In this episode, I want to talk about why we need to give our best to those we love, specifically, I want to talk about how to make the transition from work to home in a really elegant way.

In this episode:

[00:00:19] Giving our best to those we love
[00:00:36] My Wife’s Mantra
[00:01:02] The Problem is…
[00:03:02] The Message we are Sending, The Example we are Setting
[00:05:04] The Solution
[00:05:44] My Mantra
[00:06:39] What do you think?
[00:06:50] Please subscribe, rate, like, or comment…better yet tell a friend!
[00:07:06] Our Sponsor

The 3 Dirty Little Secrets of Failure was talk given by Mark Botros at  the Light the Fire Conference 2022, Sponsored by Proceed2Lead. For those  who actually read details, the dirty little secrets are:  

Dirty Little Secret #1: Failure is a frame not the whole movie 

Dirty Little Secret #2: The road to Success is paved with Failure …  among other things 

Dirty Little Secret #3: You may not embrace Failure, but the greats do   

To connect with Mark Botros: https://linktr.ee/markbotros

Kip Knight is in the top tier of marketing leaders in the world today. Kip’s amazing career spans decades in senior marketing and executive roles for Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, KFC, Taco Bell, eBay, and H&R Block. He’s even been a consultant to the Whitehouse. Today, he’s an operating partner with Thomvest, a Venture Capital firm in Silicon Valley. He is also the CEO and Founder of CMO Coaches, where he works with aspiring marketing leaders around the world.

Kip just released his latest book “Learn to Leap”- How Leaders Turn Risk into Opportunity. In this book, he talks about the many lessons he’s learned over the course of his illustrious career. Come and learn from one today’s leading marketing minds.

IN THIS FANTASTIC INTERVIEW:

[00:00:00] Welcome to the LIFE WORKS Podcast
[00:00:45] A Kidnapping
[00:04:09] Why Kip Wrote “Learn to Leap”
[00:06:20] Kip’s Best Lesson
[00:08:55] A Really Painful Lesson
[00:11:35] What saved Mark during his own tough time
[00:14:01] Kip Made ebay ebay
[00:15:14] Are there more good bosses or bad bosses out there?
[00:16:32] The Truly Great Managers
[00:17:17] The Questions Every Good Manager Asks Their People
[00:21:11] Humanizing the Manager-Employee Relationship
[00:22:18] How to Turn Risk Into Opportunity
[00:24:19] Kip’s Main Cause in Life
[00:25:28] What Kip is Most Concerned About For the World
[00:27:30] Kip’s Parting Advice to the World
[00:29:56] Your Moment of Zen
[00:32:30] Closing Calls to Action

BIO
Kip Knight is currently the Operating Partner at Thomvest Ventures (a $300M evergreen fund based in San Francisco). In addition, he’s the founder and CEO of CMO Coaches, which works with aspiring marketing leaders (www.cmocoaches.com). He is an independent board member with 5.11 Tactical and Netbase.com.

Kip started his career in marketing research at Burke Marketing Research in Cincinnati, Ohio. Over the past 40 years, he has worked in over 60 countries around the world. He spent 10 years in brand management at P&G. He worked for 10 years in PepsiCo’s international restaurant division in a variety of marketing and general management roles, including GM of North Latin America, as well as head of marketing for KFC International. Kip also served as Chief Marketing Officer for Taco Bell.

Kip worked at eBay, where he was vice-president of marketing for North America. He was also responsible for managing eBay Canada. He was the first head of international marketing as well as serving as Regional Vice President for eBay International for Latin America, Australia and Taiwan.
Kip served as president of H&R Block the world’s largest tax preparation company. He was also head of their international and ex-pat businesses.
He has been a featured speaker at numerous conferences, such as Business Week’s Global Brand Conference, the Association of National Advertisers Annual Conference, the Silicon Valley Technology Conference, the Global Innovation Summit in Dubai, The Economist Digital Forum, The American Marketing Association and HP’s Global Marketing Congress.

Kip is the founder of the USMCC (US Marketing Communication College) which has trained hundreds of diplomats at the US State Department on how to create effective communication strategies and programs. He’s the co-author of Crafting Persuasion: A Leader’s Handbook to Influence Minds and Change Behavior.

He earned his B.S. degree from LSU in marketing and his MBA from the University of Cincinnati. He is married and has two sons.

To connect with Kip Knight:

Websites: https://www.thomvest.com and https://www.cmocoaches.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kipknight/
Email: kipknight@gmail.com

To connect with Mark Botros:

https://markabotros.com
https://marble.app/markbotros

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/markbotros
Instagram: @markabotros
Twitter: @markbotros
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessstrategist/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/
Email: mark@markabotros.com
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

What is an entrepreneur? An entrepreneur is someone who operates a business while taking on greater than normal financial risk – ok that’s the dictionary definition. An entrepreneur is also an artist who sees, gaps, opportunities and angles where other people simply see problems.

