Why Try To Get Out Of Your Box, When You Can Use What's In It?
They are everywhere waiting for you to connect with them, give them a rubik’s cube they want (and can) figure out, and a reward for completing it.
Go start, anywhere, with anyone. Connect. Challenge. Reward.
Stay Positive & Note: Reward Is Not The Most Important
Garth E. Beyer
We’re all crazy.
I can say that because we love destroying things – rather, when we do destroy things, we have fun with it – a lot of fun.
Finally getting rid of your old desktop computer? Smashing it in the driveway sounds like a great idea. Stereo-system broke? Time to tear it to pieces and see how it works. Need room to build something? I’ll get the sledgehammer.
A few months ago my dad and I had to get rid of some wasp nests. Naturally we tried wasp spray, but it was ineffective. Then we bleached the nests. Still alive. So we poured gasoline and set it on fire.
A couple of months ago my dad and I took apart my original droid. (After five years, it finally broke.) This is the outcome.
It’s easy to break something, to dissect it, to experiment with what has already been created. It’s much more dangerous to build something from scratch, to experiment with your own creativity.
What puzzles me is how we can have so much fun destroying things, yet not be as insanely excited to create something.
There’s a few different ways to overcome this. All dangerous.
1. Build to destroy it.
2. Build to let someone else have fun destroying it.
3. Build knowing that you will already be building something new, thus, not caring whether it gets destroyed or not.
Bonus: If you want a real challenge. Build something new from the remnants of what you destroy.
Stay Positive & Whatever You Do, Just Have Fun With It
Garth E. Beyer
When you consider taking a risk, taking an action for something you want, you have twenty seconds to act before the lizard brain fires up. Once the lizard brain realizes you’re about to take a risk, it will make you think of every reason not to take it, not to do what you want.
If you don’t know already, it’s referred to as the twenty second theory: you have twenty seconds to act on your thought before the lizard brain kicks in. After the twenty seconds, it only gets more and more difficult to make the leap, to take the risk.
I’ve recently wondered if it’s better to – after the twenty seconds and the lizard brain is going – to just completely forget about the action you want to take. Why fight the lizard brain? There will be more opportunities, right? Or is it better to fight the lizard brain and see if you can beat it. From experience, I would say that you will win 1 out of 10 battles against the lizard brain. But is the stress of having to go through the other 9 battles worth it?
By not fighting the lizard brain, you feel a sense of relief. There’s no stress, no nervousness, no adrenaline rush, no anxiety, and most importantly, no regret that you considered something so deeply but never followed through.
But what if you end up challenging and beating the lizard brain; wouldn’t the success of whatever you were risking be glorious and euphoric enough to counter any of the hardships you have had to face in the past?
What if I had a solution for you? I do. (HT Keegan Morgan)After the twenty seconds are up and you don’t act, ask yourself this important question,
are you up for it? Up for the battle with the lizard brain, up to the risks, up to the possibility of still being rejected after following through? The lizard brain can’t infiltrate this thought process; the beauty of knowing exactly what you want (and making the conscious decision to go after it) will make the lizard brain back off. The lizard brain is strong, but it has nothing on will power.
The next time you miss your twenty second window, the next time you catch yourself getting anxious, thinking of dozens of reasons not to send the email, make the phone call, ask that someone for their number, or make that committment, ask yourself, are you up for it?
Stay Positive & It’s Alright If You’re Not! But… Keep Track
Garth E. Beyer
Yesterday I wrote a post about making your 2013 new years resolution list now and trying to complete it by the end of this year.
The day before that, I published my book of poetry Sleeping Above Your Dreams.
Today is the day I encourage you to start flailing, thrashing, pushing, egging, thwacking, and a bit of swaggering to get your goals completed.
So often we wait until the last-minute for things and we flail to get them done. New years sucks because we have this idea that we can just set the goal to finish something next year. We have nothing to really trigger us to flail, no deadline, no one riding our backs.
In fact, everyone is supporting your effort to prolong yours. No one ever says to you, “No. I want to see that finished before the end of this year, not next year. You have better things to move on to and focus on for next year.”
Well. No one has ever said that to you until now.
This month of December has always been the month that the most items have been shipped. Let’s really stretch that list and ship our projects, our ideas, our writings, our muse.
I’m not sure about you, but I’m keeping tally of all the things I ship this year. I have a folder on my computer titled “Projects” and it will be empty by the end of this year. Clear, cleaned out, and ready for new ones to enter it for next year.
Stay Positive & What Do You Say To That?
Garth E. Beyer
We’re emotional human beings, we feel disappointment, sorrow, sympathy, false hope, regret, and a bit of anger.
However, for the sake of what I am about to share with you, let’s be on the same page. Sure, we as teenagers are emotional, but in an extremely different way from the average person. We teenagers are emotional in the sense that we are meant for more than what we are currently doing. We aren’t feeling challenged and it sucks. It hits us emotionally. School is easy and homework is even easier. Making friends is easy and connecting with strangers is even easier. Chores are easy and making money is even easier … the list goes on. Things just come easy to us, likely because we work for it, but that is only part of the point. Being blatant, we are gifted individuals.
