2nd Annual Twelve Days of Gratitude

The 2nd Annual Twelve Days of Gratitude (Dec 1st- 12th) is underway.  Last year I introduced the 12-Days of Gratitude in my Front Porch Newsletter and again made the challenge in the recent November issue.

The concept is to write a note of gratitude to 12 different people who have made an impact in your life.  One note each day for 12 consecutive days … from December 1st through 12th.  If the intended recipient is still alive, mail it to them.  If not, simply tuck it in a treasured file.

Last December, numerous people took-up this challenge.  Some managed to write all 12 days … others did whatever they could.  All of them would tell you it transformed their awareness of gratitude.  It will take you about 10-minutes a day, yet the return on investment just might change your life!

Numerous people from across the nation have emailed me letting me know they are taking up this year’s challenge.  And it is not too late for you to do the same … we are now on DAY-3 but it will only take a few minutes for you to do three notes today to catch-up … and then just one a day for the rest of the journey.  If you do … I have a feeling, beginning on Sunday, December 13th, it will likely transform how you experience the 12-days of Christmas!

Grab a stack of notes cards and a pen … and let your celebration of gratitude begin!

JOHN TV: EPISODE #7

Avoidance ends with one small step … not one large leap.  What are you avoiding?  Take your first step!

Not what you might expect!

I was attending our National Speaker Association - Illinois Chapter meeting about a week ago.  It was the best meeting I have attended in over 2 years.  It wasn’t that I had any predetermined expectations of the main program of the day.  I’m not sure what I was expecting … but whatever I was expecting … well, it wasn’t what I got!

Meet Rory Vaden.  He is 26.   And he is not probably delivering the message you might think he is delivering either.  Tell Rory that his generation is filled with a sense of entitlement and wants it all and wants it now … he might just agree with you.  He might also not limit it to his own generation.  His message for success comes from a place of discipline and sacrifice.  It is a refreshing wake-up call that is hard to ignore. While Rory delivers his message with a spoon full of sugar … you find it hard to walk away and hit the snooze on what you have just heard.

To reinforce his message he is on a national mission he has branded as “Take the Stairs“.  And he isn’t asking you to do something he isn’t willing to do.  In fact, while in Chicago he climbed all the stairs of the Sears Tower … and he is going coast to coast climbing the stairs of the 10 Tallest Buildings!  As I traveled last week, I noticed Rory was right.  No one takes the stairs … they prefer the effortless escalators.  I’m taking the stairs … and seeing things just a little more clearly with each step I climb!

Rory … thanks for a great message … delivered in an exceptional way!  Thanks for helping people see the realities of life and helping them wake-up … rather than roll over and hit the snooze.

On the iMPORTANCE of connection

If we are willing to wake-up to the lessons of life, we can learn them most anywhere at anytime.  I had just woken-up on Indian Rocks Beach near Clearwater Florida.  We were on our family spring-break vacation.  We had the whole family laid-out under the sun.  I decided to pull my iPOD from our beach bag to enjoy a few tunes.  It was there that my IPOD taught me about the iMPORTANCE of connection!

I placed the earplug cords such that I could run them to my ears from behind rather than from the front (who wants their chest tan to include a white streak from your iPOD earplug cord running across your body!).  I got all situated and picked up the iPOD to make my song selection.  The sun was brightly baking down and diminishing my ability to easily see my iPOD screen.  I finally managed to focus and select a song.  Then I tried to adjust the volume.  I could still barely see the screen, but with what I could tell, I was correctly doing everything to adjust the volume upward.  But there was no sound.  I kept trying to adjust it.  Even when I turned it to full-volume I could just slightly hear anything.  I was getting increasingly frustrated.  I mean, how hard could this be?  But I kept trying … determined to get it to work.

Finally, exhausted from trying, I did what all smart parents do when they have a technology issue.  I begged for help from my 15-year-old daughter.  Julie walked over with confidence and took control.  But no matter what she did, there was still no sound … except for a very distant sound when she cranked it to full-volume.  As I reached to readjust the earplugs in my ear, I discovered the problem.  In the midst of being so concerned about getting the cords all set under me rather than on top of me, I had pulled the earplugs out of my ears.  No wonder there was no sound!  It was only at full-volume that I could hear a slight sound as the earplugs sat on my beach towel beneath my ears!

