What is an artist? A philosopher? An architect?
Merely one who sees us as we might be, tells us who could be, and shows to us the potential of our person with such power that for a moment the veil is lifted, the bell is tolled, and the heart surges so intensely that we dare to believe the truth.
We are.
No, I’m not referring to dancing.
The first weekend I came to Madison (Wisconsin), I was fortunate to stay at a hotel two blocks from the state capitol building.
On Saturday morning, we saw lots of people heading up to the capitol. Honestly, I was surprised to see so much activity on a weekend. The hotel desk attendant informed us that a weekly farmer’s market is held around the capitol every Saturday.
This isn’t your local community farmer’s market…this is a gigantic enterprise circling the giant government building on all four sides (on both sides of the sidewalk).
We walked for nearly an hour around to see all the booths. Local cheese, produce and fresh-baked goodies from Amish families enticed me at every turn. The thing I was most surprised to see was the delicious maple syrup. I had to have some.
I have always heard of syrup from Vermont, but never from Wisconsin, so that is why I was surprised to see it at the market. I am SO glad I picked some up. I don’t ever think I’ll be able to go back to the synthetic stuff in the store.
The other night I remembered this experience, and my curiosity got the better of me. I have never tapped a maple tree to extract the sap to make syrup, but I decided to see if I could find out more about the process. I found this short video (about 4 minutes long)
The tapping process is fairly simple. You drill a hole in the side of the tree, insert the tap, hang the bucket…and wait.
You don’t see it yet, but you are much like the maple tree. Great power and strength lies hidden in its roots. It stands tall, imperfect, yet unashamed.
The best part—the sweetest and most potent sap—lies beneath the surface under the roughness of the exterior layers.
A couple of comments from the video struck me. After a particularly cold night that gives way to a warm morning, there is a wonderful “run” where the sap just streams from the tree.
So if you are in the middle of the dark, cold night, remember the maple tree. A warmer morning is coming! Stand in your strength. Stand tall in your perfect imperfections. You are more powerful than you can imagine.
As the sap flows freely from the tree without effort or strain, you can allow your power, love and grace to flow just as easily as the maple tree. There is a whole wide world waiting to taste the delicious gift that you have to offer.
If you could see a maple tree planed, you would be able to see all the “scars” from where it had been tapped over the years. (They call that character in the wood). Once the scars have formed from where the bark has been punctured, the sap will never flow that way again.
Instead of working so hard to hide your pain or scars, recognize that you are beautiful. Your scars are the crafters of your character. The power that lies within you is more than enough to lift you above any adversity that may come into your life.
You are so much more!
More than your adversity.
More than the vision you have of yourself as powerless.
You are even so much more than the image you have of yourself succeeding.
You are the power of God to touch the life of another man or woman, boy or girl and bring healing to his or her wounds. You can tap yourself and lift them up in order to remind them of what you already know…your roots run deep!
This evening, I logged in to Google Reader and found 246 articles waiting for me. So I dove right in.
Now, (nearly 3 hours later), I’m taking a break to write this post.
About half an hour ago, I quit reading (with nearly 100 posts still to wade through) and started skimming…or more accurately, “page-downing” (the act of pressing the “page dn” button, scanning the headlines and repeating). I still have 48 articles to page-down through.
Why am I doing this? I wondered. Why am I even reading these blogs at all?
Those two questions granted me a moment of lucidity, and I realized that I am tired.
I am tired of reading about “tricks” and “tips” for better blogging.
I am tired of learning “how-to” get a job/follow a dream/build a brand.
I am tired of reading about what it is like to be someone else or do business like someone else does business.
I want to learn about how I do business.
I want to learn about how I connect to my readers.
I want to focus on being true.
I want to learn to better compete with me and let all the others watch.
I want to be the guy whose work is backlogged in someone else’s Google Reader when they realize that all they need is already within them and that they can launch out into the deep and do their own thing.
What about you?
So Ignore Me, and Do your own thing!
This post carries a tone more somber than that of those I normally write. It contains less of the “rah, rah!” and “You can do it!” factor.
It comes only with a simple reminder. A baseline for all the rest of life.
I have talked of greatness on the blog, and we have already discussed uncovering passion and finding purpose.
When I talked of excellence, I most often spoke from the standpoint of what one does rather than who one is, but I missed the most important thing. It was there–underneath all the rest–but I failed to highlight the truth.
