LIFE
Holding Out For A Hero
Do you remember that song from Bonnie Tyler, called “Holding out for a hero”?Here is a link to refresh your memory. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWcASV2sey0 It’s been in a few movies like Footloose, Shrek 2. I don’t when or how I came back across this song, but it...
Progress is Contagious
I am learning Spanish right now. Which is no small feat; I’ve been practicing English for over 40 years and still struggle with it. Amanda is the linguist of the family, as she seems to have a knack for picking up languages faster than most. Plus, she is fantastic...
Are You The Cattle or The Cowboy?
I ran into an old friend recently who I haven’t seen in years. He told me that he has been following me on Facebook and that he was blown away by all the things he sees Amanda and me doing. He asked about ImpactClub and Sugar Sisters (our daughters’ business), our...
How to Change Your Life
What we’re doing now takes less time, but is more effective, than any other diet or exercise I’ve tried. The workouts are hard. No joke, but often as quick as 15 minutes. It all comes down to a body in motion versus a body at rest.
Mastering the Mind & Emotions
When it comes to the mind and emotions, I see this area as far more difficult to gain mastery over than the physical body. It’s easy to get caught up in the mind and emotional because of it. The words “caught up” make me think of water, getting swept away. One of the...
I Find the Pleasure in the Monotony
I know that to change my body, to develop my skills as writer, to learn a new language, takes years and even a lifetime of dedicated practice.
This is not what most people want to hear; they want a quick fix.
Raising The Stakes
We hear this term “raising the stakes” most often with gambling because you have to choose when to “raise” your bet, the more you bet, the higher your “stakes.” I’m not a fan of gambling. Mostly because I don’t like betting on things when I feel I have little control...
Kill Your Brain Cells
As an adult, I’d argue that some of your brain cells should be killed off. The idea is to rebuild the mind, but first you have to destroy the part of your brain that operates because of convention. The brain cells that tell you to go along with the herd, those are the ones that have to go.
LEGACY
Driven To Be Something More
My friend Ryan Fletcher recently wrote something that spoke to me (I've paired this down from the original)."At first, I hated the pressure and burden of feeling called to become something great. It's a torture chamber. You know your potential. Yet, you have no idea...
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Mindset & What Truly Matters
As an aspiring writer, I was constantly consumed with goals. What would lead to publication? What would bring in money? Would fame follow if I wrote a space opera werewolf romance?It’s easy to get caught up in this mindset, especially in the beginning. I wasn’t...
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Have reverence for those who give
Mom TicketsFor my birthday, Ivy presented me with Mom Tickets and five, one-dollar bills.I can redeem the Mom Tickets for various chores. Mopping the floor (up to ten times, good for one year), doing the dishes (up to five times, good for three weeks), and unlimited...
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Medals are nice but never forgo authenticity
Medals are nice. So shiny. Making the bestseller lists feels great. Suddenly your words have a legitimacy that wasn’t there before. Feels. So. Good. And yes, absolutely cause for celebration.But the idea that these things lead you to a point of having “made it” or...
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LIVELIHOOD
On Situational Strategy
As an incorrigible planner, I’ve wasted a lot of time and effort in the past by stubbornly sticking to a plan. After all, it was the plan. Through trial and error, a whole lot of error, I’ve learned that a plan is good, but by no means set in stone. The situation may...
Right Message, Wrong Crowd
Finally a phrase that recognizes my (mostly) selfless and caring nature, while also paying homage to the sandbag-toting, kettle bell-swinging, gritty AF side of me.
Be Selfish with Your Time
One of the most common excuses I hear from people about why they haven’t achieved something is that there’s not enough time. But really, time moves at the same pace for all of us. No one gets more hours in a day than anyone else. It can’t be bought or bartered. What...
Why Some Entrepreneurs Win More than Others
A lot of good businesses fail because they struggle with situational strategizing and making decisions. Every business will be faced with frequent and unexpected events that could make or break them, and as the owner or leader of the company, they need to…
Effort is a Choice
It doesn’t matter the topic. Whether you’re exploring your creative side, improving your health, learning, or building a business, effort is a choice. You have control over your effort. You either choose to give it your all, or you don’t. We can rationalize a million...
I Find the Pleasure in the Monotony
I know that to change my body, to develop my skills as writer, to learn a new language, takes years and even a lifetime of dedicated practice.
This is not what most people want to hear; they want a quick fix.
I Want to Do All the Things
I have a manuscript on Spain that’s complete. It’s been sitting in my bedside table for a long time. I should really publish that. Underneath it is manuscript on Mexico. That one still needs a lot of work. I was going to write a book about Thailand, but I worry too...
Captain, My Captain
I used to have a Captain’s license to operate large and small ships. To get that license I went to a 4-year merchant marine college that was year-round. I studied for a business degree during the day, worked on the ship on nights and weekends, and went to sea during...