I’m turning 20 in November and I’ve recently come across an opportunity so-very-close to perfect for teenagers who have fire in their belly, a passion for improvement, and a motivation to be successful. You have probably not heard of the Thiel Fellowship and like I said, I had just found out about it the the other day. Greatly interested, I submitted my email address to be notified when the next application process for the Fellowship would begin (sometime this fall).
The Fellowship: When you apply for the Thiel Fellowship, you are applying to be part of a handpicked group of teenagers who will be given $100,000 NOT TO GO TO SCHOOL for two years and to work on turning their ideas (business’s, inventions, software, etc.,) into reality.
Now here is the kicker. Only people age 19 and under can enter the Fellowship. I would just be turning 20 when the application process opens so I am SOL. Why is this so important for you? If you haven’t already Googled it, let me tell you in the shortest version.
This is your chance to live your dreams of “If only I had the money.” The Thiel Fellowship says, “here, let me give you all the resources you need: money, mentors, like-minded people, tools, resources, everything.” They take away the excuses that prevent you from doing the emotional labor of creating something you believe in. This is your opportunity to quit being emotionally frustrated with your life and be emotionally passionate about it instead… all before the age of 20.
So you may be wondering if you should apply or not. I have a simple solution for you. Answer this question: Do you have a passionate drive to make the world a better place? If yes, then apply.
I don’t blame my parents for not showing me an opportunity like this while I was still able to apply, but I would blame myself if I didn’t compensate for it by not showing you.
For information and the application, visit the Thiel Fellowship.
If you decide to apply, send me an email, let me know your thoughts. I would be more than happy to dedicate time, resources, and an extra bit of passion to your work.
Stay Positive & Go After It
Garth E. Beyer ( thegarthbox@gmail.com )
We’re now on our second interview of the Unlocking Potential series. This is a series of interviews I have given to a small pocketful of truly important and respected people. For some of these people, I have never really talked to 1 on 1 until I had the interview like interview #1 with Rose Kendall. Other people like today’s interview, I have only met twice in person and have had my expectations blown to the point I continuously keep in touch.
See, this is what the world calls for, what people seek when they need something. Linchpins, people who care, people who always do more than is asked and have absolutely incredible potential. Help me in unlocking even more potential by reading the following interview with Katie McBody.
Interview: Katie McBody
I’ve been lucky enough to come across this fitness Linchpin through an extension in the family tree. Katie McBody takes fitness to an entirely new level as you will notice in the interview below.
Q: Thank you so much for participating in this interview with me Katie. Before we jump into it, is there any background facts about yourself you want the readers to know?
I have always been active- but never knew my potential in the fitness world until I met my husband, he pushed me in the right direction and has helped me achieve many goals. I started rock climbing and skiing at the age of 4 and later in life I was an instructor in both fields, I was also a softball player into college and now I volunteer my time to coach kids.
Q: What is your life calling, your passion?
Fitness- our bodies were designed to move and I want to share my love of exercise with everyone (especially kids!).
Q: What three habits have you created to continue progressing in that passion?
1. Make time for myself- I schedule a couple hours a day to have alone in the gym/ track/ trail/ climbing that I can use to focus on pushing myself mentally and physically.
2. Involve family- my husband is active duty Army (currently deployed) but when he is home, we spend his lunch break together at the gym. Or we make time to go play soccer as a family with our 4 year old son. Our son also joins me on a lot of my track workouts and participates with modified exercises.
3. Set goals- even if they’re just little goals, accomplishing little challenges you set for yourself is a confidence booster and it keeps you motivated to keep going!
Q: Where do you find your inspiration?
I find inspiration from everywhere. My husband inspires me to keep pushing myself. We have a healthy dose of competition between us, which keeps us pushing our limits physically. I find inspiration at the gym, I’m fortunate enough to be able to train in a facility where a lot of Special Forces members train- so I watch them and try to “compete” with their workouts. I’m also inspired by my clients, especially the ones that show up and give it their all during our sweat sessions. It’s really rewarding to be helping someone better their life by getting them involved with something I’m so dedicated and passionate about.
Q: What is your motto? Why?
“Be yourself and watch it bother other people” I spent a lot of my youth worried about how other people viewed me. Getting older I’ve realized that it doesn’t matter. If you have “haters” it means you’re doing something right. I live with high moral standards and have found self confidence, I may as well be proud of who I am and stop trying to make other’s happy.
Q: What skills do you need to do what you do? How do you train those skills?
You need to get certified as a personal trainer, there are different routes (ACE, ISSA, etc) or college programs to get you there. And then you need dedication to learning more everyday. Be humble and realize that you don’t know everything, and you never will- so keep studying! I try to expand my knowledge and get certified in other fields (next steps is TRX and kettlebell certifications). Plus, I believe that a big part of being a personal trainer is looking the part! Would you want to take fitness advice from someone who was 40lbs overweight?
