What Do You Want?

Why do so many of us have such a hard time answering this question?  I have the great opportunity to talk to a lot of young people, and I always come away encouraged with the next generation.  As a whole, I think there is so much more hope in the future than the mass media or statisticians like to lead us to believe. 

And the one thing I always want to know from them is, “what do you want?”  Not what do your parents want, or what do you think society wants from you, but what really makes you tick?   It unlocks so many of life’s mysteries and struggles...all we have to do is establish it from the onset.

And even as older adults, we often have a tough time defining what we want.  It gets even tougher the older we get, because we’ve probably suppressed so many of these feelings that they’re barely recognizable.  

Yesterday, I told you that you still get to be the author of your own story.  But in order to do that, you have to be able to see what the ending looks like...your happy ending.  And that means really starting to define what it is today that will get you there...and it all starts with “What do you want?”   

I promise...this answer is not always as easy or as difficult as it seems.  If you think this is easy, take some time and make sure.  If you think this is tough, reflect on things that you love or things that come natural to you that others find difficult.   

But to start this journey, this is the first question that we have to ask ourselves.  Everything else will flow from your response to this question.   

So, again, “what do you want?” 

See you tomorrow! 

-ABB

Your Story

I really enjoy a good story...we all do.  That’s why movies and books and reality TV enthrall us and captivate us.  But how many times have we really analyzed our own lives as a story?  To take a few minutes and view our lives from 30,000 feet and start to look at the ups and downs as part of our grand, overarching story?  If you haven’t, I really want you to take some time to do so.

I think just as much as we want to live a good story, we all want that story to be of some significance.  It’s the age-old question: what are we doing here?  And the more I take a look at my own life in terms of story, the more I want to take action and have some say as the author of that story.   

Who are the characters in your story?  What are the rising and falling actions that take place?  Where do you want the setting of your story to take place?   Guess what?  You have so much more control over these factors than you think!  You can still write your own story, and it’s never too late for that comeback story or that happy ending.

There will always be conflict in any story...otherwise the resolution sucks.  So take that knowledge and accept the setbacks and discouragement as just the means to a great finishing scene,   

So...can you do something for me?  If you haven’t started viewing this one life that you have as a story of significance, can you take some time this week to put on your lenses of creativity and think about your life in this manner?  I think it will make a positive impact.  Your story is created to blend with the stories of those you come in contact with as part of a great design.  You’re here for a reason...to play your part....I want you to live your story well! 

See you tomorrow...all the blessings! 

-ABB

Let’s Celebrate!

As a leader, you have to learn how to be a celebratory communicator.  When was the last time you celebrated the members of your team?  Are you actively putting intentional parameters in place and reminders to applaud those that go above and beyond?  Are you even paying attention?

Research is showing us that far too many leaders are falling short on celebrations.  There aren’t too many employees walking around saying “wow, I am just so tired of being recognized and affirmed for the work I’m doing.”  

Celebration may cost a bit of time and money, but it is well worth it. If you invest the effort in celebrating with your team, that effort will be more than repaid in improved morale and increased productivity.

It’s true...it’s always “the thought that counts.”  Show others that you’re thinking of them and that you appreciate them.  Just like relationships, if you don’t...someone else will come along and show them, and you’ll lose your best performers.  

It’s not too complicated, just consider this your daily reminder.  We all have someone we need to appreciate more.  Just make sure you tell them.  

See you tomorrow! 

-ABB

Don’t Forget to Do

I tend to write a lot about dreaming and imagining the life you want, and I never want to diminish the power that this has in our success.  You have to be able to have a vision for the life that you want to carry you through the next part...which is the work!

The real separator for the successful is the drive to work harder than everybody else.  So please make sure this is a two-step process.  Sometimes we get so caught up in the vision that we forget that we have to go act upon it.  There is no real shortcut to success...you have to be willing to put in the hours and the blood, sweat, and tears.   

So please make sure you’re not just dreaming, but doing.  The dream is the part that will push you.  The work is the part that pulls you to the realization of the dream.  I know it’s hard...I know there will be a lot of days that you just want to quit...but I love the quote “you want to be an anomaly...start acting like one.”  Notice what that says...you have to act!   

Vision first...but action right behind it.  It will be what sets you apart.

Let’s get to work...so that we can make a difference for ourselves and a difference for others! 