Julie lost it.  Her contagious laughter got us both uncontrollably laughing.  It woke the whole family from their sunny slumber as they all enjoyed laughing at me … certainly not with me!  After all had settled down, I reset the tunes and adjusted the volume to the perfect setting for this beautiful beach scene.

It was there that it hit me … the iMPORTANCE of connection!  It didn’t matter how much I worked on trying to fix the volume on the iPOD … and nor did it matter who I asked to help me solve the problem.  My efforts were focused on the wrong problem.  The problem wasn’t with the iPOD.  In fact the iPOD was working perfectly.  The problem was with ME!  I wasn’t connected.  I wonder how much needless effort we invest on a problem that doesn’t exist … on something that only appears to be a problem simply because we are not connected

As I basked in the sun and listened to my tunes, my mind drifted from connection to connection … friends, clients, family and God.  I thought of frustrating problematic conversations.  And prayers that seemed unanswered.  It made me want to return to the basics and recommit to connection.

Sometimes you need to put your hands to your ears and recheck the connection.  You might be amazed at what you start to hear … and see … and experience!

Slowing Down to Catch-up

My last BLOG was about the CUBS … you know, waiting until next year.  Alright … enough already with the smart comments asking if I was going to be like the CUBS and “wait till next year” to do my next blog entry!!   With my last blog entry on September 28th, I guess I am still not very consistent at this … at least not yet!

Have you ever been sitting in a presentation and felt the speaker was talking directly to you and no one else.  Like singled-out!  That is how I felt at church this past Sunday when the message was on the importance of daily reading and reflecting … journaling.  I have always realized the importance of journaling, but have never been very consistent at it.  And rarely do we get good at something if we are not consistent with it.  Maybe that is why I struggle with consistency on my blog.  It is a bit of a journal.  But I know the issue is deeper than consistency … I think it is about reactively moving too fast.  Just trying to get it all done!  Saying YES when you know you should be saying NO or at least NOT NOW.  Journaling clarifies and crystallizes your thoughts … helping you respond YES, NO or NOT YET at the right times to the right things.  It is like slowing down to catch-up … a bit of a paradox.  I actually don’t have any plans of slowing down anytime soon … but rather to make journaling and blogging a part of the rhythm of my days.  i am not so sure speed is the issue.  I know a lot of people who go really fast … but are very clear about what they do.  You know what they consistently do?  They reflect, read and journal each and every day.  I know if I do, I will see more clearly … and I trust you will too.  Is there an alarm going off in your life to adjust the rhythm of our daily routine?  If so, refuse-to-snooze.  It is never too late to start again.  My next blog … very soon!

Tanks … but NO TANKS!

It is a sad day in Chicago.  Not because the Bears won’t have Tank Johnson on the field to help defend their NFC Championship Title and a hopeful ride back to the Super Bowl.  But it’s sad that we have yet another high-profile example of someone who didn’t learn their lesson.  Tank hit the snooze one too many times.  If there is someone who had every alarm going off in his life, it was Tank Johnson.  As an awesome defensive tackle he has rung the bell of many opponents.  But this last year his "bell" had been ringing.  Lovie Smith and the Chicago Bears’ organization did everything they could trying to wake Tank up.  The truth is that only Tank knows his real struggles.  It would be easy, as many will, to sit back and throw stones at Tank.  Maybe our time would be better spent in using Tank as our own wake-up call to ask ourselves where we are hitting the snooze.  Today, the Chicago Bears sounded an alarm that was anything but silent … thanks, but no thanks.  Imagine if Tank had refused to snooze?  It’s never too late for Tank or any of us to wake-up to something on which we have been snoozing.  Don’t go back to sleep watching how this story ends … if you do, you might miss the media frenzy of Paris Hilton’s departure from jail.  But that’s another story.  Talk about a cat with nine lives.  Don’t think you will be so lucky.  Neither was Tank.  Wake-up … and refuse to snooze!

