Morning Motivator – The GOOD Life

"The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge"
- Bertrand Russell

I find it AMAZING where we find our inspiration and motivation daily. Today, on my way to work, I was listening to one of my favorite artists, Kanye West, and his song, Good Life. In listening, I began to REFLECT on what the GOOD LIFE is and whether or not I was living it. Here is what I have come up with thus far…

Last night, I attended my first session of a PRESTIGIOUS leadership program in Nashville. Interestingly, I found that I am closer in age to most of my classmate's children than I am to them. Obviously, that creates an ANXIOUS and AWKWARD situation as the "baby" of the group and as the sole "voice" of the NEXT generation of leadership in the community. As I began conversing with my classmates, I found that our DIFFERENCES are relatively small. How do this relate to the GOOD LIFE you ask?

For me, I BELIEVE that the GOOD LIFE is the collection of simple pleasures you have daily with a dash of appreciation for your capability to enjoy them. Do I live the GOOD LIFE? Sure! I enjoy the GOOD LIFE – helping a friend get a new job (congrats Mackenzie!), sneaking 30 minutes at lunch minutes to enjoy time with someone you care about, listening to music full blast in my truck with the windows down and my feet on the dash, even watching LSU football while enjoying a cold drink (I'm being converted to a tiger). You are damn right… I live the GOOD LIFE!

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
MONEY, POWER, PRESTIGE, RESPECT are all very cool things and yet, amongst these C-Level executives, community leaders and Nashville "legacies", were people who LOVED music, art, family, fishing, golf, college football and the occasional adult tasty beverage. I uncovered that these POWERFUL leaders were JUST LIKE ME. As ANXIOUS as I am about the future and success, I find the people that are where I seek to be, still want what I do…

They want TIME to enjoy their loved ones, FREEDOM to explore their passions, SECURITY to feel confident in their actions and COMMUNITY to enjoy the betterment of their fellow man.

Take today and enjoy the GOOD LIFE. Do something that REPRESENTS the GOOD LIFE to you- a nice dinner, watching your favorite sports team, walking in your neighborhood or even just sitting with a loved one enjoying their company. It's YOUR good life… ENJOY IT. The future will be there tomorrow, I promise.

Have a GREAT weekend!!

Cheers,
Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator - Take Time to Share

"The greatest gift of all is not money or possessions... Rather it is the gift of time, for time cannot be replaced nor remade."
- Anonymous

This morning I met with a good friend in Nashville to chat about using a new technology. Not to sell an OPPORTUNITY, rather what I was doing was taking time to help a friend better his business by SHARING what I know.

What did I get from it? Money. No. Meals. No. Business. No. Then what? What I received was APPRECIATION from a friend and INVESTMENT in a relationship.

Often we are CLOUDED in our judgment of WHY we would give our time, money or expertise to someone else. We ALLOW greed and self interest to outweigh our internal needs and desires to ENHANCE others lives. Consider how much more you could ACCOMPLISH if you were able to spend 1 hour every 3 months with someone that has achieved YOUR type of success... What if you ARE that person for someone else?

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
Take time to CONTRIBUTE to someone else's success in the next 10 days. Ask for NOTHING - simply GIVE.

Then once you have given, ask for the time of someone you ADMIRE and seek to MIMIC in their success.

Ask for no more than 30 mins and offer coffee, lunch or whatever is REQUIRED. Have prepared with questions and action items to show your true intent and serious nature.

If they shoot you down - no worries - just ask someone else. You will be AMAZED at the power of a nice gesture and the FEELING of helping someone else.

Morning Motivator - The Amazing Adventure

"Life is known only by those who have found a way to be comfortable with change and the unknown. Given the nature of life, there may be no security, but only adventure."
- Rachel Naomi Remen

As creatures of COMFORT we are oft times most interested in finding ways to lessen our PAINS and increase our PLEASURES. Sounds fair enough. We all want more PLEASURE, right? What happens when we are IGNORANT to the fact that the greatest of pleasures is derived from INITIAL pains of labor and struggle?

The ADVENTURE of life is one that we often overlook. We are BLIND to the fact that we are on borrowed time and that at a moment's notice - we can have our OPPORTUNITY for the future taken from us. I don't intend to be grim or bleak here, rather to create a CONSCIOUSNESS and AWARENESS of reality. You have ONE opportunity to make the best of this life. It is your CHOICE to act with reserve out of fear or to take ACTION out of your zeal for life.

This is a great ADVENTURE we are undertaking. It has been eye opening for me to begin to look at my life and consider that I have lived with FEAR for a long time. Fear of losing a JOB, being hurt in a RELATIONSHIP, not being accepted by GROUPS or in GENERAL just not being good enough. Reality is... I cannot control MOST of that stuff anyways. Frankly, it's the PAIN of those experiences that make you SMARTER, BETTER and BETTER BALANCED in your life. Are you LIVING the ADVENTURE or just watching others do it for you..?

