Archive for the 'Inspiration' Category

I picked up an interesting book the other day at the bookstore. It’s entitled Take The Risk by Dr. Ben Carson M.D. This book is written from a doctor’s perspective about taking risks in life.

The thing I found really interesting was Dr. Carson’s easy to use four step questionnaire for evaluating risk. He takes the risk in question and asks four things…

1. What is the worst thing that could happen if I take this risk?
2. What is the best thing that could happen if I take this risk?
3. What is the worst thing that could happen if I don’t take this risk?
4. What is the best thing that could happen if I don’t take this risk?

This is a best/worse case scenario with a twist because he asks the same questions in the negative… what will happen if I DON’T take this risk.

I have found these questions work very well from a goal setting perspective, especially the negative ramifications of not taking action on a goal.

Ben is a master story teller and he has a great story about growing up as a child in Detroit. His Dad left the family when Ben was a child and his mother was forced to move in with family in Boston for a few years. Ben and his brother attended a church school but the curriculum was quite a few years behind what he had experienced in Detroit.

When the family moved back to Detroit a few years later, Ben found himself way behind in school. He gives a striking example of just how tough it was. One day in the fifth grade the students were given a math test and they had to pass their tests to the kid behind them to be graded. The tests were marked and then handed back to the students. Then the teacher then went around the room and had everybody yell out what the scores were.

Ben tells of waiting in dread for his name to be called. The teacher called out “Benjamin” and he reported that he got nine out of 30 questions right… unfortunately he had misread the grade and the girl behind him corrected him… “Not Nine!,” she yelled, “He got none!”

As the classroom erupted in laughter, Ben felt really intimidated. He laughed it off but it really hurt. His mother soon found that Ben and his brother were doing very poorly in school back in Detroit. She gathered them together one afternoon and told them she was very unhappy with their performance. She announced that she was going to stay up that night and ask God what she should do about their sorry performance in school.

Ben and his brother had a hard time sleeping that night, and in the morning she announced that God had impressed on her that they were spending too much time watching TV.

She said “We’re going to turn off the TV, and from now on you can choose only three television shows each week… and every week you are going to read two books–you get to choose which books–and write me a report on each one.”

Ben and his brother protested loudly, but they didn’t want to disappoint their mother. So each week they went to the library and read two books as she requested. Ben read books about things he liked. First it was animals, then plants and then on to rocks.

One day in science class the teacher held up a black shiny rock and asked what type it was. None of the kids in the class had an answer… but then Ben, having just read a book about it, held up his hand and told the teacher it was obsidian. And then he went on to describe it in scientific detail.

Everyone in the class was surprised. The kid they referred to as “the dummy” was spouting off words as if he was a scientist.

That day Ben Carson realized he wasn’t a dummy after all, he thought…

What if I read books about all my subjects? Then I’d know more than all these students who have laughed at me and called me “dummy.”

Starting that day that is just what Ben did. He set himself a goal to be a lifelong reader. Within months his grades improved and his dream of someday becoming a doctor slowly came to fruition.

Today Ben Carson is a world renown Neurosurgeon performing complex surgeries on the brain and spinal cord. All because his mother was willing to take a risk.

She turned off the TV and sent her kids to the library. She found that the risk was too high to leave the TV on… and she was right.

Be sure to pick up Take The Risk and be inspired. This is one powerful book that can help you take the risk necessary to achieve your dreams.

In today’s AFC championship football match up, you have two teams with very different styles. The New England Patriots have been perfect so far, undefeated after winning 17 games. Their opponent today is the San Diego Chargers, whose passion showed last week as they defeated the Indianapolis Colts. With their three top players out on the sidelines they won by playing way down in their roster and coming up with the surprising win.

New England’s quarterback, Tom Brady, has been close to perfect all year. He has amazing precision when throwing the football. The rest of the team is precise as well. It’s a tight knit team who executes better than anyone else in the league.

San Diego is showing incredible fortitude. With their quarterback Philip Rivers on the injured list, and their running back LaDainian Tomlinson coming off a knee injury, they face very tough odds in today’s game. But the team has come together and they have one thing going for them… Passion!

Precision versus Passion… who wins?

It’s hard to argue with precision. When you do everything right and execute on every play, including your defense, you usually win. When your offense and defense are close to perfect, it’s a hard combination to beat.

Can San Diego who is passionate about winning… who wants it so bad that they can taste it… overcome the odds and score? Can they come together as a team today and go the extra mile and do what it takes to be victorious?

There are two great equalizers today… the weather and the wind. The temperature may be below zero with a strong wind in Gillette stadium. With this type of condition, precision may be out. Throwing the ball may be out. It may come down to a passionate brawl of a running game.

Precision vs Passion vs Mother Nature….

It should be one heck of a game to watch!

Go Chargers!

BTW… If you can’t wait for the game to start, you can build your own printable desktop football game and play right on your coffee table!

As 2007 draws to a close I wanted to share with you some ideas for the coming year. This is always a good time to reflect on the past and look forward to tomorrow.

