Deep in your core, you know it:

Your present context is not your ultimate destiny.

The extent of your current awareness doesn’t come close to the potential that lurks beneath the surface.

You something to give the world—though it’s momentarily untapped and untouched.

In case you’ve forgotten, may I be the first to remind you? You’re more than what you’ve become.

Quit denying. Stop deflecting. Cease resisting.

When you prepare for the moment, the moment is prepared for you. This is your chance. Will you grab hold and take it?

 

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QUESTION: What do you dream doing someday?

(Please comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you know someone who needs to read this, please encourage them by sharing this post) 

I believe you have what it takes. You may just not have the tools…at least not yet. Click on the pic below to discover how to create a rock solid self-image. See yourself through new eyes and begin creating the life you want.

ARE YOU BUSY LIVING OR BUSY DYING? 

It’s one or the other. And there is no in between. But what does it look like to get unstuck? These 10 tips put me on a path to overcome the Resistance.

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QUESTION: What does it look like for you to get “busy living” ?

(Please comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you know someone who needs to read this, please encourage them by sharing this post) 

I believe you have what it takes. You may just not have the tools…at least not yet. Click on the pic below to discover how to get busy living. See yourself through new eyes and begin creating the life you want.

Dream or Die…Your Choice

It’s been said, “Most people are dead, they just haven’t made it official.” (Tweet This)

I agree. So did Andy Dufresne. He told his friend “Red” in The Shawshank Redemption:

“I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living or get busy dying.”  

Stuck in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Andy had the choice of dreaming or dying. Thankfully, he kept dreaming. As a result, he kept living.

Those around him weren’t so fortunate. After serving 50 years in Shawshank, one convict named “Brooks” reentered society, quite unsuccessfully. Although free on the outside, he still suffered from a mental prison on the inside.

Unable to perform the simplest jobs like bagging groceries at a local supermarket, Brooks tells himself it’s easier to end his life than try to create a new one. “Red” shared perspective about Brooks mental condition:

 …These walls are funny. First you hate ’em, then you get used to ’em. After long enough, you get so you depend on ’em. That’s “institutionalized.” …They send you here for life, and that’s just what they take. Part that counts, anyway.

Although as a child you started out as a dreamer, you’ve been beat down along the way:

• You’ve been told to play safe and play small.
• You’ve been told to grow up and be mature.
• You’ve been told to give up and be realistic.

These sound bytes are death to your soul and to your dream.

 

Guard your Heart…and your Dream

My favorite book says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” This means it’s your responsibility to grow, nourish, and protect your heart and your dream.

• Expect failure.
• Expect criticism.
• Expect pain.

Along the way you’ll be tempted to kill your dream. If  you do you won’t have to feel anything. But remember, dreaming is what makes you human. When you kill it, you also kill your humanity. The opposite is true too. When you achieve it, you feel alive. Just ask Diana Nyad…the 64 year-old who reached her dream.

Dreaming is about Recovery not Discovery

Most people think Diana Nyad’s dream began when she was 28 years old, the first time she attempted to swim from Cuba to Florida. A closer look reveals a different story.

Nyad remembers dreaming about swimming across the Florida Straits during her first visit to Cuba before the Communist takeover when she was 8 years old. Dreams grow and fade over time depending upon your focus. Often they hide in your subconscious, only to come raging back into your awareness.  Dreaming is more about recovery than discovery.

Nyad knew this better than most. She said:

“You have a dream….that doesn’t come to fruition, but you move on with life. But it’s somewhere back there. Then you turn 60, and your mom just dies, and you’re looking for something. And the dream comes waking out of your imagination.”

It’s time for your dream to wake out of your imagination. It’s time because it’s a matter of life and death. Your own.

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QUESTION: What’s your dream? I want to hear it. Big or small. Foolish or Brilliant. 

(Please comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you know someone who needs to read this, please encourage them by sharing this post) 

 

They’re called DREAM KILLERS.

They never hunt down average or ordinary. They set their sights on taking down exceptional and extraordinary. But unless you know who these killers are they’ll bury you and your dream.

You’ve rattled their cage. Isn’t it time you ripped off their mask?

 

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QUESTION: What are some Dream Killers you’ve encountered? 

(Please comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you know someone who needs to read this, please encourage them by sharing this post) 

Click on the pic below to receive your FREE Dream Killer resources (audio+ video+ PDF). Begin creating the life you want.

