Conscious living

« Previous Entries

Beyond Fear

Monday, June 29th, 2009

zipline

We were 20 feet off the ground, suspended among the treetops in a dense forest in Western Massachusetts.

My little girl looked up. “Daddy,” she said, “I’m scared…”

She just turned 8, so I wasn’t surprised. What did surprise me, though, was that 30-minutes and 6 stations into her first ever high-ropes course, this was the first time she voiced her fear. She’d pretty much flown through every challenge, scampering across wire bridges, floating block ladders and navigating itty bitty platforms wrapped around trees high above the earth without a hint of hesitation.

Into the Social Media Abyss?

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

abyss

People keep talking about what a huge time sink social media can become…

But, I’ve noticed something else happening with increasing frequency. It seems like more and more bloggers and social media regulars are actually living their lives through social media, rather than living extraordinary lives outside of social media and blogging, then tapping it as a means to share their experiences with a like-minded community online.

And, I have to confess, since selling my last company and coming down off my book launch, I’m feeling a bit like I’m one of them.

Goalsetting Smackdown: Big Hairy Audacious vs Baby Steps

Friday, June 19th, 2009

goal-achieve

Picture this, your 20 year reunion is coming up and looking to made a huge impression…but you you’re feeling a bit, um, huge. Truth is, you’ve needed to lose about 100 pounds for years, but now there’s a reason and a target date.  The event is 6 months away, so it’s doable but extremely aggressive.

Question is, what do you focus on in order to maximize the likelihood of success?

Two major approaches offer radically different advice.

Is Gifted and Talented a Life Sentence

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

gifted

I recently finished reading a book that blew me away, called Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.

Unlike so many other books that have the words “mindset” and “success” in the title, this was a serious book that steered clear of pop psychology and soundbites and offered a simple, yet astonishingly empowering concept that will forever change the way I approach challenges…and teach my daughter to do the same.

It’s not based not on abstract metaphysics, but on hardcore research conducted by the author, Stanford University Professor and acclaimed developmental psychology researcher, Carol Dweck, Ph.D. The fundamental idea was that, from the time we are little kids, we approach challenge with one of two mindsets:

Career Renegade Survey: Coaching, Events and More?

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

It’s time to tell me what you REALLY want…

I’ve been blown away by the reception to Career Renegade, “the book.” And, Ive also been overwhelmed by the volume of requests to offer something more than the book, from private launch consulting to retreats, coaching, advanced marketing trainings, social media seminars, copywriting clinics and more.

Thing is, I don’t want to offer anything that you guys don’t want…your time and my time are just too important. So, I’ve posted a survey that lists variety of potential programs and offerings that have been requested, along with very brief descriptions and possible fees (nothing is set in stone). I’d really appreciate if you would take a minute and share what’s most appealing to you, if anything, or add anything you’d be interested in that’s not there.

Give Me a Break: Are You Busy For a Reason?

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

rush1

I see it all around me. And, yeah, lately, I’ve fallen prey to it, myself…

I’m the guy who’s usually insanely effective at focusing in on what I want, plotting a course, then doing anything and everything to make it happen. I’m “That Renegade Guy.” Got a cape and everything.

So, I’ve been wondering “what’s up with me?” lately.

Damned if it doesn’t suck just a little bit when you’re confronted with your own humanity and fallibility. Turns out, I’m great at giving everyone else a break…not so good when it comes to me.

Working From Home: 10 Unconscious Cues to Create a Work-Life Balance

Monday, May 18th, 2009

workathome

[Guest post from Wisebread.com's Lynn Truong, co-author of 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget]

Working from home sounds like a very simple concept. But there are a lot of built-in structures and boundaries inherent in a going-to-the-office job that we often take for granted.  Recreating those boundaries when our home and work is one and the same is a crucial part of achieving a work-life balance.

The personal battle

Are You Asking the Wrong Questions?

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

life in perpetual beta

When I was down in Austin for SXSW back in March, I had the privilege of being interviewed for a very cool indy film called Life In Perpetual Beta, produced and directed by blogger, mom and all-around cool person, Melissa Pierce.

While the movie is still in production, Melissa’s been doing the very 2.0 thing and posting interview segments on the movie’s blog, so people can participate in the entire process. And, guess what…she just posted a decent chunk of mine. So, I thought I’d share it with you guys here, because toward the end, I answer that age old question - Are you asking the wrong questions?

How Do You Handle Change In The First 30 Days?

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

first30When I first heard about the book, The First 30 Days, by Ariane de Bonvoisin, I was intrigued…

Maybe it was due to my longstanding interest in Buddhism or because the central message resonates so closely with one of my favorite books, Comfortable With Uncertainty by Pema Chodron.

Fact is, about the only thing we know for sure is that life is uncertain.

Change is a regular part of the process. Sometimes we see it coming and embrace what it’s bringing. Other times, we’re blindsided and hope desperately to sidestep it’s impact.

Model This!

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

modelthis

I was just reading Seth Godin’s post on A Million Blind Squirrels and it brought me back to an ongoing debate I’ve had with certain folks in the NLP and personal development community about the utility of “modeling” successful people as a tool to accelerate your own success.

I’ve already expressed my concern about the loose definition of modeling and how difficult and often poorly executed it is in real life.

« Previous Entries