For me 2007 was a watershed year. It was a time of preparation for the future along with a time of learning and testing. This was also the busiest year that I had in some time. My regular job would regularly run 60-70 hours per week over the past few months which causes all sorts of things to get out of whack.

I’ve learned…

How valuable time is and how easy it is to squander it away.

How stress can effect so many things in our lives.

Just because something is urgent doesn’t mean it is important.

This year has also had its exciting moments, with a trip with my wife to Alaska and seeing the amazing glaciers and wonderful small towns. Some other highlights were spending time with my daughter and her husband in Seattle, taking our annual trip to the wine country of Santa Barbara, and listening to some amazing audio books.

One of the greatest things I’ve learned this year is the importance of doing things that you are passionate about. A few weeks ago I published a 20 question Top-5 goal list. After spending about a half hour going through it and looking at my results I found that the answers really surprised me.

Almost all the answers relate to communicating and relating with other people. Learning new things, teaching others, and creating new products and services. I took an online test earlier this year from the Gallup Organization which revealed my top five strengths. They are…

1. Ideation
2. Positivity
3. Futuristic
4. Learner
5. Individualization

These strengths need to be a part of what I do for a living. Currently I have a regular job that is almost 180 degrees out from this. So I’ve put together a list of goals that will help me move in that direction.

One of the best things I’ve found to move forward with a goal is to find someone who has done what you are attempting before and has been successful at it. A mentor if you will.

Three amazing people come to mind that have done just that. I want to learn from…

Brian Gardner: The creator of the amazing Revolution Wordpress Theme, began 2007 without a domain name, had never touched a piece of WordPress code, and knew nothing about blog design. As of this writing he is going to quit his day job and go full time into his own web design business. His story is very inspiring.

Yaro Starak: I have learned an amazing amount of things from Yaro. His blog optimization site, Entrepreneurs Journey, has helped thousands of people create better blogs. He is one of the most open bloggers about his life and his business. The story of his year end wrap-up for 2007 is sure to inspire you.

Rosa Say: Rosa has been an inspiration and a friend since my first week of blogging. She has be a coach and mentor to me and many popular bloggers over the past few years. She brings a positive motivational message to all that visit her blog and she has created a great collaboration of bloggers at Joyful, Jubilant Learning. Read about the amazing things this group has in store for 2008.

All three of these people have inspired me to do what is really important in 2008. To put aside things that are mediocre and follow a new path.

Fellow readers, thank you all for your feedback and inspiration this year. You have made writing this blog a real enjoyable activity. I look forward to some great things in the coming year.

Why not take a minute today and reflect on your past year. Click on some of the links above and be inspired. If you haven’t taken the Gallup Strengths Test, Pick up the book today and take it online. For added inspiration, take a half hour and explore some lifetime goals.

Then put it all together and set a course for 2008. Happy Trails!

When I was growing up as a kid, Christmas was a special time. The magic of the day started months before the actual date. The thoughts of colorful presents under the tree would start appearing in my mind in early October.

It wasn’t to hard to imagine a new bike, the latest toy, or something advertised on TV having a significant presence under that Christmas tree. But there was something different about our holiday celebrations that my sister and I had that no other kid in the neighborhood would experience on that magical day.

We had a Dad that made Christmas an exciting event and we were center stage. On Christmas night, we would have to go to bed early… and then the magic began. My Dad would wrap our packages in plain brown wrapping paper. The kind used by businesses in their shipping departments.

Once the packages were wrapped he would take chalk and markers and draw wonderful pictures on the brown canvases. He sometimes would caricature my sister and I, other times it would be Santa and his elves. Our names would be prominently displayed in colorful chalk calligraphy.

What joy it was to poke our heads around the door on Christmas morning and see the personalized gifts. He would also create gifts for our Mom, and the whole room was lit up with unique magic of a master artist.

I don’t remember much of what was in those packages so many years ago, but I do remember the packaging and the love our dad expressed to each one of us. Christmas was truly a special day.

Later in the day Dad would usually make a long distance phone call to his sisters in Ohio. Even though that call would cost a fortune, it was important for him to have us kids say Hi to our relatives many states away.

Dad passed away a couple of years ago and Christmas is not quite the same. His humor and creative sense of joy are now in Heaven for all the inhabitants to enjoy. We all miss you Dad!

Maybe this Christmas it might be time to start a new tradition. To personalize a gift, to call a far distant relative, or to thank a parent or family member for the magic they bring to your life. Simple and personal, make this a special day to remember.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

John Richardson

P.S. This post was inspired by a moving Christmas story by Liz Strauss over at Successful-blog. Thanks for the inspiration Liz!

The TV show Dancing With The Stars was a great study in crowd reaction and judging dynamics. From week to week you could see some of the top dance performers try different things to get a top score. From colorful outfits to intense music, plain was out and excitement was in.

I really enjoyed the colorful costumes and the incredible dance moves, yet it was also important to get all the steps right. A performer could wow the crowd with a jump or spin yet be marked off for lifting a foot off the ground. It was really important to put the entire package together.