Q: What are three of the best benefits to exercise/eating clean?
The best benefits to leading a healthy lifestyle is the energy to always be ready to go! I love to fuel myself with good foods so I don’t feel sluggish during the day. One of my favorite fitness related quotes is “you wouldn’t put sugar in your gas tank- so why would you put it in your body?”
Q: What makes you unique, indispensable, a fitness artist?
I believe my level of competitiveness makes me unique- I don’t shy away from a challenge ever! I know I can be beat, but it makes me push harder. I’m indispensable because I have a vast array of fitness related knowledge and I’m skilled in other areas besides being a gym rat! I have worked as a ski instructor and a climbing instructor and I’m always excited to teach people new skills. I also have found a passion for teaching people to run, and run with proper form to reduce their chances of injury. Not too many trainers (at least that I have met) really take the time to teach the basics of how to run.
Q: As you know, my website is centered on life lessons. What are four life lessons you have learned from following your passion?
1. No excuses. Ever.
2. It’s okay to step out of your comfort zone- that’s where life happens. It’s also where greatness is achieved.
3. Set goals! Long term and short term. Reaching “mini” goals along the way is rewarding!
4. You can always do better- so keep pushing yourself.
Q: Anything else you want to add?
There are no excuses in the world of fitness. I believe in training without supplements- your results will last longer if you’re achieving it through eating well and exercising. Almost every injury can be prevented if using proper form- so if you’re new to weight lifting/ fitness please have a trainer show you form and technique.
You can “Like” Katie’s Facebook Page at http://www.Facebook.com/McBodyFitness or email her at mcbodyfitness@gmail.com
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Stay Positive & Fit in
Garth E. Beyer
You’re parents just got into a divorce now you are torn between who to live with, all of your role models that helped you get through the hard times went off into the army or moved away, your friends have excluded you from their group, your sibling that you are closest too has gotten far into drugs and alcohol, and your grandpa who you were really close to has recently passed away. In essence, you feel like you no longer have a family.
Each and every one of us goes through extremely harsh points in our lives where we feel like we have absolutely no one.
Anger.. guilt.. sorrow… nothing can compare to the feeling of loneliness.
Whether you notice it or not, we all eventually come out of the slum, and things get better bit by bit. Have you ever thought of how it all started going downhill though?
Some days we feel like one bad thing happens after another, and after each bad thing that occurs, we feel worse and worse, as if the world is dissolving around us. These occurrences affect our thinking. We begin thinking more and more negatively. If you are feeling down, you don think positively at all, you dwell further in your emotions and the unfortunate circumstances that have occurred.
I want to let you in on a secret, the one way to get through all life throws at you, the secret… Stay Positive. Easier said than done huh?
If you are reading this, you likely know me well or understand that I am a very optimistic person. But even a happy outgoing person can find it nearly impossible to turn some negative circumstances into positive ones.
The list I gave you at the beginning of this discussion, of the divorce, the losing of a close one to death, and having your friends move away or exclude you – these are all personal experiences that have happened to me.
How can one person make it through all of those situations happening to them in such a short amount of time? With practice, I’ve found there to be two different ways to not just make it through, but to also turn life around.
Now, I think we have all tricked ourselves or lied to ourselves at one point, whether it be by telling ourselves “I can do it” to get rid of some sort of fear, or lying to yourself that you aren’t still in love with your ex, so you can move on. The idea I have come to find to make it through such hard times is this.
First way: Deceive yourself, but do it in a positive way. To get rid of the sorrow that losing your friends has brought to you, start thinking about making new friends, and how much fun it will be hanging out with them.
You need to aim for a feeling. The feeling you want to have your friends make you feel, the feeling of company, of sharing, of fun. Soon enough you will see things starting to shape up. Maybe your old friends have invited you to go to the mall or you met a new friend.
We noted before that one bad thing happens after another. It is the same for the good things in life if you can just lean your feelings in that positive direction.
Now the harder of the two ways to start turning your life back around is to find something good in every bad, and this is possible.
Coming to a close, I want you to think of something you disliked about today so far, something that set your temper off, or hurt you emotionally, something you would have done differently. It can be the sort of thing from having a fight with your dad, or your internet being out. So go ahead and think of something…
The Challenge: I want you to use the harder of the two ways to become more positive and in a better mood by figuring out one optimistic thing that came out of the one unfortunate thing so far today.
Maybe your thought is your dad is now going to surprise you with an apology gift, or because your internet was off you so you took a walk outside and ran into your soul mate. (Hey, it could happen)
Newton has said that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, I would employ you to have the idea that, for every action of negative thought there is an opposite, if not greater reaction.
So remember, for every negative thing in life, there will always be at least one positive thing to be thought of about it.. it’s up to you.
Stay Positive & This Is The One Time You Don’t Want Balance
Garth E. Beyer
