Dynamic Conversation

When was the last time you enjoyed a dynamic conversation? The question is sincere — because my recent experiences make me wonder if we’ve lost the art of conversation.

In this Age of Devices, we’re so dang connected we’re disconnected. A text message, here — and an email tome, there — gives the impression we’ve done our duty to communicate.

Oh, I agree; there was a Transmission — but, was there Reception. You know what was Sent. Do you know what was Received? Odds are very good, there’s a chasm between the two. The third leg of communication is Feedback.

Any relationship is between two people. Not, three or more — TWO. For those two individuals to build a relationship, there must be communication. Communication can occur over a variety of channels. The most effective method of communication is a dynamic conversation.

The Hero’s Journey

The most dangerous place in the world is Comfortable. To receive the rewards waiting for each of us, we must embark on The Hero’s Journey.

This journey is not for the faint of heart. In fact, you might not currently feel like much of a hero. Yet guaranteed, you will emerge from the wilderness a changed and better individual.

Before we begin, let’s consider WHY this is so important.

Vision to Succeed

An old Proverb states the premise nicely, “Without vision, the people perish.” Or to frame the same principle in the vernacular, “Stand for something, or fall for anything.” We need vision to succeed in Life.

You’ve heard the expression, “Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.” An experience last week reminded me of the incongruity of dysfunctional thought patterns, in the face of reality and facts of imminent demise.

While prattling on with the rah-rah nonsense of a used car salesman, the Owner of a roofing company (known to me from prior experience as EGO) wanted me to believe he was ready to manage in a new and better way.

His new CEO is quite fluent in Corporate Speak, which we all know wedges itself into the category of: Talk is Cheap. Between the two of them, the cacophony of their silliness lasted all of 30 minutes.

Dynamic Carousel

Life is like a carousel — it only goes in one direction: Forward. There’s no going back to undo, redo, or otherwise change anything in the Past.

And, on that Carousel, we have a choice: Sit on the benches near the center, move to the stationary animals to the right of the benches, or climb on a horse moving up and down — while we reach for the brass ring.

Obtaining a brass ring involves three components: Fate + Choice + Skill.

The Want To

To succeed at anything, we must want to. Not any old ordinary want to will do. The want to that I’m talking about is an all persuasive, gut churning, bone chilling, teeth gritting, and heart aching passionate desire to achieve.

Good, I lost the snowflakes among us. They quit reading half way through the first paragraph. What keeps you here with me? Do you want to know the first step on the road to Success?

Think Know Do

I was sitting at the desk with a salesman and behind him, tacked to the wall was a piece of plain white 8½” x 11″ size paper with these letters: TKD. Thoroughly impressed, I commended his belief in “Think Know Do.”

He grinned sheepishly and confessed that his manager had pinned the sign as a reminder “Time Kills Deals.” My antennas shot straight up. After a tour of their factory, conversations with upper echelons, and a discovery of inferior processes and unethical people, sure enough, “Time Kills Deals.”

So, TKD is a two-edged sword — it can represent success, or defeat.

Legacy

In the vernacular of today, legacy has come to be equated with money and the bequest of little empires to heirs. What might surprise you is that the word originally was used to denote an envoy or ambassador.

For those tying their hopes and dreams to material possessions, good luck with that. We’re physical, temporal beings stuck to a spinning orb in the vastness of the universe and history bears record that empires come and go.

So, what is a legacy — and how do we create one?

The answer to the what and how comes immediately after the why.

Fix Thoughts

How important is it for us to find a way to fix Thoughts?

There is a battle raging for our souls and it is life-altering to acknowledge that our thoughts are the only thing within our control.

We cannot change the political climate, celebrity morals, Mother Nature, Father Time — or, even, your neighbor’s yapping dog.

Yet, we can be the Captain of Destiny — as we create a future of our choice.

All We Do Begins With A Thought

Relentless Pursuit

Begin creating something of value and watch what happens. The dark forces of the Universe and people of that disposition will gather their armies in a relentless pursuit to attack YOU — and your creation.

Why?

Because it’s much easier to destroy than to build. Those individuals who won’t build anything special of their own don’t want you to, either.

Performance Realms

In an ordered Universe, these four — in this order — would be the performance realms: Goodness, Thought, Action, and Feelings.

Goodness would fuel our Thoughts, which motivate us to Action, resulting in warm fuzzy Feelings.

However, we live in a time with slogans similar to, “If it feels good, do it.“