I have started doing more in depth research when it comes to shopping for running shoes.  I suppose I could blame it on the economy…why not? Yesterday I knew exactly where I could get a pair of last seasons Mizuno’s for $95, quite a discount considering that I originally bought these shoes for $125 nearly a year ago.  So, I went to the shop, picked out my size, went to the check-out line, signaled for my wife; and we started talking.  We started talking about, of all things, money, and how we were going to accomplish everything we wanted to accomplish over the next 7 months on what we were currently making.  It wasn’t a discouraging conversation, money is not something we usually spend a lot of time worrying about regardless if we have a lot or a little, but there was a sort of tension associated with our words.  At that very moment, a young woman jumped into our conversation and changed the direction of our words.  She approached us from behind and very quickly proceeded to hold out her hand which contained a piece of slightly crumpled, white paper.  She asked us if our shoes were going to cost us more then $45, and after we responded, “yes”, proceeded to hand us the small piece of paper.  Before we even had time to look her in the eye and respond, she was gone.  I honestly didn’t even see what she looked like.  The piece of paper she handed us was a discount coupon for $25 off of any purchase greater then $45.  I wound up getting my $125 originally priced shoes for only $75.  

I will remember that young lady for the absolute rest of my life not because she was beautiful (although she may have been), not because she was exceedingly smart (although she may have been), and not because she was overwhelmingly wealthy (although she may have been) .  I will never forget her because of one reason, she chose to give.  She could have walked out of that store with coupon in hand, never helping anyone, never inducing a lasting connection, never making a difference.  It would have been easier to not have approached us, to not have started an awkward conversation, and to not have given anything away.  But, she chose to take a slightly more challenging path, a path of interaction, of care and of giving; and because of her choice she changed my life.

Times are changing, but much of what is important in life is staying the same.  One foundational aspect of life which I believe will never change is that it doesn’t matter how much you are able to keep for yourself, rather; it matters only how much you are willing to freely and genuinely give away.  I believe that history will adamantly remember those that willingly and joyfully gave away all that they possibly could, those that chose to  go out of their way to reach out a giving hand to another.

Today, I run with a smile.

Ever get inundated with the future?  The future is a complex, not to mention unforeseeable, concept.  A lot of people spend a lot of time and get paid a lot of money trying to get to the future before anyone else.  

The fastest one to the future wins (apparently).  She who can perceive what it is that we will want or need 2 years from now will benefit more then the one who can only see what we want or need right now.  The future (apparently) belongs to those who can see needs that most of us don’t even realize we have.  They meet needs that exist but that the majority of people are completely unaware of.  Project developers, marketers, entrepreneurs, scientists and inventors all work under this premise.  Create something that people don’t even realize they need (or want), and then give it to them just in the nick of time.  It doesn’t have to be a completely new something.  An improved something usually works just fine.  The future is where the most progressive imaginations are headed.  However, the most mature and advanced visionaries are living in the present moment.  

Why?

There is a fundamental characteristic of all great visionaries that has been there all along but is only now beginning to slowly reveal itself as one of the most crucial aspects.  Visionaries do not live or make decisions based on fear.  They have the ability and the courage to not make decisions based on what others think.  They don’t fear the opinion or critique of others.  Living too far into the future makes us especially vulnerable to fear.  If I do this, others will think that.  If I don’t do that, others will think this.  I can’t make that choice, what will so-and-so think of me.  My family will call me crazy if I do that in the future.  What will the neighbors think if I do that!?  If we live too far advanced in time, too detached from the present moment, we open ourselves up to fear, giving it a greater hold in our minds.  Fear is best tamed and defeated by embracing the moment–by acting NOW.  If we act now, the mind doesn’t have enough time to fear or to come up with a list of people we may or may not disappoint if we do what we believe we should.  We simply act, and the heart grows stronger and more courageous.  

Many of the greatest visionaries who will have the most tremendous impact on our culture in the future are already there, creating and improving life for us all before we ever even get there.  But, they are not acting in the future.  They are acting right now, creating away, step-by-step, until eventually their threshold is breached, and their future vision aligns with our present desire.  It can happen to anyone.  It can happen to you, but fear cannot be allowed to be an active part of the process.

Don’t miss this moment because you’re mind is distracted by the future.

Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow. ~Swedish Proverb

Do you have time to worry?  

I remember this one instance where I worried about a certain challenge in my life for days and days, and then, all of a sudden, the clouds parted, the issue cleared itself up and all was beautiful-solved and finished as if the worry had never existed at all…

…that instance was great…and it was also  a beautiful, completely fabricated dream.  I know…bummer.

