What Everyone Needs To Invest Their Time In

Garth Beyer
Evil Lumber

This picture is not beautiful, but it is art. In the post yesterday, I related that art is the product of beauty, meaning that making art does not make your work beautiful but making your art from beauty makes it art. Art is channeling that beauty through your creative senses (in this case, drawing). What is beauty though? Beauty is the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, most commonly arising from sensory manifestations (in this case, visual).

I’m an artist. We all are. I’m a really great drawing artist as well, even though my drawings can be pretty ugly. I mean, I tried drawing a friend one time while waiting in the airport and it was so bad that she wasn’t even mad, she pitied me. That feeling though, that mental stimulation that goes along with just creating something is why I draw. -actually, we should probably just call it doodling- That feeling is actually why I do anything I do. See, many people live by mottos such as “YOLO” or “Make the most of every moment” but could I, could anyone go wrong with “always create art”?

No matter how ugly it is, no matter how few people would care to look at it or how many would throw it away, to create art all day everyday takes a certain kind of person, it takes a beautiful person. A person who cares, a person who is passionate and a person who can find that intense pleasure in everything they do.

Stay Positive & Make More Art

Garth E. Beyer

Starbucks and CEO Howard Schultz (We Are #INDIVISIBLE)

Garth Beyer
Rewarding Everyday Moments

Before I even share the letter in which Howard Schultz has written to all of America, and before it is posted even more main stream this weekend, you need to understand the simplicity of judging a person like Howard. I have studied many of Starbucks marketing strategies as well as background info on the company and Howard. I have seen a few negative comments about Howard and I’d like to point out two simple details that will eleviate any negativie feelings.

First, Howard spoke at the Aspen Ideas Festival.

Taken from the Aspen Ideas Festival website, “For over 60 years, the Aspen Institute has been the nation’s premier gathering place for leaders from around the globe and across many disciplines to engage in deep and inquisitive discussion of the ideas and issues that both shape our lives and challenge our times. […] Imagine some of the most inspired and provocative thinkers, writers, artists, business people, teachers, and other leaders drawn from myriad fields and from across the country and around the world – all gathered in a single place, ready to teach, speak, lead, question and answer – all interacting with an audience of thoughtful people who have stepped back from their day-to-day routines to delve deeply into a world of ideas, thought and discussion. The week promises to be thought-provoking, meaningful and fun – true to Aspen tradition.”

Would a multimillionaire who is full of greed, who is evil or a terrible person attend this event, give a presentation and seek improvement in the world using this large of a platform? A platform that is centered on growth, on productivity and on trust.

The second minor detail which I hope no longer stays minor is the effort Howard has put towards employing Americans. Along with establishing the Create Jobs for USA organization, Howard has made America-focused choices such as creating a “new roasting plant in Augusta, Georgia that we could have located in Central America or Asia for 15% to 20% less, but we felt that creating 200 or so jobs domestically was more important.” [source]

Howard You Make A Difference

Before I share with you the letter Howard has written, it’s serendipitous that he has written this letter during a time period that I am doing an Unlocking Potential interview series with people who I know will make a different in their passion. It may also be coincidence that he shared the letter while I am in the final editing stage of my book Start Schooling Dreams (to be released at the beginning of August).

In Howard’s closing, he advocates for innovation and making a difference in the community to promote citizenship over partisanship. This is a major center of why I write. Everything I write is innovation, it’s to make a difference, it’s about unlocking potential in others, promoting people who care, really do care about learning, about coffee, about fashion about anything. These are the people who make the difference, these are the people who are like Howard Schultz, who are willing to stand up, speak out and try to create positive change, no matter how much resistance there is.

*More power to you Howard and even more power to those who have similar worldviews for change, whether it’s employment, civility, and politics or education, art and music.

Without further ado, you can read the full letter Howard Schultz has written to all of America below or click here to open it in a new window.

Creating Change In America

An Open Letter: How Can America Win This Election?

Friday, June 29, 2012

Posted by Howard S., Starbucks chairman, president and chief executive officer

 

On Independence Day, our country celebrates the promise of America.

