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.