Solid Friends

“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” Walter Winchell

Each of us have so much we can give to others but tend to forget we have that ability. It is an ability to brighten and make a difference in another person's life. It is as simple as being a friend when others have left the room.

Being a friend means listening and offering encouragement.

Being a friend means lifting up a person when they are down or discouraged about their circumstances.

Being a friend means being real in your answers to them, which could be saying to them, "stop the self pity; get up and get moving."

This type of friendship works because if it comes from your heart. Clinical friendship with "do-gooder" intentions will not succeed because your concern can be seen as being paper thin. Friendship is solid and supportive. You know that you could lose the person you are helping, but knowing that if it makes a positive change in their life, you're okay with that.

Why? Because it is about them and not about you. Try to be a friend to someone, see if you can make a change in their life. Do remember though, you don't change people, they change themselves. But being a friend will give them the ability to make change in their own lives.

Fill in the colors that bind your friendships with others. And stay inspired my friends.

Your Path of Bricks

"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him." -David Brinkley

I guess you figuratively are not walking down the street with people throwing bricks at you. But it can certainly feel like it at times. The oddity is that it also feels like you are picking up those same bricks to carry.

It is sort of a "double-whammy" in that you are being pelted with bricks and having to pick them up carry them away. You could say it is very similar to a wagon full of rocks. An ever increasing load that you allow others to place upon your life.

The weight and size of this load slows your progress and eventually might break you down. It is a terrible thing to see a load of brick or rock come tumbling down upon someone's life. When it happens, there are only two possible results; complete destruction of the persons life or fighting renewal.

I have seen the destruction in people's lives. The kind in which they never recover and no matter how much they want to change; they have buried themselves forever. It is a heart breaking process to watch but one I have learned. No matter how heavy or burdensome, there is hope and possibility as long as life exists within you.

Start laying those bricks down. Stop shouldering the weight and let them lift you. The foundation you build with those bricks can serve meaningful purposes. One will give you greater footing as you walk by raising you above the unstable ground. And by building this foundation, it creates a means for you to reach greater heights.

These same bricks will also create a path for others to follow. A path that serves as an example to your spouse, your children, your friends, or others that follow you. Because the choices we make, the decisions on how we respond are being watched by others. People are watching and learning by the examples you set and how you respond to life. The type of path you lay for them will be everlasting.

Are you going to leave a pile of bricks or a nice brick path behind?

Stay inspired my friends.

Hole in your Coffee Cup Lid

"Everyone who's ever taken a shower has an idea. It's the person who gets out of the shower, dries off and does something about it who makes a difference."
-Nolan Bushnell

In the 1996 movie titled Michael, there is a line in the script in which one of the characters reveals, "I invented the hole in the coffee cup lid. When you get coffee to go. I was the first person to rip the little hole in the lid, so you could drink it in the car. Could've made a fortune. It's weird."

How many times have you thought of something and never acted upon it? Later you find out that someone else had the same or similar idea, but they actually did something about it. Sort of irritates you doesn't it?

Every day we probably think of one or two things we would like to do. We then get home, go to bed and forget all about it. The idea is gone, lost forever until one day you see that somebody else had the revelation to actually act upon it.

When you get an idea, write it down in a journal. Then take some time to contemplate it, to digest and evaluate the idea to see if it has value in your life. If it does not, write down why and then leave it alone.

But if you find that it does have value in your life. If you realize that it is something you would like to do, then do it. Write down why it is something of value in your life, then start 'doing' things to achieve it. This may mean writing down the next steps, learning more or just getting up and moving.

Some would call it procrastination that holds us back. Others may call it lack of confidence. But to me it is simply 'YOU' keeping 'YOU' from acting upon an idea. As I like to say, "BELIEVE in your vision, ACT upon that vision and only then will you REALIZE that vision."

Get up today and invent a better 'hole in the coffee cup' and amaze the world and yourself.

Stay inspired my friends.

Life of Integrity

 

"Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity."
-W. Clement Stone

Webster's dictionary defines integrity as "a firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values." The synonym for integrity is honesty. So why does there seem to be a lack of it in business and around us in general? An article in the Executive Travel Skyguide entitled Leaders Wanted argues that "We are in an ethical crisis. Our capitalist system, which depends on checks and balances, is being tested by corruption, greed and manipulation."

In our society, competition and the wanton desire to get ahead of others tends to pull the worst out of some people. I certainly wouldn't label all businesses or business people out there as suffering from this culture. But the culture of dishonesty and immoral business behavior is not a 'business' climate but a 'personal' climate. It isn't your business place that causes you to lack integrity because YOU have a choice in how YOU conduct yourself.

An article called Importance of Integrity describes it this way. "Integrity is a value, like persistence, courage, and intelligence. It is your choice of values and resolution to live by those values that form your character and personality. And it is integrity that enhances all your other values. The quality of person you are is determined by how well you live up to the values that are most important to you. Integrity is the quality that locks in your values and causes you to live consistent with them."

Those people without integrity are eventually exposed. So search for integrity and apply it in all that you do in life. Do not be overcome by the short term and many times disasterous results of taking the 'low' road. You will be more successful in the long term. You will be more respected. And you will just be a better person.

Be the better person, have the better life within. Try to live a life of integrity and as always, stay inspired my friends.

What Streets Have You Swept

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

We each will have the opportunity to to great things with what we have in life. While we may want to have greater success, greater abilities and greater impact on the world, we have to be good at what we do now.

Being the best at what we do now creates an atmosphere, a learned characteristic, that will allow us to properly handle our accomplishments in life. Without it, we will simply waste anything that we do gain because we will not know how to handle that success.

So take what you are doing today, be the best that you can be with it. As your dreams come true, turn those accomplishments into even greater things in your life. When all is said and done, people will remark "here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well."

Stay inspired my friends.

Extend a Hand

“You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” -A. A. Milne

How often it is that we push people away at first glance. Doing so before we even take the time to find out who they are and about their lives. Is it because we are too wrapped up in our own life to care?

So often we become trapped in the mindset of the "what's in it for me" mentality. One could suppose that it is a reflection of our biological instincts for survival. I would like to think that we have evolved and matured to a point of purpose in our lives. And if we have evolved at all, is not our own survival dependent upon others as well?

