He is asking us to be the hero generation of which poets will rhyme, and composers write great operas, to say to the world: “They did it.” Watch it.

Technorati Tags: gore, environment, planet, climate, politics

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This only works though if you see love as something you do, rather than something that you feel. Feeling and doing should go hand in hand, but you know that they don’t always do that.

Sometimes you have to do happy before you can feel happy. Sometimes you have to paint a smile on your face, before you can feel yourself laughing. That is why Thich Nhat Hahn suggests that you meditate with a smile on your face. For him that is crucial.

Love is no different. Sometimes you have to do love, before you can feel love. So go out there and see what loving act you can do for someone else. Do you know why people keep buying self help books and why self-growth is such booming business? These ask people to only focus on themselves.

Start serving and you will be done with all this. Truly, I guarantee it.

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Don’t read self help books.

Figure out what you need.

Take action.

It is your action that inspires.

There is too much advice out there.

You can’t keep spinning.

Start living.

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You want to look back on your life with awe and wonder. Do two things:

1. Make a contribution to a cause larger than yourself and
2. Put yourself on the line for it.

I also explain why our consumer society does not promote this idea, but World War II veterans teach us the value of contribution.

Of course, when you listen to this podcast, you realize I owe much to the movie The Story of Stuff, which you should see. It takes about 20 minutes of terrific information.

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Chris Brogan summed up his experience—since 1995—with personal leadership in a terrific post.

Some highlights:

• I set goals, and life helps me accomplish totally different ones.
• Fire your inner critic.
• Perhaps the most important thing I can tell you about personal leadership is that it’s a much more rewarding path when you focus on being helpful to others.

There is much more there, and I don’t want to give it all away here. So go over to Chris’s site and read this post. I love how warm he sounds when he writes.

Technorati Tags: leadership, chris-brogan, self-esteem, community

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Todd interviewed Steve Little about success. You can listen to it on his blog “We the Change.”

It is a wonderful interview, just long enough (that means, not too long) and full of important ideas.

Two main tips to become successful:

1. Get a coach
2. Do what you love

And the three daily habits that Steve Little sticks to (note: reviewing an action list is not one of them):

In the morning:
1. quiet meditation and emotional visualization,
2. Exercise at high intensity.

In the evening:

3. Be thankful for your accomplishments. Write them down so you can see what an amazing day you had and you know exactly what to be thankful for.

These ideas are very powerful and to hear them from Steve Little’s mouth is even better. So go and listen now.

Technorati Tags: success, coaching, meditation, exercise, Little, wethechange

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Credo: does not mean that I accept without question, but I commit myself wholeheartedly.

Religion is about behaving differently. You behave in a committed way and then you begin to understand the truth about religion. You only understand the doctrine when you put them into practice.

Compassion is what brings you close to God. It dethrones ourselves and then we are able to see the divine.

Hillel, standing on one leg: That which is hateful to you, do not do it unto other. That is the Torah. The rest is commentary. Go and study it.

Todays religion has been highjacked. Christians endlessly judge other people. Religion has been used to oppress others.

We have a talent as a species, to mess up wonderful things.

You must have concern for everybody. Love your enemies. Concern for strangers.

The cause of our present wows are political. Religion is a fault line and can get set in and become part of the problem.

The golden rule is difficult. A lot of religious people prefer to be right, rather than compassionate.

The golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Overcoming the horror we feel as enemies.

Here is my wish: I wish that you would help with the creation, launch and propagation of a charter of compassion, crafted by a group of inspirational thinkers from the three Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

I am reminded of the quote by G.K. Chesterton:

The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.

Technorati Tags: armstrong, religion, faith, compassion, TED

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Todd writes about the ways in which we can become a giver today. He urges that we not postpone giving until some time in the future, but start today.

I like the story that starts off his blog. It is slightly disturbing for sure, yet effective.

A few weeks ago I was eating lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in downtown Manhattan. Seated next to me were two very well-dressed men in their late 50’s/early 60’s who were having a conversation about their recent retirements. Given that seating in New York restaurants is ridiculously tight and I was dining alone, I heard most of their talk.

