Categories
morning people motivation

Start the Day With Intentionality

This week, I’ve been reading The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. It has already transformed the way I wake up in the morning. I have already had a morning ritual for many years. But he is showing me a more intentional way to master the morning. His enthusiasm, his story of overcoming adversity and his practical tips have captivated me. I’m sure I’ll share more about this book in another post.

The other day, I also read an article entitled, This 60-Second Habit Has Helped Put Me in a Better, More Productive Mood Each Morning by Scott Mautz at Inc.com. In it, Scott says he starts each day by taking a minute to ask himself the following every day:

  • What am I thankful for today?
  • Who might I thank today?
  • What one thing should I be thinking of today?

One theme through both reads stood out to me. How you begin your day is so crucial. It can make your day fantastic or a fiasco. Most of us don’t consider this truth. Instead we…

  • Wait until the last minute to wake up because we’re so tired
  • Wake up on autopilot
  • Rush through the morning because we’re running behind

It may surprise some people who know me, but when I was younger, I didn’t consider myself a morning person. I got up when I had to and rushed through the morning only to get stuck in rush hour traffic and watch my fellow commuters get angrier and more flustered by the minute.

Having kids cured me of that malady. When I had to get up with them, and when realized how my day began would affect their day. I realized getting up early to get some exercise, pray and have devotions would steer my day in the way I would prefer.

Let us know how you start your day in the comments. Do you start in a rush? Do you consider yourself a morning person or a night owl?

Categories
Attitude Book Reviews

Is the Obstacle the Way?

Before I read The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday, I thought of obstacles as something to overcome. I imagined life as an obstacle course. When I’ve watched, American Ninja Warrior, I pictured all the challenges along the course as situations in life. They were something that got in the way and must be overcome.

Ryan Holiday’s book challenged me to look at obstacles in a different way. Stoicism is a philosophy I heard about when training for a marathon. When I got the chance to read it, the book made me ponder so many questions.

  • What if, instead of looking at obstacles as the enemy, they were your friend?
  • What if an obstacles is just what you need to achieve your goals?
  • What if how you viewed an obstacle was more important than figuring out how to eliminate it?

Life is full of struggles and hardships. This book made me realize that it is not foolishness when people willingly take on a project that will have obstacles. Small businesses would never start if that was the case. Missions to help others would never launch. I am thankful for a new perspective on challenges and obstacles. Yes, they can be the way to success.

Categories
Book Review

Creativity in the Young and the Old

When I heard of this book, I had to check it out. In the beginning section, Rich Karlgaard makes the case society places too much of an emphasis on achievement at too early of an age. Not only does it devalue older people but places extreme pressure on the young.

I love this quote in page 43 of the book:

Creativity is not the sole province of the young. Some of us simply need more time.

Rich Karlgaard

When I took art lessons as a teen, one of my best memories was watching retirees paint beautiful paintings. Karlgaard gives many examples of people that achieved success later in life. One I didn’t see was Grandma Moses. Here was a woman who didn’t begin her painting career until she was 78 years old.

Whether it is work or the arts, never count someone out because they appear too old, or even too young. This book is a reminder patience and perseverance are more important in a productive, creative life than a person’s age.

Categories
Book Review

Book Review: “Leadership Pain: The Classroom for Growth”

Leadership Pain: The Classroom for GrowthLeadership Pain: The Classroom for Growth by Samuel Chand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was just what the doctor ordered. My wife and I have gone through two years of leadership pain. We thought following the plan God laid before us meant sunshine and unicorns. When things didn’t go the way we thought they should, a friend recommended this book. It has been very instrumental in reminding me that pain is actually part of growth and leadership. It all comes down to this equation:

Growth = Change
Change = Loss
Loss = Pain
thus, Growth = Pain.

It is not something American Christians want to hear, but it has proven true for me. The book uses testimonials from pastors and non-profit leaders from many backgrounds. The author’s story is also a powerful anecdote on what happens when leaders persevere through the pain. I fully recommend this book.

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Categories
Book Review

Book Review: The Social Media Mind by David Amerland

The Social Media Mind: How social media how social media is changing business, politics and science and helps create a new world order.The Social Media Mind: How social media how social media is changing business, politics and science and helps create a new world order. by David Amerland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It’s a good book highlighting the pitfalls businesses can fall into when they see social media as just another marketing channel. Social media allows immediate feedback and it doesn’t take fluff lightly. David Amerland gives examples such as RIM‘s inattention in handling a crises, Gap’s logo change backlash and a Ragu campaign that went viral for the wrong reasons. It also gives good examples such as Domino Pizza’s turnaround in spite of a bad viral video from two of its employees.

The book was published in 2012. So there is too much emphasis on Google+, and the Arab Spring was still seen as a success. Still, there is much here to learn four years after its publication date.

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