Do I Really Crave Adventure

I was filling up my gas tank the other day when a brief discussion with the on duty attendant caught my
attention.  He had resigned himself to accept his "kick back" and "uneventful" job as satisfying.  I asked him, "What do you do on your off time?"  He shared with me "a little of this, and a little of that" which include various forms of partying.
Maybe I am the crazy one here.  But I grew up thinking that most people truly wanted to and deeply craved adventure in life.  Yet, over the years my travels and time with many individuals have brought a new reality to life.  I now feel as if the majority of people do not crave adventure FOR their lives.  This realization distinguishes itself from craving adventure (once in a while or just on the weekends) IN their lives.  The businessman or the gas station attendant both love to live for the moment and then seek release from the previous week's mundane life.  All most people want is to "get their own" and "protect their own."
This is my challenge.  I desperately want to carry this adventure lifestyle into the lives of all the people I meet.      So I ask myself, "How do I transfer this adventure crave into the lives of others?"  The answer is that I don't. I was created and wired a certain way.  Each person was created a certain way as well.  BUT, the key here is to get people BEYOND THEMSELVES and into the lives of others.  And that is how I am wired.  I was beautifully and wonderfully made with the purpose of serving others.  Whether I like it or not, that's who I am.
How about you?  How are you wired?  Do you crave adventure IN or FOR your life?  Does your identity wire you to serve others?   True adventure comes when you serve others.  Let me know of some of the best adventures you've seen or participated in while serving others and how that impacted your life.

A Girl and One Coin

I love a good flashmob like the next person.  But what I saw from this one was a little girl placing a coin in a hat and what developed from there.
I can appreciate the immense amount of talent that these musicians have and the wonderful and inspiring music that happens.  I saw inspiration both physically and emotionally dominate the senses of an impromptu crowd.  I felt the notes move my senses as I watched both the musicians and the audience participate in one of those moments that comes and goes so quickly.  And I was left motivated to do something with all of this emotion, all of this joy, all of this inspiration.
How about you?  If all of this can be set in motion with a girl and one coin, what can you set in motion with more than just a coin?  I believe in you and all you have to offer to so many.  Where do we start? Let's begin to look at the "coins" we currently have in our lives.  Let's bring those together with the talents and gifts of others and make a symphony of our own.  What do you think?  So, what's NEXT for you?

Hang On, It's an "E-Ticket" Ride

I found myself talking with a friend the other day when I made the comment that life was an "E-Ticket ride".  By that I was referring to the speed of how quick things were moving.  He not only smiled at my comment but also laughed.  So I paused and asked him what was so funny.  He chuckled and said, "I actually know what you were referring to when you said 'E-ticket'.  So I guess that dates me just a bit."  I didn't even realize my comment until we spent the next 15 minutes reflecting back on those earlier days at Disneyland.
I have traveled extensively over the past five years and often purchased my own "electronic" airline

ticket (E-Ticket) for my travel.  While I have had some adventurous flights in my time, adventure is not what I expected when buying my airline tickets.  Yet when I refer to an "E-Ticket" ride, I am looking back on the joyous times of my youth.  When going to Disneyland, you used to purchase a booklet of tickets upon admission for the different rides you could go on.  The faster rides were the E-Ticket rides and you only had two "E-Tickets" for each booklet.  So these were highly valued unless you just wanted to ride "It's a Small World" over and over all day.  There were always plenty of those tickets left over at the end of the day.
So, when I was describing my life as an "E-Ticket" ride, I was referring to the excitement and adventure that was accompanying it in recent months.  It is always so good to have others who you can not only share your current journey with but also who can relate to your journey's past.  Do you have that person or persons in your life that you can connect, share and listen with?  I would love to hear your "E-Ticket" story. Send it to me and let me know and perhaps it just might connect you with another who shares a similar journey.

Love what you do for work and you'll never work a day in your life.

