The only thing holding you back

Walt Disney World Cast Member signage
i expect a little Magic everytime i run. Photo: Yesterday’s run.

 

Dear everyone (including me),

The only thing holding you back is the long list of bull crap lies you keep telling yourself.

Remaining consistently, and constantly, positive is impossible with negative self-talk.

And while you go searching for some “secret” to compensate for this self-defeating addiction, the secret is in this harsh reality:

You are in charge of your life.

Your recipe for success will include ingredients from others, but it will never be someone else’s recipe.

The scariest part (at least it was for me) is accepting that we have to fail our way to taking charge of our life.

The proliferation of self-help gurus leads desperate people (i was one of them) down a lifetime path searching for an easy plug and play solution.

Bonus insight: You must become resilient to the fact that much of what you do will fail, yet each failure carries you ever closer to taking charge. But only if your attitude positively expects this to happen.

PS. The subconscious reason we want to use someone else’s recipe (and not our own) is so that we can blame the failure on the recipe and avoid blaming ourselves.

 

__________

 

On April Fool’s Day 2009, jeff noel began writing five daily, differently-themed blogs (on five different sites). It was to be a 100-day self-imposed “writer’s bootcamp”, in preparation for writing his first book. He hasn’t missed a single day since.

This website is about our mental attitude. To easily and safely leave this site to read today’s post on jeff’s physical health website, click here.

 

Disney Management Keynote Speaker

Disney Management Keynote Speaker
This was the final name tag i wore at Disney.

 

Preparing for tomorrow’s two-day leadership training session.

It is my fifth and final contract of 2015.

While i won’t be wearing the name tag (above) any longer, i am planing to create a similar one.

Why?

Because not wearing a name tag with my first name on it feels inappropriate. It feels like i’m not “Show ready”. Like i’m not wearing my super power ring.

 

__________

 

This website is about our mental attitude. To leave this site to read today’s post on my physical health website, click here.

Entrepreneurial Faith

Montreal historic building at night
First look out my hotel room at 4:30am yesterday.

 

Le Westin Montreal lobby
Le Westin Montreal lobby…heading outside at 7:23am for some fresh air after nearly three hours of work.

 

Montreal Government employees protesting
Montreal Government employees protesting low wages (at least that’s what one protestor told me).

 

The Globe front page news
Yesterday’s date stamp next to Jack’s (the bear) arm.

 

Faith. What does it look like, especially as an entrepreneur?

How about starting a business (while you already have a full-time career at Disney), and (faithfully) investing $1,000/month for 75 consecutive months before you make your first dime.

Yesterday was only the fourth speech in my new, solo speaking career. There are three more contracted days in 2015, for a total of seven speaking engagements.

Every speaking engagement has been a referral, a recommendation, or a former Disney client. Nothing has come from social media.

 

 

__________

 

This website is about our mental attitude. To leave this site to read today’s post on my physical health website, click here.

Mid Life Celebration versus Disney

Pennsylvania fall foilage
Yesterday on the walk back from the ATT store.

 

The paradox of two loves.

Mid Life Celebration versus Disney.

For three full days (today is the fourth) we’ve been surrounded by 80 and 90 year olds.

Mid Life Celebration (MLC), while on the back burner since retirement due to unexpected Disney content demand, became even more important.

Aging well with a balanced approach to mental, physical, spiritual, work, and home has never been so clear.

The one year absence from MLC has exposed me to something with greater certainty…

The original vision to challenge 80 million Baby Boomers “to do something great” before they die is what the world needs.

 

__________

 

This website is about our mental attitude. To leave this site to read today’s post on my physical health website, click here.

He was unassuming in midlife

College Admission logistics seminar
Yesterday, one of the first to arrive.

 

College Admission logistics seminar
Pretty compelling reasons to listen.

 

College Admission logistics seminar
He’s there to sell more stuff, truth be told. No harm, no foul.

 

College Admission logistics seminar

 

College Admission logistics seminar
Not a great photo, but definitely captures a moment in time.

 

College Admission logistics seminar
Panorama. Seniors did not attend.

 

He was unassuming in midlife. Arriving early, i introduced myself but never mentioned i am a speaker too.

He was much better than i had expected. Shame on me for stereotyping.

His energy, enthusiasm, stage presence, and subject matter expertise was exceptional. When i had asked how many times he had given this presentation, he said it was over 2,000.

He was polished.

And then something unexpected happened, and as a speaker with no influence, i watched helplessly from the last row. The audience’s attention slowly started unraveling after an hour. We still had 45 minutes to go. It got worse.

Not once in the hour and 45 minute speech, for example, was the audience invited to stand up. Not once was the audience invited to do something fun or silly.

Being polished is a double-edged sword.

A room of 300 teens after lunch is a handful – all the way to the finish line.

Insight: i’m thinking deeply about my presentations, especially the second halves.

 

__________

 

This website is about our mental attitude. To leave this site to read today’s post on my physical health website, click here.