Thanks this week go to Heidi E, Harriette T,Larry H, Moshe E, Sarah H, Peter S, Karisa M and Laura K.
Pay It Forward!
Love,
Neville
“One should guard against preaching to young people success in the customary form as the main aim in life. The most important motive for work in school and in life is pleasure in work, pleasure in its result, and the knowledge of the value of the result to the community.”
No matter how wild the ride, it couldn’t compare to this…
Sometimes You have to be up Really High to Realize how Small You are…
Austrian skydiver and daredevil Felix Baumgartner jumped from 128,100 feet above the Earth.
Seven GoPro cameras recorded the jump and GoPro just released this incredible footage, showing from a new perspective of what it was like from Baumgartner’s point of view.
Felix Baumgartner became the first skydiver ever to go faster than the speed of sound!
Hold your breath and watch this, also watch the odometer as the speed increases and then decreases as he enters the earth’s atmosphere.
Monday brought Memorial Day with Blessings of Freedom:
Memorial Day allows us to honor those veterans who served our great nation, and recognize and thank our veterans and their families for the tremendous sacrifices they have made to defend the country. It is also a day of prayer for those service members who continue to serve in far reaching areas of the globe to help protect and preserve the rights and protections that form the foundation of the individual freedoms we enjoy.
Tues & Wed brought Transformation through Collaboration:
Thanks to all that helped create, curate, connect and celebrate purpose-driven leaders! We had a sold out event with a priceless experience thanks to a LOT of help from my friends.
Sometimes Extreme Capacities are found in the Un-Sung Workforce. A Job Interview not to be Missed. A Tribute to My Wife!
Someday…
A Bus Trip in the Himalayas
3 minutes on a bus trip through the Himalayas, that will give you pause
(Click on the picture)
Make Some day TODAY!
Cultivate the focus, persistence and grit that will get You to Your personal Everest:
If you have 27 minutes you might enjoy this video below from Robin Sharma
If you don’t take 2 minutes and get the highlights…
Implicit theory underpins our world view and self-identity
Set Mastery goals not Ego goals– Autonomy, Mastery & Purpose
(not fame fortune and applause but getting better goals)
Cultivate the focus, persistence and grit that will get you to your personal Everest
Do Hard Things
Lean into your fear and Commit to the Mountain “The seduction of safety is often more dangerous than the perception of Danger”
Your limits are liars and your fears are thieves. Do NOT trust them!
So many of us are caught by the things we are running from…
Get to you know your Personal Story, then rewire it and rescript it
Goal contagion- We literally model the goals of the people we spend most of our time with
Every Visionary was first Ridiculed before they were ever Revered
Your perception of your potential will determine how much of your potential you live
Write your ending first, then live it every day -as every day is your life in miniature
Every day is a platform to get you closer to where you want to be
Inspiration drives Optimal Performance
You need to be inspired to achieve Amazing things (and have high levels of execution intelligence)
Keep your inspiration high. Make the time to be around art. Go to beautiful places. Your environments are unbelievably important in shaping your mindset.
The quality of your routines determines the caliber of your performance
Most are habituated and unconscious so run fantastic routines!
“Install routines of world class achievement”
66 days of practicing a new habit until you reach a point of automaticity
Get your habits right and then your life begins to transform
Proper food, exercise, “the 60 seconds student ritual” every day, less gossip, more celebration of other people
90/90/1: for 90 days, invest your first 90 minutes on that 1 thing
“The person who sweats more in training, bleeds less in war”—The Spartans
Mastery is a Process
The moment you think you are a master, you are a beginner…
Maintain the apprenticeship mindset, working on “YOU 2.0”
Don’t worry about the economy, create your own economy because people ALWAYS pay for Mastery and pay for the Best!
Go out into the world and rise to epic, aim for legendary and construct a life that makes history…
“If you have the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, you have NO RIGHT to keep it to yourself”—Jacques Cousteau
Robin says…
It took me months and months of going through my private coaching black books, pouring over my personal journals and weeks and weeks of painstaking work to make my latest free training video for you Neville…
…I poured 1000% of my passion, knowledge and love into it so it would awaken the deepest and greatest part of you…
…and as you’ll see by the comments under it, tons of people from across the planet are saying it’s the most inspirational and valuable one I’ve ever made.
