Good stories, helpful strategies, fun stuff… (and Words To Live By, Frey Freyday)
Pretty cool stuff.
If you have about 18 minutes, I suggest a listen
https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action#
Simon Sinek has a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership — starting with a golden circle and the question “Why?” His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King, and the Wright brothers …
(Frey Freyday is simply a bunch of inspirational, motivational and other quotes meant to make you think, reflect, smile, even laugh a bit. Hopefully helpful, useful stuff….)
–
There are two great days in a person’s life – the day we are born and the day we discover why.-William Barclay
–
Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going to fast – you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.-Eddie Cantor
–
When you’re surrounded by people who share a passionate commitment around a common purpose, when they know their ‘why’, anything is possible.-Howard Schultz
–
Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions – Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful. Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead.-Chanakya
–
He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.-Friedrich Nietzsche
–
WORD TO LIVE BY:
WHY – [hwahy, wahy] – for what? for what reason, cause, or purpose?:
The word Why is powerful for two main reasons:
First, by asking the correct “Why?” question, we can either help our brains help us, or the opposite. For instance, we all have self-talk. We all ask ourselves questions inside like: why am I so unlucky? Why do bad things happen to me? Why or what is wrong with me? Etc…….These questions will send your brain (which acts very much like a computer) on a mission to answer the question, and it will come back with an answer.
Therefore if you say, why will I never be rich?, your brain will search and find reasons why you won’t be and essentially reinforce your negativity – a self-fulfilling prophecy. Yet if you interrupt your pattern and change the question to “why am I finally saving for a fun, strong financial future?” (or whatever) your brain will search for those answers.
Ask “why am I so happy”, “why am I confident”…and try to answer it consciously and also let your brain answer unconsciously. It is almost magical how it works. “Why do I get so many good referrals?” or “why do I have so many good, fun, supportive friends?” is a lot better than “why don’t I have any business?” or “why are most people mean?”, etc. It changes your perspective, opens you to new thinking and seems to have the ability to make big changes, trust me.
Second, Why is wonderful for establishing purpose – why are you doing something? This can be for your whole life–Why are you here? It could be for a specific project-Why do I want to do a great job and get this done by October 31? Or maybe it is how you inspire others and lead a group of some kind.
Establish the “Why” and the how and what will work out. Establish the “Why” and the motivation will come more easily. Why helps us with ethical decisions, changes in life circumstances, and any challenge.
Some organizations and some leaders ask the question “why?” and they are then able to inspire where others aren’t. As the below referenced TED Talk suggests, every person, every organization knows what they do. Some know how they do it, whether you call it your differentiated value proposition or your proprietary process or your USP.
Very few people or organizations know why they do what they do. To clarify, when I say this, by “why,” I mean: What’s your purpose? What’s the cause? What’s your belief? Why does your organization exist?
Right? Why do you get out of bed in the morning? And why should anyone care?
As a result, the way we think, we act, the way we communicate is from the outside in, it’s obvious. We go from the clearest thing to the fuzziest thing.
If you want to live an inspired life, if you want to be an inspired leader and or part of an inspired organization—one must think, act and communicate from the inside out….whether on a personal level or organizational level.
So, first, when you’re talking to yourself, make sure you ask empowering, positive “Why?” questions.
Then, when you embark on a project, think about life, inspire others, or just want to do the best job that you can do, ask yourself “Why?” and define your purpose.
—
–
Frey Freyday was actually born out of something I created called “Words To Live By” (WTLB). Going forward, I will now not only share the quotes, as you may be used to receiving, but also a related (WTLB). In 1999, when we had our first daughter, I was contemplating how I would raise my new beautiful child, and I was thinking about how I can best educate her and my other children about values, morals, and other key thoughts about life. School offers education. Religion offers some values and morals. Parents offer most of it, sometimes intentionally, sometimes accidentally.
So I created a (WTLB) book, like a dictionary, which lists things like honesty, love, persistence, etc. with a definition that I created, with my wife’s input. I then turned it into a workbook with one word per page and space below for notes. For years we would discuss with my two daughters and they would draw pictures and make notes in the blank space. I may share some of those images with you. As they got older, they were less inclined to draw and more open to quotes and references from adults, hence where Frey Freyday came from….
