Robert Frost, who died 50 years ago, was awesome. I’m awesome. But this kid even says it better than Robert Frost and I combined!
Stay Positive & Dance
Garth E. Beyer
Month: January 2013
Breaking Habit / Tradition / Just Like Old Times
Click to enlarge
Paul Madonna (the name) may make you think of singer/songwriter Madonna, but that Madonna is not nearly as truthful and real as Paul, the creator of the image above.
I had to share this image with you. I want you to realize – much like I did – how entertaining it is. How true, powerful, and, well, funny the actions of the narrator are. It’s a positive feeling.
Now, imagine being the person who throws the linguini. (Maybe you already have.) And you began to think how you can’t do it. You fear getting in trouble. You don’t want to stand out. Everyone’s eyes will be on you. People will judge you.
Yet, you didn’t think that when you originally read the caption to the picture. It wasn’t until you imagined being in that position.
The quickest way to break habit, make a rumpus out of tradition, and prevent just like old times from occurring, is to – well, I gave it away already.
Break habit
Make a rumpus out of tradition
Prevent just like old times
Stop convincing yourself to remain compliant, to be comfortable with mediocrity and normality. If it wasn’t for someone to stand out, Paul may never had the idea to create this image, I would have never seen it, and you would not have been sparked with the thought of creating your own image, your own story. And I’ll tell ya, people love stories.
Stay Positive & Just Fun Times
Garth E. Beyer
Enlighten Others
The Self-Checkup
Why do we need to go to the doctor?
Why do we need to see a psychologist?
Why do we need to visit an advisor?
Have you gone to the dentist and they ask you questions like, “how often do you floss?”, “do you feel any discomfort?”, “what toothpaste do you use?”
Why not simply ask yourself the questions you know the professionals will ask you. (And answer them yourself too?) For all answers that you can’t find on the internet, let it be a challenge for you to find the answer.
Ask yourself the hard questions too. The deep questions. The questions that would make you open up, but this time, to yourself.
To be straight forward with my underlying point, asking and answering questions to yourself is to set yourself up to always answer questions other people ask. There are hundreds of truly phenomenal and interesting questions that we are asked, but we never answer them because we feel they are somewhat rhetorical.
What do you want?
What impact do you want to make?
What will be your legend?
How are you going to get there?
What are you truly grateful for? (recommend asking daily)
What help do you need?
Most commonly found in speeches, the questions go ignored. We continue to listen to the point of the question, never to find it. To find the answer, we have to search ourselves, we have to provide the answer.
Next time you get asked a question that you sort of think is rhetorical. Answer it. Invest the time to think it through. Only then will you realize the impact and importance of not only asking the question (to yourself and to others), but to answering it.
Stay Positive & Answer Away
Garth E. Beyer
Enlighten Others
Questions
I’ve written a lot about questions, about too many questions, and how questions define us.
Today, yet again, the opportunity to stand out, to define myself, and to show my spirit came through being able to ask a question to a panel of experts.
I am positive that you have been reminded that you never truly know who is in your audience, who is in ear shot, who is watching you. If there is someone you are trying to stand out to, asking the right question can actually leave a larger impact than giving a good answer.
Too often we are not rewarded for our end results. But, always are we acknowledged for our curiosity, our determination, our walk out on that plank.
“The best creative solutions don’t come from finding good answers to the questions that are presented.
They come from inventing new questions.” – Seth Godin
Stay Positive & Believe It Or Not, I’ll Have More Questions For You Tomorrow
Garth E. Beyer
Enlighten Others
“Why Do You Write?”
How You Know That You Are Doing What You Need To
If this is at all confusing, it’s because you have a difficult time accepting it. The same went for me at first.
***
When there are things that you would rather be doing or that you just want to do, perhaps going to the art museum, hanging around the park more often, or reading more, you know that you have to keep doing what you’re doing.
That craving – when you are actually busy – to do other things (and sometimes even to do nothing) means you’re on the right track and that you need to keep going.
Our minds direct our attention towards things that we would rather be doing because what we are doing is hard work. Our brain wants to distract us, wants to pull our attention toward something more entertaining (and less productive). Often referred to as the lizard brain, this subconscious mental effort for distraction is a cloak of fear. The more we get on the path of productivity, reaching our goals, putting in emotional labor, and putting ourselves and our art out there, the more fear sets in and the lizard brain starts working in every way possible.
The most popular way clearly being the desire to do something more fun than what you are currently doing.
When really, if what you have to be focusing on now didn’t exist, you wouldn’t really be doing what you think you would rather be doing now. You’d be doing nothing.
Stay Positive & Outsmart Your Brain. Push Through
Garth E. Beyer
Enlighten Others
Two Options To Productivity
The real worker, the true productive worker gives herself two options when in the zone, in the workplace. Break or Hack
Break a few rules. Break the status-quo. Break the task into smaller steps. Break the consistency and add some more mistakes. Break her back to make it work. Break it down to understand it better. Break away from reality.
or
Hack the job to make it more efficient. Hack your work so you can do more of what makes you happy. Hack away at everything that is holding you back. Hack into the flow.
Both options lead to a productive – very productive – work day.
Stay Positive & You Just May Not Even Consider It Work
Garth E. Beyer