Unlike so many of the quick yet “light on content” videos these days, this one is 27 minutes long because it has hundreds of my best insights and strategies on unleashing your potential and living an EPIC life…
Thanks this week go to Jim C, Larry H, everyone that poured their souls into the Transformation through Collaboration conference, Donna H, Linda B, Helene G, Robin S and ALL our Collective Intelligence Applied to the Greater Good!!
Pay it Forward!
Love,
Neville
“Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence. The extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning.”- Denis Waitley
In the world of enterprise, it is so easy to separate mindfulness from heartfulness. In this CSRwire blog, http://bit.ly/1iPgaXt“The Resilience of Mindfulness: From Fear-based Leadership to Courageous Compassion”, Ron helps us think about these in a new light…
Cause is the Place to Be (BeCAUSE)!
The Countdown’s On…
After nearly 9 months invested in this labor of love, I can’t believe we are nearly at launch for this conference created at the heart of network science to catalyze creative cultures.
As we have learned, many traditional and long held views don’t stand up to current science or actual social network dynamics.
For example:
It is not the brightest actor that generates the best ideas, instead these usually come from the power of collective intelligence properly harnessed and applied (‘we not me’)
It is not the most determined or driven leader that creates success, but the one most able to unleash the energy and engagement in their enterprise and foster a culture of creativity and trust
It is not even fame and $ that are the prime motivators, but each individual’s deeper yearning to concurrently be valued and create value (significance not success is what matters)
Convention is need of an intervention!
In a hyper-connected world moving at warp speed, if you can’t foster a hyper-engaged culture based on the above, it won’t just be a matter of not keeping up…
Given the jet fuel involved, it won’t take rocket science to validate that this year’s AMA Cause Conference will serve as the Launchpad for Purpose-driven leaders, where Moonshot Thinking lifts our organizations to Defy Gravity, reach Escape Velocity and Realize our Mission.
If you are interested in attending I would suggest you sign up ASAP as we are nearly sold out.
Inc just posted a list of the top 50 Leadership and Management Experts and my buddy Steve Farber who will be speaking at the AMA Cause Conference is on the list at #21!
“Who you know defines what you know” as Alan Daly reminds us…
The vision of America’s Kindest City is to create a kinder and more sustainable San Diego in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors not just for the current generation, but for generations to come. If you’d that KIND of person, check out and ‘Like’ the America’s Kindest City Facebook page!
5-STAR Winning behavior in extraordinary organizations comes down to five things that Will will share at the AMA CC next week:
Adapt or Fail <http://thoughtrocket.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=db6c729d17829878c2b0c594c&id=9d9f20de9e&e=81282888ae> , produced a huge and thoughtful response from many senior leaders around the world. Responses confirm that leaders are having a difficult time getting the right things done on a timely basis in this time of ferocious competition. Several responses also brought up new challenges that I will deal with in future blogs.
One of the biggest questions arose from my assertion that attempts to train business leaders are failing. After all, it’s a pretty big statement given the thousand-plus business schools that are trying to teach business leaders around the globe.
The problem is business schools and companies are still training business leaders to succeed in hierarchies. Organizations where things get done through chains of command. These are organizations where critical knowledge is often centralized. Resources are hoarded and defended. Annual planning cycles lock people into priorities that quickly become irrelevant in the face of new competitive threats. The complexity of these large cumbersome organizations create bureaucracies that makes simple tasks and changes virtually impossible.
For instance more and more new clients are asking if I take credit cards. They want to know because the procurement processes are so broken that it takes weeks or months to contract with new suppliers. This locks them into old suppliers with old ideas and tired solutions. And change that takes weeks or months is a timeline left over from the industrial age. That’s a leadership problem.
Oh and one more thing… most employees don’t want to work for their employers. We know that because 80% of people who currently have jobs are actively looking for a new job on the Internet.
And Gallop just finished its worldwide engagement survey and once again found that over 70% of workers are not committed to their organization’s goals. The primary reason for that is that goals employees feel ineffective in their work. It is too difficult to succeed when people’s goals are constantly shifting. Employees feel exhausted from relentless stress caused from having highly demanding jobs with low control and autonomy. Again, it’s just too hard to get things done.
And the majority of employees find their work intrinsically meaningless… yet work is way too demanding for it to be purposeless.
Those are leadership problems.
They are big, sweaty, stinky problems.
These are not problems that can be overcome by getting 20% better at one leadership competency or targeting high potential leaders to go through a year-long program.
We simply don’t have time to develop the new leadership competencies needed one leader at a time.