Margins Create Space for…

1. Laughter: You can’t laugh if everything is serious.
2. Generosity: You can’t give if you have nothing left.
3. Memories: You can’t remember if you weren’t present.
4. Prayer: You can’t pray if you’re self-sufficient.
5. Dreams: You can’t dream if you can’t imagine.
6. Love: You can’t love if you’re self-absorbed.
7. Exercise: You can’t exercise if you don’t value yourself.
8. Creativity: You can’t create if you’re merely a machine.
9. Experimentation: You can’t experiment if you don’t have time to fail.
10. Reflection: You can’t reflect if you don’t value rest.
11. Spontaneity: You can’t be in the moment if you’re stuck in the future.
12. Rest: You can’t sit if you can’t stop.
13. Joy: You can’t pour out if you haven’t been filled up.
14. Peace: You can’t breathe deeply if you can’t catch your breath. (Tweet This)
15. Friendships: You can’t expect to have friends if you fail to be one.

You can’t survive without food, water, or sleep. (College students might disagree with the sleep part.) Yet many people believe you can survive and even thrive without margins. Your Designer seemed to think otherwise by gifting you one full day of rest and recreation every seven.

The price of a life without margin

Have you ever tried reading something without margins? I have. Not fun. I remember back in graduate school, before the days of e-books. For one of my classes I occasionally photocopied a few pages from a massive 20 pound reference book. I’d shrink the text to fit the oversized page onto an 8½ by 11 inch piece of paper.

When my photocopies came out, I struggled trying to read the small font that ran off the edges of the page. In no time at all, my eyes would jump lines and I’d end up losing my place. Frustration would set in and the entire process proved unenjoyable at best.

This describes the majority of us perfectly.  We keep trying to squeeze more into our schedules. Without any edges, we struggle and lose our place in life. Frustration sets in and our lives are unenjoyable at best, hardly a picture of fulfillment.

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QUESTION: What other things do people miss when they don’t have margins in their lives? 

(Please comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you know someone who needs to read this, please encourage them by sharing this post)

If you want true fulfillment you must discover how to bring margin back into your life. In the Deeper Path Coaching Cohort I teach my clients exactly how to do this.

Check out this FREE resource to get you started. It will help you add 10 hours back to your week, every week, for the rest of your life.

Do you have a tribe?

If so, do you know how to care for your tribe?

If not, do you know how to create a tribe?

Marketing guru Seth Godin says:

“A tribe is any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, and an idea.”

Tribes are everywhere, but not all tribes are equal.

Some thrive, but most merely survive.

The Igniting Souls Tribe has grown exponentially over the past 4 years numerically and relationally.

In this episode I explain how effective tribes result from clarity of 5 elements.

A THRIVING TRIBE REQUIRES A CLEAR:

T – Tribe Leader

R – Rules of Engagement

I – Idea

B – Buyer’s Journey

E – Example of Success

Today’s podcast is all about Feedback.

Speaking of feedback, have you heard that it’s often called The Breakfast of Champions? But just because winners invite feedback doesn’t mean all feedback is equal.

“Haters” have feedback and plenty of it. But is their feedback helpful or harmful? In episode #055, I share 8 filters I use to qualify the feedback. I’ll give you the quick rundown here, but for the expanded version make sure to listen in.

I seek feedback from people who are:

F – Further = They’re getting the results I want.

E – Ethical = They match my values.

E – Esteemed = They’ve earned my respect.

D – Discerning = They not only have knowledge, but they also know how to apply it.

B – Believable = They do what they say and say what they do.

A – Aware = They’ve discovered their own blindspots and shortcomings.

C – Courageous = They not only talk about bravery; they exemplify it in their daily life.

K – Keen = They can think clearly about things that aren’t obvious to everyone.

Not all feedback is equal. Discover how to qualify your feedback with 8 essential filters.

What separates losers from winners is many times just a subtle shift in strategy. Go from blindspot to sweet spot in 30 seconds by eliminating a simple, but fatal flaw.

Let’s be honest. You have an amazing product or service.

And you know the value you can bring potential clients.

BUT ARE YOU CHARGING WHAT YOU’RE WORTH?

How do you even really know what to charge?

Are there signs, rules, or indicators?

Can you influence the outcome?

Or are your rates set in stone due to factors outside your control?

DISCOVER A FOOLPROOF FORMULA

Most people ignorantly assume the lowest price wins the day.

This is a losing battle and merely a short-term strategy.

In this episode we’ll show you a better way to win the long game.

Digital Fly? Yep, we all have one.

Ever stand on a stage and give a speech? Ever sit back down and realize your “fly” was down? Embarrassing, hey?

But what happens if you had a friend who knew it was down…and they didn’t tell you? (Not cool.) And yet, we’ve all had this experience, right?

False friends gossip behind our back. True friends tell the truth to our face.

Recently my Digital Fly was down. Kirk Bowman had the guts to tell me. I invited him on the show to tell the backstory. We also share “rules” on the topic and how you can tell your friends when their Digital Fly is down. Join us for a fun, enlightening, and entertaining chat.

In this episode, we highlight some mutual friends who helped connect us and propel us on our journey (Ray Edwards, Jared Easley, Dan Miller, Cliff Ravenscraft, and Mike Kim)