–
BONUS –TED TALK https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action
Simon Sinek has a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership — starting with a golden circle and the question “Why?” His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King, and the Wright brothers …
This is a rare email I send out on a very rare occasion..
In this hour, finding happiness may be simpler than you think.
http://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/267185371/simply-happy
(Frey Freyday is simply a bunch of inspirational, motivational and other quotes meant to make you think, reflect, smile, even laugh a bit. Hopefully helpful, useful stuff….)
–
I’ve learned that fear limits you and your vision. It serves as blinders to what may be just a few steps down the road for you. The journey is valuable, but believing in your talents, your abilities, and your self-worth can empower you to walk down an even brighter path. Transforming fear into freedom – how great is that?-Soledad O’Brien
–
As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.-Bill Gates
–
For my brothers it was easy to think about the future. They can be anything they want. But for me it was hard and for that reason I wanted to become educated and empower myself with knowledge.-Malala Yousafzai
–
You have to enable and empower people to make decisions independent of you. As I’ve learned, each person on a team is an extension of your leadership; if they feel empowered by you they will magnify your power to lead.-Tom Ridge
–
Always keep your eyes open for the thoughts and ideas that will inspire and empower you. – Wayne Dyer
–
WORD TO LIVE BY:
Empower – [em-pou-er] – to give power or authority to; authorize, especially by legal or officialmeans:
to enable or permit:
Do you empower yourself? Do you empower others?
Do your beliefs hold a positive or negative connotation? A positive belief system gets someone to excel in an industry or situation dominated by others. A destructive belief system keeps a person suffering in an abusive relationship from ever getting help.
How are your beliefs affecting your life? Do you have any negative beliefs lingering in any of these areas? If so, it’s time to turn them around.
We have no limitations in life. The only limitations we have is ourselves. Think about your negative outlooks from the areas in the first step. Now, ask yourself: is that true? For instance, you may believe you can’t go any higher in your school, career, industry or life. But is that really true? If your belief is that all men, or all women, are a certain way and for that reason you can’t have a successful relationship, you may need to prove yourself wrong by asking yourself, can that really be the truth? Likely, it won’t be. If you think about your negative beliefs deep enough, you will find that they likely hold no merit.
Maybe you already know it, but it needs said again; self-limiting beliefs stand in the way of our higher, healthier, and happier life. It is possible to work your way out of the collection of unexamined excuses that you might have for why your life isn’t working.
There are many scientific studies based around the mistaken notion that people can’t change because of their DNA—their genes make them who they are, give them illnesses, keep them stuck. In The Biology of Belief, a great book, describes research that demonstrates why we are not limited by our genes but by our beliefs. Literally, our beliefs can change the read-out of our genes.
Ask yourself, WHICH BELIEFS ARE YOU READY TO DROP? WHICH WILL YOU ADOPT?
All personal breakthroughs begin with a change in beliefs. We can empower ourselves in a heartbeat. We can empower others (friends, loved ones or strangers) in a heartbeat. Guess what, when you empower others, you also gain and get stronger.
You can face life or a situation after you ask negative questions, doubting yourself, facing your life without faith in yourself or others. You can bring yourself down in a number of ways – and many people do everyday. …..OR….you can build yourself up, ask good questions, think good thoughts, contribute, give, give thanks, and empower yourselves and others in various ways…..which one might lead to a happier life? Which would be more fun? Which might bring more riches, better health, more friends. Maybe it is just that simple?
–
Frey Freyday was actually born out of something I created called “Words To Live By” (WTLB). Going forward, I will now not only share the quotes, as you may be used to receiving, but also a related (WTLB). In 1999, when we had our first daughter, I was contemplating how I would raise my new beautiful child, and I was thinking about how I can best educate her and my other children about values, morals, and other key thoughts about life. School offers education. Religion offers some values and morals. Parents offer most of it, sometimes intentionally, sometimes accidentally.
So I created a (WTLB) book, like a dictionary, which lists things like honesty, love, persistence, etc. with a definition that I created, with my wife’s input. I then turned it into a workbook with one word per page and space below for notes. For years we would discuss with my two daughters and they would draw pictures and make notes in the blank space. I may share some of those images with you. As they got older, they were less inclined to draw and more open to quotes and references from adults, hence where Frey Freyday came from….