So this is what I did. Five years ago, at the onset of the great recession I started a research project with students from the University of California San Diego and Clemson University School of Business. We named it Apple to Zappos. We set out to discover what leaders of persistently successful organizations were doing differently than everyone else.
I interviewed top executives of the best performing companies ranging from Apple to IBM to Nike to Zappos.
We looked at seven criteria–growth, profitability, innovation, employee engagement social responsibility, sustainability, and brand power.
We also examined best leader practices research from Teresa Amabile who is the Director of Research at Harvard Business School. I spent a year working closely with Joe Folkman of Zenger-Folkman doing a deep dive on their Extraordinary Leader research. We analyzed global research studies from Towers-Watson, McKinsey and Company and several others.
This was my conclusion.
Success creates successful behaviors. Leaders perform badly when they are failing. Employees perform poorly when they are consistently unable to achieve goals.
Put simply, leadership success, employee success and business success are united in a continuous virtuous cycle. Once that cycle turns downward… leaders get worse pushing the business down faster and faster while pushing their employees to continuous failure.
It is the primary job of business leaders to make it easy for their employees to succeed…that’s what creates business success.
I know, it’s simple. Yet few leaders get this and even fewer know how to do it.
So as I work in the war zone of 21st century helping companies who are fighting to stay relevant, profitable and growing I had to come up with something that was simply different than traditional leadership development.
The result is something I simply call 5-STAR.
It’s based on the finding that winning behavior in extraordinary organizations comes down the five things. Leaders and their teams must be…
Focused
Creative
Collaborative
Fast acting
Constantly improving
Simple but not easy.
This is not easy because people tend to be either both focused and fast acting or creative and collaborative. It’s yin and yang. This creates natural tension.
For instance in most organizations senior leaders are goal-focused and action- driven. Their implicit belief is the value is created by fast and flawless execution.
But that’s only partly true. If you get really fast at doing things customers don’t value you simply accelerate failure.
There is another large group in most organizations that are purpose-driven innovators. They are motivated to create new value. Value that really matters to people. They like to create and collaborate. They always have questions and their questions slow things down. This drives the focused-doers crazy.
The reality is for an organization to work you need both yin and yang. But you won’t drive business teamwork by going to a tepee and sweating together.
Our research of persistently great companies shows they create teamwork by winning together.
As I thought about the challenge of coming up with fast ways to transform leadership and culture I began to experiment with training teams in a leadership process that didn’t demand individual change. My premise is if you just follow the process you will start to win. Every team member will get engaged… and that will fuel a winning balance of focus and creativity and collaboration and action that drives continuous improvement…value, growth and profits.
Perhaps It is Time for a Cool Change?
Stay tightly Connected!!
Thanks this week go to Ron S, Steve F, Shannon Mc, Will M, the entire AMA CC planning team and presenters, & last but certainly not least my family for putting up with me for the last 9 months of over-investing in my civic spirit.
Pay it Forward…
Love,
Neville
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” —Margaret Mead
While we all try to create our own internal climate, inevitably the background does determine the foreground.
Here is San Diego we have experienced some very un-seasonable weather with significant adverse consequences as neighbors have lost their homes, and much of our natural environment has burned down.
Thankfully, so far there has been no loss of life!
Our hearts go out to those who are displaced and facing loss, grief and uncertainty.
Together, we can turn our stumbling blocks into stepping stones…
Last week, I shared the exponential growth in natural disasters worldwide.
This week San Diegans have unfortunately got to experience them first hand…
Here are some tips to helping you with preparation in response to emergencies, as well as some positivity to keep us grounded and moving forward especially in challenging times.
If you are not in San Diego, I am sure you have similar resources in your neck of the woods!
Be prepared and Stay Proactive.
Photo credit: Robin Martin
Resources:
With the fires now popping up all over the county here is an important resource. The single most important thing you should do today is register your cellphone numbers online to get reverse 911 calls and texts. You will not get notification calls on your cellphone unless they are registered. You can do this at http://www.readysandiego.org/alertsandiego/ The web page is very clear how to do this in both English and Spanish. We hope this is helpful and please say a prayer to keep the amazing fire personnel safe that are working so hard on the front lines to protect our community.
In addition to the website, check out this app on iTunes:
SD Emergency
County of San Diego
(12)
Reference, News
Sep 21, 2012
View Item
Disaster Preparedness Starts With You.
Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to plan in advance: how you will contact one another; how you will get back together; and what you will do in different disaster situations. The SD Emergency App contains disaster preparedness information, interactive checklists to help you to create your emergency plan, build an emergency supplies kit, and when disaster strikes; the SD Emergency App will keep you and your family informed with emergency updates, interactive emergency maps, and shelter locations.