00:00 FULL INTERVIEW_Lessons in Wine, Life, and Business with Wine Mogul Chris Pearmund
00:07 Introduction
00:43 The Challenge of Making and Selling Wine
02:26 Chris’s brilliant marketing summary
03:51 Chris Pearmund’s Surprising Take on Entrepreneurship
06:43 What Chris gave up to be an entrepreneur
09:22 Does Chris Recommend Entrepreneurship to Everyone?
10:43 Finding “Gaps”
13:11 We are not in the Information Age, we are in the Decipher Age
14:06 Chris’s Closest Friends
14:26 Chris Greatest Life Lessons
14:38 What it takes to be wildly successful
17:40 How Chris learned fearlessness and confidence
18:54 Chris’s Final thoughts…How he wants to be remembered

Welcome to a very special edition of the LIFE WORKS podcast. We went on location to talk with wine mogul, Chris Pearmund at Pearmund Cellars Winery in Broad Run, Virginia.

Chris Pearmund – from as early as 7 years old, Chris always had an eye for seeing opportunities and solutions wherever he was. In his first business he turned an avocado tree in his back yard into a thriving enterprise – and that was just the start, he’s come a long way since that first Avocado tree. Today, he owns, manages, and consults with wineries across the country. In fact, he helped start nearly 20 wineries in Virginia alone. His headquarters is Pearmund Cellars, in Broad Run, VA, where we went on location to meet this incredible man.

If you thought you knew wine, life, or business – think again, because when your with one of the country’s leading wine masters there is so much more to learn — and Chris is just the man to teach us how to drink wine. Even if you don’t drink, don’t miss this incredibly fun and informative episode where we get into wine, life, business, and what it takes to be wildly successful.

R&B Star, Marcell Russell shares his incredibly pragmatic insights on Life, Business, Wealth, and Time.

Marcell Russell is a man of many many talents. A minister turned professional musician, Marcell experienced a meteoric rise in the music industry. Having written over 800 songs, he became the most awarded independent R&B artist in the city of Baltimore, Maryland –Getting critical acclaim from BET, The People’s Choice Awards, and ECHOES magazine, just to name a few. In fact, the music industry nicknamed him “The Voice” – and he was The Voice BEFORE it was a hit reality TV show. Today, he’s the CEO of a 50 person financial services firm. As a minister, musician, and entrepreneur, Marcell’s insights on life, wealth, and business are unique and worth listening to.

2020 sparked global conversations (and even protests) about race, police, and implicit bias. But it also shined a light on diversity, equity, and inclusion. And at the center of those conversations were black and minority communities.

As someone so embedded within the black community as a minister, musician, and today as CEO of a 50 person financial services firm, Marcell has an incredibly unique perspective that I think we all need to hear. You may think you’re “woke”, and you may think you already understand black culture — think again, because it is so much more.

TIME CUTS

00:10 Mark’s Opening question and Monologue
01:11 Is it a good time to be Black in America today?
02:53 The Flea and the Jar – The limits we place on ourselves
03:45 Two incidents
05:04 White Supremacy is Narcissism
05:55 Superiority over Melanin…Really
06:40 The Black Community is the 10th Wealthiest Nation in the World
07:15 Ignorance and Fear is passed down
08:53 You don’t have 24 hours in a
09:13 Why fathers matter
10:48 Wealth is lost within 2 generations
11:28 Take care of your own house first
12:54 Sentiment in the Black Community
16:10 2020 in the Black Community
16:29 I got pulled over 5-8 times per year
17:55 It’s not because you’re black
18:48 The real colors you need to worry about are not black and white
19:12 The positive things never get mentioned
20:04 White people are saying I’m sorry, and are asking, “what do you want me to do?”
21:11 What Marcell really thinks of Black Lives Matter (BLM)
21:44 Where is BLM’s money going?
23:27 I’m proud about what blacks are doing
24:17 Misconceptions about the black community
26:52 They clump groups together
27:50 Blaxploitation and efforts to undermine the Black Community
30:33 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives – a good idea?
33:14 The Victim Agenda
33:55 The New Slavery
34:20 A United Black Community – what would that look like?
35:43 Trends in the Black Community
37:04 Real Wealth
37:33 Takeaways from 2020
38:15 To be continued…

Connect with Marcell:

Instagram: @marcellthevoice

Connect with Mark Botros:

https://marble.app/markbotros

Music Credit:

• Theme: “Fond Memories” – SYBS
• Preview: “Lifelong” – Anno Domini Beats

Photo and Media Credit(s):