It’s a day to remember that the principles that bind us together vastly outweigh what keeps us apart. The freedom to dream and the opportunity to create a better life – not just for ourselves, but for each other – has always defined our great nation.

I am a product of that American Dream. As a kid who grew up in public housing, went on to get an education at a state university and build a business, I am grateful for what this country has made possible for me. In turn, at Starbucks, we have always tried our best to honor our responsibility to the communities we serve.

And on this Fourth of July, our communities need all of us.

Across the country, millions of Americans are out of work. Many more are working tirelessly yet still unable to adequately care for their families. Our veterans are not being welcomed home with the level of support they deserve. Meanwhile, in our nation’s capital, our elected leaders are continuing to put ideology over real solutions. I love America, but we all know there is something wrong. The deficits this country must reconcile are much more than financial, and our inability to solve our own problems is sapping our national spirit. We are better than this. America’s history has showed that we have accomplished extraordinary things when we act collectively, with courage, creativity, and generosity of spirit—especially during trying times.

As we celebrate all that is great about our country, let’s come together and amplify our voices.

Let’s tell our government leaders to put partisanship aside and to speak truthfully about the challenges we face. Let’s ask our business leaders to create more job opportunities for the American economy. And as citizens, let’s all get more involved. Please, don’t be a bystander. Understand that we have a shared responsibility in solving our nation’s problems. We can’t wait for Washington.

At Starbucks, we are trying to live up to our responsibility by increasing our local community service and helping to finance small-business job creation with Create Jobs for USA. Our company is far from perfect, and we know we can do more for America. But we need your help. We need your voice.

Join the national conversation with #INDIVISIBLE. Starting today, I invite you to share your view of America, and how we can all put citizenship over partisanship. On Instagram, post a photo of the America we all need to see. On Twitter, provide a link to an innovative idea. Blog about who’s making a difference in your community; or on YouTube, share how you made your American Dream come true. No matter where you post, if you use the tag #indivisible, Starbucks will do its part to collect and amplify your voices.

To spark the conversation in our stores, your local Starbucks will proudly serve everyone a free tall hot brewed coffee on the Fourth of July.

Together, we can set a new tone in America. We hope you agree that doing so is a powerful way to celebrate our nation’s birthday.

In 2012, America needs to win the election more than either party does. It is time now to join together as Americans. It is time, whatever our differences, for us to strive and succeed as one nation – indivisible.

 

Stay Positive & #INDIVISIBLE

Garth E. Beyer

Two Ideas About Art

Garth Beyer

1. Something beautiful doesn’t come from art, art is the product of something beautiful. Beauty gives birth to art. (You are beautiful)

2. Art is bigger than ourselves, a new world to venture out into. A much larger door that we must open?

 

Stay Positive & Dive Into Random Art From Time To Time

Garth E. Beyer

The Types Of People Who Tip In A Coffee Shop (Starbucks)

Garth Beyer

I’m spending my 4th of July observing and writing in Starbucks. This post is about all the observations I am making about Starbucks, customer service, behaviors and types of people.

The people who feel they are really cared for and given friendly service, not just customer service. These people will, after they have already walked out the door, come back in just to put a dollar in the tip jar.

The people who understand that the little adds up and are the predecessors of change. These people will not just toss change into the tip jar, but thank the coffee connoisseur for their effort.

The people who I call jingle haters. They can’t stand the spare change in their pocket so they toss it in the jar, doing their hardest to ignore the last clink of change they will hear until they make another purchase and get change back from that. I doubt any Starbucks employees complain about these jingle haters, they account for 3/8 of the tips.

The financially conservative people who treat themselves from time to time don’t tip. They also don’t just keep the change, they keep the receipt too. More power to them I suppose. Everyone’s gotta make a living.

Want to get tips? Make a game out of it? There are two registers and two tip jars, which person at which tip jar can serve remarkably enough to get larger tips? One wins but both have fun.

What I love about Starbucks Barista’s really is that they have fun. They really do live the Starbucks motto of “Rewarding Everyday Moments”. They don’t care about tips, it’s just a bonus, it’s not something they actually work for, serve for or slave for. It just so happens anyway that the more fun you have making and serving Coffee, the more tips you get. Starbucks understands the essence of relationships, not just between customer and coffee but between customer and barista.

