You can stand there and try to justify your existence to those that bring you down but at the end of the day, they are just going to continue to drag you down to that dark, bottomless, heartless, soulless, lonely, ugly, pit of hell they seem to find themselves living in.
-or-
You can seek out and join those that openly and without expectation of something in return will go out of their way to lift you up to a higher and better place.
...the choice is obvious
As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com
Here are some Technorati Tags: • Choices • Wise Decisions • Embrace the Positive • Ignore the negatives • Dave Guerra • Leadership • Leading • Leadership Development • Professional Development • Lead, Follow, or Get out of the way • Ready, Fire, Aim! • If it ain't broke, break it. • Hire Crazies • Ask dumb questions • Pursue failure • Spread Confusion • Ditch Your Office • Read Odd Stuff • Avoid Moderation • Higher, Admire, Desire, Require, Satire, Inquire, On Fire, All Possible Scenarios • Give to the American Red Cross • Hire A Hero
27 August 2011
Another Word (or Two) About Mediocrity
Some time back I wrote about Mediocrity and how it is the most average thing someone can do.
Thus, it is time to revisit this whole "mediocrity" thing. Things get average all the time, all things that are done over and over become average thus we become average. Let's say that you and I are All-Star Baseball Players and we are the current Home Run leaders in Major League Baseball. We've been hitting a Home Run at least once per game. However, we are no longer excited. The fans are but for us it is has become the same old, same old. It has become average and we have become mediocre/complacent in that what we are doing is no big deal.
How can we claim we have become mediocre or average? Well, it is something like that question of being in a car that is traveling at the speed of light and you turn on the headlights. Do they work? The answer is Yes and No.
It's like this: to the observer we are doing something spectacular. We are hitting one home run per game and in a 162 game season that is a lot of home runs and that makes it a remarkable streak. To the participants, us, hitting those home runs has become routine, average, and mediocre.
Thus the answer to the headlight question: to the observer the lights do not appear to come on, to the participant they turn on every time. The observer sees something that has approached the speed of light and moved beyond it and can only see the spectacular event unfolding in front of him. The participant sees everything including the headlights turning on as if not even remotely affected by the spectacular event that is taking place.
In the case of the car and its headlights, it is all about perspective. In the case of the home run hitters (You and Me) it is about doing what we can do to go one step further, to go beyond what we are used to. To break out beyond the mediocrity. To hit two or more home runs in every game we play (now that would certainly make things exciting).
There comes a time when an individual sees that there has to be more, more to living than just going through the motions and becoming complacent with life and all that we have at this moment. It is at point that the little light bulb flickers on over your head and the realization that something needs to happen. Something needs to change! That change will only happen with the first step and that is to recognize that change has to happen now, not later. If you put it off until later then I can all but promise you it will never happen.
So if you find yourself just like me then it is time for a change. Time to make things happen is right now, right here, at this very moment. Time to quit talking and start doing. The time for planning is over. Time to start hitting more home runs is now.
So start making that change happen because one thing is certain change is not going to change itself.
-Dave
As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com
Here are some Technorati Tags: • Mediocrity • Change • Complacent • Time • Dave Guerra • Leadership • Leading • Leadership Development • Professional Development • Lead, Follow, or Get out of the way • Ready, Fire, Aim! • If it ain't broke, break it. • Hire Crazies • Ask Dumb Questions • Pursue Failure • Spread Confusion • Ditch Your Office • Read Odd Stuff • Avoid Moderation • Higher, Admire, Desire, Require, Satire, Inquire, On Fire, All Possible Scenarios • Give to the American Red Cross • Hire A Hero • Support the Armed Services Blood Program
Thus, it is time to revisit this whole "mediocrity" thing. Things get average all the time, all things that are done over and over become average thus we become average. Let's say that you and I are All-Star Baseball Players and we are the current Home Run leaders in Major League Baseball. We've been hitting a Home Run at least once per game. However, we are no longer excited. The fans are but for us it is has become the same old, same old. It has become average and we have become mediocre/complacent in that what we are doing is no big deal.
How can we claim we have become mediocre or average? Well, it is something like that question of being in a car that is traveling at the speed of light and you turn on the headlights. Do they work? The answer is Yes and No.
It's like this: to the observer we are doing something spectacular. We are hitting one home run per game and in a 162 game season that is a lot of home runs and that makes it a remarkable streak. To the participants, us, hitting those home runs has become routine, average, and mediocre.
Thus the answer to the headlight question: to the observer the lights do not appear to come on, to the participant they turn on every time. The observer sees something that has approached the speed of light and moved beyond it and can only see the spectacular event unfolding in front of him. The participant sees everything including the headlights turning on as if not even remotely affected by the spectacular event that is taking place.
In the case of the car and its headlights, it is all about perspective. In the case of the home run hitters (You and Me) it is about doing what we can do to go one step further, to go beyond what we are used to. To break out beyond the mediocrity. To hit two or more home runs in every game we play (now that would certainly make things exciting).