In business, those that are successful have found this to be quite true. The truth, which is quite simple also, is that my success depends upon you being successful. When the customers I assist on a daily business are able to grow, it keeps my company in growth. To lack this cooperation between two parties, if one takes advantage of the other, eventually the demise of one will lead to the demise of the other.

In relationships, you can not tear down or take advantage of the other person before the relationship breaks down. Did you truly win or grow at all by that experience? Only if you learned the lessons because to repeat the mistakes never lifts you or those around you. Being kind and supportive in a relationship builds both parties up, growing a great life for both.

Much of what I am talking about starts with kindness to one another. The Greek word for "kind" is chrestos. Applied by the Greeks as a title of respect equivalent to "the worthy." Part of its meaning is useful and if you examine biblical kindness, it involves action. "Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions" (1 John 3:18).

This is where we can each make a difference, in the marketplace, our business and in the normal course of human interaction. We can choose to be kind to one another. We can choose to extend a helping hand without expectation. We can choose to make this a better life.

Stay inspired my friends!

Say Thank You

"Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone." ~G.B. Stern

Whom have you thanked today?

We can float through our day pleased with the interactions between other people and ourselves. It could be the gas station attendant at the counter who doesn't charge you for a cup of coffee; after you have purchased gas. Maybe it is a co-worker that helps you complete a job task on time.

You may even be a manager or business owner. Have you thanked your employees lately? The hard work and innovation they bring to your company means quite a bit. Together they make the wheels of a company smoothly run.

How about your wife, kids, friends? Have you said thank you to them? What about thanking God? There are so many ways and so many things you can be thankful for. The important thing is to make sure that you say it.

Saying thank you helps others (the person receiving it) know that you know who they are and that you are aware of them as a person. It acknowledges to them that they are important and what they do is important to you. Each and every one of us want to be acknowledged in life and thanking someone is a direct and meaningful way to provide that acknowledgement.

You can certainly do more, you can exceed the simple thank you with rewards, bonuses, flowers, gifts, etc. But most times the immediate and heartfelt thank you has the greatest impact.

So, have you said thank you today?

Thank you for continuing to read my articles and spreading my words to others. Also, for staying inspired my friends.

Serving or Self-Serving

“It has always been my belief that a man should do his best, regardless of how much he receives for his services, or the number of people he may be serving or the class of people served.” -Napoleon Hill

It has been a bit spotty of late in getting my blog articles out. But there are some changes on the horizon for me and those have kept me quite busy. I'm working to get back into a more regular pattern of writing so stick with me folks.

Today I wanted to ask a couple of questions;

- Regarding the job you own or work at and customer Service – is it really at the core of your business or simply “lip” service?
- Do you live your life in service to others - or are you simply living for yourself?

In your business (or the job you work at), the time has come to realize that the ability —or inability— to serve customers in a way that is consistent with meeting and exceeding their expectations is the biggest differentiator that separates a successful business from others.

The same is true in your personal life. Serving others before self will have a dramatic impact on your life and the lives of those around you. It is the difference between living life and living your best life.

Now is the time to transform customer service from a one-dimensional, one-directional exchange into a fluid and integral part of your life. There are ten basic tenets of transforming your life and business and it all begins with serving others with the “CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE” you provide.

Remember that today is the day you felt a drop of rain splash down on your forehead. So it is time to build that ark, Noah. In other words, today is the day to start making a change. Elevate “customer service” (serving others) to a front office mission critical strategic imperative. Make it a strategic imperative in your everyday life.

Stay inspired my friends.

Forever and a Day

“Side by side - Year by year.”

Happy Anniversary to my dear wife Laura.

Being Bold

"Freedom lies in being bold." ~Robert Frost

As Deepak Chopra defined it; boldness is the ability to step outside boundaries created by fear and insecurity. A very tough thing to do when you have a large amount of fear in your life of failure, of repercussion, or one of a hundred things we allow to stall our life.

Fear and insecurity are things that we allow to control our life. If you choose to remain afraid, hiding in a dark corner, that is a choice.

Yet being bold frees you from that dark corner. It comes with risk but life itself is risk. Be bold in all that you do and experience the freedom it gives you.

And stay inspired my friends.

Revolution Today

"You say you want a revolution. Well you know, we all want to change the world." -The Beatles

So much going on in the world, so much going on right here in the United States, so much going on right in your own backyard. Each of us want to change the way things are and some are yelling at the top of their lungs in disagreement with each other.

I try not to get political in my writing because there is enough of that out on the web, on the television and in newspapers. We have people yelling at each other in talk shows and in congressional hearings.

Every person that is expressing their opinion, wanting change and something better are well intended. But like those that protested during the Vietnam War, let's not forget "how" we are expressing in those protests.

Change can be good, change is meant to happen throughout life. It is the volume of the rhetoric that seems to distract from the sensible discussion. Every one is posturing for the most exposure in order to gain attention. If I speak loudest, more people will follow me.

Many times it is the quiet mouse that garners the most attention.



Stay inspired my friends.

The ME in TEAMWORK

"If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself." ~Henry Ford

It is said that there is no 'I' in 'TEAMWORK'. My response is that it might be true, but there is 'ME'. What I mean is that there are individuals in a team. There have to be two or more people in order to create a team. The trick is to get all of the 'ME' people working from the same page.

There are many different tips or skills to be learned when organizing and running a team. Most of those tips are pretty basic and common sense when you think about it. What can be tough is getting everyone to learn how important each of them are. Just like people, these tips are good individually. When you bring them all together they are a powerful force.

An obvious example would be the pistons in an engine. Individually, each cylinder can exert quite a bit of power. When you connect all eight cylinders togehter in proper timing, a much more powerful engine will propel you farther and faster. The same will happen with individuals, all in sync and working towards the same goal, farther and faster.

So here are seven skills that individuals need to develop in order be more effective as a team.

Listening

- All of us know that there is a time to talk and a time to listen. Not surprisingly, many people forget this fact. We become so worried with what we are saying that we fail to hear what the other person is saying. Listening teaches us to focus on what the other person is trying to say to us. It forces us to really hear the other person.

Sacrifice

- Every person on a team has to figure out how much they are willing to sacrifice for the team. This could be time or talent and to keep giving towards the team goal when asked. The amount of sacrifice that each individual is willing to make can largely determine the amount of success a team will have.