 

Stay Positive & You Get Tipped For Having Fun Outside Of Starbucks Too

Garth E. Beyer

 

28 Lessons To Living The Successful Life Through Personal-Achievement Principles

Garth Beyer

Yes it’s a mouthful but it is the best description that I can give to the following 28 lessons. Enjoy.

 

1. Better results does not make a better plan. A better plan makes better results.

2. Happiness is meant to be designed. You create it, you sculpt it, you make it.

3. Discipline: without it there is no bridge from your goal to your accomplishments.

4. Success is sending yourself an invitation to grow, develop, move up, build more, create more, invest more, innovate more and raise above mediocrity.

5. Life works like a magnet, the more you put forth to your goals, the closer you get to the results you want, the harder you work at your dreams, the more force in which they pull you toward them, it gets easier. It always gets easier.

6. Learning is the beginning. Everything else will fall into place itself.

7. Things only change when you do.

8. There really are no destinations, only points in which you change direction again.

9. Be influenced by the successful. Peer pressure is necessary as long as it pushes us further toward our real potential.

10. Be influential. Peer pressure is necessary as long as it pushes someone further toward their real potential.

11. Remove “easy”, “simple”, and “effortless from your vocabulary. Also never make something a piece of cake, have it all or take nothing.

12. Try. Only when you don’t try, do you fail.

13. Answer this question, very clearly. What is the purpose of life?

14. Lead a tribe of as much inspired if not more willing people than yourself. Create an unbeatable alliance with others.

15. Create a new faith, a new religion, a new belief and call it “The YourName Faith/Religion”. This is the only way to destroy any limitations.

16. A good person runs a mile. A great person runs an extra mile. Only a legend keeps running long after the first, second, third, ninth mile. Always do more, always.

17. Make every part of your character visible.

18. Be Human.

19. Self-initiative, Self-resilience, Self-motivation, Self-assurance, Self-inspiration, Self-control, Self-discipline, Self-growth, everything begins with yourself. Want to be successful? Work on you harder than you work on your job.

20. Pursue an interest that makes you feel alive. Nothing radiates more positively to others than a personal keen interest in something, something you pour your passion into, something that if upon waking up at 2 am and asked what your muse is, you answer with it.

22. Combine accurate and imaginative thinking to create your art.

23. You won’t last without good health.

24. Not to mention exercise is the absolute greatest habit you can create to stimulate the positive senses.

25. Living in the moment is derived from the collection of experience you have had controlling, focusing and centering your attention on the positive, on the material that will help you produce results you care about and on the search for what you can learn from every moment.

26. Everything remarkable was the result of overcoming adversity. If you come face-to-face with adversity or even sometimes get defeated, you are on the right path. Nothing worthy comes easy.

27. Visualization doesn’t need to be done all at once. Visualization is something that is meant to be anointed to all the various positive thoughts that float through your mind every day.

28. Care

 

Stay Positive & Live The Successful Life

Garth E. Beyer

The Difference Between Good And Great

Garth Beyer

The difference between a good factory worker and a great one is small.

If a factory worker is just good enough, then they are average, it’s expected. If a factory worker is great, they are still just good enough…or fired. Factory workers don’t get paid to be remarkable to invent a new way to do their work better or quicker. Nor do they get noticed when they are great, they are only ever viewed as good enough.

The difference between a good artist and a great one is incomparable.

A list of the top 100 vocal artists or even the top 1,000 don’t get there for being good enough, they get there by being great, by diving into their creative muse and ignoring constant prods to be average, obedient, disciplined and held back. They become great only by finding ways to do their work better and quicker, to be remarkable and to give their passion everything they have.

Now when you compare a good factory worker to a good artist, the artist is hands-down the better choice.

 

Stay Positive & What’s The Difference Between You And Them?

Garth E. Beyer

Why You Don’t Have Good Ideas (Or Any)

Garth Beyer

Not having good ideas is from not investing in your art, your passion, your niche, your muse.

 

Stay Positive & Yes, It’s As Simple As That

Garth E. Beyer