The County of San Diego Office of Emergency Services (OES) created the SD Emergency App to better prepare and inform San Diego County residents and visitors about disasters. With SD Emergency, the tools you need to plan, prepare, and respond in an emergency are right at your fingertips.
Follow us on Twitter @SanDiegoCounty and @ReadySanDiego
The antidote for complex problems is collective intelligence and collaborative solutions.
If it is all about me, we will never get to we!
Along with two other co-authors, we address this in an article that came out this week in the San Diego Business Journal, a conference I have been birthing for the last 9 months, and a Daily Goodarticle that allow us to help others- even when we are just playing with an app!
Thanks this week go to Robin M, Angie L, Hélène G,Andrea YC, Shannon Mc, Alan D, Steve F, Jim L, Charles T, the EFM team and everyone with a we not me orientation!
Stay strong, share your spirit, be grateful, and do good work!
Pay it forward and eat dessert first. The future is uncertain…
First branch out with a reframe, because I can tell you are a bit stressed…
Don’t scroll past the animals until you have decided upon your answer:
The Banana Test There is a very, very tall coconut tree and there are 4 animals,
A lion, a giraffe, a squirrel and a chimp
They decide to compete to see who is the fastest to get a banana off the tree.
Who do you guess will win?
Your answer will reflect your personality.
So think carefully … . ..
Try and answer within 30 seconds.
Got your answer?
Now scroll down to see the analysis.
If your answer is:
Lion = you’re dull..
Chimpanzee = you’re dense. Giraffe = you’re a complete moron.
Squirrel = you’re hopeless.
A COCONUT TREE DOESN’T HAVE BANANAS.
Obviously you’re stressed and overworked.
You should take some time off and relax
Have two glasses of wine.
A full box of Chocolates.
And a nice lunch. Now hurry up and forward it to someone else…. They may need this attitude adjustment!
This week:
The Family Tree:
Connect with Your Roots As Part of the Same Global Forest:
The Stay Classy Collaborative
“Hollywood has the Oscars, Broadway has the Tonys and now Philanthropy has the Classys!”
Locally inspired Social Entrepreneurs on a Global Mission to address complex issues such as: Poverty & Hunger Relief, Disaster Relief & Public Safety, Educational Advancement, Animal & Wildlife Welfare, Health Services, Human Rights & Social Justice Services, Environmental Protection and Active Duty and Veteran Services using-
o A Comprehensive Understanding of Problem Dynamics
o An Evidence-Based Methodology
o A Creative and Sustainable Model
o A Commitment to Measureable Change
o A Culture of Learning
o High Growth Potential
Did you know:
22 Veterans commit suicide every day and we have lost more service members to suicide than died in all the wars combined?
The number of Natural Disasters Worldwide are growing at an unprecedented rate (71 in 1900 compared to 3,500 in 2007)
That 2.5 B people of people around the world are living on less than $4 a day
That innovative responses to health include a cervical cancer test that can be done with regular vinegar?
That by linking the databases on sex trafficking and the ivory trade you can leverage big data in ways never considered before?
These and other large complex problems ARE being addressed by amazing social entrepreneurs around the world as we speak!
Some Snippets:
From Aleem Waliji Director, Innovation Labs, the World Bank
The biggest game-changer in social impact might not be something obvious like Micro Financing that obviously transformed the sector, but something less evident like cell phones and more specifically being able to buy phone times in very small packets as this revolutionized the opportunities to connect.
From Robert Egger Founder of LA Kitchen
Don’t get caught in a devil’s bargain between choosing profit over value creation (.com vs. .org). There are no profits without nonprofits. Distinctions of an organizations legal status should not be confused with social purpose!
Solving hunger in the world might be better addressed through teaching nutrition rather than feeding the poor other people’s left overs.
Check out Fed Up that comes out this week (see below)
Fed Up!
An Inconvenient Truth for the Food Industry
The Menu is Not the Meal: Reframe the Issue- For example not as Hunger but as Nutrition!
The reality that we have as many obese people on this planet as people starving to death is a travesty.
Sometimes you find pockets of the very same cohorts in the SAME location ex: parts of this great nation’s capital Washington DC, where in the same block the incidences of obesity and diabetes as well as poverty and hunger are both off the charts. WTF!