There comes a time when an individual sees that there has to be more, more to living than just going through the motions and becoming complacent with life and all that we have at this moment. It is at point that the little light bulb flickers on over your head and the realization that something needs to happen. Something needs to change! That change will only happen with the first step and that is to recognize that change has to happen now, not later. If you put it off until later then I can all but promise you it will never happen.
So if you find yourself just like me then it is time for a change. Time to make things happen is right now, right here, at this very moment. Time to quit talking and start doing. The time for planning is over. Time to start hitting more home runs is now.
So start making that change happen because one thing is certain change is not going to change itself.
-Dave
As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com
Here are some Technorati Tags: • Mediocrity • Change • Complacent • Time • Dave Guerra • Leadership • Leading • Leadership Development • Professional Development • Lead, Follow, or Get out of the way • Ready, Fire, Aim! • If it ain't broke, break it. • Hire Crazies • Ask Dumb Questions • Pursue Failure • Spread Confusion • Ditch Your Office • Read Odd Stuff • Avoid Moderation • Higher, Admire, Desire, Require, Satire, Inquire, On Fire, All Possible Scenarios • Give to the American Red Cross • Hire A Hero • Support the Armed Services Blood Program
18 August 2011
Mein Morgen….
Guten Morgen (German for Good Morning). I was reading something about what people do in the morning. Their morning routine and how what we do as part of the morning routine sets the mood and tone for the rest of the day. After reading the article I got to thinking about my morning routine and I concur with the findings. On those mornings that I do everything that I planned on doing it is a great day. Then on those mornings where I do all but one (or more) the day isn’t as great as it could be. Then there are those mornings when I have one or two things to do and I get them done, the day is, also, not as great. The way I see it, is that I could be doing more and don’t.
For me, the morning routine ends at around 8:00 but it begins around 5:30. I typically get up after hitting the snooze button one time (yes just once). Then get my gear on to hit the road. In this case, hitting the road means running as I am currently working on a 10K prep program for a race in February 2012. It is around this time that I take a photo of the day’s sunrise to share with friends and family. Then make coffee and two hard-boiled eggs (eaten sans yolk). Of course, there are mornings when there are more things to do that are more work related. But for the most part that’s about it, the core of my morning routine.
When I press the snooze button more that three times then all bets are off. When it is raining, the road has to wait. When I am out of coffee then you can rest assured that it will be a very bad day. As any one of the things that I fail to do will certainly lead to a less than spectacular day I try to do them all...everyday. When those days that I don’t get things done, the guilt (which I guess is a good thing as it means that I do care) drives the day.
What is your morning routine and how does it drive your day? Because Mein Morgen is my morning and it's alright.
As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com
Here are some Technorati Tags: • • Morning Routine • Morning • Have A Great Day • Dave Guerra • Leadership • Leading • Leadership Development • Professional Development • Lead, Follow, or Get out of the way • Ready, Fire, Aim! • If it aint broke, break it. • Hire Crazies • Ask dumb questions • Pursue failure • Spread Confusion • Ditch Your Office • Read Odd Stuff • Avoid Moderation
• Higher, Admire, Desire, Require, Satire, Inquire, On Fire, All Possible Scenarios • Give to the American Red Cross • Hire A Hero
For me, the morning routine ends at around 8:00 but it begins around 5:30. I typically get up after hitting the snooze button one time (yes just once). Then get my gear on to hit the road. In this case, hitting the road means running as I am currently working on a 10K prep program for a race in February 2012. It is around this time that I take a photo of the day’s sunrise to share with friends and family. Then make coffee and two hard-boiled eggs (eaten sans yolk). Of course, there are mornings when there are more things to do that are more work related. But for the most part that’s about it, the core of my morning routine.
When I press the snooze button more that three times then all bets are off. When it is raining, the road has to wait. When I am out of coffee then you can rest assured that it will be a very bad day. As any one of the things that I fail to do will certainly lead to a less than spectacular day I try to do them all...everyday. When those days that I don’t get things done, the guilt (which I guess is a good thing as it means that I do care) drives the day.
What is your morning routine and how does it drive your day? Because Mein Morgen is my morning and it's alright.
As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com
Here are some Technorati Tags: • • Morning Routine • Morning • Have A Great Day • Dave Guerra • Leadership • Leading • Leadership Development • Professional Development • Lead, Follow, or Get out of the way • Ready, Fire, Aim! • If it aint broke, break it. • Hire Crazies • Ask dumb questions • Pursue failure • Spread Confusion • Ditch Your Office • Read Odd Stuff • Avoid Moderation
• Higher, Admire, Desire, Require, Satire, Inquire, On Fire, All Possible Scenarios • Give to the American Red Cross • Hire A Hero
11 August 2011
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