The Sobriety Project

If I am really willing to admit it, last night was a wake-up call.  Jimi Allen is simply an incredible photographer.  I have had the pleasure of getting to know Jimi this past year.  He is an awesome photographer (and as you get older, in the speaking business, you need an awesome photographer!!).  In sitting through a photo session with Jimi, you quickly realize that he is a master beyond photography.  He is a storyteller and he simply uses his photography to tell a person’s story.  The only thing better about Jimi, than his photography, is his heart and soul.  You combine his photography with his heart and soul and you get the Sobriety Project.  I went to check out this mobile photo gallery last night.  I went because Jimi was my friend.  I left thinking at a different level.  You see, Jimi Allen Photography has joined with others to create this incredible mobile exhibit.  ’sobriety’ is a vision to take the sobering reality about homelessness into the community and a mission to work together affecting change. Homeless or previously homeless individuals share their stories through portraiture and documentary photography as well as audio interviews.  The stories are left raw … in their own words.  Their stories are heart-breaking … and the recovery of some fills you with hope.  I left rethinking the homeless, their stories and my perceptions … and thinking about what else I need to rethink.  Just when you think you are making some progress, you realize that life is full of "Silent Alarms" that are trying to wake you up … and challenging you not to hit the snooze button any more.  What is something you need to rethink?

Time is on the MOVE!!

I had to laugh when a friend shared with me a new product that is for sale on the Internet.  It is an alarm clock on wheels!  You get to hit the snooze one time for a bit more rest … but there is no second chance.  You hit that snooze button twice and those wheels start spinning … launching that alarm clock right off of your night stand and racing forward across the room on a path that changes each day.  Snooze twice and you are going to be up searching for that clock to turn it off!  The name of this clock is simply "Clocky".  It sounds like such a nice name and looks so angelic for being such a little rascal! So you may ask, why would you ever buy a product that would send you on such an irritating, early-morning goose chase?  Maybe it is because we know how much we love to hit the snooze button on our night-stands.  What’s not funny about this is that we do the same with the alarms going off in our life.  We just keep hitting the snooze hoping that we can just sleep it off and all will be better.  My hope and prayer in writing Silent Alarm was that it would stimulate our thinking to help us (you AND me) wake-up to the more subtle lessons of life.  I hope through the wonders of technology that we can virtually come together on the "front porch" of this blog to raise the ongoing awareness of the silent alarms in our life.  I look forward to sharing ideas with you and learning from the responses you share back in return.  In the meantime, remember the lesson of Clocky … hit snooze and you are on a roll, but not necessarily in the direction you wanted to go!

The Lost Lullaby

Today’s post is the feature article  from the June 2004 issue of  The Front Porch Newsletter.  If you would like to automatically receive The Front Porch e-newsletter on the last Thursday of each month just click here to sign-up for your complimentary subscription.

You’re getting very sleepy! Is that the voice of a hypnotist or the voice in your own brain? Let’s get this clear from the very start. Those who know me well, would tell you that I have NO credibility in writing this article. Absolutely none. Zip. Unless being one of the worst offenders gives you the right to talk about it! We are talking about sleep — and making sleep a priority.

Sleep is probably not a topic you will read about in many, if any, business books or newsletters. But with sleep depravation surpassing DUI as the number one cause of auto accidents, it is the silent killer. And it is also the silent killer of productivity, creativity and possibly even relationships. So, it is certainly worth talking about and thinking about in the workplace!

What happens if you try running your car on an empty tank of gas? It will stop and you can’t do a thing about it — except to fill it back up. Unfortunately your body is not quite so abrupt. It will run on empty for quite a while — long enough for you to cause it damage. As with most medical research, you will find some differing opinions in the details, but you will certainly find a common theme — - sleep is important! And our Front Porch readers totally agreed in last month’s survey. Everyone — 100% agreed that sleep is important to your health and productivity. Almost 60%, however, admitted that they do not make sleep a priority in planning their schedule.

An often misconceived perception it that sleep is about resting your body. This is true, but it is mostly about restoring your brain! No wonder sleep depravation diminishes your ability to think clearly, quickly and creatively. No wonder it can make you irritable and curt with others. And no wonder it can make you less flexible, tolerant and understanding. It’s because you aren’t using your brain — well, at least, not all of it. We often term lack of sleep as “burning the candle at both ends”. This is supposed to draw a picture of something that is not very smart — but is often worn as a badge of commitment. The problem is that your commitment just might be killing you — or at least making you less valuable in the workplace. The invention of the light bulb probably gave birth to the modern version of sleep depravation. And the advancement of technology may be putting the final nail in the coffin of sleep prioritization!