Marie Osmond and her partner Jonathan Roberts, put together many incredible performances over the many weeks of the show. Marie is an entertainer pure and simple. What she lacked in dancing skill she made up for with flash and personality. At 48 years old she did an amazing job with jumps, spins and other very difficult dance moves.

What struck me though was her freestyle dance in the final round. Marie played a doll in her dance, and went from lifeless and limp to semi animated. Only in the final few seconds did she come fully alive. While the dance was creative and different, it just didn’t work. The audience and judges panned the performance. Instead of using costumes and excitement to reach outside the box, she used acting skill and emotion.

Marie’s dance was too different.

The judges didn’t know what to do with it and the audience had a hard time understanding the context. Marie put the dance together to reach out to her many fans that like her doll collection, but the general audience was lost. Her dance would have been perfect in a stage play where the context could be fully explored, but it didn’t make much sense in the 90 seconds she had in her stage performance.

I have had similar experiences myself. As a speaker in Toastmasters, I have competed in many speech contests. I always like to add some creativity to my presentations, yet sometimes I go too far and lose my audience. My presentation makes perfect sense to me, yet the audience becomes quickly lost.

This phenomenon can be referred to as The Curse of Knowledge.

This is actually a pretty simple concept. You know all about a subject or item and in your mind your facts and performance makes sense. Unfortunately your audience does not have the same knowledge and the performance fails to connect.

Chip & Dan Heath explore this fascinating concept in their book, Made To Stick. They make the point that instead of dumbing down a message, you need to find a universal language to reach your audience. And this language needs to speak quickly.

Dancing With The Stars was a great example of that. Many of the costumes that performers wore were instantly recognizable. As an audience member you quickly recognized the context and could understand what was going on. Marie did an great dance a few weeks earlier dressed in a 1940’s uniform. The dance came alive immediately, because everyone in the audience could relate.

Unfortunately, When Marie played a doll, it was difficult to fully understand what was going on. The dance started off slow and only came to life in the last few seconds. The performance lacked excitement and left you saying to yourself… what was that all about?

The bottom line is simple… For a speech, a dance, or other live performance, put yourself in the audience’s shoes and make sure you can understand what is going on. If you can’t tell immediately, you might want to consider something more universal.

Riddle me this… What is scarier?…

1. Driving an Indy Race Car at 230 miles per hour
2. Dancing on TV in front of millions of viewers

While both are scary, only Indy car racing can kill you on any lap. Yet for me I would rather take my chances in a race car than humiliate myself in front of millions of people with my two left feet.

Helio Castroneves has overcome both to become a two time Indianapolis 500 race winner and now the winner of the Dancing with the Stars dance competition. Helio is an amazing person and his performance on this popular TV show these last few weeks has been a real inspiration to millions of viewers.

Helio, a 32 year old Brazilian race car driver, showed what it takes to overcome fear, both on the track and now on the stage. He faced fear in the eye and focused instead on winning.

Helio showed…

1. Vision: He knew what he wanted and he figured out a path to get there. In racing it was the coveted Indy 500 trophy and kissing the bricks at that famous racetrack. In dancing, it was the Mirrorball trophy. In short… Helio wanted to win!
2. Passion: Helio showed that he wanted to become the best he could be. Whether it is driving or dancing he exhibited incredible passion every step of the way. That is what makes him so exciting to watch. Without passion, he would have been just another dancer. From his bright yellow suit to his huge jump across the stage he showed he had the passion to win.
3. Determination: Dancing and driving are full of setbacks, and winning means overcoming them and learning from them. Helio and his dance partner, Julianne Hough, showed they had the determination to overcome a bad dance or a stubborn judge. Instead of getting down or letting fear overtake him, Helio pushed on with his signature smile and the attitude to do whatever it would take to make the next dance better.
4. Personality: Helio showed that winning is about being the best you can be… not trying to be someone else. With his smiling personality and glowing attitude the fans really got behind him. One week, he tried to play the bad guy, with a serious look and a bad attitude… it didn’t work. The judges scores reflected this. He learned from this and during the rest of the competition his true personality came out.

I really enjoyed the Dancing with The Stars program this year. Every week was about people showing what passion, practice, and determination can produce. Marie Osmond showed incredible courage after she fainted on stage one week and experienced the death of her father a few weeks later. At 48 years old, she made it to the finals and truly showed that age is not a factor to true greatness.

Melanie Brown of the Spice Girls showed what practice and determination can produce. With almost perfect moves dance after dance, her and her partner Maksim had the highest judges scores throughout the competition. Her performances were truly inspiring and they took her to the final round.

Cheetah girl, Sabrina Bryan, brought some amazing talent to the competition but showed how important personality and communication is to winning. One week her fans took it for granted that she would be in the finals and didn’t bother to call in and vote. Since the fan vote was half of the score, she was eliminated that week of the competition in the biggest upset of the series.

Fear and a negative attitude can keep us from trying different things and truly becoming the person we were meant to be. This show is a great example of what can happen when we face fear in the eye and forge ahead! Truly amazing things can happen!