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
The challenge with FEAR is that we are all afraid of it. (very Yogi Berra, eh?) Seriously, we shy from stressful situations and painful relationships because we don't want to take on the struggle to make things work. The path of least resistance is so well walked that you can do it blindfolded.

The last time you did something truly DIFFICULT - how did you feel afterwards? Maybe you said, "Gosh, that wasn't that bad after all" or "I really feel like I accomplished something today. I'm glad I did that."

Amazingly, when you wake up tomorrow, you will allow your mind to tell you to STEER CLEAR of those challenging situations...go back to the easy stuff... it hurts less. BS! Don't let yourself get stuck in the trap - TAKE OWNERSHIP of your FUTURE and your HAPPINESS! Do what hurts when you know that the GOOD STUFF is on the other side... you will thank me for it later.

Cheers,
Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator – What Do You REALLY Want?

"Those who restrain their desires, do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained."
-William Blake

I feel very FORTUNATE that many people seem to trust me with their dreams and passions. I hear MANY stories about what people REALLY want to do and what their life would be like "if." Yet, many of those same people (including me) wake up every day and go to the SAME job, take the SAME actions and dream the SAME dreams of what they "REALLY" want.

What is keeping you from your DREAMS? What OBSTACLES are in the way of your dream career, relationship, body, etc? What does your DREAM (fill in the blank) look like? Taste like? Feel like? Smell like? In the noted discussions from above, I have found that MOST people have dreams… but they lack the SUBSTANCE of that dream to allow them CLARITY to define next steps. Let me explain further…

I often hear – "I want to own my own company!" I say, "Great, what will you do? How much money do you need? Where will it be located? Who will you provide a product or service to?" Often the response is, "I don't know. I just want to own my own company." I can DETAIL why that person does NOT own their own company… the DREAM lacks passion, clarity and substance. There is NOTHING there except a statement and a dream of a better life. If you want a better body – what steps do you need to take to get there? If you want a more loving relationship – how will you know what to do? When you DECIDE you really want something… you will be AMAZED at how easy the next steps become defined for you.

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
We all DREAM of a better life – more money, a career we love, someone that makes us feel amazing, ripped abs, etc. Interestingly, MOST of us are content with dreaming about it. Mainly, because you either don't really care about it (and say you do) or you are unclear where to go next with the idea.

To get through the mental block: Write down what you "want" on a piece of paper. Next to it, write down the way you would FEEL once you achieve that goal. If those feelings are strong enough to pursue, write down what IMMEDIATE sacrifices you must make to begin. Still feel comfortable and willing to pursue? Then write down the next steps you must take for 45 days –make them specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound. Still "want" it?!

If so – you now know what to do. Go get it!

Cheers,
Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator – You Get What You Ask For

"It's our attitude in life that determines life's attitude towards us."
– Earl Nightingale

Monday mornings are ALWAYS tough. You just finished two days of doing what YOU wanted to do on YOUR schedule. No wonder everyone DREADS the Monday morning meeting. Do you ever wonder if there are people that wake up on Monday morning MORE excited than they did Saturday? Is it even POSSIBLE… rather PROBABLE?

When you wake up Monday morning… what is the FIRST thought that races through your head? Is it POSITIVE? Are you FOCUSED on the achievements you will be able to make this week? Many people wake up on a Monday morning with 1 strike against them. The FIRST thought that goes through their mind is: "I hate Mondays" or "I'm sooo tired" or "Do I really have to go back to THAT place again?" Do you realize what TONE you are establishing for yourself when you take this ATTITUDE first thing when awaking?

When you wake up and CHOOSE to have a good day – AMAZINGLY, good things begin happening. You make all the GREEN lights, you get the SWEET parking spot and the client you could NEVER get a hold of, FINALLY calls to place an order. When you make yourself AWARE of opportunity and available to POSITIVITY, you find that you begin to ATTRACT it. Your daily outcomes, your personal relationships and health are more affected by your MENTAL state than by any outside influence.

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
For the next week, make a CONCERTED effort to wake up and say a few positive AFFIRMATIONS to yourself. "I am going to have a GREAT day!" "Today I WILL accomplish my goals by lunch time." "I am going to IMPRESS everyone at work with my talents today."

When you make this effort and shift your mental FOCUS to one of POSITIVE engagement and implementation – measure the SUCCESS you achieve during the week. See if you are MORE capable of achieving your GOALS, realizing your POTENTIALS and MAXIMIZING your success.

Keep a strong mental focus and enjoy the benefits of everyone around being DRAWN to your inner strength! Have a great week… now get to work!

Cheers,
Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.