jungle jeff

It Could Happen

You Never Succeed By Being A Follower.

There are probably exceptions to this rule, but let’s be real.  The exceptions are just that, exceptions.

Please don’t get me wrong, following is good. And safe. And mostly predictable.

And then there are the questions of when, where, what, how and why?

Whatever it is that is important, should be visualized and evaluated.

Then, there is that simple choice:  Follow or lead.

And in my case, this took a lifetime.

Stairway to Organizational Heaven?

Has it ever crossed your mind?

Loyalty. Organizational loyalty. The loyalty you show. The loyalty you receive.

And even if, for what ever reason, you question your current loyalty, where else would you go to find it?

Catch 22, isn’t it?

Here’s a provocative perspective from a business contact from LinkedIn.

Click here to read David Noer’s blog post: The Necessary Paradox of Cautious Loyalty.

Fortune What?

Finding our passion and pursuing our dreams with sheer determination is something we all dream about.

When is the best time to ease off the dreaming and ramp up the doing? It really depends. There’s so much to consider. So much to take into account.

Have you given up?

Eventually, most people give up. I almost did too. Then a small child was born. He changed my life and my purpose. He was and is the catalyst that inspires me to work tirelessly.

Over time, my five daily blogs have slowly, but surely been getting better. It’s funny sometimes, to think that many readers have no idea how hard I work in my professional position with a Fortune 100 company.

All this blogging is extra. Ya with me? Extra. What are you doing that’s extra? That’s hard?  That’s difficult? That you love so much you can’t stop?

My blogs are so basic and simple it’s almost embarrassing.  When there’s some “spare” time, I’ll be looking to take another step to jazz up the blogs.  I’ll be clicking here for more Wordpress Theme tips.

Do you let what you can’t do stop you from what you can?

What will GREAT look like for you in 2010?

I can’t imagine being a professional and not being a LinkedIn member. But it’s not unreasonable at this point for many to still not be involved.

My wife is not on LinkedIn, however, I do believe it would benefit her to get started.

Anyway, through LinkedIn, which I read daily, I followed a link  - “What Will Great Look Like For You In 2010?” A quote from that link sparked today’s blog post.

So there are two messages today:

1. Social media, like anything else, works best when used frequently
2. All five of my blogs are free

A reader commented a few months ago, “You never ask for anything.”

It was, and still is, a question that leaves a funny feeling in my gut.

Why would anyone invest in five daily blogs, reveal secrets, success tips, insightful thinking, be vulnerable and transparent, and never ask for a nickel in return?

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman

What are you waiting for?

Received an email from a jungle jeff blog reader, seeking clarification on the “Don’t Bother” blog post from last week. The reader’s email challenged my thinking, in a good and healthy way.  By the way, thank you for that.

Do you give obsessive diligent consideration to your work?

Most people, myself included, probably rush to, “Of course!”

May I audaciously suggest we (again, myself included) don’t do nearly as well as any of us think we do?   Huh?

Exactly. Huge.  Here’s what I mean.

This is simple, and also “dangerous”, because there is a human flaw in most of us. We are conditioned to judge others on what we see them do. It happens without even trying.

What’s complex, and perhaps arguable (but I argue it isn’t), is that we overwhelmingly judge ourselves on our intentions.

Huge difference here.

You see, I perceive my approach to balance as better than anyone else I observe, and yet others….

What others may think is that I preach balance, but lack balance, and therefore am a phony. This thought crosses my mind daily, “Am I a hypocrite?”

Do you ever catch yourself privately asking, “Am I a hypocrite?”

Tomorrow, maybe, I’ll dive a little deeper on this.

Are you serious about becoming better at what you do?

I’m guessing that most people will answer, “Of course”.

Gonna call your bluff.  Most people, and perhaps you’re the exception, just don’t have it in them to do the hard work .

They have the dream, the desire, the will, but something is missing.

The demands on our time are literally all-consuming. This simple fact makes it hard to stay focused.

When we lack excellent focus, our results are less than our expectations.  When this happens, we begin to doubt ourselves.  How do I know?  Because I’m just like every body else.  Just like you.

The one difference I’ve found that most others haven’t?  Tomorrow. I’ll share it tomorrow.