Tough Mudder, Here I Come!

Today I started my Tough Mudder training.  The race is in late April, and I have a long way to go (especially after having been sick).  But there's no time like the present to knock the rust off and get to work.  Given the early date of it, I'm going to have to work out all through the winter to get ready, so it behooves me to start NOW!

Incidentally, if you'd LIKE to join a team with me, let me know!  I'm looking for folks to join the Train 4 Autism: Columbus Chapter team!

On "Why Do I Always..."

I'm asking myself a very interesting question today that was sparked by a Twitter trending topic today:  #WhyDoIAlways.  People are using this topic to examine their lives to find habits that they have which have affected them either negatively or positively - but mostly negatively.

Here are a couple of examples:

#WhyDoiAlways end up solving every1's problems except my own?????
— FaTimA♥ Made in IraQ (@TiMA_87) May 17, 2012

Or another one:

#WhyDoiAlwaysgo for the guys that are NOT good for me ? Im better than this ...
— Planet F a i t h(@YouwantFaith) May 17, 2012

It's interesting, isn't it? I think every one of us could come up with a couple (dozen?) of these for ourselves. For me, one might be "#WhyDoIAlways find myself doing things at the last minute?"  or "#WhyDoIAlways allow myself to make the first exception when I'm trying to make changes in my life?"

But...I'm curious about this trending topic from another standpoint as well:  why was it created?  Because I believe there are two types of possible reasons that people are posting this stuff:

1. They want to share some of their victimhood by pointing out stuff that they always do and that has negative repercussions, in an attempt to garner emotion from others and make themselves feel better;  or
2. Publicly address a bad habit that they have as a first step to changing it.  

I'd imagine that most people fall into that first grouping. I know I've been guilty of such stuff in the past (even the not-so-recent past) - I want to throw out my bad habits in an effort to feel better about them and realize that I'm not the only one who does.  

But if used as a public "Step 1: identify and admit the problem" type action, this could be a really powerful tool for personal change.  Because there are few ways better to start to fix a problem than to identify it and state it publicly.  

I'm reminded of the movie Crocodile Dundee where Dundee is describing how people dealt with personal problems in the outback, and I paraphrase:  "we just tell Wally.  Then Wally tells someone, they tell someone, and pretty soon, no more problem."  It's silly, and meant for laughs, but like many such humorous snippets there's a real grain of truth to it.  

So maybe that's another part of what's going on here.  If this "#WhyDoIAlways" post is created with the right intent, and read by the right people, the writers may get some action taken on solving the problem and getting over the bad habit.  It could be as simple as an inward "wow, I do this and I'm admitting it."  But like we said, that can be the first step to improvement on a much larger scale!  

What sorts of "#WhyDoIAlways" posts could you make, and how could you start to fix them?  

On Letting the Ripple Effect Take You Where You Need To Go

Always pay attention to what's going on around you, because you don't know where it's going to take you.

A couple weeks ago, my sister and her little boy were in town, so they, my brother and his son, and my wife and two kids and I went to our local award-winning science museum, COSI.  Obviously, the goal was just to go and enjoy each other's company and let the kids all have some fun together.

Well, mission accomplished.  COSI was its usual fun, interesting place.  The kids all had a ball.

But that's not what this story is about.  Here's what it is about:  Steampunk.

That's right, if you're a sci-fi fan you may have heard about this genre/subculture.  Steampunk is all about "history as it never was," and revolves around the sort of science fiction that Jules Verne and the like wrote about - sort of an industrial-revolution-timeframe look at what might have been had we developed steam-powered technology more than gas, diesel, electricity, etc.  That's a vast oversimplification and I apologize to anyone who thinks I'm slighting it in the least, because I'm not.  I think steampunk is super-cool.

But like any genre, there is a subset of folks who REALLY get into it and go as far as to dress up differently to reflect their love of the genre and the like.  And that's who we ran into at COSI that day, a group of Steampunks who were there to see the museum, particularly the Adventure exhibit that COSI is currently hosting (which is also really cool, check it out if you can!).

I chatted with a couple of them briefly, because they looked good (I've always liked the Victorian adventurer genre as well as the science fiction of the era) and they seemed like interesting folks.  And that was probably going to be that.

Except that the last time I had an inkling for some Steampunk and was reading a couple of books within the genre, I also downloaded some music to my iPod from a Steampunk band called Abney Park.  And those of you who follow me on Twitter know that I've been re-listening to that stuff a lot for the past few days, they're a really good, musically interesting band.