• Marcell Russell
• Oak Hill Music
• Teddy Douglas
• Alexandra Koch
• Bamner
• CityXcape
• Mikhail Nilov
• Ketut Subiyanto
• KIndel Media
• KoolShooters
• Los Muertos Crew
• Marco Allasio
• Michael Kuelbel
• Monstera
• RODNAE Productions
• Freepik
• Joseph Redfield
• Artem Podrez
• Joseph Eulo
• Engin Akyurt
• Baris Seref
• Cottonbro
• Diva Plavalaguna
• Tony Schnagl
• Kampus Production
• Anastasia Shuraeva
• August de Richelieu
• Purplehorse
• Vecteezy
• Pexels
• Terje Sollie
• Tima Miroshnichenko
• Flea Video Credit: Jaiden Nardella, Luke Corallo, and Les Horovitz

I think we can all agree that 2020 was an unexpected year on so many levels. We saw a once in a century global pandemic, we saw an economic collapse, where in the United States alone more than 33 Million jobs vanished within a matter of weeks, we saw George Floyd and the social justice protests and riots that came about as a result. In the midst of all that, we also lived through a highly contentious presidential election.

This year I really sought to make sense of all this for myself — and for you. So I decided to invite experts to talk to me, and what I’ve compiled are 10 of the lessons and takeaways from those interviews in 2020.

00:00 Intro
00:45 Lesson 10: How to Prevent Covid-19 (Dr. Lisa Koche)
02:28 Lesson 9: The Fountain of Youth (Olivia Sheldon)
03:57 Lesson 8: Never Ever Give Up (Andre Watson)
05:43 Lesson 7: Follow Your Curiosity (Lorraine Rise)
07:32 Lesson 6: An Exercise in Humility (Dr. Dan Hill)
08:48 Lesson 5: Suffering and Identity (Professor Myles Eldreth)
09:43 Lesson 4: How the Media Skews Reality (Dr. Victoria Romero)
11:43 Lesson 3: How to Turn Down the Social Media Volume (Bob Pearson)
12:31 Lesson 2: The Impediment to Confidence (Michael Hertz, Ph.D)
13:31 Lesson 1: A Life Well Lived (Katiusca Guzman, Esq.)

Did any of these resonate with you? Put it in the comments below. Were there more lessons? Absolutely, you bet there were. Over the holidays, I invite you to look into these interviews if you have some time. I promise you, they will not be a waste of your time. If you love to learn as much as I do check out the full interviews you won’t regret it.

To follow Mark

Instagram: @markabotros
Twitter: @markbotros
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessstrategist/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/
Email: mark@markabotros.com
The LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

Media Credits

• CDC
• Jon Sailer
• Kilian Figueras Torras
• Pixabay
• Pressmaaster
• Victor Varetto

Special Thanks To All Guests in 2020

• Dr. Lisa Koche
• Olivia Sheldon
• Andre Watson
• Lorraine Rise
• Dr. Dan Hill
• Prof. Myles Eldreth
• Dr. Victoria Romero
• Bob Pearson
• Michael Hertz, Ph.D
• Katiusca Guzman, Esq.
• Tim Clark, Ph.D
• Garry Golden
• Marti McEwean
• Walter Powell
• Dr. Marisela Martinez-Cola

One of the most enjoyable aspects of my morning routine is daily meditation. The first documented practice of meditation dates as far back as 1500 BC. So it’s not a new fad, it’s an enduring ancient practice of pursuing inner peace, and its benefits are well-documented.

I had a fairly well-established morning routine, and as someone who measures the return on investment of time very carefully, I didn’t see the immediate value of meditation at first, but then I thought to try it to see how it would work for me, and I was amazed by what it did for me. Meditation did not produce any measurable scientific results, but what I got out of it was a greater sense of peace, stillness, and gratitude. I was also able to face the stress and the intensity of my daily life with greater ease, poise, and strength. I have come to depend on meditation for daily centering, and I feel the difference on the days that I don’t.

I’ve come to find that there is no right or wrong way to meditate. The key is that by the end, you feel more grateful, centered, and at peace than when you started. For me, meditation is about breathing and allowing my mind to go where it will within some straw-fences. Meditation experts say that I should probably clear my mind, but for someone like me whose mind is like New York City, I’ve let go of trying to shut down my mind but rather focus on several key items.

I’m someone who enjoys both structure and a little free play, so my meditation is a balance of structured thinking and mindful wandering. What I do for my own personal meditation is:

• Think about 3 things I am grateful for right now
• Think about who I am, and the best version of myself I want to become
• Think about what I want most for myself and my life
• Think about a moment where I recently felt overwhelmed by love or gratitude
• Concentrate on my breathing and heartbeat, and then allow myself to settle so I can sense my heartbeat pulsating in my hands.

And that where I typically finish my meditation.

