Living life 'out loud': A recipe for success

There are quotes that change their meaning for us as our life evolves and the sentiment of today's quote has changed for me quite radically for me over the past few years.  For an extended period of time I wanted to be the 'big man' that everyone talked about and saw that goal as what 'living out loud' was really all about.  What I've found over time however, is that to 'live out loud' oftentimes requires us to be quiet and let our work and efforts speak for themselves.  The last 48 hours have taught me another lesson about this message.  You learn the most about yourself when you stop, take a moment and listen to what the world around you says about you.

Are you having a positive impact on those you love and care about... or are you too focused on yourself and what you can take from this life.  I'm totally humbled and floored by the reaction of my friends, family and once and future colleagues at Valpak/Cox Target Media to my plans to return to the fold and I'm looking forward to 'living out loud'.... back where I know I belong.  I'll never be able to adequately thank all of you for your wonderful feedback... but know it was appreciated!

Enjoy the start to your Friday and know that I am truly thankful to have a community of caring friends, family and coworkers who make every one of my days richer because you are a part of them! #Countdown2May9 #IBleedBlue #TrulyThankful #Blessed #LetsDoThis #OnwardandUpward #NoLetUp #WhateverItTakes #Thriving

Appreciating today: All will change in a year

One if the best pieces of advice I ever received from my Dad was to accept the fact that the only thing constant in our lives is change. Sometimes those changes are simply the passing of another year and other times they come fast and furious. When I found this earlier today I was struck at how true this quote has become the older I get... And I'm glad that I take some time each day to really look around me and savor each day for what it is - something we will ever see again.

As your Tuesday afternoon flows by, take a moment and look around and remember this truth... Nothing will be the same next year. Grab your life and make it what you want it to be... No one else is going to do that for you! ‪#‎LovemyLife‬ ‪#‎LivingtheBestLifeICan‬ ‪#‎WhateverItTakes‬ ‪#‎NoLetUp‬‪#‎MakeEveryDayCount‬ ‪#‎GettingtheMostOutOfEachDay‬

Living Life on Purpose - An homage to @SimonSinek

I've been a fan of Simon Sinek since I saw his TED Talk (Start with Why - Google it, you won't be sorry), and when I saw this quote of his earlier this morning I captured perfectly the new phase of my life that I'm entering.  As I mentioned over the weekend, I've made the decision to shut down my companies and go back to work full time for someone else, and while challenging and frustrating as that decision has been it was also liberating for me as I've had the chance to look back on what I learned over the last 2.5 years (which I'd tell you includes a fair amount of humility), and assess how best to move forward.

I've got several potential next steps in the works (thanks to everyone for their thoughts, prayers and support), but one thing that I know for certain is that while my life has never been lived 'by accident', the events of recent months have guided me to believe that 'living our lives on purpose' is the absolutely best way to live.  As you start your Monday morning and the new week, give some thought to your own life.  As you just giving lip service to your life or are you getting out there are truly taking action to ensure that you 'live your life on purpose'?!  Make today the best day you can - it's the only one like this we're ever going to get! #MovingForwardDaily #TheAdventureContinues #NoLetUp #OnwardandUpward #WhateverItTakes #LivingTheBestLifeICan

Life is 'Brutiful': Living the best way we know how

The last several weeks have been an interesting object lesson in the ups and downs of life and when I saw this graphic earlier this morning I immediately knew it was a perfect description of where I am in my life right now. I'm thrilled to report that two weeks after my Father in Law's stroke, he's recovering quickly and got a chance to spend some time with him again last evening - time we've always treasured, but now are reminded of the importance of daily.

I've also made the decision over the last month or so to gear down my companies and head back to work full time for someone else. So why are these events 'Brutiful'? Because this is what life is for all of us - simultaneously beautiful and brutal..... but frankly I wouldn't have it any other way. We often learn about ourselves and those in our lives when things are at their most challenging and I'm thrilled to report that my life is even richer than I ever thought possible!

