Surround yourself with greatness

One of the more favorable things I am grateful for in my life has been the amount of inventive and creatively talented people I’ve been blessed to be surrounded by.

Thomas Crenshaw is one such individual who a few days ago put together this little tribute video for one of his (and mine) favorite TV Shows. The video is fun, compelling and burning up the replays on youtube right now.

Enjoy

Thomas Crenshaw

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Genius Post of the Month

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Looking for that moment

You can get all academic about what you want to do with your life and what you want in your career or job. But no amount of money, status to function can make up for the feeling that you get when you solve a hard problem, overcome and obstacle or build something that’s never been done before.  These are the emotions that epitomize my favorite seen from the movie Moneyball.

At the end of the day I want the job where I get to make this scene happen more often than not. Everything else is arbitrary!

Live life and love it!

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My clickpath to this post…

1. Steve Jobs steps down
2. Twitter feeds from Apple Employees about Steve’s departure.
3. kenchangKen Chang  ‘ Just watched Tim Cook’s 2010 Auburn University Commencement Speech… and then I saw this… bit.ly/p2us3J (Will Ferrell, Harvard, 2003)
4. Conan O’Brien’s  2011 Dartmouth Commencement Address

[21:31]”…No specific job or career goal defines me. And it should not define you.”

[20:52]”..It is our failure to become our perceived ideal, that ultimately defines us and makes us unique. It’s not easy, but if you accept your misfortune and handle it right. Your perceived failure can become a catalyst for profound reinvention.”

[21:52]  “In 2000 I told graduates to not be afraid to fail. And I still believe that. But today I tell you that weather you fear it or not disappointment will come. The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity and with clarity comes conviction and true originality.”

[23:20] “Work Hard. Be Kind and amazing things will happen.”

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In Awe of Quiet Leadership.

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood won four Emmy awards, and Rogers received one for lifetime achievement.

During the 1997 Daytime Emmys, the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Rogers. The following is an excerpt from Esquire‘s coverage of the gala, written by Tom Junod:

Mister Rogers went onstage to accept the award — and there, in front of all the soap opera stars and talk show sinceratrons, in front of all the jutting man-tanned jaws and jutting saltwater bosoms, he made his small bow and said into the microphone, “All of us have special ones who have loved us into being. Would you just take, along with me, ten seconds to think of the people who have helped you become who you are. Ten seconds of silence.”And then he lifted his wrist, looked at the audience, looked at his watch, and said, “I’ll watch the time.” There was, at first, a small whoop from the crowd, a giddy, strangled hiccup of laughter, as people realized that he wasn’t kidding, that Mister Rogers was not some convenient eunuch, but rather a man, an authority figure who actually expected them to do what he asked. And so they did. One second, two seconds, seven seconds — and now the jaws clenched, and the bosoms heaved, and the mascara ran, and the tears fell upon the beglittered gathering like rain leaking down a crystal chandelier. And Mister Rogers finally looked up from his watch and said softly “May God be with you,” to all his vanquished children.^[13][21]https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Fred_Rogers#Personal_life

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Quote of the day: “… People who put cars in their garage have no imagination.”

“We haven’t had a car in our garage for 20 years. It’s half boat and bicycle storage and half blacksmith shop. My wife says people who put cars in their garage have no imagination.

I make all sorts of stuff. Candlesticks, wall hooks, fireplace screens.”

Darren Bush – Flatwater Paddling Evangelist

See the full article here:

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/article_a442abff-445d-5573-b409-fecbe700b114.html

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Pure Joy.

You know you are blessed when little gems like this occur in your day.

Check out the people LinkedIn suggested I might know today:

Hack, Spam or otherwise. This made me laugh!

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Instant Classic.

I do not agree with the Urban Dictionary’s definition for the phrase Instant Classic. I feel like the definition should include more reference to the word Classic. But I was hard pressed to be able to articulate my own definition until a friend shared this with me.

Nuff said.

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Don’t you just love it when something works great the first time?!!!

A week or so ago, I was at the gas station about a block from my house. Where there is an e-play video dispenser.  You’ve probably seen the Redbox at your local grocery store. This a similar experience, but it’s actually located outside, near the building. A convenient way to get a movie anytime. We must be grateful for the convenience we are served. In fact we are super-served in that way. Almost to a fault. I’ve definitely exploited the fact that I can pay up at the very last moment given our current technology. In fact I’ve often wondered how much of a slacker I would be if I were born 50 years earlier. Having to remind myself of all the things to do on time, wait in line. Put it in mail…. ugh.

Anyway. This experience was great, not only could I be recognized by CC, but also by an email address, or barcode on the sleeve after purchase.It then has my history when I showed up. The return was easy and simple. No instructions really needed. The only weird thing was the sleeve they give to you when you purchase a rental. it doesn’t actually fit the CD/DVD well. But who cares. Plus you pay just a buck for every night you keep it. One night, one dollar. Two nights, two dollars. So you have incentive to return it but it’s not going to kill you if miss it for a day.

I hope you’re more responsible  than myself but that you also find yourself super served cause it just feels good!

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How do negative thoughts and feelings affect you?

I’ve often thought I was a pretty positive person, with a few brooding tendencies. But been discovering that I may need to work on this. Here are interesting thoughts on how negative thoughts and feelings affect you. straight from Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Gold Book of Yes! Attitude.

• They drain your energy – Think about this. How do you feeling after an argument?
  

  Yes! Attitude

• The BLOCK positive thought
• They cause stress. – Think how often you feel under stress… is it your fault or someone elses?
• They cause worry.
• They cause illness.
• They BLOCK creative thought.
• They cause errors.
• They reduce productivity.
• They cause anger. – Anger is a secondary emotion. You always feel something first.
• They prolong painful situations.
• They affect the way you listen to others. –  Think of how important that is to your successes.
• They affect the way you communicate with others.
• They affect the way you deal with others.
• They take the fun out of your life.

Just thought I’d share this quick nugget of wisdom. There’s a lot of material in there. Imagine the opposite of these points and how much happier you can be if you find ways to have positive feelings. “Attitude busters have two elements: things and people. The secret to keeping your positive attitude: (while others are trying to bust it) is hesitation, thought, and questioning before making a statement. Your reaction to the negative crap, or the negative people who enter your life, is the fate of your attitude. If your instinct is negative, you can reverse it by revering your thoughts and actions.”

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