Are you wondering how long all this takes? I set aside 8 minutes every day. That’s it. Remember, I want to do this daily so it has to be doable and sustainable. At an average of 8 minutes, it totally is. I’ve learned meditation doesn’t need to be a daily marathon, just a few minutes a day sets me on the right foot, and the long term effects on my mind, soul, and body can’t be measured. After all, how do you measure feeling centered, present, joyful, and at peace (well actually I’m working on a set of measures for those very things) If I’m honest, It helps me to be a better human being, and truly that is the outcome that truly matters.

Andre Watson’s story is incredible. It is a classic American Dream, rags-to-riches story that is full of broken dreams, tears, lonely park benches, betrayal, and tragedy. But it is also a story of redemption, re-commitment, and one where God, love, and persistence conquer all.

This interview is full of humor, depth, wisdom, and inspiration. If you want to see two close friends of 30+ years bantering about the important things in life, you are in for a treat. Don’t miss this interview.

GUEST BIO

Andre Watson is a Commercial Real Estate Broker, and Managing Director of KW Commercial in Philadelphia, PA. He specializes in investment sales on behalf of business owners and investors, He also consults with clients on commercial market evaluation, lease analysis, and contract negotiations.

In this interview

02:14 Andre’s humble beginnings
07:33 The High School Years
08:22 Early insecurities
09:00 Andre’s first dream for his life
10:25 The acting years
14:29 Why Andre got out of acting
15:21 The moment Andre decided to go into real estate
16:50 Low points, turning points, and defining moments
19:04 Andre walks out
21:03 Betrayal and tragedy
25:39 Andre’s formula for success
27:44 The drawbacks of colleges and universities
28:30 Recognize, identify, and pursue your skillset
29:38 The most important thing when it comes to being a success
30:23 Two of Andre’s great success traits
30:40 One of the best movie lines
31:13 Showing up and not giving up
31:44 Don’t care about how others define success
31:59 You don’t work you don’t eat
32:19 Get knocked down, get back up
32:22 What Abraham Lincoln and Mike Tyson have in common
32:45 Andre’s Happily Ever After
36:35 How Andre met the love of his life
38:15 Arranged marriages and the wisdom of parents
38:50 How marriage and parenthood changes you
40:40 The plight of single parents
41:16 Andre’s advice to his younger self
42:47 Coping with challenges
43:20 The ONLY thing you control completely
43:32 The greatest lesson learned, preparing for the end, and Fatih as the foundation of it all
46:12 What Andre wants most for his life
48:00 Final thoughts
48:15 Find your “one thing”, learn history, learning about the greatness of your society, the importance of your friendships, making peace with God
50:50 How to connect with Andre

To connect with Andre Watson

Websites: https://brevitas.com/u/andre-watson/yK5dh3K
http://www.kwcommercialglobalpartners.com/agent/BL2015-2530-1449543ccfb78bac5_Andre%2BWatson.html
http://www.crephilly.com/
https://www.crexi.com/profile/andre-watson-andrew
Blog: https://www.andrewatson.net/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andre-watson-13793a9/
Email: andre_watson@kw.com
Twitter: @BrokerDre

To connect with Mark Botros

https://markabotros.com
Instagram: @markabotros
Twitter: @markbotros
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessstrategist/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/
Email: mark@markabotros.com
The LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

Podcast Music Credit

Track: Memories — INOSSI [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus
Watch: https://youtu.be/GePAKPB6vQY
Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/Memories

Photo Credit

Andreas Weilguny
https://unsplash.com/@aweilguny

Joining me today Katiusca Polanco-Guzman – Attorney, Photographer, Artist, Spiritual Advisor, Life Coach, Social Media Personality, and Host of the Podcast, “Between These Stitches”. In this podcast we talk about personal reinvention, authenticity, self-reflection and confidence.

Why you want to tune into this podcast. In this interview, we cover the following (times are approximate):

• 03:04 Why people choose certain paths for their life, and how life paths happen
• 06:49 Why Kati decided to go to Law School
• 08:32 Why Kati left law to pursue the life of an artist
• 13:36 Why people want to reinvent themselves, and how to start that process
• 16:07 Why [self] Authenticity is so important
• 18:01 The balance of Authenticity and Compromise
• 19:54 Kati’s habit of self-work
• 20:57 How a person can become more self-aware
• 22:09 How to develop confidence and what gets in people’s way
• 24:03 Why Kati went all in on Fiber Arts
• 25:46 Why Kati started the “Between These Stitches” Podcast
• 26:30 The surprising racism, ageism, sexism, classism, and exclusivity in the Fiber Arts community
• 31:58 Kati’s secret to success
• 33:00 What Kati wants most for her life – Joy
• 34:13 Kati’s one piece of advice to the world
• 35:13 How Kati wants to leave the world better
• 35:49 Kati comes full circle and describes the pillars of confidence and reinvention
  

To connect with Kati:
www.betweenthesestitches.com
www.katiuscaguzman.com
Instagram: @betweenthesestitches

To connect with Mark:
https://markabotros.com
Instagram: @markabotros
Twitter: @markbotrosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/Email: mark@markabotros.com
The LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

Music Credit:
Track: Memories — INOSSI [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: https://youtu.be/GePAKPB6vQYFree Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/Memories

Photo Credits:
David Clode and Katiusca Guzman  

Joining me today is Olivia Sheldon Barnett, the CEO and Founder of Positive Energy Yoga. Olivia began her passion for fitness and health at an early age. At 15, she became a Black Belt in Karate and continued on her fitness path: teaching kickboxing, women’s self defense, and later starting Positive Energy Yoga®. She has been teaching for over twenty years.