Sharing

- Like sacrifice, if one individual holds back a key piece of knowledge or solution, it can mean failure. Each member of a team has to be willing to go all in on helping solve problems and contributing all that they know to the success of the team. An individual has to be want for the team even when it means they may not being the one getting the acknowledgement.

Communication

- When we don't talk to each other, nothing gets solved. There has to be open and honest discussion about everything that goes right and everything that goes wrong. Analyzing your goals together as a team, all individuals contributing to advance towards the team goal.

Language

- How you use your words, in a group or one on one has to be done in an uplifting way. Being negative all of the time breeds negativity within a team. Everyone will eventually fall out and the team will disintegrate. Use positive words and statements when talking, discussing or generally working together as a team. And that means everyone on the team because "one bad apple" can spoil the entire barrel full.

Hard work

- Each and every individual must be willing to work hard, both individually and then together as a team. When we each of us work hard on our piece of a project and then work even harder with the team collectively, achieving the goal will be meaningful and greater.

Persuade

- As a team, each individual has to be encouraged to exchange, defend and then eventually rethink their ideas. You may really like your own ideas but in the greater context of the team, pride aside, know that not every idea will have the greatest value to the goal. Some ideas will get used and others tossed to the side.

With any team, individuals have to work together in a collective manner that will greatly increase the good that everyone experiences. Using, adopting, teaching every cylinder to use these skills will result in a team experiencing even greater success.

Stay inspired my friends.

Grandpa's Hat

As I finish out my week on vacation with my wife Laura watching our grandkids, here is an article from July, 2011. I hope you enjoy it. Stay inspired my friends!

"And all your future lies beneath your hat." -John Oldham

He stood there, a man standing on the gravel drive way. He was near the house about half-way down towards the country road. I remember him as being tall and statuesque in his pressed pants and starched white shirt. The top button of his shirt was undone with no tie, the sleeves partly rolled up. His round wire-rim glasses reflected the afternoon sun as he smiled his wide smile towards me.

What I remember most is the fedora hat that covered his mostly bald head. It was probaby an attempt to keep his Irish skin from turning red. But he lifted his hat and waved to me. A gesture that seemed so comforting to me. A gesture that I believed was meant only for me, his grandson.

I was only five years-old at the time. As I stood in the open door-way of the corn crib, it seemed I had known Grandpa Gale for a lifetime. I guess I had known him for all of my five years, but it seemed much longer. And now the wave of his hat seemed to say it would soon be over.

Soon Grandma and Grandpa would be moving to California. It would be quite a bit of time before I would see them again. So this final wave seemed to be telling me everything I needed to know. All that would guide me in life was in the wave of the hat, telling me everything would be fine.

It is an image that I can recall clearly in my mind to this very day. At the time so many years ago, I am sure the full impact was furthest from my mind. But as I recall the day, the moment, the image, I fully know that Grandpa was giving me his final bit of advice. A year later he would die in that far away place called California. A heart attack would take him from so many. Death would replace him with memories.

As I look back and recall that day, I am sure that regardless of what happens to me, everything will be okay. The wave of his hat telling me everything would be okay. It is an image he left for me, that I can go back and remind myself that yes, everything will be okay.

When even the cruelest of life's circumstance enters your day, think of Grandpa Gale and the wave of his hat. A smile given to tell you that things will get better; that life for you will be okay. Grandpa would want it that way not only for me, but for you as well.

Perfect Game

I am on vacation this week with my wife Laura watching our grandkids. Here is an article from October, 2011. I hope you enjoy it. Stay inspired my friends!

"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." ~Mother Teresa

A baseball pitcher named Roy Halladay became only the second person to ever throw a no-hitter in post season play last night (October 5, 2010). It was quite an accomplishment when you look at the history of baseball. More amazing is that on May 29 of this same year, Halladay pitched the 20th perfect game in Major League Baseball history. As they say, "27 up, 27 down" to complete the game.

So what can pitching a no-hitter in baseball have to do with living a great life. Most certainly having that level of talent brings adulation and money, lots of money that helps make life comfortable. But it is the person behind the talent, their character, that makes a great life. Roy Halladay did something beyond just receiving acclaim for his accomplishments.

After pitching the perfect game in May, he arranged to commemorate that perfect game. Halladay presented roughly 60 Swiss-made Baume and Mercier watches he had purchased to everyone in the clubhouse. Each were presented in boxes bearing the inscription: "We did it together. Thanks, Roy Halladay." To top it off, on the back of each watch was engraved the date of the game, the line score, and the individual recipient's name.

Those sixty people were not just his fellow ball-players. They were the coaches, the trainers, and down to what may seem to be the most insignificant people to some. But not to Roy, he understood and acknowledged that even the smallest have a large impact on our success in life.

Your own life is involved on both ends of this spectrum. While you toil away at something, you may feel insignificant in what you do. Just know that even the smallest flower along the roadside serves a grand purpose. The nectar a bee consumes, which creates food for the hive yet sustains the bee to carry on the pollination of other plants. The smallest flower is involved in the circle that will carry life forward.

And if we have greatness in our life, we need to remember and acknowledge all the other people that helped us accomplish it. For without many others your life can not be sustained for very long. Without the smallest flowers, the bee has less to draw upon. In time, the bee can no longer sustain its grand work. Even the largest depend upon the small; life is pretty grand in that respect.

So know that your life is never too big to have done so on your own. Nor is your life too small not to have an impact on the life of another person. Not all of us can pitch a no-hitter, but each of us can make a difference in the life of another. And when we impact the lives of other people, its as good as having a "27 up and 27 down" great life.

Your End of the Boat

I am on vacation this week with my wife Laura watching our grandkids. Here is an article from February, 2007. I hope you enjoy it. Stay inspired my friends!

The American television broadcaster Hugh Downs once said, "To say my fate is not tied to your fate is like saying, 'your end of the boat is sinking."

When it comes to relationships and further connections to other people, each of us have an impact on what happens to others and to each of us. It isn't to say that we don't have a certain amount of control over our own destiny. It is our choice on how we react to the ripple of events that occur each day. Each of those events will effect and potentially change us in slight ways. Sometimes major changes occur in our life due to the impact of others.