As your weekend gets underway in earnest, give some thought to how even the challenges in your life - seen in the context of life being 'brutiful'- are actually making your life much richer than you thought possible. Make it a great Saturday and make sure you make today the best it can be - it's the only one like it we'll have! ‪#‎Takingit1DayatAtTime‬ ‪#‎LifeisFullofChanges‬ ‪#‎NoLetUp‬ ‪#‎WhateverItTakes‬

Your best life: The one lived with the 'right' regrets

One of the things that I've striven over time to create for myself is a life where I don't have any regrets. I've recently begun to start each day thinking about how I can each day ensure that before lunch.... I've met my goal of not having any regrets. I was struck this morning however by this thoughtful quote that got me thinking about regret in a very different way. Instead of trying to avoid having any regrets at all... why not look to have the 'right regrets'? As our lives are apt to do, my life is currently in a state of transition and change as I evaluate a variety of options for where my career is going to take me next and in turn - where my life will lead next. Avoiding regret may or may not be possible, but as I thought about today's quote in the context of my own life choices thus far - I'm happy to report that the few regrets I've got after nearly 48 years.... appear to be the right ones.

As you start your Tuesday, give some thought to what Miller suggests. Are we doing everything that we can to avoid having any regrets and as a result missing out on something that might very well contribute the richness of our lives? In my own life, I'd say the answer for me was/is an unequivocal yes - just some food for thought for a Tuesday in April! Make it a great all!  ‪#‎NoLetUp‬ ‪#‎LifeisFullofChanges‬‪#‎OnwardandUpdward‬ ‪#‎MakeTodayTheBestPossible‬ ‪#‎LifeisWhatWeMakeIt‬‪#‎Looking4GoodRegrets‬ ‪#‎LiveLife2TheFullestDaily‬ ‪#‎Thriving

Being grateful: The core of true success

There are any number of 'gurus' out in the world that are all telling us to 'be better', 'do better' and 'be all you can be', but in an era where uncertainty is the watchword, sometimes the simplest sentiments are the easiest to get our minds around. One of the most frustrating parts of my life in recent years was a feeling that I was somehow not getting as much out of my life as I could. Over time however, my core priorities have changed and I find myself now focused on the heart of today's quote - being grateful. I'm not talking about the 'thank goodness I was born in the US' kind of gratefulness (although that is something to keep in the back of your mind when you are really down), no I'm talking about the deep and abiding gratefulness that flows from knowing that we're living the very best life that we can. As you start your new week, give some thought to how you are living your life. Are you focused on making your way in the world and getting everything that YOU want, or are you looking first to what you can do for others. What I think you'll quickly discover is that Tony is absolutely right - when we are grateful... fear disappears and abundance appears. Make today the day where you seek to be grateful for what you have... and watch as your life gives you all that you wish and hope for! Make it a great day today all! #GratefulDaily #TakeNothing4Granted #LifeIsAJourney #NoLetUp #OnwardandUpward #WhateverItTakes

The key to life: Focus on what 'TRULY' matters

I've always made an effort over time to focus the core attention of my life on the truly important things in life and this past week's events certainly helped me to refocus those thoughts.  Over my lifetime there have been any number of times where things didn't go the way I planned, but I've found that when I focus on what is truly important - that of course being the lives we can impact and are impacted by - life is infinitely richer and brighter than we ever could have imagined.

As you wrap up your weekend and prepare for the week ahead, take a moment and make sure you focus on what are the most important things in your life.  I think you'll discover as I have repeatedly over the course of my life... it's not "what we have", it's "how we live" that makes this life the rich and powerful experience that we all want it to be!  Make it a great Sunday afternoon and never forget that focusing on the right things will make all the difference! #ThankfulDaily #OnwardandUpward #NoLetUp #WhateveritTakes #LivingaFocusedLife