–
BONUS-watch this – https://youtu.be/X7ymriMhoj0
The video reveals a footballer-on-fire about how he and his teammates came back in the second half of the game. While really it’s just a young man thrilled by a game that could have gone either way, that the video has gotten 8,675,000 YouTube views at this writing indicates just how much people long to hear his message.
(Frey Freyday is simply a bunch of inspirational, motivational and other quotes meant to make you think, reflect, smile, even laugh a bit. Hopefully helpful, useful stuff..)
An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail. –Edwin Land
–
Without change there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable. –William Pollard
–
Creativity is putting your imagination to work, and it’s produced the most extraordinary results in human culture.-Ken Robinson
–
Passion is one great force that unleashes creativity, because if you’re passionate about something, then you’re more willing to take risks.-Yo-Yo Ma
–
Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.-Steve Jobs
–
Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.-Erich Fromm
–
Your ego can become an obstacle to your work. If you start believing in your greatness, it is the death of your creativity.-Marina Abramovic
—
WORD TO LIVE BY:
Creativity [kree-ey-tiv-i-tee, kree-uh-] -the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination
Creativity is so alive in children. We begin to lose it as we get older not because we no longer have the abilities, but because we are more concerned about making a mistake, taking a risk, failing, and what others may think.
In our society today, we do not encourage failing, mistakes, and certain forms of creativity. Most of us stay in our own realm of comfort. It is easier to maintain than to change. However, all of these items make it harder to be creative.
Think about creativity. You can imagine something specific, or you can visualize a whole life time. You can then turn it into a tangible, touchable, feasible reality. It is amazing. Pop culture examples include; 1.) Walt Disney- one man had an idea, now there are huge, dynamic, creative parks, movies, and media worldwide. 2.) the Harry Potter series – the author had an idea, the idea went to paper, then to more books, then to movies, now amusement park rides. 3.) Our founding fathers had a vision of a country free of tyranny and one that gave freedom and rights. It was a discussion, then a theory, then written, now a country.
Anyone can be creative. One thought can build a cure, a building, a way to reach someone, a way to connect or help. We must be willing to surrender the ego, surrender worrying about failures and mistakes and just go for it and take action.
There’s a link between creativity and positive emotions and, ultimately, happiness. Researchers have found that people are more likely to have a creative breakthrough if they were happy the day before. Creativity is less likely to be present with negative emotions such as fear, anger, sadness, and anxiety; it is positively associated with positive emotions such as joy, love, and curiosity.
Positive emotions and creativity make us feel interested in the world around us. The ability to be fascinated and allow ourselves to explore and discover makes us feel open and alive. It’s also what draws us to learn new skills, perspectives, and ideas—resources that we can draw on to solve life’s problems. This boosts our resilience and our satisfaction with life—both part of the equation for overall happiness.
Sources:
Positivity, by Barbara L. Fredrickson, Ph. D.
The 6 Myths of Creativity, Fast Company
Psychology Today
Frey Freyday was actually born out of something I created called “Words To Live By”(WTLB).
Going forward, I will now not only share the quotes, as you may be used to receiving, but also a related (WTLB). In 1999, when we had our first daughter, I was contemplating how I would raise my new beautiful child, and I was thinking about how I can best educate her and my other children about values, morals, and other key thoughts about life. School offers education. Religion offers some values and morals. Parents offer most of it, sometimes intentionally,sometimes accidentally.
..So I created a (WTLB) book, like a dictionary, which lists things like honesty, love, persistence, etc. with a definition that I created, with my wife’s input. I then turned it into a workbook with one word per page and space below for notes. For years we would discuss with my two daughters and they would draw pictures and make notes in the blank space. I may share some of those images with you. As they got older, they were less inclined to draw and more open to quotes and references from adults, hence where Frey Freyday came from..
—
BONUS- Ted Talk – the Source of Creativity – We want to be creative but channeling our creative impulses is no small feat. Is creativity something we are born with or can we learn it? In this hour, TED speakers examine the mystery of creativity.
http://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/?showDate=2015-09-25
One Web Strategy 