Just know and realize that you are connected to many people in this world. Those 'knots in the fish net' closest to you would be family and friends. As you move out through the web of knots or connections are the people you work with, those you interact with at the grocery store, so on and so forth. Each of these people then connect in some manner to others as yet unknown to you.

Enjoy how your life impacts others and how all of those connections impact your own life. It is an amazing network when you stop to reflect upon it.

Climbing That Mountain

I am on vacation this week with my wife Laura watching our grandkids. Here is an article from June, 2011. I hope you enjoy it. Stay inspired my friends!

"Big thinking precedes great achievement." -Wilferd A. Peterson

On June 7, 1913, Hudson Stuck, an Alaskan missionary, led the first successful ascent of Mt. McKinley, the highest point on the American continent. Located in the state of Alaska, the mountain's Athabascan Indian name is Denali, meaning "The High One." In 1896, it was renamed in honor of Senator William McKinley, who became president of the United States that year.

When they set foot on McKinley's south peak, considered the mountain's true summit, it was an achievement many thought unattainable. A member of the group, Robert Tatum later commented, "The view from the top of Mount McKinley is like looking out the windows of Heaven!" To achieve something so large took large thinking.

It took thinking beyond the word no. It took believing in themselves and in the possibility of something greater. It also took them seven and a half weeks to climb what amounts to fourteen Empire State Buildings. A total of 20,320 feet into the bluest reaches of the sky.

Nothing comes easy in life. To scale the highest mountains of your life, it can take time. But you can take an ordinary day like June 7 and turn it into a great achievement. It all starts with thinking big things for your life and then living your journey today.

Start dreaming of large mountains to climb and then start climbing. The top isn't nearly as far away as you think.

Positive and Negative Effects

I am on vacation this week with my wife Laura watching our grandkids. Here is an article from November, 2009. I hope you enjoy it. Stay inspired my friends!


“There must be a positive and negative in everything in the universe in order to complete a circuit or circle, without which there would be no activity, no motion.” -John McDonald

So maybe I should let that sink in a little bit or let people wonder just what a quote like that is doing on a blog like this.

This blog is a positive, motivational, self improvement website that people can get a little bit of inspiration from. It is a way of helping you find some goodness to help you get through whatever it is you might be going through.

Yet I fully understand the reality of life, that you can not always live in the happy Neverland. There will be periods of the "not-so-happy". Even I have been called (in a nice way) a cynical b@$tard. Although I much prefer the term "centered contrarian".

My view is much more positive then not, but I find that I have to keep my life centered. So when I start approaching the starry, "pie-in-the-sky"; my instinct is to ensure I step back and view the other side.

The reason why?

I can not speak to those going through bad times with out understanding what they are facing. The 'positive' means nothing to them if it isn't relevant. So my cynicism for things can peek through from time to time. But again, that cynicism can come off sounding like I don't believe in having a great attitude.

Having a great attitude and leaning to the positive is what dreams are made of. Without it, we would never move forward. We would never try anything new or even want to for that matter. My contrarian ways are in some ways left over attributes but in no way do they diminish my belief in living life in a positive fashion.

You have to choose the way you want to live your life. That is the great thing about it. We get to choose it, we get to also change it. We can pull ourselves out of misery and choose happiness. No one else, no artificial thing, no magic potion can make that change...only you.

And if you say the sky is blue and I happen to say its not; then its just the cynic in me dreaming of a great sunrise.

Day Before

"The best babysitters, of course, are the baby's grandparents. You feel completely comfortable entrusting your baby to them for long periods, which is why most grandparents flee to Florida." -Dave Barry

Today marks the last post for about a week. I will be taking a vacation week along with my wife Laura. We will have nine days of what some would call rest, relaxation and removal from the daily grind of work. There have been a few people asking where we are going on our vacation.

- Is it to the beach in Florida? (no)
- Is it to the south Pacific? (no)
- Is it on a cruise ship? (no)
- It has to be a mountain hideaway? (no)

No, Grandma and Grandpa are spending nine wonderful days at home watching our four grand-children. A fun-filled week with ages ranging from 18 months to ten years of age. Two grandsons, two granddaughters and more energy than I have probably seen in a year or two.

There is a possibility that I might take time to write of the "goings on" around our home. It is possible I might escape for an hour very early in the morning to write an article. What I do know is that the week is going to be awesome and we have Grandma to thank for that. Grandma's are the best.

They give the best hugs, the best smooches, the best grilled cheese, the best games, the best...well, you get the picture. Grandma's put the wheels in motion and create the memories that last forever in the minds of grandchildren. Now for us Grandpa types.

Grandpa provides sticks of Juicy Fruit gum. We help make sure the Big Wheel wheels keep turning. We ensure the car seat gets locked in correct. And we make sure the punctuation is properly applied so that we don't get eaten while we are taking a nap!

I'll post some of my favorite posts over the next week and maybe an update or two of our fun. So until then, stay inspired my friends!

Good Intentions

"The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention." -John Burroughs

I knew there was something special about today, May 31. The thought was itching the back of my brain so I had to check the internet. My suspicion confirmed, today in 1854 the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed by the U.S. Congress. How would I know about such a thing? Only because I grew up in Nebraska and we were taught this little bit of history in high school.

I guess it stuck with me because I was a small town farm boy seeing how huge Nebraska (albeit a territory prior to statehood) was at one time. It also stuck with me how the good intentions of people can get exploited. It caused the violence which erupted in Kansas, was the seed that created the Republican Party and firmly placed the United States on a path to the Civil War.

The best intentions of a few can have such a grand effect upon the lives of millions. Violence and war were not the intended outcomes, but that is what happened. Historians will forever debate those actions, the war and the results of all that occurred so long ago. We, the ones that live in the aftermath of history, must learn from those good intentions.

Intended for Today or Tomorrow

Maybe it is human nature, the way we are wired inside. So many times we hear that we must "learn from history and not repeat the mistakes." We say these things while also declaring that we must provide a better, a greater world for future generations. But many times our actions are for the short-term, for the present and for self.

Are our good intentions for a better future for everyone real? Do we really want to change things for the better? Or are we shouting loudly these good intentions simply to line our own pockets of today? I see quite a bit of latter happening. You read about it in the news daily. It comes from people of all political and religious affiliations.

