The force that keeps us in place on earth has a similar effect in psychology.  I find that whenever I contemplate the plans of others one of two things can happen. The positive side is that I am inspired by the ambitions and plans of my colleagues. We are pulled, like gravity toward those shining stars whose ambitions and goals drive us upward to new heights. The negative is in respect to the forces or people around us who do not have lofty goals. They may not have any ill will towards you but by their sheer apathy or laziness they subconsciously make it acceptable for you to slow your progress. You can compare yourself to these two types of people, which is more likely? The one with lofty goals is hard to follow while the one with lax ambitions is much easier.

We have a whole range of people who surround us; there are those who want more and those who are willing to work for more. Obviously we all have friends who complain about their situation and there are those who take those complaints and use them to fuel their progression.

As we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Worrying about the haters in life is a waste of time, it is just jealousy. They just want what you have, which means that you must be doing something right. Although this does not equate to happiness, hopefully your success is propelling you to your ultimate goal. My advice would be to not only get drawn to the shining stars but to be a shining star.

When we prioritize others ahead of our own interests what does it show? Are we being stupid or caring? Putting others first is a very human trait, we see it all around us. The true test is what we do when our own schedules are impossibly busy. Do you find time for others or defer them. We may hypothesize that we prioritize them first as an excuse to procrastinate and push our own obligations down the road. True character in friendship is finding that unique and driven person who finds time within their busy schedule to fit in the tasks you ask of them. We don’t need to repay the favor or pay them for services rendered; they are always there to help.

Finding friends with true character is obviously not an easy task but they are easy to recognize. They are always driven, surrounded by others, and man, are they busy. But ask them for help, for a minute or an hour of their time and they’re there. Whether it is the editor of your blog posts (Patrick Sargent) who always has time for a quick read or idea no matter the deadline, or your best friend or classmate ready to commiserate with you over an upcoming assignment. Those people who have built a wealth of knowledge but are still willing to share. They are down to earth and genuinely want to see you succeed. They are rare but they do exist.

Why not surround yourself with people like this? For one thing it’s hard! I’ve found one sure fire way to attract these people. Be one yourself! Find time for others and you will attract these unique souls who are so willing to participate in your success. Develop your own true character; stand out as the person who has time for others and you will become the one with true character.

Sometimes we get so excited, so enthralled, and so consumed that we forget that we still have to perform in the present. New ideas are intoxicating, they envelope all of our senses and appeal to our imagination. With all of these great attributes what could possibly go wrong. Many things! We can get so consumed with our fantasy of success we never make the first move or decision. Remember the “Inches” speech in Any Given Sunday?

Life is the six inches in front of your face

Embracing this tradition leads to the choices which make success possible. The epic and miniscule decisions which build momentum and progress. You may have the best goal structure ever conceived but if the construction of that structure hinders you from making moves toward the next check point or finish line what is the point? Often it isn’t the idea men who drive our success but the task oriented and organized managers that focus on the little details that push our ventures forward an inch. Many preach living in the moment, but in the business sense it is most crucial. Executing the small often tedious tasks produce some of the most powerful results. Everyone should be a contributor to the main goal or dream of an idea but each member should remain focused on the little tasks they are given to keep the wheels of progress turning.

Know when to daydream and when to perform. Everyone wants to work on the big projects, the big accounts, or the big decisions. We often undermine the actions taken minute to minute that help us fulfill our daydreams and fantasies.

If nice weather and outdoor activities were not enough, there is also the lack of motivation facilitated by the low productivity of those around you. Unquestionably spring and summer can be some of the most distracting as well as most beautiful times of our lives. We need to find a balance between our relaxation and our ambitions. Why not start with your schedule.

I find it much easier to work while the distracting sun is preoccupied with the other side of the planet. It’s easy to focus at 1 am when no one is awake to disturb you. Too late for your liking? What about early morning? I realize that at these times our bodies are either exhausted from the day, or foggy from sleep. I support my habits by starting my work session with a workout. Physical activity is proven to provide energy. Usually it is enough to get me through my work period. I understand that not everything can be accomplished during these odd hours but if you can accomplish 3-4 hours of work at these times, that’s an extra 3-4 hours in the beautiful weather.

Obviously most people do not want to schedule meetings at these awkward hours in the early morning or late evening. Why not use the power of the Internet and schedule a remote meeting, enjoy the weather and work outside. Lets face it, connectivity is everywhere and our laptops challenge us to be productive anywhere. I’ve written while in cars, in parks, or at the hotel pool. We can accomplish everything we need to where ever we can find an Internet connection. Make your next step an adventure to find a remote Wi-Fi connection to utilize.