One of them asked the other “so what are you going to do now”? The other sat for a moment contemplating, then looked up and said questioningly: “Give back”? They both hooted in laughter at the response, and began perfunctorily yapping about the stock market, recent travels, and other typical conversation.

It is a good story because you can picture the cynicism that drips from the two men. Hear them belly laugh. “Why would anyone want to give back?”

I agree with Todd, we need to give now, but I would like to make it more clear, why. We need to give because that is what gives our lives meaning. In the end, when you look back on your life, you will think about what you gave, not what you received. What you give is what makes you worthy. What you receive in the end doesn’t matter, unless you are a cynic. But if you are, then nothing matters. That is the definition of a cynic, right?

It is not about giving back. Give the first part of your richness. I believe in tithing. Tithing requires that you give the first portion of your income. When you make your monthly budget, take the first ten percent, and give that away for the good something or someone you know is a blessing to this world. Then make up the rest of your budget. I am convinced that your life will be richer, much richer, because of this practice.

Technorati Tags: tithe, giving, donation

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To find inspiration in your life, you have to find out what the sources are that inspire you. The best way to do that, is by having a journal with you at all times, and write down what lifts you up, what gives you goosebumps, what propels you to do better than you were doing. Over time, you will realize a pattern.

But this article The Benefits of Keeping a Private Journal in Dosh Dosh is a much more extensive and worth a good read.

There are several great insights in this article. Here is one:

The key point to note is not the therapeutic effects of writing in a journal but rather the fact that regular journal keeping will influence the way you think or feel about an specific topic. If you’re an entrepreneur, blogger or marketer, reflection via a private journal will give you a fountain of ideas and initiatives to pursue.

Steve Farber writes about a special kind of journal called a WUP or a Wake-Up Pad. He writes about it in his second book The Radical Edge: Stoke Your Business, Amp Your Life, and Change the World. You may know that I love his books. The idea of the WUP is simply to keep being very alert about the world around you. Work like an anthropologist and look around you. What is going on? Ask yourself that question over and over again. Then think about what it means and then, talk about it with others. These are simple but extremely powerful ideas that will give you insights in the market, your business, your personal life, that you cannot have any other way.

Here is the key:

1. Be very open minded about the world
2. Write about whatever you see
3. Then think about what you saw, heard, read
4. Talk about it with others.

I prefer the hand written paper journal by far. I am not always behind the computer and like to do some reflective thinking away from it. Don’t get a cheap solution for a journal, I beg you. Get something that feels good. I have several journals. A large one stands right besides my desk and I use if for longer reflections. And I also keep a small notebook with me where ever I go. Ideas strike at odd times and I never have to regret loosing them.

And now go read Steve Farber’s books Steve Farber’s books, The Radical Leap: A Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership and The Radical Edge: Stoke Your Business, Amp Your Life, and Change the World. You will thank me for it.

Technorati Tags: journal, leadership, anthropology, business, market

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Joel Falconer at Lifehack has a terrific post today about the requirements of a leader to produce results. I love the focus on the people who work for you. Leadership is a service, and I wrote about that earlier.

In short, Joel emphasizes

• the need to build genuine relationships,
• to serve your people and allow them to perform even better, and
• to communicate and facilitate communication extremely well.

Here is one thing that is required to do all that well. You have to know yourself and what you stand for. You have to be completely comfortable in your own skin.

As a leader you should strive to not get praise, but instead shower praise on others.

In your communication, your values need to be expressed all the time. Not in words necessarily. If you stand for ethical treatment of people, does your communication show that each and every time? That consistency is critical.

Are you clearly moving in a direction, does everybody understand that direction and share the vision? There is a requirement for you to first develop the vision and then communicate it.

But first and foremost, if you are about something beyond yourself, and you are no longer seeking recognition all the time, than you are ready to be a great leader.

Technorati Tags: leadership, self-development, voice, vision, service

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