Here are some of the sobering facts about the state of health in America revealed in “Fed Up” a new documentary from producers Katie Couric and Laurie David due out this week about the country’s food industry:
(1) “Over 95 percent of all Americans will be overweight or obese in two decades”;
(2) “By 2050, one out of every three Americans will have diabetes”;
(3) 80 percent of food items sold in America have added sugar.
We simply can’t run off or exercise off the amount of sugar we are consuming, so we need to revisit- from a systems thinking perspective- what the root causes are and how to address them. Solving hunger in the world might be better addressed through teaching nutrition rather than feeding the poor other people’s left overs.
What is the proxy for this in your organization?
Leaf Old Limbs Behind, Branch Out and Get Plucky with Emotional Intelligence:
Emotional, Social & Cultural Intelligence Will be a Better Predictor of Success than Just IQ:
Kids know more about the “birds and bees” than fiscal responsibility at an impressionable young age.
Few parents teach their kids the FACT$ OF LIFE.
The average debt of college graduates in 2012 was $29,400.
Where and how will kids learn to navigate the world of money?
Why are parents avoiding the “money conversation” with their kids?
Here is a fun filled workshop where parents can learn how to discuss the sensitive issue of money and related issues with their kids.
Who: The presentation will be led by Glenda Sacks and Hillel Katzeff.
What: 1.5 Hour live presentation (with additional time for Q&A)
Where: 4330 La Jolla Village Drive, Suite 330, San Diego, CA 92122 (conference room)
When: Wednesday May, 14 , 2014
11:30am – 1:30pm
A nominal charge of $15 includes:
– presentation printout
– light meal
– follow-up opportunities
If you agree that starting conversations to educate children about financial literacy is very important, then please forward this invitation to anyone who you think may benefit or who would like to attend – Grandparents, Educators, Program Directors, Parent-Teacher-Student Organizations, etc. ALL WELCOME
The PRESIDENT tree is the name of a giant sequoia in Sequoia National Park California.
It takes a special kind of tree to have a nickname. Not every tree has a nickname, but ‘The President’ has earned it. This giant sequoia stands at 247 feet tall, and is estimated to be over 3,200 years old. Imagine, this tree was already 1,200 years old when Jesus walked the earth.
The trunk of The President measures at 27 fee across, with 2 BILLION needles from base to top.
Because of its unbelievable size, this tree has never been photographed in its entirety. Until now. A team of national geographic photographers have worked along with scientists to try and create the first photo that shows The President in all its glory.
They had to climb the tree with pulleys and levers, and took thousands of photos.
Of those, they selected 126 and stitched them together to get this incredible portrait of The President.
And here it is:
Incredible, is it not?
Thanks this week to Peter S, Larry H, Helene G, Glenda S and Hillel K as well as Non-Profits Locally, and Social Entrepreneurs all over the World!
Most of Our Problems are the Result of Wrong Identification of Self.
Here’s to right identification as we strive for a “we not me” narrative and rightly understand ourselves…
Redefine the Future
Acquaint Yourself with the Real Rules of Life
Play a Pivotal Role in Foster Care
Stay in the Flow
Support Social Mobility, Research and Service
Stop Trying to Delight
The Future is in Our Hands:
Uncertain about the future? This should help…
The Real Rules of Life:
My dear friend, Dr. Ken Druck has earned countless accolades as an author, speaker and international authority on resilience and healing after loss. A true pioneer in psychology, where he earned his doctorate, Ken is the recipient of many honors and awards, including “Distinguished Contribution to Psychology,” “Family Advocate of the Year” and “Visionary Leadership.”
Ken’s work with families after tragedies and disasters like 9-11, Columbine, Boston and Hurricane Katrina has also been recognized for his contributions. With the current crisis in Korea, his reach and contribution extend worldwide, and we are grateful to have him as one of our presenters at the American Marketing Association Cause Conference in San Diego in May…
May is National Foster Care Month, a time to recognize the role each of us plays in the lives of children and youth in foster care. Voices for Children provides more than one-third of local foster children with the support of a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). But, there are many more who still need a CASA to advocate on their behalf—in the courtroom, classroom, and community—to ensure their needs are met.
We are seeking companies who would be willing to promote this unique volunteer opportunity to their employees.
There is no experience necessary to become a CASA volunteer. Voices for Children provides all the training volunteers need and matches each CASA with a staff member, who works with them on their case. Voices for Children is the only nonprofit organization in San Diego County designated by the Court to recruit, train, and lead CASA volunteers.
