.  It made me think about the similarities between the expansive structure of the Bridge and the hopes, dreams, purpose and direction of our lives. The choices we must make, the confidence we must have, and the clarity of the vision of where we need to go.

If you have travelled to San Francisco and have had the opportunity to view the bridge, you were able to witness the changes of how the bridge appeared throughout the day. At any given moment the bridge is either hardly visible at all as it is encased in dense fog, partially visible as the fog dissipates, or clearly visible with not a wisp of fog in sight.  At some moments there was a clear path from one side of the bay to the other and at other moments it looked as if there would be no way to travel from one side to the other.

Is that not like those moments in our lives when we are trying to see the path we are to take or to define our purpose in life?

When we’re trying to cross a bridge in our lives between where we are at the moment and where we are meant to be it is not unlike standing at one end of the Golden Gate Bridge and preparing to cross. There are times when we can’t see what is on the other side of the bridge…………..as we are unable see the end purpose of our lives. There are times when the bridge is partially visible……as there are times when we begin to see the direction we are to take in our lives however the entire path is not clear as there are obstacles blocking our view. There are times when the bridge is not shrouded in fog at all……..as there are times when our direction and path are clearly visible in our lives.

When standing at one end of the Bridge, whether it is shrouded in fog or clearly visible, we know it will get us to the other side of the bay.  We simply have to start the process of moving forward.

If we do not see the land on the other side of the bridge and do not start the process of moving forward, we will never reach the other side of the bay and enjoy all that awaits us there.  So many times in our lives we refrain from moving forward simply because we can’t see through what is in front of us.  The vast numbers of people who cross the Bridge daily commuting from one side of the bay to the other on some days cannot see the bridge as they approach….they simply have to follow the road. What is your road that you need to follow? Are you allowing obstacles to appear that prevent you from taking the step?

Whether the land on the other side of the bridge is a different job, a different relationship, a different approach to problems, a different perspective of ‘self’…..whatever it may be……..we will never receive what we strive for if we do not trust the process of taking one step….whether we can see the bridge or not.

I believe that choice, confidence and clarity are the keys that will allow us to cross the bridges in our lives as we move toward our true life’s purpose:

1. Choice
   We can choose to make changes as we go through our daily lives. We can take a longer road around a bay of issues or we can cross a bridge which will rise above the churning waters of uncertainty.  The choices become empowering as each positive choice gets us closer to our goal!
2. Confidence
   When you are uncertain, gain strength from those who have gone before you and those who are beside you.  Understand that others are on the bridge with you….you are not alone with your desire to get to the land on the other side.  As we struggle with what our life purpose is to be we can often feel alone………yet we are surrounded by others who want to move forward too. Look around you….connect with another traveler…….create an accountability partner in someone you can touch base with  from time to time who will encourage you and support your process.  Be confident in your ability!
3. Clarity
   Even when the path is foggy and difficult to see you must continue to take steps. Clear vision on your goals will support you in time of need. The bridge does get to the other side. The process of self-discovery, awareness and focus on your end goals will get you there. Don’t give up! Continue to take steps no matter how thick the fog may be as it will eventually dissipate and clear.

As I left the side of the Golden Gate Bridge that day I looked back to see the last of the fog melting away and the bridge standing in all its glory. Its magnificence reminded me of the magnificence of finding one’s life’s purpose…….of the glory of then being able to give back to others.

Don’t wait! Make the choice!! Believe in your individual confidence! Remain clear in your vision! The world awaits your gifts!!

Glenna

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Overcome fear and follow your own yellow brick road!

Do you guard against the “fear of yourself”?

I have had one of those days when I feel like saying ”YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING! THERE IS MORE?!”

Know what I mean?

It reminds me of those Saturday projects that start simple -  like cleaning your closet of clothes you don’t need -  and then takes a wrong turn – into completely remodeling the whole closet.  Sunday night arrives, you have clothes everywhere, the closet is torn apart, you’re tired, frustrated and you can’t believe you went from just cleaning out the closet to a whole bedroom makeover!

Even better…….I can remember helping Glenna move one time.  The move went from a simple move from one house to another,  to a garage sale, trip to Goodwill, bake sales for those attending, and a social get-together!  It just seemed to expand at an exponential level!

More recently, Glenna and I have been working on several projects all at once that fit this idea.  It seems like every time we get one part completed 10 more open up.

Have you ever had one of those experiences at home……….or maybe a project at work that seemed like it never stopped expanding?