Small Deeds

We can do great things if we turn those good intentions into good acts. If we truly want to change the future not only for ourselves but for others, we need to think outward, not inward. We need to truly make big and mostly small changes in the way we do things. If we truly want a better future, it is time we start turning our words into deeds. Actions will do more than words on a paper or in a blog, my own blog included.

Do good things in life, create small deeds, perform small random acts of kindness and create a greater world. We can stand up and make terrific speeches regarding good intentions. The people will cheer and clap in rallying support. But if we each act upon one, two, or many of these intentions, that is where success will truly emerge. That is where intention dissolves into real greatness.

A small town farm boy sees a map from 1854 that stays with him throughout life. It gives him the desire to help people in small ways later in life. A young woman attends a parenting class early in life. It gives her the desire to teach other parents how to be great parents. All of us can be inspired by the smallest of things, by the smallest of intentions, which turn into great deeds.

Stay inspired my friends.

Your Birthday Smile

"A gentle word, a kind look, a good-natured smile can work wonders and accomplish miracles." -William Hazlitt

Today is the birthday of my wonderfully beautiful wife, Laura. So give me just a moment before I proceed.

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday dear Laura!
Happy Birthday to you!

With that heartfelt song for my wife, let me tell you something about her. She has a smile that can literally change lives. I can attest to it because she changed my life from the moment I first saw her smile. And guess what? You can do the same for countless others by simply smiling.

So on this day, my wife Laura's birthday, smile and change the world. Or maybe just one other person's day.

Love you Laura. Happy Birthday!

Steps to Expect

Photo by Daniel Bogan

"If you want to expect something great in your life, you have to first expect it of yourself." -Me

Wanting greatness in your life or achieving your best life is something that all of us want. I hear people tell me of all the things they want to do in life, but do all of these people expect it of themselves to achieve it? The answer is many times no.

The list below will help you in your quest for achievement but you have to first expect great things for yourself. If you begin by telling yourself that you can not, than you will not.

So step one is; expect that you can and will achieve great things. Believe in the possibility and the realization of what you can do.

Than follow these steps, none of which are expected to be easy;

2. Choose what interests you in life. Don't think too hard about it or you will never decide. With that choice, learn all you can about it. Read about other people who have had success in the same thing and develop their patterns.

3. Every day you rise from bed, do at least one thing related to your goal. Put your dreams into action. Start living your goals by learning and moving forward towards the "thing" you want to achieve.

4. More action means getting any specialized training that will make you better. Knowledge is power and will help you decide that you have chosen the right "thing." Once you decide, do not let anyone divert you from it.

5. Look at where you are now and where you want to be. Now let the difference be the motivation. Some would call this discontent motivation, meaning when you are satisfied with your condition, you lose the motivation to grow.

6. Shoot high, shoot for the moon, shoot for the stars, even if it is possible that you may not achieve it. By aiming high, you're assured of ending much higher than you are presently.

7. We're back to believing in yourself, expecting greatness of yourself, knowing that you will achieve greatness. We ourselves are the biggest obstacle to success in life. Break those chains, believe in yourself and achieve greatness.

8. As you progress, as you achieve, never be satisfied with limitations that might surround you. There will be negative people. There will be circumstance. There will be setbacks. Overcome each one of them and never let them hold you back.

You will reach a higher level, a greater life, your best life by believing in yourself and than doing something about it. Achieve great things in your life and stay inspired my friends!

Happy Big Rock Birthday

Happy Big Rock Birthday Jon!!

Not Final

"The end is not the end. It does not define a final point. The end is a beginning to something new." -Joseph Primm (me)

Here we are, the final day at EMC World 2012. The last presentations, meetings and events are taking place. It has been a great conference and quite a bit of knowledge has been exchanged. Old friendships were renewed and new friendships have been kindled. As everyone says their good-byes and the last handshakes made, we must realize that all of this does not mean it is final. It is something new. It is the beginning of something more.

Take what you have learned, the new connections you have made and make it a continuation of the journey you are on.

Stay inspired my friends!

Chance Encounter

“We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word has been spoken.” -Fydor Dostoevsky

Each day I am here @EMCWorld in Las Vegas, continually I am amazed at the chance encounters with people that I know. If I were to say something like this in my hometown of Cedar Bluffs, Nebraska, it may not seem so unusual. Cedar Bluffs has a population of roughly 500 people. So it is pretty likely that I could run into someone I know in that city.

Here in Las Vegas, Nevada, at EMC World 2012, the odds grow astronomically. As I wrote earlier in the week, there are nearly 15,000 people in attendance. That alone should stagger the mind on how likely it would be to run into people you know. Add to that the tens of thousand other people unassociated with this conference, in the hotels, the casinos and on the city streets. Next to impossible you might think encountering someone you know.

But it happens. It happens when you least expect it and it happens the more you connect with people over time. Last night, our team had dinner together in the Bellagio. The dinner was at the Bellagio Buffet and was a fantastic meal. After such a great meal, it seemed a good idea to take the twenty minute walk back to the Venetian. If you have ever been to Las Vegas, and on The Strip you know when I say the sidewalks were crowded.

Every imaginable type of person in every imaginable type of condition walking, in what seemed, towards us. As we walked though, whom should I encounter but a friend from many years back. His name is Kenny and we work at the same company, EMC Corporation. So yes, the odds were likely increased that he would be in Las Vegas at the same time. But we had not seen each other in a number of years as our jobs are quite different and in completely different cities.

Yet there he was, a great hug, handshake and quick conversation. In a total of two minutes, we caught up as quickly as we could. We will try to get together for a coffee while here at the conference. The reality is that we will probably not get that chance and not see each other again for another number of years. But it shows the power of connection. It shows the kind of impact we can have on each other.

It has happened each day here at the conference, walking the halls, dining, walking back to my hotel room....chance encounters with people that I know. Reconnections taking place in the most random ways. And it doesn't happen with people I know. I am having encounters with people that I have never met before. Business contacts and other EMC employees, each and everyone of them the chance to create new and lasting relationships.

In a conference about Big Data, The Cloud and IT Transformation; it is also about the people. Those connections we make will transform our lives. Those connections will create great and lasting impressions that will create chance encounters in the future. Make every one of them worthwhile.

Stay inspired my friends.