We have made it easy to spread the word about your company’s commitment to serving San Diego County’s foster youth.
Our new online resources include templates for newsletters and social media and flyers to hang or email. These resourcescan be downloaded to get involved and promote volunteer opportunities to your employees and customers: http://www.speakupnow.org/business-templates/. (The entire Speak Up Toolkit, geared toward both organizations and individuals, is accessible here: http://www.speakupnow.org/toolkit/.)
We believe that every child deserves a safe and permanent home, and know that you do, too. Please join us in Speaking Up for foster youth. If you would like to request hardcopies of any of our flyers or brochures or would like to book a speaker for a presentation at a staff meeting or lunch-and-learn session, please let me know. I welcome questions and other ideas you may have on how our organizations can work together.
Stay in the Flow:
If you are in the western US, you know we have been experiencing a strong offshore air flow—very odd for late April.
Thanks this week go to Heather J, Ken D, Sarah A, Charles S, and everyone at UC San Diego that is focused on helping the next generation with a quality education!
Imagination is more important than knowledge.
Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
–Albert Einstein
Some content on this page was disabled on March 20, 2025 as a result of a DMCA takedown notice from Harvard. You can learn more about the DMCA here:
This week it is all about change ups. Change ups are inevitable. How we respond to them is debatable.
Resilience is a skill that can be cultivated to deal with both the speed of change and the nature of change.
Here’s to persistence, flexibility and resilience, all practiced with purpose…
This week:
Woman Stops Grizzly Attack with a .25 Caliber Pistol
Every Master Suffers
Kindness = More Bang for your Buck:
Leave it to this Little Girl to Set Us Straight!
What a man can do a woman can do better!
Mission Fed ArtWalk 2014: Where Creativity Connects
Woman Stops Grizzly Attack With .25 Caliber Pistol
This is a story of self-control and marksmanship. A woman survived a grizzly bear attack with one well-placed shot from her itsy bitsy .25 caliber Beretta Jetfire.
These are her own words.:
While out hiking in Alaska with my boyfriend, we were surprised when a huge grizzly bear came charging at us out of nowhere. She must have been protecting her cubs because she was extremely aggressive.
If I had not had my little Beretta Jetfire I would not be here today! I yanked it out of my purse and fired one shot. It hit my boyfriend in his kneecap and the bear caught him easily. While the grizzly mauled the poor cripple, I was able to escape by just walking away at a brisk pace.
I love that pistol, I’ll find other boyfriends…
The Pain of Excellence by Robin S:
Most of us have been hypnotized into thinking that suffering’s the wrong move, false path and worst play.
I call these The 5 Pains of Mastery. Understand them and rather than resisting them, you’ll leverage them to make EXPONENTIAL versus incremental growth.
Mastery Pain #1: Ridicule
Michelangelo was mocked for his vision for The Sistine Chapel by his jealous peers.
Copernicus was condemned for his sense that the earth wasn’t flat.
The very nature of mastery is an audacious act of disruption. To go for your personal greatness, you’ll see a future few see, have habits few have and produce results few do.
This scares the 95%. It messes with their complacency. It suggests they too must do something big.
And so rather than raising their games with you, it’s far easier for them to label you a misfit, call you an oddball and cry you’re an eccentric.
Mastery Pain #2: Self-Doubt
As the dominant voices of the herd ridicule you, the performer on the path of mastery falls into self-doubt.
You question your dream. You disbelieve your talents. You lose your faith.
This is the second pain we all will face along the journey to becoming legendary.
The key is to acknowledge the suffering yet keep moving forward. Remember: nothing stops the achiever who refuses to be stopped.
Mastery Pain #3: Failure
Ok.
Big one here.
So many of us are on fire with a vision until we meet our first obstacle. And then we retreat.
Failures are gifts in wolf’s clothing. Nothing more. Leverage them to produce something even better.
Mastery Pain #4: Isolation
Standing for the highest of standards, installing the personal habits of the super-producers and having a vision braver than anyone around you will make you different.
You’ll be misunderstood.
You won’t fit in.
You’ll be alone sometimes.
But the pain of isolation is definitely less than the heartbreak of regret on a life weakly lived.
Mastery Pain #5: Confusion
“Chaos gives birth to dancing stars,” said Nietzsche.
As you advance on the master’s path, you disrupt all you knew yesterday for the sake of an even better tomorrow.
You challenge your beliefs and you reorganize your ways of being.
This creates confusion. And it can hurt.
But confusion always gives way to clarity. And sooner rather than later you arrive at your next level of uncommon performance.