You will benefit from this interview. We cover:

• Olivia’s observation about how people are doing in general
• How to remain positive even under the worst circumstances
• How to get centered every day
• Why morning and daily routines are so important
• How to develop a positive state of mind and a sense of confidence
• How small actions can add up to transformative effects
• The necessity of health as a foundation for success
• Why the “dailyness” of healthy habits is vital
• A major misconception people have about fitness and wellbeing
• Advice on food and eating
• How to tap into the “Fountain of Youth”
• A technique to help feel peaceful under any circumstances
• And much more…

About Olivia:

Olivia Sheldon Barnett began her passion for fitness and health at an early age. At 15, Olivia became a Black Belt in Karate and continued on her fitness passion path: teaching kickboxing, aerobics, women’s self defense classes, and working at a Cardiac Rehabilitation Center. She became certified in 1999 as a yoga teacher.

From her own experience and inspiration, Olivia created Positive Energy Yoga®. She has spent the last two decades teaching in the Washington D.C. area in corporate settings, gyms and to private clients. She specializes in catering to each individual’s unique needs and enjoys a playful, light-hearted approach to the practice.

After many injuries from years of wear and tear, and after receiving a diagnosis of hypermobility (explaining many aches and pains), Olivia transitioned to a new-found appreciation of fitness, health and yoga. Less is more. Balance is best.

Olivia’s Mantra: Humility. Integrity. Perseverance. Heal thyself. DO YOU! SHINE ON!

To contact Olivia:

www.positiveenergyyoga.com
oliviaPEY@yahoo.com
Find her on: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn

To contact Mark:

https://markabotros.com
Instagram: @markabotros
Twitter: @markbotros
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/
Email: mark@markabotros.com
The LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

Music Credit:

Track: Memories — INOSSI [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus
Watch: https://youtu.be/GePAKPB6vQY
Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/Memories

Photo Credit: Jesse Bowser

Tags:

#how #how to #people #yoga #peace #positive #confidence #centered #routine #yoga #energy #cumulativeeffect #detachment #health #wellness #gratitude #appreciation #habits #misconceptions #food #foodie #eating #diet #lifestyle #fitness #wellbeing #advice #fountainofyouth #covid #pandemic #stress

Joining me for today’s interview, “How to be Interesting…and Interested” is longtime friend, colleague, and one of the most interesting people I know – Dr. Michael Hertz. Michael is a Senior Leader with Progeny Systems, and co-founder of Empowering Haitians, a non-profit that seeks to create economic opportunity, social independence, self-sufficiency, and sustainability solutions in Haiti.

In this interview we cover:

• What makes a person interesting
• How to become interesting
• How to be interested
• How to work a room – even a virtual one
• How to develop confidence
• The greatest impediment to confidence
• Secrets to a success work and personal life

Resources

A few resources (among many) for expanding your worldview to become a more informed / interesting / interested / person:

• NY Times
• Washington Post
• Reddit.com
• Fool.com
• Gizmodo.com
• BGR.com
• theweek.com
• Travelzoo.com
• Google travel
• http://historical-sites.find-near-me.info/
• thoughtco.com/
• getpocket.com
• ceoexpress.com

Tags

#howto #interesting #interested #confidence #leadership #workaroom #zoom #success #personal #lifeadvice #advice #wisdom #travel #covid19 #covid-19 #pandemic

Music Credit

Track: Memories — INOSSI [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus
Watch: https://youtu.be/GePAKPB6vQY
Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/Memories

Photo Credit

Lucas Sankey

Check out my new podcast episode, “10 Secrets of Building Unity and Community (Length 9:41)”

In these anxious times, amid the backdrop of a pandemic and social unrest, we need to build unity and community more now than ever before. Over the years, I have observed (and personally implemented) these 10 SECRETS to bond and build unity, community, and camaraderie within groups or organizations.