Transforming Your Connections

The American television broadcaster Hugh Downs once said, "to say my fate is not tied to your fate is like saying, 'your end of the boat is sinking." When it comes to relationships and further connections to other people, each of us have an impact on what happens to others and to each of us.

As I walk around talking to people, sitting in customer meetings and interacting with the nearly 15,000 folks here @EMCWorld, it becomes very apparent that we are all in this together. I will say that we do have a certain amount of control individually over our own lives. But every event, every connection, all have the potential of changing us in sometimes slight and other times huge ways.

All of this occurs due to the connections and impact of others in our life. It is through these connections to so many people in this world and events that transform us. These connections can strengthen the knots in the fish net of your life. Without the right attitude towards them, they can also tear at those very same knots.

This fish net has knots that are close to you and would be your family and friend connections. As you move out through the web of knots, there are people you work with, those you interact with at the grocery store, so on and so forth. There are many people that are in attendance here @EMCWorld that we are connected to in large and small ways. And each of these people connect in ways that are as yet unknown to you.

All of us develop these connections through out life. Those connections transform us. Those connections allow us to impact others. Make those connections strong ones and good ones. A poorly tended net becomes weak and ineffective. But a strong and well tended net results in a great life.

Enjoy how your life impacts others. Enjoy what it does in your life. As you cast your net out, you will find how amazing it can be. Cast your net far and wide my friends....and stay inspired.

EMCWorld - Its The People

"Technology is nothing. What's important is that you have a faith in people, that they're basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they'll do wonderful things with them." -Steve Jobs

I will be changing it up a little bit this week as I write from Las Vegas, Nevada. This is the week of EMC World in which 13,000 technology professionals come together to experience, learn and share in the world of data, cloud technology and so much more. If you combine them with the nearly 2000 EMC people working the show, you can start to see it is a pretty large gathering.

If you want to read regular updates, check out the event via Twitter by following @EMCWorld and other sites that offer updates and live feeds from the event.

With so much technology on display, I thought it important to reflect upon the human side of it. Technology in the form of computers, data storage systems, software, smart devices, etc., all have and continue to transform our lives. No longer do we require large file cabinets to store thousand if not millions of hardcopy pages. No longer do we require large paper road atlas maps to get around. No longer do we require a longer phone cord to talk on the phone further away from the kitchen wall. I could go on and on and on with the advances that technology provides us.

In fact I would venture to say that technology and the advances are really kind of boring. We know that data is growing by a factor of 100x every ten years. We know that CPU speeds are getting faster every year. We know that disk drive technology is transforming itself as seen by the adoption of flash drive technology. So it is becoming less exciting to see the new technology and more exciting to see what people are doing with that technology.

Artistic Data

I wrote about this in a recent article titled Artistic Data @EMCWorld in which the excitement now comes from the blending of this technology with human innovation. You can tell from the quote I chose for today that I really believe the transformation is beginning to happen.

If you read the article above, you will further understand what I mean. But the transformation that am talking about is similar to how cars transformed everything we did. The car opened up first as a means to move from one place to another but the horse and cart still moved goods from one place to another. The car changed into trucks and became faster, more reliable. The car expanded our reach, no longer confining us to a radius of 15 or 20 miles in one day by horse. People could now travel to Yosemite, or California, relatives no longer lived down the street or in the next county. The world became a little smaller, more accessible.

Technology has done the same thing. We no longer need a phone on the kitchen wall. We can be driving down the road talking to someone. We can take a picture of the great ball of twine in Kansas and send it to friends back in Atlanta. Also, think about how many people now work from home. No longer do we need to sit in an office, in a cubicle in order to work and accomplish our job tasks.

So much technology, it is almost boring at times. What isn't boring though are the cool uses for those technologies that PEOPLE are coming up with. And I meant that to be in capital letters. How are PEOPLE going to start blending it all into something beautiful, functional and of course, useful.

So when we start talking about all of that data, of which EMC will be in the middle of it all, we must not forget that it is the PEOPLE that will do wonderful things with it. PEOPLE will be the reason for all of the advances, of all the great things that will be done.

Enjoy the week folks and let's do something cool and wonderful for all of us.

And above all, stay inspired my friends.

Stand Strong

Stand strong through your hard times and know you can change your circumstances. Stay believing in your visions and dreams when others try to destroy that belief. Embrace all that you are.

Next week I'll be posting from @EMCWorld in Las Vegas. Storage just keeps growing and growing as the data explosion continues. I'm going to be writing about the people and the great stories that 13,000 people generate. So Viva Las Vegas and stay inspired my friends. Have a great weekend.

Friends For Life

“If you have good friends, no matter how much life is sucking, they can make you laugh.” ― P.C. Cast

Through our lives we need family and friends to be a part of our lives. For the comfort and support they bring. The advice and encouragement is something we can not get by ourselves. The community of relationships is what makes our lives better. This is a spoke on your 'wheel of life', to have the social and family strength to move through life.

The painting above is called "Luncheon of the Boating Party" by Renoir. I love the painting for its simple view of people gathering. There are formal and non-formal interactions going on. A sense of care and ease seems to exist among those gathered. Very much like a picnic you have attended or a gathering of friends for a game of cards, friendship makes the world a better place.

Take the time to meet with others and envelope yourself in the warmth of friendship. Your days will be better, your spirits will be lifted, your life will be renewed.

Stay inspired my friends.

Will That Be Credit?

“You want 21 percent risk free? Pay off your credit cards.” -Andrew Tobias

To all of the millions of people that use and live by credit cards, it is abundantly clear that we are prey to our own human nature. Credit card companies understand this and exploit the tendancies of human weakness to "want" things even when we do not really "need" things.

Once you are approved for a credit card, which is quite easy to accomplish, the credit card companies are pretty convinced that you will use that card. The credit card companies are even more sure that you will not pay off your credit card each month. This is where they hook you and it is where they make their money...interest charges.

It is those interest charges that begin to create the circle of debt that can make it nearly impossible to ever pay off a credit card. It is this constant debt we carry, you, me and everyone else which is the basis upon which credit companies create their revenue.

Now comes the rub, late fees. Most late fees average $34; instant profit to the credit card company and an addition to your balance that will collect interest charges if you don't include that amount in your next payment.

How do you to overcome the pitfalls of credit card usage? An article by Kristyn Kusek Lewis in Readers Digest offers these following tips.