And the way you do things wow those who watch.
So please reflect on these “Pains of Mastery”. And just commit to doing what it takes to become your absolute best.
It’s not easy. But it’s definitely worth it.
Kindness = More Bang for your Buck:
…it lights up the same part of our brain in the same way that chocolate, intimacy, and sunshine do
What if that which we Seek is Hidden in Plain Sight?
Given:
Common Sense is Uncommon Practice
To know and NOT to do, is not to Know
It is not a lack of resources, but a lack of resourcefulness that keeps us from living our dream or living period,
Here are some links, clips and posts to remind us of our unbounded spirit, the power of the collective, the importance of taking chances and living OUR dream while helping others fulfill theirs…
10 Painfully Obvious Truths EVERYONE Forgets too Soon:
Note: Regardless of if you are a match, we encourage everyone to visit your local Blood Bank, and donate blood and/or platelets and literally give the gift of life!
Transformation Through Collaboration:
As we are a little over a month away from one of most collaborative events I have had the privilege of inspiring, ideating and implementing…
On May 27th and 28th in San Diego, join us for the American Marketing Association’s Cause Conference titled, “Transformation through Collaboration” for Purpose-Driven Leaders.
Comprising 42 Amazing speakers, moderated keynotes, breakouts and ignite presentations, all working in “Pasteur’s’ quadrant” where it is applied theory and a propensity for action that matters, using design thinking instead of strategic planning, and fostering radical collaboration in eco-systems instead of feudal and industrial age ego-systems + the right 300 people in the room will = sheer magic!
Will you be there?
The sampler that follows is intended to give you a flavor for some of the speakers and their purpose and how they can help you live YOURS!
In the last week, with one of the Founders of the AMA Cause Conference Parker Pike, the Chair of the Ed Studies Department at UCSD, Dr. Alan Daly, and my fellow Co-Chair for this year’s American Marketing Association Cause Conference, Charles Tassos we produced a pod cast (4 parts) on Cause Marketing.
Wade the President of the station had this useful tidbit that I found insightful:
We are moving from a world of turning on a TV OR a Radio, to a web based world where I can have Video AND Audio AND Print on a website.
So we need to use them synergistically, recognizing their unique qualities.
What Print does best, is convey data, because it moves at the speed of comprehension.
What Video does best is instruct through the power of demonstration.
What Audio does best is creating bonding relationship, because of the power of “Theater of the Mind”, which is engaged when there are no visuals.
One message, 3 communication platforms. Use appropriately.
Here are some vids from a few of our amazing speakers in May:
The Disconnected, Connected World. with Larry K.
I have worked most of my life to make a difference in the world. On January 26 I delivered a TEDx Talk, titled “The Disconnected, Connected World.”
This talk is the culmination of numerous life lessons over the past 20 years. When I was asked to deliver the talk I thought the most enjoyable part would be delivering the speech, but that was not the case. The process of creating the talk was actually the amazing part. I invite you to watch the talk at the following link and provide me your feedback:
Thanks this week go to Ron M, Heidi D, Wade T, Mason and Corinne M, Larry K, Sarah H, Mike H, the AMA Cause Conference ALL-Volunteer Planning Committee, and every one of you who helps make someone’s life better this week!
Whether you are simplifying your life, saving another’s, or changing other’s lives for the better, here’s to a life well lived!
Pay it Forward!
Love,
Neville
“We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are.” —Anais Nin
Stand in Awe as One Person Transforms Her “Vulner-Abilities” into Sheer Magic
Had an Extreme Day? Try this One!
Value Extreme Leadership? Steve Farber is a Master o Getting your Core Values Seen not Just Heard- This is Extremely Cool!
An “Open Way” Like a Growth Mindset can be that Difference that Makes a Difference
Extreme Genius in Theater, Film, and beyond: Pushing Boundaries with a Muse called Innovation
An Extreme Hug and its Neuro-Biological Effects: o Trust, Morality and Oxytocin
Extremely Zany Non-Smart Do-It-Yourself Work
Let’s Start with that Brain Teaser to test the limits of your Smarts 🙂
IF YOU ANSWER ALL FOUR, YOU ARE PURPORTLY A GENIUS (OR AT LEAST A GOOD LATERAL THINKER)
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Question 4
ANSWERS
* 1. The last person took the basket with the egg in it.
* 2. All the other card players were women.
* 3. Pour the juice from the second glass into the fifth.
* 4. The recluse lived in a lighthouse.