1. Physical or Virtual Proximity
2. Food / Shared Meals
3. Lots of time spent together
4. Give them a problem to solve
5. Don’t Waste a Good Crisis
6. Give them a common cause or purpose
7. Create a common enemy
8. Give them a shared experience
9. Have fun or celebrate together
10. Have them in your home

#Unity #Communication #Community #Closeness #COVID-19 #Crisis #meals #Problems #CommonCars #CommonEnemy #SharedExperience #Fun #Celebrate #Home #Family #Team

Music Credit

Track: Memories — INOSSI [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus
Watch: https://youtu.be/GePAKPB6vQY
Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/Memories

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Seneca

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12 “Wisdoms” That Built a Legacy

On July 9, 2019, H. Ross Perot (Amercian Business Magnate and two time U.S. Presidential Candidate) entered the hallowed halls of history, never to be seen on the world stage again. He was known for his signature look, his Texan twang, and his wildly down-to-earth approach to speaking with people. Even though he is gone, the wisdom he bequeaths to all of us is priceless.  

When Leadership is done well, it produces great projects, great companies, great families, great communities, and even great nations. Every group, regardless of size, needs Leadership. H. Ross Perot built EDS, an incredible IT services company, which I worked for before it was acquired by HP. EDS did not become that way without great leadership.   The foundation of Perot’s leadership is one of the simplest and most profound resources I have ever seen. He called it the “Grassroots Wisdoms”. Of course “Wisdoms” is not a word, but it is the kind of word that only H. Ross could coin and still be taken seriously.  His “Wisdoms” are so strikingly common-sense that you could almost see H. Ross using them to cut through the silliness that often pervade business and life. While I feel tempted to provide my own editorial to each of the following “Wisdoms”, I think I will refrain and allow H. Ross to speak to us directly. I especially like number 10:

1. Be upfront, blunt and candid
2. Leaders are not obligated to perpetuate foolishness
3. Leaders are in charge
4. Leaders must choose which problem to live with
5. Run the company so the best people love it
6. Sit in the grandstand
7. Run it like it’s your company
8. Take out your checkbook
9. No second chance to make a first impression
10. Bad news does not improve with age
11. Get all the liars in the same room
12. If your people are not doing what you want, it’s your fault  
    

“ Bad news doesn’t get better with age. —H. ROSS PEROT

H. Ross Perot was a pioneer in the IT field who was known for his deep pragmatism, thoroughness in thinking, and frankly his ability to influence virtually anyone through straight, practical, and unambiguous talk. So many people make themselves out to be something they are not, but not Perot. He was authentic through and through, and his “Grassroots Wisdoms” served as the practical philosophy that allowed him to build a multi-billion dollar empire. “The Grassroots Wisdoms” served him,  and now he lives on in the wisdom he leaves to us.  

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One of the most enjoyable aspects of my morning routine is daily meditation. The first documented practice of meditation dates as far back as 1500 BC. So it’s not a new fad, it’s an enduring ancient practice of pursuing inner peace, and its benefits are well-documented.

I had a fairly well-established morning routine, and as someone who measures the return on investment of time very carefully, I didn’t see the immediate value of meditation at first, but then I thought to try it to see how it would work for me, and I was amazed by what it did for me. Meditation did not produce any measurable scientific results, but what I got out of it was a greater sense of peace, stillness, and gratitude. I was also able to face the stress and the intensity of my daily life with greater ease, poise, and strength. I have come to depend on meditation for daily centering, and I feel the difference on the days that I don’t.

I’ve come to find that there is no right or wrong way to meditate. The key is that by the end, you feel more grateful, centered, and at peace than when you started. For me, meditation is about breathing and allowing my mind to go where it will within some straw-fences. Meditation experts say that I should probably clear my mind, but for someone like me whose mind is like New York City, I’ve let go of trying to shut down my mind but rather focus on several key items.

I’m someone who enjoys both structure and a little free play, so my meditation is a balance of structured thinking and mindful wandering. What I do for my own personal meditation is:

• Think about 3 things I am grateful for right now
• Think about who I am
• Think about what I want most for myself and my life
• Think about a moment where I recently felt overwhelmed by love or gratitude
• Concentrate on my breathing and heartbeat, and then allow myself to settle so I can sense my heartbeat pulsating in my hands.

And that where I typically finish my meditation.

Are you wondering how long all this takes? I set aside 8 minutes every day. That’s it. Remember, I want to do this daily so it has to be doable and sustainable. At an average of 8 minutes, it totally is. I’ve learned meditation doesn’t need to be a daily marathon, just a few minutes a day sets me on the right foot, and the long term effects on my mind, soul, and body can’t be measured. After all, how do you measure feeling centered, present, joyful, and at peace (well actually I’m working on a set of measures for those very things) If I’m honest, It helps me to be a better human being, and truly that is the outcome that truly matters.

“ Your meditation worked if you are you are a better human being than when you started it. —MARK BOTROS

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Hello, my name is Mark, and I am married to Perfection. I’ve been married to Perfection for over 30 years, but I’ve come to realize that I have a problem. Perfection has not been the spouse that I thought she would be.