* Remember that the due date on your card statement is just that. A postmark date is not the same thing. Because many card issuers impose ultra-specific cutoff times (American Express, for example, won't process some payments received after 12 noon in a customer's time zone until the following day), try to make your payment, by mail or online well in advance.

* One way to avoid going over your limit (and facing extra fees as a result): Go to the card company's website. Most will alert you via e-mail when you creep close to your cap.

* If you've historically been a good customer, it can't hurt to ask the customer service department to waive over-limit or other fees.

* Similarly, if your interest rate goes up, it's worth asking to have it lowered. A Study by the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group found that when cardholders requested a reduction, almost six in ten got their rate reduced by at least a third with just one five-minute call.

What I caution everyone is to simply use credit cards with care. Do not overuse them and keep them to a minimum balance. Cash is always better but use of credit can be useful. One good way to limit the need for credit card purchases is to pay yourself at each paycheck (10%) and build up your savings. This will cut down on your need to use a credit card.

Lastly, read as much as you can about using credit and creating a savings account. Knowledge is power in many instances and the more you know, the better prepared you will be to handle your finances.

Don't Be Afraid, Just Knock on the Door

“If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, Rejoice, for your soul is alive.” -Eleanora Duse

There is a great song that many of you are probably familiar with. It is called Mr. Blue Sky, written by Jeff Lynne and performed by the group Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). In a BBC Radio interview, Jeff Lynne talked about how he came up with this song. He had been staying in a Swiss chalet trying to write his band's next album after release of the album A New World Record. As he says, "It was dark and misty for 2 weeks, and I didn't come up with a thing. Suddenly the sun shone and it was, 'Wow, look at those beautiful Alps.' I wrote Mr. Blue Sky and 13 other songs in the next 2 weeks."

The ability of a blue sky to lift our spirits is like the smile upon someone's face when they greet you. It is the ability of kindness to make your day better. It can all start with a simple gesture or a sky of blue. And while I have this song in my head, another song by the same group comes to mind.

It is a song that talks about picking ourselves up and getting on with it. The blue sky may appear, but than we need to do something about it. We have to create movement in order to create a better life for ourselves. Here are the lyrics of the song titled The Diary of Horace Wimp that give you an idea of what I am saying.

The Diary Of Horace Wimp by Jeff Lynne

Monday
Late again, today,
He'd be in trouble though he'd say he was sorry,
He'd have to hurry out to the bus.

Tuesday
Horace was so sad,
He'd never had a girl that he could care for
And if he was late once more, he'd be out.

CHORUS

Don't be afraid, just knock on the door,
Well he just stood there mumblin' and fumblin'.
Then a voice from above said -
"Horace Wimp, this is your life,
Go out and find yourself a wife.
Make a stand and be a man,
And you will have a great life plan."

Wednesday
Horace met a girl,
She was small and she was very pretty,
He thought he was in love, he was afraid.

Thursday:
Asks her for a date,
The cafe down the street tomorrow evening,
His head was reeling, when she said "Yes O.K."

CHORUS

Friday
Horace, this is it,
He asks the girl if maybe they could marry,
When she says "gladly." Horace cries.

Sunday
Everybody's at the church,
When Horace rushes in and says
"Now here comes my wife, for the rest of my life." and she did.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Even when the dark and rainy clouds appear in your life, a blue sky sits just behind them. Get up and stay inspired my friends. Go out there and grab a great life.

Check out the video with the same song, "don't be afraid, just click on the play."

Artistic Data @EMCWorld

"Do you realize if it weren't for Edison we'd be watching TV by candlelight?" -Al Boliska

It is getting close once again to attend my company's annual technology conference called EMC World. Thousands of people will come together May 21st through the 24th at the Venetian Hotel and Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Yes, that very same place the Blue Man Group calls home.

In a weird way, the guys in the Blue Man Group look similar to the guy in our EMC World promo picture above. But they also look a little less freaky than the half wired man, half clouded bald guy. It probably isn't a good thing for me to be taking swipes at the advertising picture for EMC World 2012. But that picture makes me think about technology and where we are on the technology curve. While most everyone just flows with technology, I ride on top of it and believe we are on the upswing of even cooler stuff to come and it is this thing called "The Cloud."

I look back at what Bill Gates and Microsoft did for technology with their Windows Operating System. It gave the world greater access to technology in a more consistent and usable fashion. Yes, there were many...and I mean many...different companies and software options. With Microsoft, we were able to collectively do things together more easily and with greater productivity.

Some may argue that the dominance of Microsoft was bad, namely Steve Jobs and the folks at Apple. I contend that without Microsoft we would still be struggling to communicate between companies, between nations, and between people. There would have been fifty different word processing programs, eighty spreadsheet programs, a myriad of email programs and a lot of frustration. We had thousands of colors on an artist's pallette but no brush to make it all work together in one great painting.

A connected world by general adoption of a single operating system set up the path to where Apple would than lead us. With Steve Jobs at the helm of Apple, he worked all those many years to create a tightly controlled user experience that astounded millions of people. He created products that were elegant, in fact beautiful. Microsoft created the brush for us but we were still mechanical in nature, painting by numbers so to say. Apple products created an ability to bring human emotion and creativity into a blended mix with technology. They turned us into artists.

I was never a big Apple user early on because of my technology geekiness. I had a need to see what was inside and how it worked. That kind of geekiness has it's place in the technology craziness. Part of me could be pictured as the half wired guy in our EMC World picture. That is certainly part of who I am, always wanting to see the bits and bytes. Yet I do have a creative side, as all of us do. We could be engineers creatively designing a new product, a technical person creatively finding ways to diagnose and fix a product, or a business person coming up with new ways to sell or work with a new product. It really is not a whole lot different than painters, songwriters, singers or actors. We are all artists in one way or another.

What Microsoft and Apple did, including quite a few other companies, too many to mention, was to set the stage for an even greater collaboration of people, data and being connected. The technology advances we are going to see over the next couple of years will make video conferencing with friends in Curitiba, Brazil seem old school. Together we are going to see clarity in what the "cloud" can do for us.

I am excited because my company, EMC, is right smack-dab in the middle of it all. We play a very important role in this upswing on the technology curve. Along with all these other great companies, technology is becoming more about the connected nature of people as opposed to the technology itself. Billions of bytes of data out there in the world.