Summer syndrome as I affectionately call it is easily defeated by determination, but who has that? Find ways to trick yourself into working with summer instead of against it. Be happy and work effectively, embrace summer syndrome and find away to get outside for that dose of Vitamin D.

Who are you? The inspired, problem solving task destroyer or the “what can be done today can be done tomorrow” kind of person. Although most people are categorized as one or the other, I would argue that the latter just hasn’t discovered their passion.

Exhibit A: One of my best friends is an average student; somehow he is graduating although he never seems to attend class or complete homework. Most would categorize him as a procrastinator, right? Well I believe that he is very talented but at the moment he is forced to focus on a topic, e.g. school, which is not his passion. Why would I say he is talented? Maybe he chose the wrong school but give this guy a microphone and he will sing and rap until it crumbles from the vibration of his voice. He will sit in his room alone or with friends writing hundreds, maybe thousands of versus. He knows what his true passion is.

Measure him by the work he produces for his passion, which is music, and you would see that he is “the inspired, problem solving task destroyer.”

Exhibit B: Measured by test scores he is average at best, but measured by drive and ability he is first rate. Give him a task such as an assigned paper or project and he will not complete it until it is pushed as far down the road as possible. Show him a blog that will inspire him and improve his quality of life and he will listen to one and a half hour long podcasts, or read blog posts thousands of pages long. Or impress him with a movie idea and he will run with it until his lungs collapse. He knows what his true passion is.

Life is a matter of perspective and relativity. You may be accomplishing a large list of tasks. You may be inspired and hard working, but are you working for the right reasons? Do you have a long-term goal, if I asked what your true passion is; would you have a ready answer?

Variety is not the spice of life. Variety? You will find all the variety and spice bundled up in your passion. Finding and pursuing your true passion is the spice of life.

There is one place that harbors our inner secrets and securities. The mind is our greatest vault but sometimes our only cage. The mentality of success is what separates the top 1% from the rest. The ally we need most is our own confidence, without the inner voice telling us we are invincible we are left to the commentary of those around us for better or worse.

Not only can we focus on the negatives surrounding our mental self-talk but the positives as well. Constantly eroding our defenses is the voice of insecurity. Each phrase threatening to crack the façade we display each day to our peers. Always we are hiding some facet of our lives, we are hoping that others won’t notice some physical or character flaw. Each of these considerations is more effort than they are worth. Although people tend to notice these flaws, the attempt to hide them is often more distracting. Leave these insecurities behind along with the negativity. We are often our own worst enemies; we all need to make a move toward positivity.

Building upon our unique personalities, a positive mindset creates a mental environment which facilitates our own success. We unconsciously build upon our existing physical and character flaws to create a unique and confident person. The question of success is often a matter of our own positivity and belief in our own ability. Often it is not the person who works the hardest, but the person who believes and visualizes their success. Surrounding us are examples of success based on hard work, a positive mindset and the visualization of success.

Ego is one of our most powerful defensive and offensive weapons protecting and facilitating our success. We need it as much as we need the knowledge and critical thinking we draw our conclusions from. Use your ego and positive mindset to facilitate your success, remember the first key to your success is your own positive belief in your ability.

How many times are we asked if we believe that we are a leader? Do we have the qualities that are required to lead a group? Do we have the discipline to inspire others? I would counter with what is wrong with being in a support role? The differences are minimal, many support personalities have the ability to be leaders and many leaders need to fulfill the support role from time to time.

The differences between a leader and a supporter are minimal, both require extreme talent to execute their tasks properly, both require sound reasoning and abilities above and beyond the normal requirements. Normally the only difference is the title.

A lot of confusion surrounds the titles of supporter and follower, what are the differences? Both are maintained by and surround a leader but most importantly a supporter contributes to the greatness of the leader. The follower merely consumes the content created by the leader, listens and enacts their advice or life philosophy.

The main difference between the follower and the supporter is the supporter is actually needed by the leader to fulfill his or her goals. The leader has use for a supporter and although a follower is nice, it does not contribute to the success of the group or leader. The support role is often overlooked but without the support character the leader would not be nearly as efficient.

The evolution from supporter to leader is fluid, whereas the absence of an evolution from follower to leader is appreciable. We know that following great leaders does not actually accumulate to anything whereas supporting a leader will allow for a learning opportunity, promoting an evolution.