What’s the point?  It hurts to worry.  Constantly mulling over worrisome issues only wastes mental energy and consumes precious time that could be used for good rather than for worry or fear.  The best way to defeat worry?  (1) Make it a habit to mentally combat thoughts of fear and worry.  Don’t allow yourself to dwell on topics.  Dwelling only allows worry to grow exponentially and rapidly. (2) Don’t spend time and energy worrying.  Instead, invest that energy and time acting.  Do something to alleviate your worry.  

Thinking and talking never cause change.  Thinking is only the initial step.  The enthusiast.  The motivator.  The push.  Action causes change.  If you want to eliminate worry and fear from your life, act against those fears and worries.  People accomplish this in a variety of ways:  Some pray.  Some run.  Some take out a small business loan.  Some read a book.  Some get educated.  

Just don’t be the some that do nothing and let worry run their minds and thus their lives.

1. Beginnings and Endings.  Do not look at life as a series of projects or events or blocks of time involving categorized jobs or tasks.  Rather, understand that life builds on itself.  There are no endings and beginnings, only learning from today and building upon it in order to improve your tomorrow. Example:  The end of a college career is really only a commencement (beginning) to the rest of a students life.  A student very rarely learns everything (or even close to everything) that he needs to know for a career (or life) in the classroom.  A student is mainly learning how to learn. Important so that throughout the rest of their life, they can continue to learn adeptly and thoroughly whatever it is they may need to know or learn.  A so called ending to one event is genuinely just another continuation to the next great adventure.  Hence, don’t get frustrated when something seemingly ends or begins.
2. Do you act boldly in your beliefs?  Essentially, your beliefs and commitments and ideas require of you a level of zero courage if they are never tested by others who see things a little differently or completely oppositely.  Is it important to surround yourself with great, positive people?  Of course.  You become like those you surround yourself with.  BUT!…It is basically easy to believe what you believe and know what you know as long as you surround yourself with people who only believe and know as you do.  Your  beliefs and visions require zero courage to believe them if they are never tested.  It is easy to believe in something when you are surrounded by people who believe the exact same way.  Lesson?  Take the time to talk to, communicate with, interact with and join with people who see the world from a different and unique way.  Make sure your ideas are tested.  Does this mean you have to change what you believe?  Certainly not!  But, how can you expect your ideas or beliefs to grow stronger if you don’t put them through some testing or ridicule or run them by the critics?  Exactly.

• Blogs can be read rapidly and repeatedly until the story or point is absorbed.  The most intriguing books still take hours to read.

• Blogs are adaptable.  The information on a blog can be updated weekly, daily, hourly or moment by moment.  The information in a book is permanent.  Once it is published, it cannot be taken back or drastically changed until it’s next printing.

• Blogs are of no charge to the reader.  

• Anyone who has access to a computer (or phone for that matter) can blog.  Getting published is simple…just click submit and away you go.

• You get multiple viewpoints on your topic of choice.  Numerous blogs can be read easily and quickly.  Reading books with differing biases is difficult and time consuming.

• The effective blogger can market to his niche or offer them a unique opportunity almost as soon as the idea enters his mind.  There is no waiting for the New York Times to review your blog content and deem it worth while.  If you have a desire to tell people something that you believe is worth sharing, there is no delay period while you wait for someone to tell you that it is worth sharing.  Just Tell It!  

• While “shopping” for which blogs to subscribe to, you don’t have to worry about being swayed by a flashly  cover or a catchy title.  You can judge the blog based on its content alone.  Read a post or two.  If you buy a book for its color and opening content, you may find that it doesn’t live up to your expectations halfway through.   You can easily “return” the blog…just don’t link there anymore.  

With all that said, I love to read books, but that’s for another blog post.

There are people around you…everywhere!  They stand beside you in the deli line.  They pump their gas right next to where you stand to pump yours.  They sit in the cubicle right next to yours.  Their facebook picture shows up in line with your other 837 favorite friends.  They run on the treadmill, dripping sweat just like you, less than 2 feet from where you stride.  They eat their meals, many times alone, at the table just adjacent to yours.  They stand shoulder to shoulder with you in the elevator.  They cling to their mothers legs as she,not distracted, continues to shop.  They smile and slightly wave, make eye contact, and quickly move on.  They sit in church every Sunday, filling the pews just like you.  They cling to their newspapers at the coffee shop just like you.  They type away on anything and everything just like you.

Do you ignore them? …or… Do you initiate a conversation with them?

Some people hate to be bothered.  Don’t bother with them.  But, there are so many people out there, in the world all around yours and mine, that long for interaction.  Give it to them.  Interact.  Conversate.  Make a positive connection, no matter how small, and you will change that persons day, maybe even their life.  Don’t forget about those around you.  Make a difference by simply letting others know that you notice them, show them that you care.  Start as many conversations today as you can.  Inspire and be inspired.  How will you ever be able to meet the needs (being a visionary) of those around you if you never talk to them, get to know them and eventually learn those needs.  This will change your life.