High achievers have high standards and high expectations of themselves and others. Often those standards are so high that they resemble perfection. We perfectionists, think Perfection is actually attainable, yet we vaguely define what perfection is, and what’s more is that the criteria for Perfection changes from moment to moment and person to person. Do we ever really attain Perfection? Even when something is perfect, we can always think of something to improve upon it. If I were to give Perfection a personal definition, I would say it is a state where all of our expectations are met exactly the way we expect them and even beyond, except when does that ever truly happen? I think that we perfectionists need to let go of the concept that Perfection is actually possible, and accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world among imperfect people, and that Perfection is a concept that actually deceives and eludes us. I have come to find that perfection has many drawbacks. I have, quite literally, been crippled for years by my own sense of Perfection, so much so that it has kept me from living the fullest expression of my own life. I realized that Perfection is actually my enemy. Here are five reasons why I decided to let go of Perfection and run straight into the arms of Imperfection:

1. Perfection is the enemy of starting…and finishing. Perfection tells you that if you can’t get it perfect then you shouldn’t do it at all – because it must be perfect. Perfection is also the enemy of completion. Perfection says that if you are in the middle of a project that the end product must be perfect. So as you constantly aim for perfection, you are never truly done, because Perfection is never satisfied.

2. Perfection is the enemy of Decision. Perfection causes us to be in a state of “Analysis Paralysis”. Perfection causes us to fear every decision that we make, because Perfection wants us to make the perfect decision, and there is no truly perfect decision. Every decision we make is filled with risk and closes off other options. Perfection wants us to keep a back door just in case the decision we make is bad, so it’s difficult to fully commit to a decision, and when you are lukewarm about a decision, you don’t reap the rewards (including the mistakes and lessons) of a full commitment.

3. Perfection places high demands and expectations on our relationships. High achieving parents have high expectations of their children, and often expect some form of perfection from them. If those high expectations are not tempered with incredible amounts of love, grace, and understanding, over time this can create children that are resentful of their parents, because of unachievable standards. Children become critical of their parents because they are simple modeling them. High achieving bosses can experience a similar fate with their employees. Hard-driving, high-expectations bosses can only accomplish so much for so long. Unless the boss can find and tap into the internal motivation of people, and temper high-quality and high-achievement with balance, rest, and team-building then the boss will burn out and lose those people to better bosses and “better opportunities”.

4. Perfection is relative. Your idea of Perfection is different from mine. Logically, by its very nature, Perfection is unachievable because the standard and criteria is different from person to person. What you think is “perfect”, I may think is “good” but needs considerably more work to become perfect.

5. Imperfection is far more forgiving than Perfection. Imperfection allows you to get started, to finish, to make decisions, to make mistakes, learn your lessons, and move on. Imperfection allows you to have more fun, enjoy the process, and have more grace with people whether they are in your family or in your business. Perfection is like an emotionally abusive spouse that, at first, is so attractive and promises so much, but later places impossible, ever-shifting, never-to-be-satisfied standards on you. Meanwhile, Imperfection adores you the way you are.

“ Perfection is like an abusive spouse that has impossible standards, while Imperfection adores you the way you are. —MARK BOTROS

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we should not have high standards or any standards at all, that’s what makes us who we are, and there is a place for quality, high expectations and standards. What I’m saying is that Perfection has down sides that we need to have “eyes wide open” about, and acknowledge those downsides so that we are not chronically disappointed.

So start that project without a perfect project plan, develop that product without knowing every detail, finish and submit that document, and know that you’ll always find things to change in it, make that decision and go for it, if it doesn’t work out, you learned something in the process. And hey (this one’s for me) let your kids be kids, let them have their messes and their mistakes, correct them, but also share your mistakes with them, and show them how a real human being gets up and goes forward.

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As a parent, one of the things I dread is seeing my children suffer in any way. Several years ago, I was out walking with my kids, my [then] 4-year-old daughter was running far ahead of us, and my [then] 2-year-old daughter lagged behind.

The younger one was approaching a hole in the ground and I clearly saw that she was about to step in it, trip, fall, and cry. I was tempted to redirect her away from the hole, but I resisted my temptation to see what she would do. She did exactly as I predicted. It was an awful feeling to knowingly allow your child to suffer pain. I comforted her, of course, but I put her down near the hole again to [again] see what she would do. Sure enough, she saw it and walked right by it.

Too often, I try to prevent my children from suffering – in large part because it hurts me more than them. I work very hard to give them all of the opportunity, character, strength, wisdom and blessing that I may have lacked growing up. I think that when I see my child suffer, I feel that I failed them in some way – that I didn’t meet a need at just the right time. But the ironic thing is that suffering (as unattractive as it is) is the one teacher that seems to show up consistently in our lives, and has the potential to teach us the best life lessons. If I look at my own life, did I become who I am today from frequent success? Absolutely not. I developed character in those less than perfect moments; in those moments where I made colossal mistakes that cost me dearly; in those times where I had to deal with IMPOSSIBLE personalities; and in those times where the Universe strategically placed me in a less than optimal (even toxic) situations.