-ABB

Billy Graham’s Casket

My family and I have lived in Charlotte for the last eight years.  One of the most profound and deeply spiritual connections that I’ve made since being here happened several years ago after my first trip to the Billy Graham Library.  Everything about the grounds is peaceful and loving and warm, in the same manner Dr. Graham made people feel during his lifetime of preaching the Gospel.

He was laid to rest on Friday, after a truly amazing life and career that spanned every continent and millions of lives that will be affected in eternity forever.

Of all the stories that have been shared about Dr. Graham’s life over the last week since his passing, the one that I believe is indicative the most of his character was the casket he was buried in.  After all the crusades and spotlights with presidents and world leaders, Billy Graham loved the least of these, the way Jesus did.   

Richard Liggett, a convicted murderer sentenced to a life at Angola Prison in Louisiana, was commissioned by the Graham family to build the caskets for Billy and Ruth Graham.  They are simple, yet meticulous plywood boxes built with the lining of Walmart mattresses inside.  On the top is a cross...nothing fancy, just the cross...and exactly the way Dr. Graham wanted it.

I never had the pleasure of meeting Billy Graham.  But studying his life, and spending some significant time at his Library in my home town, the story behind his casket is such an accurate depiction of the way he lived his life and the way he loved.  He had one of the largest spotlights of the twentieth century, but continued to shine that spotlight away from himself...towards Jesus, and towards others. 

He took the position of grace with that team of prisoners that would design his body’s final resting place.  Only the grace that is given to us by the Holy Spirit.  The grace of Jesus that he spent his entire life preaching.  What an amazing life and legacy he has given to us.  “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  

Amen.  Rest Well.  Your work on Earth is done.   And you will be remembered forever.

-ABB

Time Markers

I believe that having a time marker in your life as a launching pad for what’s next is vitally important.

For me, everything new and exciting has to come with a starting point.  That’s why I like new years, new months, new days, milestone birthdays, etc.  I’m in one now for sure, as 40 is here, and it feels like a dividing line.

Time to start something new.  I had the 1st half of my life, which has been amazing…but I have so much left to do, and I pray for a 2nd lifetime to achieve it.

But I feel like I’m 30…age is just a number.  And I feel like the 1st 40 years were a warmup to what I really want to see come to pass.  The next 40 (or maybe 60, who knows) are for chasing my dreams.

Here’s a short list of dreamers that made things happen after the age of 40:

1. Martha Stewart owned a catering firm, but didn’t find real success until after she was 41, with her first book, Entertaining
2. Vera Wang got married at age 40, and then only decided she wanted to be a designer.  She opened her first bridal boutique the following year.
3. Tim and Nina Zagat were attorneys before starting their first restaurant guides at 42
4. Harland Sanders was unemployed and broke at age 65 before starting his first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise.
5. Rodney Dangerfield was 46 before he got his big break as a standup comic on the Ed Sullivan Show.
6. Samuel Jackson was 46 years old and a recovering addict before starring in Pulp Fiction.
7. Ray Kroc was on the other side of 50 before he bought his first McDonald’s in 1961.
8. Sam Walton did open his first Wal-Mart until 1962, when he was 44 years old.

It’s never too late.  If God was done with you, you’d be dead.  We were all dreamers once…who said the dream had to die?  After all, you’re not.

See you tomorrow!

-ABB

Marching In

Hello March 1!

2018 is 2 months into the books.  I think some of us are optimistic for the future of this calendar year, and some of us have probably already thrown in the towel in just 59 days.

And perhaps many of us are still on the fence as to which way this year plays out.  So let’s hit the proverbial reset button today on March 1 and focus on the future.  January and February are gone…let’s press forward.

I want you to sigularily focus on one skill or habit to develop over the next 30 days.  March is as good as January to make new beginnings, so let’s decide on this up front.  Quit thinking about how you’re gonna lose 50 pounds in 2 years, or become a millionaire in the next 10.  For March, I want you to set 1 specific, attainable and measurable goal.  And we can check on this together and reconvene at the end of the month to see how we did.  You with me?

So here’s mine:  I’m sending this to you as a virtual accountability partner.  In March, I am going to write every day.  And I will share my random and not so random thoughts with you on this blog.  My goal is going to be very obvious whether I stick with it or not.  If you see a day go by without content from me, you can send me a personal message and shame me for my insincerity towards my future 😊.

