"Interestingly, koi, when put in a fish bowl, will only grow up to three inches.
When this same fish is placed in a large tank, it will grow to about nine inches long.
In a pond koi can reach lengths of eighteen inches. Amazingly, when placed in a lake, koi can grow to three feet long.
The metaphor is obvious. You are limited by how you see the world."
--via Vince Poscente
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” ~Zig Ziglar
I spent part of last week at the Inc. Magazine GROWCO Conference.
If you're not still learning ... your dying. So, consider continuing education part of your perpetual youth plan.
Plus, there are plenty worse places to be then New Orleans ...
With that said, I know I'm getting older because after walking through the French Quarter - the part of me I most wanted rubbed were my feet. (I wish I was joking).
The first speaker was the Mayor of New Orleans. He explained that one of the key decisions they made after Katrina wasn't to re-build the city ... instead, it was to build the city they always wanted New Orleans to be.
Bill Clinton was there, too. He was articulate, charismatic and clever. But the star of the show (based on audience response and the rush of people to get his autograph) was Daymond John (of FUBU and Shark Tank fame).
Daymond talked about his five Shark Rules: 1. Set Goals; 2. Do your Homework; 3. Always do what you love; 4. Remember you are the brand; and 5. Keep moving.
He stressed that the secret to power is to be decisive.
He also shared that the money they invest on the Shark Tank show really comes from each of them; however, only about 20% of the deals actually get to a closing.
Daymond said that he invests in people, not companies. Moreover, he claims that each of Sharks know who they will invest in within the first minute of the presentation (and he suspects that is how most business-people make decisions). Interesting.
Sometimes normal isn't enough.
Playing safe is often a good strategy ... But, sometimes you have to expect the extraordinary.
Did you see the strange guy doing a modified tight-rope circus routine during Madonna's Super Bowl half-time performance.
Well, it was more than that ... did you see the guy bounce up and down as though that little rope was a trampoline?
What in the world was going on?
Well, the short answer is: slacklining. Or, if you want to get technical and specific, tricklining. According to California's Adventure Sports Journal , slacklining was invented in the early 1980s by two rock climbers.
As you may have guessed, the Super Bowl halftime cameo was a big moment for the young sport of slacklining—and for the talented, curly-haired slackliner who got the spotlight: Andy Lewis, aka Sketchy Andy . You've got to watch what he can really do!
Imagine what went into developing this skill. Was it thought ... or something you forgot you could exercise?
What are you committed to expecting extraordinary about ... starting now?
Is it possible to build a house in only two hours?
Proving that nothing is impossible if you commit to it, the 2-Hour House chronicles an East Texas builder’s quest to overcome the odds, and accomplish what was perceived to be the impossible task of building a 2,249 square foot house, from the ground up, in less than three hours.
To do so, they would have to pour a concrete slab that hardened in only 22 minutes and paint the house in the same time it takes to brush your teeth.
Plans called for a traditional home that met or exceeded code at every turn. It took two years of planning, 1,000 volunteers from every trade and more than a little luck to pull it off.
Here is a time-lapse video of the construction.
What this team learned about life, leadership and the persistence of the human spirit will motivate you to transform your own life, work and home from the ground up.
| The rules say : | 2 Hour House: |
| • It takes a day to set the forms, dig footings and set steel. | 8 min |
| • It takes a half a day to rough-in the plumbing. | 7min |
| • It takes a day to pour and finish concrete. | 40min |
| • It takes several hours to pop the lines before setting walls. | 10min |
| • It takes at least a day to frame the walls. | 15min |
| • It takes a day to rough-in the electrical. | 15min |
| • It takes a day to put in the wall plumbing. | 15min |
| • It takes a day to shingle the roof. | 30min |
| • It takes a half a day to insulate the walls and attic. | 10min |
| • It takes at least a day to sheetrock. | 15min |
| • It takes at least four days to tape, bed, and texture the walls. | 20min |
| • It takes two days to paint. | 10min |
| • It takes a half a day to install the flower beds and trees. | 10min |
| • It takes a day to do the final grade. | 10min |
| • It takes a day to lay the grass. | 10min |
| • It takes a day to set the kitchen cabinets. | 15min |
| • It takes a day to set the bathroom cabinets. | 10min |
| • It takes a day to install the heating and cooling. | 10min |
| • It takes a day to do the interior doors and base boards. | 15min |
| • It takes a half a day to install the garage door. | 3min |
| • It takes a half a day to put in the countertops. | 10min |
What would it take to shift your mindset from ordinary to extraordinary? And which constraints can you re-evaluate and eliminate?
Think of the innovation, creative thinking, and break-thru communication and collaboration strategies needed to pull-this-off. What about leadership, team-building, and management expectations?
Try to imagine what type of project management process this would require?
Here is a link to videos that provide more information.
A Chinese company just built a pre-fabricated 30-story building built in 15 days.
This energy-efficient hotel was built at a fraction of normal Chinese construction costs, with no worker injuries. And the building isn't flimsy ... It was built to withstand a 9.0-magnitude earthquake.
This is interesting because it shows what's possible. Think of how many "rules" and assumptions they had to break or get beyond to conceive and make this happen.
Here is a time-lapse video of the the construction.
What can you accomplish in 360 hours?
Here is a video that shows how an Australian Australian presenter failed to amuse the Dalai Lama with a Dalai Lama joke.
The play-on-words "joke" he used is: the Dalai Lama walks into a pizza store and asks if they can make him one with everything.
The Dalai Lama's response is funnier than the joke.
He could have added: The Dalai Lama then gave the cashier $20 and asked for his change.
The cashier replied: Change comes from within.
This Thanksgiving weekend, a friend called to say he was reaching out to the people he was thankful for - and just wanted to let me know how he felt.
My mind immediately began thinking about what else the call could have been about? I remembered that I intended to send him a book. I thought about the last time we talked. And then it hit me, he was actually exercising his ability to be thankful.
Wow, what a concept.
Were you actually grateful and thankful this weekend?
It is a choice. It is a habit. For me, it is something I aspire to exercise more regularly ... What about you?
Looking back over the past few weeks, I recognize that I have been pushing hard - with a focus on finishing the year strong. Maybe it's time to recognize how much progress was made and intentionally focus on making people feel appreciated and capable instead?
Scar tissue, resentment, frustration, and fear are unnecessary and counterproductive. It's time to figure-out what feels good and do more of it.
With that in mind, here is a picture of me with my awesome wife and oldest son at the Cowboys game. We had a great Thanksgiving. Hopefully, you did too.
This public service message has been presented by the part of me that knows better. Hopefully, the part of you that knows better will notice it.
Have a great rest of the year.
Great Einstein Quote on Genius
Albert Einstein said: “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
So true!
We just finished some planning sessions, and this lesson showed its relevance several times.
This is a message that bears repeating.
If you focus on what you do well that gives you energy and sparks your passion, the rest seems to take care of itself ... and genius emerges.
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