Suffering is a necessary part of life, and regardless of who we are, where we live, or how much we have in the bank, Suffering finds us all. None of us are immune to it, and no matter how much we pay in insurance premiums – suffering always finds a way to break through our myriad forms of emotional insulation, shielding, and suppression. Those of us (like me) who are slow to figure out that we actually are going through a tough time, find it coming out in different ways – often more negative ways. For example, we’ll get angry and frustrated more easily over the smallest and silliest things. I find that at home that when I get mad about something, I’m not usually mad at the situation in front of me, but it’s something else that’s bothering me – that I won’t admit to myself. In every 12 step program admitting “I” have a problem is the very first step, and often half the battle. The problem is, I don’t like admitting that I’m going through tough times. I want to appear strong, capable, and together. I don’t want to admit that I’m afraid, anxious, torn and utterly crumbling inside. I don’t want to admit the “camel’s back” is already broken. I don’t want to admit that I feel crushed under the weight of my problems. But you know, on the other side of suffering, after it has done its job properly, and after I’ve listened to the lessons that it was trying to teach me, something GLORIOUS happens…

Redemption. That state of being released or restored from emotional captivity through the payment of my suffering. If I’ve paid attention, on the other side of suffering – I am wiser, I have a deeper sense of joy and gratitude, and most importantly I realize that I AM strong, I AM capable, I AM together, and I AM MORE than what I believe I am.

“ Suffering is a part of life, and regardless of who we are, where we live, or how much we have, Suffering finds us all. —MARK BOTROS

Looking at me on the surface, you would think I had a charmed life. Quite the contrary. I have suffered a great deal, and I’m glad I have because I wouldn’t be who I am without it. This is the challenge I have with my children and anyone I seek to help. I would give advice to people to prevent them from making obvious mistakes, but often they would ignore my advice, make the mistake anyway, and come back and say “You were right, Mark. I shouldn’t have done that”. While I feel gratified to know that I was right, what I repeatedly learn in those situations is that people often need to suffer to learn for themselves.

So as a parent, I find it’s okay to occasionally let your kids trip over their own [proverbial] holes. They’ll be more careful the next time, and that is the point (or at least one of the many points) of suffering.

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3 Ways to know if you are your own person

Abraham Maslow the renowned 20th Century psychologist, proposed a theory of human behavior that is primarily driven by “needs” – The need for food, shelter, safety, security, love, acceptance, esteem, confidence, and respect. The needs actually fall in a hierarchy of needs. The bottom of the pyramid are your basic physical needs, and as you graduate up the pyramid as the needs become increasing less physical and more emotional, mental, spiritual and metaphysical.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is represented as a pyramid that starts with the most basic physiological needs at the bottom and becomes increasingly more self-aware and self-actualizing as you reach the top. Picture credit: By User:Factoryjoe (Mazlow’s Hierarchy of Needs.svg) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Maslow’s theory maintains that the ultimate need for a human being is to reach “self-actualization”. There are thousands of descriptions of self-actualized people, and we could give great examples of them like Oprah Winfrey, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Mother Theresa, but to put it succinctly, a self-actualized person typically has  all of their physical, safety, love, and esteem needs well met (whether they are actually wealthy or not). Although this is not true in all cases. You could say the self-actualized person is no longer worried about basic needs, but rather they are driven by their personal need to evolve and fulfill their life’s purpose or mission. One time someone asked Maslow, “How do you if know if you are self-actualized?” Maslow responded with the following:

“The Self-Actualized Person:

1. Is independent of the good opinion of others
2. Lets go of ALL outcomes [positive and negative]
3. Is free from the need for power over others.”

Wow. One of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century basically said that to find your ultimate self, you need to let go of outside opinions, control, and power over others. Funny, isn’t that precisely what we seek? To have a good opinion of ourselves, greater control over the outcomes of our lives, and the desire for other people to do all the things we want them to do for us? Thinking about letting go of these paradigms is downright scary – to be honest. However, it makes so much sense, that we can’t begin to realize our greatest potential, nor fulfill our ultimate purpose until we uncuff ourselves from opinion, control, and power.

“ ‘We can’t begin to realize our greatest potential, nor fulfill our ultimate purpose, until we uncuff ourselves from opinion, control, and power.’ —MARK BOTROS

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It’s never too late or too early to be whoever you want to be.

There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want.
You can change or stay the same.
There are no rules to this thing.
We can make the best or the worst of it.
I hope you make the best of it.
I hope you see things that startle you.
I hope you feel things you never felt before.
I hope you meet people with a different point of view.
I hope you live a life you’re proud of.
If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.

— From the movie screenplay, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

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