In a 2011 EMC-sponsored study, 1800 billion gigabytes (1.8 Zettabytes) were determined to be out there. If you look at just one zettabyte, it is the equivalent of the total storage capacity of 75 billion 16GB iPads, or all the information in all the academic libraries in the US (times half a million), or possibly the output of every inhabitant of the planet tweeting, non-stop, for a century. Lots and lots of data.

But never fear, it isn't some weird half android humanoid that we are going to become. It simply means that we will have the ability to be even more creative, more connected and more human in all of our connections to other people. We are going to see greater things happening in our lifetime. So stay tuned in, turned on and ride the wave of all that is happening.

See you @EMCWorld and I will blog each day I am there about the personal connections that are happening with people.

Stay inspired my friends.

Your Life, Not Theirs

“To wish you were someone else is to waste the person you are.”

There is a story about a small boy who was auditioning with his classmates for a school play. His mother knew that he had set his heart on being in the play - just like all the other children hoped too - and she feared how he would react if he was not chosen. On the day the parts were awarded, the little boy's mother went to the school in order pick up her son. The little lad rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement. "Guess what Mom," he shouted, "I've been chosen to clap and cheer."

Like many things, there can only be one Laurence Olivier to star in the stage production, only one Michael Jordan to sink the final winning basket, or the first John Glenn to circle the earth in space. All of us work and dream of being the "one" that garners all of the attention and success. We set our goals and ambition to be the best, the brightest, the most beautiful in the hearts and minds of everyone. We will try to define our success based solely on the highest pedestal others might place us upon.

There is possibility in becoming the greatest and most successful. There might be accolades from the mass public, cheering as you walk down the red carpet or ascend to the highest pedestal. But even the person cheering on the sidelines has greatness and success inside, inside where you are comfortable and happy first. That kind of success is determined by you and not by those around you.

And success can be as simple as being thanked for holding the door open for someone in need. Or by always being that person willing to help someone else, extending a hand to others. It could be greatness as large as the small boy being selected to clap and cheer, no matter what others may think. Success and greatness are wonderful things to strive for and accomplish in life. Just know it is you and the perfection that God made you to be which defines your great life.

Stay inspired my friends.

There You Are

"We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far." -Swami Vivekananda

I travel quite a bit in my job that that takes me to places far flung around this world. I have been to every one of the seven continents with the exception of Antarctica. I am trying to figure out what possible reason there might be for me to earn a business trip to that last one. It just has not worked out yet that Emperor Penguins have identified a use case for disk storage.

In each of these places, I know that my actions and words are closely watched and listened to. Each of my visits require me to speak in front of customers and the local co-workers for the company I work for. As anyone that speaks in front of others, you know that your words have impact upon those listening. What I say is expected to be truthful, accurate and easily understood. If that doesn't happen, the words can lead to misunderstandings and wrong outcomes.

Even my actions can have bearing upon those around me. The way I act during breaks in between meeting sessions. The way I act at a client dinner meeting or event. What I do and how I act have a huge impact on people's perception of me, my integrity and my influence or lack of influence. Acting like a dolt will certainly temper their opinion of me.

The same is true for anything I do, whether it be in front of people or behind closed doors. What I do, where ever I do it, that is who I am. It is similar to the old phrase that says, "Where ever you go, there you are." Both phrases basically mean that one cannot run from one's problems or actions indefinitely. I am who I am where ever I am.

So regardless of where I am, a meeting in front of customers, at home with the kids or standing in the checkout line at the store; people see your actions and who you are by what you say. It means that you or I can have influence on people no matter where we are. The way we think translates into words which translate into actions. So than it extends to where ever you are in your thoughts, so go your words and actions. Make those thoughts the right ones.

Start Tomorrow By Starting Today

"I am tomorrow, or some future day, what I establish today. I am today what I established yesterday or some previous day." -James Joyce

Each of us are a product of what we did yesterday. The things we did, what we ate, what we read, and how we treated people created the person that woke up today. It changed big things and little things about us and now in today's light, we must live with those changes in us.

The same thing will happen with how we approach today. The news we read and the books we finish change us just a little bit. What happened to us at work or on the drive home modifies our personality slightly. How we reacted to all that passed through our world during the day has an impact on us.

We can make a resolution to change something about our life. But then we tell ourselves it can wait, tomorrow I will change. But tomorrow comes and you think you are the same person, but something has changed. You have created a person that is resistant to change by having put it off. Even though we continually say we are going to do something with our life, you might think that nothing ever does when we put off today until tomorrow.

But something did happen. You lost one more day, one more opportunity, one more chance to do something with your life. The you today is the same you as yesterday, but with less to show for it, less of what it is you want in life. You have started to create a person that will never make a change and achieve everything meant for you.

Forget about yesterday and take hold of creating your tomorrow, today. Grab hold of the opportunity so that tomorrow when you wake up, a different person will be stepping into those shoes and heading out the door. In order for that to happen, you must take steps today. It all begins with making that first step. One change today, changes the you of tomorrow.

Stay inspired my friends.

Circle of Influence

"Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.." -Napoleon Hill

Each of us, as we walk through life, have a sphere of influence around us. It is an area or impact circle that you have on those that enter or pass through it. Taken in its simplest form, your family, friends, co-workers, people at the store you shop at, where you buy your gas, church and everything you do; your moving circle of influence impacts a lot of different people.

During those moments when you interact with people, the way you speak, the words you speak, the way you conduct yourself and the way you respond are all chances to impact the life of another person. If you think about it, everywhere you go creates a sphere of influence. To adapt it from Confucious, "Wherever you go, there goes your influence."

What all of it means is that your influence and ability to impact people moves with you. In example, whenever and wherever I travel on business, my circle of influence travels with me. There some people that would say traveling takes them out of their comfort zone because it takes them out of their environment. But I say that your environment is all that is around you. Your environment moves with you and you carry that environment to those people you come across.

We might be moving into their fields, but your field moves with you, therefore they enter into my field as well. You may wonder what I mean by my field. I'll write about that another time. For now just know that as you move about in your daily life, that where ever you go, you can have impact on others. Try not to lose any opportunity to engage and create change within your circle of influence and also in the outer reaches of circle of concern.

Stay inspired my friends.