We are working on creating a REMARKABILTY TV SHOW.  The show will highlight others who are out in their communities letting their lives speak and practicing remarkability.  As we plunged forward it seemed to get more difficult, emotionally harder and I began to ask myself if it was really all worth it…………………………………………………………….?

Then I realized I had only been practicing 2 of the 3 c’s of remarkability…

I have been missing a critical link to moving forward.  You have heard me talk about the first two many times: Clarity of vision and confidence in your belief!

Clarity of our vision relates to our life purpose.  Our vision for our lives -  how we want to make a difference – must be crystal clear.  You can’t have too much detail in your vision.  I use pictures of things I find to refine the picture in my head even more.  I kept a picture board in front of me every day so I can see it!  It keeps me focused on my life purpose and motivated to achieve success.  What the mind can envision, the body can create!

Confidence in ourselves seems to be a daily challenge for a lot of folks. Me included!! I once heard this definition of a lack of confidence: “A lack of confidence is doing just a little less than you know you can do.”  I break down my projects into activities, my activities in small action steps and my actions into steps that take less than an hour to complete.  When I break it down into small bite size pieces … I accomplish more, feel less frustrated and my confidence builds quickly.  This helps me avoid feeling frozen, stuck and unable to move!

But I have been leaving out the third “C” lately!

COURAGE is the missing component!!!!!!!

In his book Why Courage Matters John McCain wrote, “We are all afraid of something. Some have more fears than others. The one we must all guard against is the fear of ourselves. Fear is the opportunity for courage, not the proof of cowardice.”

Mother Teresa said,”To have courage for whatever comes in life- everything lies in that.”

John McCain also said that, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the capacity for ACTION despite our fears.”

Now, I do not consider myself a brave man.  Many times I feel like I have taken the easier road.  Every time I have done that I regret that I didn’t take a different action.

Today I am going to take a different approach.  Today I am setting my fears aside.  Today I will replace fear with action.  Even if it is the smallest of steps.  Today I see my vision with new clarity.  Today I have a deeper belief in myself. Today I stand confident in where I am going. Today I know I can make a difference.  Today I replace one fear with one action.  Today I step into my courage!

How about you?

Will you take one action to begin?

Will you take one small step into your courage?

Will you be courageous for those around you?

Will lead the way for others to let their life speak?

Come on …

I DARE YOU!

BART

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Open Water Whale Rescue

Recently I received an email chain letter from a friend. Usually I glance at them quickly and move on to the myriad of other emails in my inbox…….but this one caught my attention.

It was the story of a whale and her rescuers…

The Remarkable Whale

A female humpback whale had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth.

A fisherman spotted her just east of the Faralon Islands (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her — a very dangerous proposition. One slap of the tail could kill a rescuer.

They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her. When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, nudged them, and pushed gently, thanking them.

Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives.

The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth says her eye was following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.

This email caught my attention not only due to the incredible feats of the divers and the actions of the whale…….it caught my attention as a true reflection of how at different points in our lives we may be the whale in need of rescue or may be the diver rescuing the whale. It also caught my attention as an example of the “Action of Remarkability!”

The whale was in a state of peril…..destined to die as she had become overcome by the strings, traps, ropes and netting that had invaded her world. She didn’t ask for these things to become a trap in her open water world…….other forces had invaded and polluted her home.

The divers had a choice to make. They could leave the whale to die rather than risk their very lives to rescue her, or they could take a leap of faith to save the animal. They could ACT!

What would you have done? Would you have turned the other way and leave the whale on her own to struggle? Would you have placed yourself in a precarious position to save the whale as the divers ultimately did? What ACTION would you have done?

Have you ever felt like the whale in need of rescue? Have you ever been the diver and pushed yourself to help another?

Part of the practice of remarkability is ACTION……..not once, not twice, but doing it over and over again. Taking your gift and giving it to others. Not keeping it to yourself, but finding ways to share it with others!! Giving your gift to others may free them from the ropes and straps that are holding them back……..if you don’t practice ACTION the world loses. If you don’t ACT on your gifts to the world and sharing your life’s purpose with others, others may never be free of what entangles them!

The divers had the knowledge and the expertise to dive and work in the ocean environment……they pushed themselves beyond what may have been comfortable to ACT to save the whale. Because of their ACTION the whale survived! If I had to guess, each of those divers would do the same action again and again……..sharing their gift of rescue with other entangled sea creatures……..practicing remarkability…….

What choice do you make today? Will you sit by and watch others in need? Will you ACT to share your gift that someone else in the world needs to receive? Will you be the whale? Will you be the diver?

I encourage you to ACT!! Today!!!

Glenna

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