PASS THIS ON TO FRUSTRATE THE SMART PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE
If I can can, YOU can can…
Maysoon Zayid is a comedian who happens to have cerebral palsy. She advocates for the disabled and founded Maysoon’s Kids (which addresses the needs of disabled children in Palestine). Maysoon is inspirational and proves that stereotypes are meant to be broken.
If You Think Your Day is/was Extreme, Check out this One…
There are many flavors of Extreme and No One Models Extreme Leadership better than Steve Farber!
Getting your Core Values Seen not Just Heard- This is Extremely Cool!
BTW, Steve is a bestselling author, terrific speaker, downright nice guy and will be at the American Marketing Association Cause Conference I am co-chairing, May 27th and 28th in San Diego along with 40+ other leaders, speakers, and change agents as we deliver on the theme of “Transformation through Collaboration”. We will close registration at 300 to keep it a rich and intimate experience. For more info and to register visit: http://sdama.org/events/cause-conference-2014/
Present Moment Mindfulness/Self Awareness x Radical Collaboration predicated on Collective Intelligence can = Transformational Outcomes for Previously Intractable Social Issues
An Open Way Like a Growth Mindset can be the Difference that Makes a Difference…
There is no easy way to summarize the contribution Quebec-born Robert Lepagehas made to the arts, and no single art to tie him to either. He is not only considered a genius in the field of theatre, but also a creative force in film, opera and Quebec’s signature Cirque du Soleil shows. The actor and director has earned a reputation for pushing boundaries and conjuring up complex visual effects. His one constant muse appears to be innovation itself.
Some Takeaways:
A thirst to innovate, an appreciation for the Renaissance, Shakespeare and Moliere
Unafraid of chaos in the creative process and humble enough to say I don’t know everything…
The real promise of real theatre – a community meeting a community. Bad theater is when what happens onstage never makes it into the room- i.e. Never really connecting with the audience
Compassion IT in America’s Kindest City Re-Design Your Thinking and Radicalize your Collaborations Percuss your Soul
In the past week, I completed yet another trip around the sun, over 19,723 days + by last reckoning. Using the 10,000 hour rule you would have thunk I would be getting good at this but that is debatable…
As my karate community wanted to celebrate my birthday we invested the day with dojo mates from near and far; setting our morning intention with a compassion meditation thanks to Sara S of Compassion IT, followed by a fun and deep dive into design thinking, social capital optimization and working on the design process in “Pasteur’s Quadrant” courtesy of Dr. D, leading to an afternoon in embodied practice of collective intelligence and radical collaboration advancing our art, and it all culminating in an extraordinary surprise and most deeply resonant drum circle and percussion fest courtesy of Monette M bringing her infectious energy back into my soul after two decades of being part of her Afro-Caribbean drumming class.
My karate group set me up really well for this surprise at the end of the day proving once again that making a fool of yourself, or being made a fool of is not such a bad thing after all. Most of us have been well conditioned (rightly or wrongly) to develop an abject fear of failure, which precludes risk-taking, which limits innovation, which restricts growth which kills surprise and wonder, which leaves our soul hungry and thirsty. Thanks to their conniving and stealth, I am still smiling –inside and out- as I reflect on how both the intended and unexpected collided into a terrific, near magical experience. But enough about me…
Is it Time for Your Hero’s Journey: Let this vid set the tone for your advance…
While I’m not 35, this clip says it pretty darn well Surprise YOURself. Be Happy, Excited and Inspired so you can say, “Damn, that was awesome!” http://vimeo.com/62716181
Slomo: The One that Got Away… If you don’t feel like this from time to time you’re lying, or so deep under that social hypnosis spell it is hard to consider an “alternate reality” http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/01/opinion/slomo.html?_r=0
Speaking of Percussion, Stay Thirsty my Friends!
Too Yang for you? Try This Irish Blessing… Click on: Irish Blessing Then sit back, take a deep breath, relax and click on Start!
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
UC San Diego Extension
6256 Greenwich Drive
San Diego, CA 92122
Thanks this week go to Peter S, Sara S, Alan D, Monette M, Terri and Ken M, Paul S, Larry H, my entire traditional martial arts community, as well as friends and family worldwide!
Wishing you a Spring in 2014 that coils up tight and launches you to your pole star where dreams really do come true and there is no place like Aum.
Love and Happiness,
Neville/Dad/Friend/Sensei/Neighbor/April’s Fool
Happy Soul Food Friday! 