I hope you decide to take on this challenge with me, and let me know in the comments what you’re going to focus on this month.  I could have used some cheesy “March” pun here about moving forward, but I’ll restrain myself for the benefit of everyone that’s hung around with me thus far.

Here’s to the next 30 days! 

-ABB

Living Life 10 Minutes At A Time

I think you need to get a watch with a stopwatch function.  And here’s the reason why.  Time can be your friend, or time can slip away whenever you’re not intentional about it.

We’ve all heard the clichés about all having the same 24 hours in a day…blah blah blah.  However, productivity is always a big topic with those who strive for greatness.  And unless you’re really monitoring your time, even good intentions will go by the wayside.

So I’ve found a little trick that really helps me.  If I try to plan out my entire day, it usually falls apart about 10:00 AM.  But using my watch in either 10-15 minute increments for specific tasks has made a huge difference in my productivity.  I think we can all hyper-focus for 10 minutes, and still get an incredible amount of our to-do list accomplished in small bursts of deep work.

Use a timer if you can…just going off the clock doesn’t seem to be as effective.  Try it for a few days, and see how much a difference it makes.  It’s no secret that our attention spans are gradually getting shorter and shorter every year.  I think we can take advantage of shorter focused increments to ramp up our productivity to new heights by living life 10 minutes at a time.

Hope this little daily hack is helpful…talk to you real soon.

Blessings,

-ABB

Millions of Miles Away

Certain days feel further from your goals and aspirations than others.  I want to talk about the days where you feel a million miles away from the vision for your life.  If you feel this way today, I want to talk to you, and hopefully encourage you.

I think that part of the problem is that we're all told to dream big, but never really given an explanation of how to get there.  I think most of us have goals and aspirations, but never follow through on what we were called to do.  Life always has a way of getting in the way.  

Today, even for just a day...I want you to take it back. 

I need you to block out the millions of miles between your goals and where you are today.  I need you to do one thing today that puts you closer to them than you were yesterday.  Just one thing.  And then once you accomplish that, I want you to mark today as a WIN.  Then once you have that win, we’ll work on the next step, which is accumulating more wins than losses.   

We have to keep our eyes on the prize, but so many of us get lost in it because it doesn’t feel like we’re getting any closer.  But taking the time to gain confidence along the way, while understanding that the gratitude needed to get there is found in daily victories, is the key to the finish line. 

You can do this...you were meant for this...take it one day at a time. 

Remember, we over estimate what we can do in a day...but grossly underestimate what we can accomplish with years of dedicated consistency.   

I’m in your corner, and I’m pulling for you.

God Bless,  

ABB

This is Me

I’m a learner by default...curiosity has driven me for most of my life.  So, I have this library of information that I’ve been digging through for years.  The input is good...I’ve learned, lived, experienced, won and lost.  I’ve tried to take the last decade, and soak up the “data of life” to guide me on my experiences that lie ahead.  I just figured I needed as much knowledge as possible, and I was willing to grab it from a bunch of different sources for a long time.  And while I still view this as gain, I realize that it’s time to move to the next stage...a place where so many others will fall short.  It’s time to get in the game and start producing. 

Art is such an interesting component of life.  I believe we’re all born with some type of special, instinctual art-form talent within us.  It comes in many varieties, shapes and sizes.  There are just so many of us that refuse to express our art.  Maybe we’re scared that it’s not good enough...maybe we’re worried what others will say about what we love...maybe there is a fear of rejection.  Whatever that is, technology has given us the opportunity to share our art with the world, as we’re creating it.  What a wonderful gift this can be for those who are willing to embrace the parameters of all the new mediums we have in front of us. 

So, with all of the hats I’ve been wearing over the last 10 years, I’m ready to share some of my life with you.  Some days will be personal...some days will be practical.  But my sincere hope in all of this is to bring you value while working on my craft.  

By producing.  

I have a mantra that I like to live by...that we should strive to learn and teach every day.  I’ve spent a lot of time learning, and I’ll never stop pursuing that endeavor.  But it’s now time to teach and share.  Share your art.  It’s probably going to go through a lot of iterations and edits and mistakes along the way.  But somewhere along the journey, you’ll have content that you can be proud of.   

This is me...I hope you’ll stick around for a while.  I have a lot to share.   

God Bless, 

 -ABB