At that time, as I'm known to do, I wasn't really listening to the lyrics of the music.  For whatever reason, I personally have a hard time understanding what vocalists are singing unless the lyrics are sitting open right in front of me so I can read along.

But for whatever reason, I'd taken the time back when I first bought Abney Park's existing albums at the time to find the lyrics to the songs and copy them into the songs' info on iTunes (yeah, you can do that.  Feel free to ask me how if you don't know already.).

And so, sitting on the bus the other day, I was listening to their song "Letters Between a Little Boy and Himself as an Adult," and I happened to catch the lyrics as I was going to fiddle with something on my iPod. Here's the song:

And here are the lyrics:

Robert as boy:
Dear Mr. Brown,
One day I’ll be you and
Although I’m only eight now,
You need to hear my rules
Never stop playing
Never stop dreaming and
And be careful not to
Turn into what I’d hate

Robert as adult:
Dear little boy,
I’m doing my best up here but
It’s a thankless job and
Nobody feels the same
You work long hours
Watch your credit rating
Pay your taxes and
Prepare to die

Jody Ellen:
I have tried to keep my soul
I lost the fight to keep a hold
Now I am not awake
Now I’m not awake

Robert as boy:
Hey Mr. Brown,
That can't be what life is like!
I’ve watched some movies,
And I've, I’ve read some books
Life should be exciting
And sometimes scary but
What you’re describing doesn't
Seem worth the time

Robert as adult:
Hey little boy,
I think you were always right
I’ve dropped that worthless life and
I’m moving on
Life should be adventure
I’m stealing back my soul
I’ve lost too many years now
I’m awake

Robert and Jody Ellen:
You were right
I nearly lost my soul
I will fight to steal back my soul
Now I am awake
Now I’m awake

So that's the mindset I'm in today, all because of seeing some folks wearing brass goggles and pith helmets at COSI.  A simple glimpsing of some interesting people at a museum has influenced my mindset and got me looking at my goals and projects in a very different way.  But think of all the ripples that it took to get me to that point.

1. I took an interest in a genre of science fiction several years ago. 
2. I downloaded some music. 
3. I started trying to change my mindset and consciousness because of following personal improvement mentors like J.B. Glossinger and Paul Kyriazi.  
4. My sister decided to take a trip to Columbus. 
5. The weather changed and instead of going swimming we all went to COSI.  
6. Those Steampunks decided to come to COSI on that day.  

I could go on for a while with this.  But the ripple effect like that sort of works in two ways.  The actions we take have influence on other people...and the actions other people take have influence on us.  A few years ago, I might have just chosen to look at those kids in the goofy outfits at COSI and dismissed them.  Instead, I see them as leading me to a clearer understanding of myself and what I want to do with life, and most importantly why I want to do it.  

Never, ever, ignore anything.  

Americans and Social Media - WE LOVE IT!

Mashable did a really interesting post about Americans and their use of social media that I thought I'd share.  They looked at how people use it, where they use it, what they talk about, and the sheer numbers of people who are using it.

It seems to reveal some very interesting things about America - more in a "you sort of knew it but never had anyone tell you straight out" way than in a "whoa, I didn't know that" way.

• Americans like to talk about television shows and let people know what they're watching.  
• Around half of Americans are on a social network of some kind.  
• Americans, on average, are playing social networking games for 15 minutes per day, or around two weeks per year.  
• Americans overwhelmingly like to use social media to make product recommendations.  
• Americans also like following favorite brands and companies online.  
• An average 9% of Americans' social media "friends" are college buddies and 22% are from high school. 
• Americans are obsessed with celebrities.  

And plenty more.  If you're a modern marketer of any kind, especially an internet marketer, this is all valuable information that could be used in your business.  

How would you leverage information like this to make your business more productive and successful?

On Adding Value to the World

I got this in a chain email today... but I REALLY like it.  I wanted to share it with you because I think it says a lot.

Let's remember that adding value to the world doesn't mean you have to make some sort of global impact: you can add value on a local or even personal level, and you've created value!

---

Charles Schulz Philosophy
(This is marvelous!! There are two sets of question
Scroll slowly and read carefully to receive and enjoy full effect.)

The  following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the  creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip.

You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just ponder on them.

Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the  world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.

These are no second-rate achievers.

They are the best in their fields.

But the applause dies..

Awards tarnish..

Achievements are forgotten.

Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson:

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money...or the most awards.

They simply are the ones who care the most

Pass this on to those people who have either made a difference in your life, or whom you keep close in your heart, like I did.

'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It?s already tomorrow in  Australia !'

''Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!"

On Never Breathing a Sigh of Relief

Without even thinking about it, I did something that one of my favorite gurus suggested I never do, and that's "breathe a sigh of relief."

