Be The Action, Not The Title

Our society often places a inordinately high value on titles—particularly so in business, academia, and politics. Chief this, Senior that, VP of such-and-such.

This preoccupation with titles can get in the way when it comes to doing our work and making our contribution to the world. Because the focus becomes not about the journey but the end result—the idea that we've "arrived."

But the end result is not always within our control. In his classic book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey introduced the term Circle of Influence. Simply stated, it means to work on those things you have direct influence over, and don't worry about the things you can't control.

Actions over outcomes and titles.

Only time and public opinion will say you are a master, an artist. Instead, be a painter, a draftsman, a sculptor, a dancer.

Be a programmer or a business owner. Let society determine if you are a tech-entrepreneur startup wizard.

Stop chasing the dream of becoming a world-renowned author. Be a writer instead. Write.

When in doubt, follow Neil Gaiman's advice and, "Do what only you can do best. Make good art."

And here's the secret: If you focus on mastering the actions—making good art—for a long enough time, by and by the titles work themselves out.

Fortune Friday: "You will be fortunate in the opportunities presented to you."

They say that fortune favors the bold—that Fortuna, the goddess of luck, is more likely to help those who take risks or action.

Every circumstance in life presents us with the opportunity to choose our reaction or response. What we see as good or bad is open to interpretation. How we choose to react is up to us. We can decide to view everything—even things we would normally classify as trials or problems or as negative—as a fortunate opportunity.

A chance to shrink or grow. Contract or expand. Flee or fight. Run away or stand firm.

A chance to shine bright or flicker and fade away into darkness.

It is easy when things are going our way. The real test of our mettle is how we respond when life throws us a curveball.

Be bold. Be strong. Be fortunate.

To your good fortune!

Who Are You Writing For?

If you ask a typical business owner or marketer who their customer is they will likely reply, "Everyone." But we instinctively know that can't be true. When you try to be everything to everyone you end up pleasing nobody, because the pathway to the masses is usually paved with mediocrity.

This is even truer for writing. The best writing is personal, intimate. The non-fiction books and articles that appeal to me—that really draw me in and connect on a deeper level—are typically laced with personal stories and anecdotes. Or in the case of fiction, I can feel the authors soul and mind through their words.

So who are you writing for?

I recommend following Kurt Vonnegut's advice and write for one reader. Then speak to that person from your heart as you would in a one-on-one conversation.

Who do I write for?

I don't write for search engines, keywords, rankings, or page views. I don't care about linkbacks or shares or whatever. And that is the honest truth—you won't see any ads, affiliates, or endorsements on this site.

As self-centered as it may sound, I primarily write for myself. To inspire and encourage myself. Life as a creative professional can be daunting, frustrating, and lonely sometimes. It is not always the easiest path to tread—personally or commercially. These articles serve to bolster my resolve.

I also write for and to my two kids. I want to share with them what is in my heart. I want them to know what I think and how I feel. I want them to know my hopes and dreams and fears. I want them to live happy lives full of love and contentment. I want them to be courageous and hopeful—to boldly create the life of their dreams. I want them to avoid the pitfalls of complacency, to not settle. To not be blinded or misled by the worlds definition of success. To, in the words of Lawrence Olivier, "Amaze yourself with your own daring."

I want to show them a better way.

That is why I write this blog. I write it for them.

Who are your writing for?

Fortune Friday: "Try to channel excess energies into rejunvenation."

Self care is often mistaken for selfishness or self indulgence.

But, the greatest gift you can give to your family, loved ones, friends, neighbors, employer, community, and even the world is to become—and be—the best version of yourself possible.

Like they say, wherever you go, there you are. When there is more of "you" in you, there is more of you to spread around. More to give. More to uplift. More to serve and inspire. More to love.

The first rule of lifeguard training is that the lifeguard must protect her own safety above all us. Because an injured or (heaven forbid) dead lifeguard is no good to the person they're trying to help.

Be smart. Take a little time each day and channel your excess energies into rejuvenating and replenishing yourself.

You deserve it. And so do those you care about most.

To your good fortune!

A Good Reason To Watch Less TV

When I was in college I had an enormously prolific design professor. Not only was he dean of the department with all its accompanying meetings and responsibilities, he also taught a full course load each semester. On top of that he had his client work, freelance commissions, and personal projects. He also was active in his community and church and the father of ten children. Yes, ten.

I remember talking to him one time and remarking how amazing I found his level of production given his numerous responsibilities. I asked him the secret to his success.

Without hesitation he simply said, "Easy. I never watch television."

The typical American watches over 35 hours of television per week. That is an average of 5 hours per day. It is almost equivalent to an entire second week of work—every week.

If you were to reclaim just one of those 5 hours per day, you would have 365 additional hours to put towards writing your novel or starting your dream business or getting fit. That's over 9 work weeks. Imagine what you could accomplish with that time.

