Tag: Running

Is Your Culture, By Default?

Whether you answer this personally or professionally, the answer should be the same.   And if you’re like I was before I became a professional speaker ten years ago, you aren’t sure what I’m talking about.  Right?

Generally speaking, things happen two ways, by design or by default.

In two hours, I’ll be running my first 5k run in several years.   I started running a decade ago.  After a few years, I needed a “carrot” to keep me motivated.  I ran my first 5k, ever.

In two hours, I’m running the very same 5k.  This is by design.  It’s an historic tradition that has incredible meaning in my life.  I could have picked any 5k to kick off my “comeback”, but I didn’t, by design.

Will you, or your organization, do things with purpose today, or will you drift aimlessly?  Carpe diem, jungle jeff 🙂

Live, before you die

Here’s a post written the other day. I was 35,000 feet in the air, traveling, and had just finished watching an inspirational movie, lent to me by a friend.  It’s long, so I understand if you’re too busy to read it.  Yet I wasn’t going to let that stop me from writing it.  Here goes:

02.26.09 35K feet

Are you a chicken?

When was the last time you put yourself on the line?

Seriously!

When?

Bet you’ve thought about it. Everybody does. It’s part of our human DNA. We all dream of doing something great, of putting ourselves on the line.

Here’s the deal.

If you’re like me, you’re insanely busy. You’re also incredibly distracted. And (again), if you’re like me, most likely, a “chicken”.

Please don’t get me wrong. Being afraid is a gift given to humans to help them survive.

It can also, unintentionally, be the very thing that suffocates us.

Suffocates us?

Yes. Suffocates us.

Huh?

We go through life, unaware the clock is ticking. We wake up one day, realizing we haven’t yet lived.

This scares the heck out of me.

Today, tomorrow, next week, all month, all year, next year, until I die – I vow to, “Live, before I die.”

May I be so bold as to challenge you? To Live, before you die!

Find a way to be inspired every single day.

I just watched “Saint Ralph”. A story about a 14-year old boy, attending an all-boys Catholic school in the early 1950’s. His Father was killed in a war. His mother on her death bed, although no one will admit it. It appears she’s battling cancer. She goes into a coma and Ralph, her son, hears a story about miracles.

Ralph becomes convinced that if he can perform a miracle, in this case winning the Boston Marathon, then that miracle will lead to the miracle of his Mother coming out of her coma.

Ralph was never really good at anything. He was always getting in trouble.

He digs down deep, loses Boston by one step, and becomes a hero.

All I can tell you (to wrap this up) is that I believe in business and at home, we get an incredible opportunity to make the world a better place.

Today, once again, I’ll work hard for the courage to “put myself on the line” to do just that.

Carpe diem,  jungle jeff  :)

What’s the 1st thing you do?

What’s the first thing you do when you hear your alarm clock go off?

As I write this, it’s almost 5am.  I’ve been up for an hour, reading, writing, thinking.

Actually, I didn’t think the alarm clock was ever going to go off.  Just lying in bed, wondering, “When is that thing ever going to go off.  Come on. Let’s go.  Bring it (the day) on!”

Those who know me know I’m completely serious.  Those who don’t – “crazy man”!

Part of the challenge is the thing we’re waiting on is called an “ALARM” clock.  Yikes.

What if we called it an “OPPORTUNITY” clock.  Wow!

Everyday is an opportunity to do something great.  Everyday is a gift.  To be able to get out of bed.  To be alive.  To have the privilege to serve and help others.

Have you noticed the tone, the language, of today’s post?

There a few key words and phrases that set the tone.  Agree?

The same is true in business.  That’s one of the most powerful secrets in business.  Use words to nuture and grow a great culture.

I’ll explain more in another jungle jeff post.  Right now, it’s off to the Orange County Convention Center for a GREAT day.

Make your day GREAT!  Because if you don’t, who will?

Carpe diem, jungle jeff  🙂

What does EPCOT stand for?

What does EPCOT stand for?

Every Person Comes Out Tired!

What?

Just kidding.  You can take the boy out of the Jungle Cruise, but you can’t take the Jungle Cruise out of the boy.

EPCOT stands for Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow.

That’s what Walt Disney called Walt Disney World, before it was officially named Walt Disney World.  The entire 43-square mile piece of alligator, snake and mosquito infested swampland he called EPCOT.

He said it would never be completed.  He added, “The sketches and plans you see here are simply a starting point. Our first overall thinking.”  As he continued, “Our plans may change time and time again.”  He gave us permission to take his crazy, “impossible” vision and find the best way to get to our destination – “that EPCOT will always be a showcase for American ingenuity.”

And so it is with me.  And with you too.  Who wouldn’t want to always be in a state of becoming.  Always changing and growing -serving more people in more ways.  Then those people go out and do the same.  We know this as “the ripple effect”.

Who’s helping you?   Who’s holding you accountable?

At last week’s National Speakers Association Winter Conference, prior to the opening Keynote speech from Roxanne Emmerich ( https://www.emmerichgroup.com/ ), author of  “Thank God It’s Monday:  Kicking Butt and Taking Names to Grow Your Business”, we were asked to find one or two accountability partners.  It was great to establish this upfront.

Carpe diem, jungle jeff  🙂

What’s the downside to creativity?

What’s the downside to creativity?

Being creative does not mean being productive.

Huh?

Creativity can be defined as generating useful ideas, in any domain.  Most people assume that a bunch of creative ideas is something great.  It really isn’t.  Seriously, it’s not  Because, if none of your creative ideas ever get implemented, then what do you have?  N-u-t-h-i-n’.  Nuthin!  Period!

Want to know the key?

Curious about world-class spin on this “creativity issue”?

Here’s the deal:

Innovation is the implementation of a creative idea!

That’s the secret at world-class organizations, like Disney.  They focus on creativity and implementation, in order to create innovations that make things better for their Employees, Customers, or Business practices.

Personally, I think of Walt Disney as the “Father of Creativity”.

What Walt really deserves credit for was his ability to innovate – to implement new, creative ideas.  He was the ultimate “envelope pusher”.

“So what?”  A simple question.  One I began using a decade ago for the sole purpose of challenging people to adapt, not adopt “book theory” best practices.

On a scale of 1-10 (10 is excellent), how would others (not you) rate you on your drive, your vision, your energy, to push creative ideas through to implementation?

I hope you like your number.  I didn’t like mine when I did this exercise.  So I did something about it.  I started to practice what I preach.

That has made all the difference.

Make it a GREAT day, because if you don’t, who will?

Carpe diem, jungle jeff  🙂