On average, 74% percent of our readers get 6-7 hours of sleep a night. Equally, 13% responded that they averaged 8-9 hours or 4-5 hours. There were no sleepy-head responses of 10 hours or more or any walking zombies at less than 4 hours! Get in line to brush your teeth, if you are in the majority of the 50% who call 11pm their bedtime. If you are up past 11pm, only 10% of the readers are up with you. Almost half our readers indicated they sometimes feel sleepy during the day — while another 20% often feel sleepy. Watch out! 22% of them have fallen asleep while driving (which is actually significantly lower than the national average!). Research would show that not only is the historically recommended 8-hours of sleep still valid, but that a consistent sleep pattern is also important. 80% of our readers generally keep the same pattern on “work nights”, but 60% change this pattern on the weekends.

The car stops. The body eventually gets sick. The problem for most of us is that we simply don’t make sleep a priority. Fortunately, this is not a hard one to fix. You already know how to go to sleep! You just have to make it a priority. Oh, I know — we can think of a million excuses! I could share my own endless list, but I figure you already have enough of those! When your car is running out of gas, you don’t care what is on your schedule. YOU STOP and fill it up — and you do it so you can get where you want to go. Ultimately sleep is no different. Isn’t it time we focused on it for what it’s worth?

Action Idea: Set sleep goals for this next month and make it a priority. Take 15 minutes and learn some more about the importance of sleep. Check out a wide-range of information at www.sleepfoundation.org . If you have trouble falling asleep, go to the website of my friends, Tim and Ryan O’Neil www.pianobrothers.com and order their Sweet Dreams piano lullabies CD. In just a few minutes you will be sleeping like a baby!

Lucky Lessons

Today’s post is the monthly reflection from the March 2004 issue of  The Front Porch Newsletter.  If you would like to automatically receive The Front Porch e-newsletter on the last Thursday of each month just click here to sign-up for your complimentary subscription.

My closing keynote on a beautiful Saturday morning in Honolulu had gone really well and my work for this trip was completed. Since several close friends were also presenting at the conference, we had decided to stay an extra day. With late afternoon flights on Sunday, we knew we had little time to waste. We had a wonderful dinner on Saturday night and by 7:00am the next morning we were on our way to Pearl Harbor. It was an eye-opening adventure to hear the eighty year-old host recall his personal story of the tragedy he witnessed that December day. And it was a humbling experience to stand on the monument bridge that spans the Arizona — a ship that still to this day serves as a submerged tomb to hundreds who perished as the crippled ship sank in the harbor.

The 45-minute bus ride back to our hotel gave us a chance to talk about our impressions of the morning experience. Lunch back at our hotel’s outdoor beach cafe gave us a chance to shift back into a more upbeat vacation-like mode — and to put us in the mood to squeeze in a quick “jump in the ocean” in the remaining 90-minutes we had before departing for our flights.

The more adventurous decided to grab a surf board and head for the white caps. Three of us chose to take a big round raft out on the water to pass away the hour in a lazy kind of way. The continuous light waves and the sharp rocky bottom made getting away from the shore a bit challenging. But we slowly made progress. Then we spotted large white caps in the distance. They made for an inviting destination and with a little encouragement we began to push forward. The more focused we got on our target, the easier it seemed to move toward it. But for some of us, with flights to catch, the clock started working against us. We got near the white-caps with only three minutes to spare. We climbed atop our raft to rest and enjoy the breaking waves. Then we sensed an uneasy feeling — being pushed 2-feet towards the shore, but then 4-feet away from it.

We knew we were in trouble. We jumped off the raft and commenced our most determined effort of the day. Our progress had been slow, but steady, when a life guard approached in a kayak and questioned our “far-from-the-shore” position. With little empathy, he pointed out the safety buoy. It seemed we were four times further from the shore than the buoy! The guard didn’t help us, but neither did he leave us. Totally exhausted, we eventually made it back to the beach. It would be hours later that I would notice numerous cuts on the bottom of my feet and feel the fatigue in every muscle. Yet it would be months before I discovered the lucky lesson. The transferable one — where one experience teaches you about another. In this case, maybe a lesson for the hallways of business. I wonder how often we get so focused on our goal, that we miss the systemic warnings and eventually cross the invisible line of danger?