Greatness is not what you do or even how you do it. True greatness lies at the core of who you are.
Go within. Find out what is there, and passion will guide you the rest of the way. Without passion, excellence alone is a cheap substitute.
Love absolutely. Love undeniably. Love without reservation. That is greatness. The closer you get to love, the greater your life will be whether people “get it” or not.
We cannot all do great things,
but we can do small things with great love.
I believe each of us must discover and define our unique purpose in life.
One of my biggest most exacerbating struggles has been to define purpose/meaning, and discover the thing that I alone am meant to do.
If you have read my book, you may remember the story of how I uncovered my sense of purpose which is to give hope. Everything that I do and everything that brings me joy stems from this purpose.
As opportunities come to my life, it has been a helpful guideline on which to rely. It helps me recognize what I should or shouldn’t be doing.
The drawback of my purpose stated in this way is that it is rather generic, vague and broad in its scope. Realistically, an infinite number of activities, occupations and career choices could fall under “to give hope.”
What is your purpose?
Have you identified the “to…(infinitive action)” statement which brings meaning to your life?
If you have not, I encourage you to do some soul-searching by asking yourself the question, “when do I feel most alive?”
If you have, then perhaps you can relate to the place in which I now find myself. Ready to move forward, I find myself needing to further identify my mission–my passion and purpose in life.
The question for me is “how?”
I have always believed that I was meant for something truly great. I am comfortable with a certain amount of instability and change. I enjoy variety and challenging the status quo.
The obstacle I have noticed for myself recently as I have been giving this a lot of thought and focus, is that I can’t properly visualize what this means. It is not a specific job or a specific activity.
For a while now, this has created feelings of frustration for me. What similar situations have you faced that have brought on similar frustrations?
Here are some keys that have helped me. See if they’ll work for you. Let me know if they provide clarity and insight in your situation.
Remember this: Your current job or career situation may not be “perfect” but it may help you find your calling.
Here are a few keys:
1. Identify and make a list of all the qualities and characteristics which define the “ideal” (job/career/social situation/family situation, etc)
2. Keep refining and clarifying the list continuously as you notice anything that rubs you the “wrong way” or, on the other hand, causes you to feel empowered. (Don’t be afraid to be specific)
Your current job or career situation may not be “perfect,”
but it may help lead you to your calling.
Oprah had to work in (and become dissatisfied) with TV news to get the opportunity to host a morning talk show. She then had to host the Oprah Winfrey Show for 25 years before she expanded her reach with the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).
You can trust life to bring you to your calling. How are you doing your part to put yourself in the way of life’s miracles?
I don’t have this all figured out. Far from it. But I’m taking steps. This is what I am learning and implementing in my own life and I will continue to do so. As I grow, I will share my victories (and even a few setbacks) with you.
That’s part of the magic. Learning from each other, we are all a part of one another’s journeys. Let’s see how far this rabbit hole goes!
Over the past week, I have been trying to process this podcast which was a powerful pattern interrupt for me. In it, Penelope Trunk calls out my blogging buddy, Steve from End the Grind.
Warning: the podcast is unedited and Penelope is harsh and direct, so it may be hard to listen to all the way through.
When I listened to it the first time, my stomach was tied in knots because I knew she was really talking to me! (Cosmic sense of humor that Steve and I share the same first name!).
Talk is cheap; action is better! Here’s the deal: I am afraid. Afraid to commit to changing my life, so I constantly struggle with my goals for my life and business.
…To prognosticate than it is to prepare.
…To pontificate than it is to produce.
…To hide than it is to lead.
I deplore “easier.”
I fear the complacency a heavily-traveled road fosters.
I am even more afraid of living without ever having discovered what I would uncover, had I had the strength to scrape my soul for the resolve necessary to change everything.
Yes, I fear hitting rock bottom; but more than that, I live in terror of having never summoned the courage to jump in the first place!
Instead of facing my own fear, I hide by telling all of you why and how you should face your fears. I hide behind a list of important tasks that don’t really matter. I hide by making my life busy but not productive.
I hide behind my dreams. I fear breaking from the proscribed social norms. I fear living the life that flourishes in my dreams. Dreams are safe. Anything is possible there.