When I have the opportunity to work along side of individuals who really enjoy what they do, I can really sense their authentic desire to come along side of me and my efforts.  And whenever I come across one of these individuals, I love to give him/her a "shout out."  So, "Kuddos to you Rick!"
His talents of embracing and developing my web site were second only to his humble professionalism.  His trustworthiness gained my respect in a day where so many are really out for themselves and/or an opportunity to rip you off.  Basically, I believe that Rick's authenticity is based on his love for what he does.  He actually enjoys not only the technical aspect but also the communication aspect which is a rare combination these days.
I would highly recommend doing business with my new friend from the UK at Beardedrick.com.  He is a freelance web designer, specializing in WordPress.  Ecommerce, brochures, and blogging is his forte.

Divorce, We Can Fix That

My heart once again sank after hearing about yet another (which is almost the norm) couple on the brink of divorce.  I don't know where you stand on divorce.  But one thing I do know, divorce sucks.  In many ways I see it as a permanent solution to a temporary problem, much like suicide.  I believe that in most cases, divorce can be avoided.  I believe that.
I remember that critical moment in the movie Star Trek where Ensign Pavel Chekov went running through the ship to fix a problem and save the captain while beaming him back onto the ship.  He ran with a purpose, a plan, and with passion yelling, "I can do zat."  Of course he saved the captain, it's the movies.  And I believe that marriages too can regain that purpose with a plan and restore passion.  This takes work. If you are willing to work, so are we, one step at a time.
Often, divorce is a result of years of accumulating junk.  I would normally use another word, but it might be seen as inappropriate.  No two marriages are alike. Junk comes in all shapes and sizes.  But I am "old school" and I believe in good things happening to good people.  I believe in your marriage.  Maybe we can take some "next steps" together and explore some possibilities of avoiding divorce.
I believe so strongly in the essence and approach of The Power of Next that I would challenge you to give your marriage three months with some simple steps with our program.  Connect with us and let us listen to you.  Together we can make growth happen.

Take Me Back

No one can argue that music influences us in many different ways.  It can motivate us, calm us down, and shape us in ways we don't even realize. The fun is always looking back 10, 20 years (or later) and reflecting on what music we allowed to influence us.
For me there has always been an attraction to folk music.  It began with John Ford Coley and James Taylor. Now I like almost every other style of music as well.  Yet folk music and "Oldies" from K-Earth 101 played primarily into my younger years.  Regardless of the style of music I find it fascinating how a song can "take you back" to another time and/or place and allow you to reflect on that which most likely played a role in forming who you are today.
This brief entry is just to see if you would care to share about a particular artist or song that "takes you back" to another time and place and what that has meant for you.  Enjoy your brief time of reflection.

Hiding Behind The Keys

Ok, maybe you've heard this before. Or maybe not. But with over 25 years of professional experience in the lives of many, I believe that I must comment on the crippling effect of our wonderful advances in phone technology.
The growing impact of texting has not produced better communication. It has definitely increased the amount of communication but not the quality of our time with others.  People have integrated into the lives with others the ability to "hide" their real selves and often seek individual affirmation and identity through the virtual world of electronic relationships.
I cannot tell you how many times my own teenagers will outwardly share their frustrations with others because of the (back and forth) 50 line text with another friend.  And it doesn't even occur to them to use the phone for its intended purpose (A PHONE!).  They seem to forget that the phone was invented to TALK with others and listen to them personally.  Wow, what a concept.
What drives me crazy is that other forms of social networking have also begun to cripple our society because of the real lack of interpersonal relationships.  Many are now incorporating "virtual identity" (allowing their social network life to determine their identity) into their personal identity.  It won't take you very long to recognize this.  Within 60 seconds of viewing your favorite social network, just watch as people post or chat about their animals, their food they so proudly made, and especially their kids.
OK, I get it.  Social networking has greatly increased our ability to share our joys with others.  Awesome.  But I have also discovered way too many persons now view communication electronically as the norm instead of verbal, face to face conversations.  What disturbs me even more is this trend disabling individuals from really dealing with root issues in their personal and social lives.  That's crazy.  Great communication tools designed to help us communicate are actually having a grave impact on our personal growth and development.  Just like anything else, too much of a good thing can harm you.  Yes, even social networking.
It's time to stop hiding behind the keys and increase the amount of "facetime" we have with those involved in our lives.
Communication is KEY in today's world.  Let's take full advantage of those electronic opportunities to maximize our lives.  But let's not let it determine who we become by ignoring ourselves or others.