Utter these words and be prepared for silence. This question is one of the hardest to answer. How do we know if the path we are currently traveling is the right path for us? Using the words of Machiavelli, how many of our choices are based on the ends instead of the means? I think the best acid test is to question your immediate happiness. If this action or decision doesn’t make you happy, is it worth completing?

Specifically?

Using this job market as a case study, you can almost taste the depression. A while back I read Timothy Ferriss’s 4-Hour Work Week. In it he describes his “mini-retirements,” short month long vacations that allow him to enjoy his dreams. He outlines the costs of one of theses retirements and it is often much less than the expenses experienced state side. He travels through multiple continents on the search for his ultimate passions. Sometimes focusing inward is the only way to figure out what truly makes us happy. For better or worse we work for over 40 years of our lives. Can you imagine the innovation and emotional gain from investing those hours in a company that we own and are truly passionate about? Maybe instead of a constant grind month after month in search of a job, a mini-retirement would allow unemployed workers the ability to find and cultivate their true passions. Using this method we could avoid the high costs of our premium living, enjoy a unique culture and learn from another group of people while doing some valuable soul searching.

The Viewpoint

My opinions are shaped by the consistent creation of new and more exciting ideas, most of which I want to start right now. Although there is a general plan for execution none of them involve a boss, all of them are unique and each are possible at the right point in life. This entrepreneurial ADD involves a lot of time and energy but it embodies a certain freedom enjoyed by a relatively small population. With unemployment reaching all time highs, why not take advantage of the government welfare and create a company that you enjoy sweating for? There is nothing to lose currently; I would argue those without jobs are the ones who are truly free. A salary traps employees, and in the same way a wild stallion is broken, we are conditioned to live for that deposit that occurs every two weeks. It is almost frightening to walk away from, a world of uncertainty and imagined pain awaits those that turn away from their corporate check.

Newly freed graduates and employees should embrace this new opportunity for happiness. Use your first few months of unemployment for the creation of a venture that you will love and appreciate for the rest of your life.

Undoubtedly we all experience a multitude of situations, adventures, and people. Consequently we often take these chance happenings for granted; we become jaded, depressed or worse, apathetic. We lose sight of the truly important, should we forgo a night out to get an early start in the morning? Sure we all have to work, but is that work worth the missed opportunities with friends, families or adventure? We have all heard the term carpe diem but few truly embrace the meaning,

The People

We are all presented with countless opportunities to meet and learn about new people. These situations are not always welcomed with open arms. Often we are so involved with our own clicks that we refuse to believe that a new group is worth knowing. We often antagonize each other and create hostile environments. We should embrace a moment of introduction and get to know each other, in order to be able to build relationships and a fruitful network. Each person we come across represents an entirely different take on our reality, we can learn and enrich our lives, and after all we are social creatures.

The Adventures

Should we turn down the prospect of exciting invitations due to the fact we’re focused on the end of our journey? How many times have we said we are too busy to go out, to be spontaneous? I find that some of the most important people in my social circle are the ones who instigate spontaneity, the wild child who always has a crazy plan.

The Memories

We live in an age of unprecedented documentation, everything is recorded, and nothing is forgotten. Every picture is tagged, each feeling cataloged, and each location is recorded. Why not make the most detailed and interesting story possible. Many times we are forced to pass on a potentially life enriching adventure or introduction. Find creative ways to make time for the most memorable parts of our lives. We won’t remember the 250^th report we wrote for our companies but we will remember that great weekend with our friends.

Open mindedness is a characteristic many believe they have but few possess. The ability to hear and understand new information and interpret it at face value is a sought after trait. It is hard for people to learn after years of similar thought patterns. We become very predictable after only a little while and if you are not conditioned to think openly then you will continue to be closed-minded.

Considering other posts I’ve made before, the key to this and many sought after conscious traits is the monitoring of your internal monologue, or the dialog you have with yourself. Some quick tips for a lazy Sunday:

• When you are presented with a new idea or new information, don’t pass judgment right away.
• Consider each side of the argument or all pieces of the new theory.
• Keep your previous beliefs or theories from clouding your judgment.
• If you know something controversial is coming, clear your mind before you hear it.
• Push initial negative thoughts away.
• Put yourself in the shoes of the other view point.

An open mind is one that is ready to improve and grow. We only grow from new ideas or opposing viewpoints, they cause us to think in a manner that uses our higher brain functions as well as tests our abilities to aggregate and make connections. Personal growth and evolution should be a primary goal for everyone and an open mind is of utmost importance.