This past weekend was a very busy one for me - all good stuff, but busy.  Saturday morning, my wife and I took our kids to the Ohio Renaissance Festival and had a great time.  Saturday afternoon, I went to help set up for the Sunday morning Walk Now for Autism Speaks event.  Sunday was the event, and then Sunday afternoon I was a speaker on bike commuting at the 10/10/10 Work Party at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Reynoldsburg, Ohio.  It was all great stuff and I got to share a lot of wonderful experiences with people all weekend.

Then Sunday night, before going to bed, I posted this on my Facebook page.

Wow...survived the weekend. Ohio Renaissance Festival, setting up and participating in the Walk Now for Autism Speaks, and speaking on Bike Commuting at the great 10/10/10 event in Reynoldsburg. I'm whooped, but I feel accomplished. Now to start a new week of accomplishments. Who will I help this week?

My intention was entirely to celebrate that I'd gotten so much done and been able to have so many great experiences over the weekend.  But the way it came out was as if I was exhausted and totally relieved I'd gotten it all done.  And I was tired, no doubt about that.  But I was only physically tired, not mentally or emotionally tired.

Paul Kyriazi advises in his Live the James Bond Lifestyle seminar to "never breathe a sigh of relief."  When you get through a stressful situation and come to the other side, the worst thing you can do is have an attitude of "Boy, I'm glad that's over with."  The message that you send to your always-listening subconscious mind is that the challenge you just got through was something to be avoided because of the stress it caused you.  And though you may have come through it all with flying colors, and actually grown a bit by overcoming the challenge, you then sabotage that success by giving the message that such things are to be avoided.

So let's look at what I said.  Though I didn't walk into the house on Sunday afternoon, flop onto the couch, and have an attitude of "Boy, glad that's over with;" I may as well have when I summed up my weekend on Sunday night with a "Wow...survived the weekend."  I survived?  What kind of an attitude is that?  Even though I later said "I feel accomplished," I've already set a negative tone with my initial statement.  J.B. Glossinger says that "words limit meanings."  Even though you may have meant something positively, the words you choose can change the tone and the experience.

My attitude could have been "Boy, what a great weekend - I achieved so much!" or "Man, I can't believe all the people I was able to help this weekend!"  But instead, my thought was of survival.  Sure, you can say that's a perfectly rational response to finishing a busy weekend.  But rational isn't what I want to be going for here.  I'm going for achievement, success, and growth.

So consider this blog post a literary equivalent of me snapping a rubber band on my wrist to snap myself out of such thoughts.  I did a lot of good this past weekend and I'm proud of it.  I'd do it again in a second.  And I enjoyed myself doing it all.

On Realizing Your Progress

India - Chennai - Inspirational wall slogans 01
Originally uploaded by mckaysavage

I was listening to the Morning Coach podcast this morning as I always do, and the topic of the day was Freedom and Lifestyle.  One of the points that JB made today was that a good way to get the freedom and lifestyle you want was to always be working on something and learning on the side while you do your day job.  Another great source of how to do this is Gary Vaynerchuk's book Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion. Both speak to living your passion and learning and experiencing everything you can about it on the side so that at some point you're ready to break away and do what you love.

I've been doing just this thing for a while, as many of you may know, with an internet marketing business I've become part of.  And I've been doing my reading and experimenting with different ideas as I go along, just like anything else.  But it wasn't till today that I realized that I really WAS doing it with as much passion as I wanted.

I've always been a person who has had a hard time focusing on one thing.  Almost everything interests me - I love learning about new things and have actually had to convince myself to dislike certain things so that I didn't spend too much time on it (to the detriment of things that really matter).  You should see my Google Reader page - I follow something like 250 blogs on my reader.  No, I don't read every post by every writer every day, naturally, I skim through and look for the stuff that interests me and is relevant to what I'm doing. But it's tough for me to take any of them off because I always find something that makes me think "I'd like to try that." 

So it was a big moment for me today when I realized that I was doing what JB was talking about.  I'd found a passion, and I'd figured out a way to earn money from it.  And though my expertise with it is still in the development phase, it's off and running and I spend much of my free time with that very topic.  A big change over the days when I couldn't keep my mind on one thing for more than a week or two at best.

Don't be afraid to pat yourself on the back a bit when you realize you're making progress with your goals.  But also don't let that self-congratulations stop you from continuing to pursue it!  Don't be that salesman who makes his quota in the middle of the month and doesn't do anything more for the rest of the month.  Be the guy who goes after his goals with gusto ALL the time!