The “real” world is a scary place for dreams. In it, they can be broken, they can be disappointed, they can be deterred; and I am afraid of it all.
I have already written enough about jumping. I have told you that you should jump.
Now it’s “put up or shut up” time for me. The thing I fear most is committing, but this post makes me accountable. It is time I did this thing!
Time to go “balls to the wall!”
Time to be afraid and do it anyway!
Time to get busy with what I love doing and let the chips fall where they may! (Don’t worry. I’ll clean up later)
I love speaking! (yes, the public kind). I know that most people would (literally) rather die than speak publicly, but I have become addicted to it.
It didn’t start that way, though. In college, I was told the best presentation I gave in Freshman speech class was the pantomime.
Along my journey, I stepped out on the encouragement from a stranger and started refining my speaking skills. I found that I excelled, and better than that, I really enjoyed it.
You would think that it would be a “no-brainer” to do something that drives me with this much passion and brings this much joy; but I have been afraid for so long, it paralyzed me.
So what does this mean? I think it has been a breakthrough (for me, at least).
No matter what, I know we are in for a fun ride; and so I’m glad you are here with me!
What if you recognized the face of God in every person you meet today?
What a difference that would make!
What if you did the one thing you have feared doing and then made doing so a habit?
What a difference that could make!
What if you chose to ignore the clamor of the urgent to sit calmly in the serenity of what’s important?
Imagine the difference!
What if you decided that the person you were yesterday is not the same who woke up today and you acted as if it were true?
Now you’re cookin’!
What if you decided that failure is not an option…it is the option…and you embraced it as a trusted teacher–without fear or judgement?
Things would never be the same!
The difference is made in the little things–new thoughts, small acts, persistent faith!
What will you do differently today?
Creating momentum challenges us all at some point in our lives, doesn’t it?
Then, right when we seem to have it all “figured out,” we feel our momentum shift as we struggle to hold on to it.
The main obstacle to maintaining momentum is that too often, we try to create forward motion, while at the same time trying to keep things from changing too much.
Check out this brief 3 minute video I did on how to create momentum in real life.
(If you can’t see the video in your feed, go here to view it at YouTube)
In order to create (and maintain) momentum, we must throw off the old restraints. We have to embrace discomfort until it becomes comfortable. We must imagine what we have never imagined before.
That’s where the hard work comes in; but at the same time, imagination and focused effort make up the playground where all the fun in life is had!
Momentum at Karmic Kappuccino
Renegades, I am SO excited about the next few months! As I have mentioned before, I have been transitioning and clarifying the purpose of this blog, and I finally feel like we are really creating some amazing momentum.
You may not realize it right now; but we stand at the edge of extraordinary, balanced over amazing, and breathless with wonder! (so buckle yourself in for the next phase)
Based on your responses to the recent survey I conducted, I am going to continue to tweak the content I provide to you.
A few months ago, my good friend, Sherrie (the Niche Clarity Coach) encouraged me to develop videos. Because it made me uncomfortable, I put off doing so.
Then, your responses to the survey came in! The number one request from you?
You guessed it…VIDEO!
Now, as I said, it is a little bit of a stretch for me. I have no production or visual media experience, so I guess I will be following my own advice to “embrace the discomfort” until it becomes comfortable.
That said, I’m going to be doing more video posts. I am writing and recording a very special video series for you sharing some of the main insights of my book, An Imperceptible Spark: Finding the Courage to Live a Life of Joy.
See how nice I am? I’m not even making your read it! (To those of you who have already read it, you get extra credit!)
So, please go to our YouTube channel, ”friend” me and subscribe so that you’ll always be alerted to new videos.
Here are a few ways you can help me to create more powerful video resources for you.
I am looking forward to the next few months. Things are really getting fun! We have spent the last six months or so building a community at this blog. Now, I am looking forward to creating even better, more powerful, content for you.
I am working on new features (like video series and a workbook to go with the “Spark” book, as well as, some other great goodies).
Your input and contributions comprise the “fuel” that powers this train. I can’t overstate the importance of your contributions and what they mean to me. Thank you!
This interview influenced me in a profound way. I don’t know why it affected me so significantly, but I guess it’s just proof of the old maxim, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.”
Oprah’s comments on failure affected me most.
When she said that she pays close attention to failure because she sees it as God moving her in another direction, something on the inside of me “clicked”.