It is rarely true that we have a lack of time to accomplish our goals and pursue our dreams. It is really a lack of priority.

Fortune Friday: "You are a deep thinker with a knack for problem solving."

It often feels like society—or at least western culture—is becoming increasingly shallow. Our news and media are delivered in sound bites and 15-second clips. Our social interactions reduced to likes, emoticons, and 140-character blurbs. Personal appearance and getting our 15 minutes of fame seem more important that character, integrity, and good old fashioned hard work.

I know this is not a completely accurate picture. I am sure there are thousands, if not millions, of grounded folks out there. I'm just saying the trend seems to be swinging to the shallow end of the spectrum.

And the problem with a shallow society is that it breeds individuals with a shallow mentality. Me, me, me. Now, now, now. It breeds impatience, intolerance, and a lack of foresight—the kind of vision needed for fixing what ails humanity.

The solution is to go deep. Dive deep. Be deep.

Going deeper is a learnable skill. We all have the capacity to go deep. How often have you heard yourself say, "I'm just not creative," or "I don't have great ideas"? But how hard have you tried? Really. How many hours have you dedicated to solving your problems or to getting crystal clear on what you want from life? Be honest. Actual hours and minutes. 20 hours? 10, 5, 1? If you were a consultant and were billing time for deep thinking, how much could you honestly bill?

My guess is you're not going deep enough.

Most of us deal with our circumstances on a superficial level. We put Band-Aids on top of Band-Aids. Quick fixes that last just long enough until the problem resurfaces.

Go deep. Go medieval on your problems. Think long and hard. Give those problems the attention they deserve.

Persons of renown and respect are often described as having a depth of knowledge, or experience or character. They're deep. They have layers. Are you developing adequate depth in your life, relationships, or career?

To your good fortune!

3 Reasons Why The Law Of Attraction Does Not Work

Several years ago as I was starting out on my quest for personal improvement, a friend introduced me to a movie called The Secret. This was the first time I had ever heard of the Law of Attraction. I was enthralled and intrigued. And shortly thereafter I set about making a mental checklist of all the new, shiny things I wanted to attract into my life. I drank the Kool-Aid. Every last delicious drop.

A few weeks later I was having a lunchtime discussion with some coworkers and one of them said, quite curtly, "That crap doesn't work."

Being the newly-enlightened soul that I was, I chalked up their statement to ignorance—or just being a sour grump who was failing to get what they wanted out of life.

Later I came to see that maybe they were right all along. The Law of Attraction does not work—at least not in the way most people think it is supposed to. Here are three reasons why:

Reason 1: Ignoring the Law of the Harvest

The Law of the Harvest simply states that you reap what you sow. Plant the seed, eat the fruit. It's all about action. You gotta get your hands dirty. Prepare the soil. Dig the hole. Plant the seed. Water it. Give it sunlight. Keep the weeds at bay. Protect it from bugs and birds and animals. Give it time. Wait. Be patient. Let it grow.

The problem with LOA enthusiasts is that they tend to gloss over the action portion of the equation. Too much focus is placed on the thinking and feeling portions of the Law. No doubt these are vitally important components, but without action the Law simply does not work.

Reason 2: Using it as a tool for acquisition

Most people who discover TLOA use it as a tool of acquisition. Like I did, they start making lists of all the cool things they'd like to bring into their lives. This is not all bad. Having goals and aspirations is a good thing. It gives us hope and confidence.

The Law of Attraction is better used as a tool for recognition. We all know the brain is great at filtering for what we want to see. When my wife was pregnant with our son, I started seeing pregnant women everywhere who had previously gone unnoticed. Similar to the Pygmallion Effect, our circumstances tend to rise and fall to the expectations we place on them. If we expect good things, good opportunities find a way of presenting themselves.

Dr. Wayne Dyer is fond of saying, "When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." We can train our minds to recognize opportunities which we can capitalize on by our actions.

Reason 3: It stifles creativity and creation

Attraction by its definition implies that there is something outside of us that we need to bring toward us. That something is missing. It discounts the high capacity for creation that exist within us all.

When a Hollywood blockbuster is described as "action-packed" we envision chases, fight scenes, explosions. Lots of continuous movement, scene to scene to scene.

Creation equals life. Nature is constantly creating and reinventing itself. Growing, adapting, moving. To achieve or get what we desire, our lives should also move. They should be action-packed. Packed full of action.

Even better, they should be "action-pact." We can make a conscious deal—a pact—with the Universe to act upon any opportunity or inspiration that crosses our path. I have a friend who is a landscape painter. He has found tremendous success following this formula. He says, "I commit to doing the work, and I ask God to keep blessing me with fresh ideas." Sounds action-pact to me.

In conclusion, does the Law of Attraction work? No and yes—but only when used properly. Keep planting seeds. Keep your eyes and ears open. Follow through.

That is how you attract what you want in life.