We seem to universally have a strong aversion to failure, but somehow, Oprah has learned to look at failure through a different lens, and in so doing, she has created a different meaning for it.
Instead of personalizing it, she has caused it to mean that God is pointing her in the right direction. That is powerful!
Another point that really jumped out at me during this interview were her comments about the start of the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) and her fears about its future.
Her comment about the world not needing another television channel, but a different way of looking at itself made me take a second look at the work I feel compelled to.
It is true. The world doesn’t need another blog site. It doesn’t need another author. And the world definitely does not need another public speaker or coach.
Think about your own work. The world doesn’t need another ____________ (you fill in the blank).
The world does need you…desperately!
We don’t just need you to show up and punch a clock. We don’t need you to come in and fill a chair. We don’t need you to make and check off tasks on a list.
We desperately need you to show up for life! We need you to sing your song. We need you to show us a different way of looking at our world.
We need the reflection of what is possible for ourselves that we see when you live your life with purpose and passion. Only you can show us.
The task you do is irrelevant. The fact that you are here to do it and the manner in which you do it are essential.
Remember: “Every single person matters.” I need you. We all do.
Keep this in mind every minute of every day. Your perspective is necessary at this moment in time. The work you do is vital because it helps us to see ourselves and our world a little differently.
You and I make a great difference when we fulfill small tasks in a great way.
I could scream, I am so frustrated right now!
I nearly just blew a gasket and opened up a can of kick-a** on TSO (the significant other)!
The Set-up
We just finished watching this Livestream interview at Facebook with Oprah Winfrey, and began discussing the challenges I face in my business.
When I started this blog, I hoped that keeping it generic would appeal to a broader audience (and ultimately, that more people would like me).
I was sharing how I realized now that this was a mistake and that I am trying to be more true to my intuition and deliver the message I am meant to give in my own unique way.
Ultimately, I had been afraid.
Afraid of speaking my mind. Afraid of what others would think if I did. Afraid that I would be misunderstood.
The Confrontation
“I don’t think that’s your problem at all!” TSO disagreed.
Instantly, my blood boiled and my toes curled in resistance.
“Your problem is marketing,” TSO asserted. “You had the opportunity. You could have done it, but you didn’t.”‘
We were now discussing my book, An Imperceptible Spark.
After a short acknowledgment of what a great book it is, TSO launched in to a laundry list of ways in which I had failed in the process of successfully bringing the product to market.
This quick dismissal nearly set me off! I wanted to run away and scream all at the same time! I teetered on the edge of two of the “danger signs” in communication–withdrawal and escalation.
So I stopped for a second (mostly to try to calm myself)
Why was I filled by a blinding rage and the urge to take out TSO with a baseball bat? I wondered.
The answer, I realized, lay in the fundamental human need (which was not being filled for me at the moment): we all want to be seen and heard.
I interpreted TSO’s statement and subsequent list of “you didn’ts” and “you should have’s” to mean “I didn’t listen to what you were saying, and it doesn’t matter to me. Now, here’s my point of view…”
Of course, that is not what TSO was trying to communicate, but that is the message I received.
Fortunately, I had just finished watching Oprah’s talk. Whew!
During the interview, she addressed this very issue. Here is her quote.
“We all want to be seen and to be heard, and every argument is about that.
All arguments come down to that–Do I matter? Does this matter to you?”
Renegades, you and I are connectors, communicators and catalysts for change.
Because we work to maximize the impact of our innate talents in revealing to others their own potential, the question each of us should be asking is how can I better show others that I see them, I hear them, and that they matter?
If we live our lives, run our businesses, and engage our relationships in this way, the rest will flow.
Okay, my rant is done, but I have one more thing to say.
You rock!
Your presence here says, “I see you.”
Reading, re-tweeting or sharing my posts says, “I heard you.”
And your friendship tells me, “you matter.”
Each of you means so much to me.
You and I are Renegade Souls creating unconventional lives. We live on the edge, willing ourselves to take the leap.
As I continue to peel back the layers in my own life, I promise to bring the very best of what I have to offer and lay it all–the good, the bad, and the ugly (that may be trite, but you get the point)–out there.
It is not an easy road, but it is SO worth it. We’re on the “right track, baby”. We are forging ahead, changing lives and touching hearts as we learn to craft a life well-lived!
