Facing Our Realities-

Our New Beginning...

The year 2008, brought the beginning of a major series of human and economic altering events. Including what many thought would be the collapse of the American banking and financial system. This series of financial events marked a critical hinge point in our pursuit of earthly desires. Erased was the methodology of the era. Eliminated were the rules of the game which guided many through the days of overindulgence. It was as if, in one single day, unannounced, someone reset the rules of human pursuit and obtainment.

If you have failed to recognize this hinge point and the development of a new set of rules you are being left behind. The rules of the era past WILL NOT return! Facing this reality you will understand that a new set of rules are in order. It IS YOUR responsibility to learn these rules. In the ensuing decades we will only be left with those that Have, and those that Have Not. And with each passing day the caravan of those who HAVE draws further from your view. So, the choice is all yours... which will it be - fall behind, get left behind in a world of Have Not or read this book series and apply its lessons? In the following pages, you will be given the opportunity to learn and practice the new rules of Pursuit and Obtainment. Here, you will learn to uncover your highest potential; leading you to that place where you can Be, Do or Have, anything that You desire.

Are we together on this?  Good!

Let’s get going, there is much to cover and we will need to accelerate to avoid being left behind. It will be very important to first review a few details surrounding the creation and pursuit of desires...

First things First...

Each living being is in pursuit of something. For simplicity,  let's divide ‘living beings’ into plants and animals. In common, both plants and animals exist through a fixed genetic cycle. So what differentiates the plants from animals?  Most significantly, the brain!  Buried in the human brain are the key differentiators which promote a life of continued learning. The most significant of these differentiators, being... the animal instinct of fight or flight.  This is part of the survival code implanted within each of us, passed-on through the millennium, allowing the creation of a path of extended survival. As we exit the era of overindulgence we find that this instinct has been compromised through excess and convenience. After all, with the availability of many things in excess, and the convenience of immediate satisfaction there is no need to fight for survival and there is nothing to flight from.

In the days ahead excess and convenience will be scarce. If you do not believe me, ask the twelve+ million United States unemployed who are wondering where the cash will come from to the feed their family, to put gas into their tank, to make their next mortgage payment. Or ask the 3+ million college graduates who will continue to walk aimlessly into a non-existent job market. So, let’s keep reading... there are lives at stake here - agreed?

// Unedited excerpt: SYSTEM ERROR! Abort, Retry, Ignore - 7 Essential Steps on How to REBOOT the Human Operating System.  Author: Phillip A. Lopez  ~ Kindle/Amazon - Available Spring 2013 //

The Unexamined Life...

"The Unexamined Life is not worth Living" ~Socrates

The Question of the day is - how well have you done on holding-up your 2012 New Year Resolutions?

In all truthfulness, I am not a big New Year Resolution kind of guy.  This may seem surprising to you, especially from a person so dedicated to Highest Human Potential, so let me explain...

It is not that I am against goal setting or more strongly, against Ambitious goal setting. To the contrary, we should all be driving towards something! And, with only one life to live, we should drive Ambitiously. This is it folks... This is your life - there is no dress rehearsal here. One performance and it is Live.

So why no New Years Resolutions? After all, the beauty of life stems from the resolution that we Can - Have, Be or Do, Anything that we Desire. 

No New Year Resolutions is just a personal choice, for me.  I wake-up everyday, I am filled with gratitude that I am able to wake rested; I slide my foot under the covers to feel that my loving wife is still laying next to me, throw back the covers and I start charging. For me, I choose to see everyday as a start to a New Year.  If you take a look around you there are many who share this ambitious opportunity.

My wife, Janice and I, just finished our 2012 holiday with a 16-day tour starting in Paris - headed south into Italy - and back out through Paris. Along the way, I was fortunate enough to run-across some amazing individuals... living some pretty amazing (and ambitious) Live Performances. And they did not wait for the changing of a calendar to get started...

Most memorable was my airport shuttle driver, Samuel. Samuel woke-up one morning and decided the time had come - it was time for him to leave everything he had and everyone he loved. He had enough of a war torn life in Ethiopia. He decided on that day, that he would change his dedication and direction. He could only think of one place to turn, America!  He shared with me the fire that continues to burn within him; the fire that freedom brings!

Easy? I never heard this word cross Samuel's lips in the 50-minute conversation that we shared. After 15 years of an uncertain life change, I did hear Grateful, Dedicated, Thankful and Loving. Loving? Yes! Samuel shared with me a story of how one day as he was walking into a grocery store near his home and he kept hearing some person shouting out his name. As the voice got closer, he turned to see a boyhood friend from his Ethiopian village. Samuel said at that moment he was filled with more love than he could hold! Thousands of miles from home, millions and millions of people between him and his village, he would run into a boyhood friend. The two men remain in constant contact, encouraging each other to believe that they CAN - that they Can do the things that they WILL to do.

Today begins your New Year! I encourage you to rise every morning with an attitude of NEW. 

Take the time to live the 'Examined' life. Think about the things that mean the most to you - celebrate them. Imagine the life that you dream to live - memorize this. Remain in resolve to attain your dream life! Renew your pursuit with the start of each new day as if, there was no tomorrow. This is your life - there is no dress rehearsal. One performance and it is Live.

Purpose; You CANNOT Attain...

Obtainment of your Highest Human Potential; this is your Divine Purpose!  The Obtainment of your Divine Purpose is not some‘thing’ that you can acquire/purchase; you cannot Attain this in the form of collection, you cannot touch your notion, idea, or thought of Divine Purpose. Divine Purpose is some‘thing’ we Obtain; we hold within us our Desire of Purpose in the form of notion, idea or thought. Your Highest Human Potential is the utilization of your divinely granted abilities to transform your ‘Purpose’ into its physical equivalence - to Be, Do or Have.

Divine Significance...

This transformation flows outward from within us; in exchange for life on earth we are to uncover and give our Divine Purpose. Our give is significant for the improvement of the human condition. In this way Divine Purpose transcends to incorporate the greatest potential of all understood dogma or creed. In this light of knowledge, it becomes understandable as to why your Purpose must be delivered as contribution to the completion of the universal puzzle. There are no spare pieces. Each one of us has a contribution to make in the form of Divine Purpose. In this regard, there can be no completion of the universal puzzle without your contribution, the delivery of your piece, your Purpose.

You are important! You are Divinely significant; nobody can strip this significance away from you without your consent. Your significance of purpose was handed to you Divinely. Your Highest Human Potential is Obtained through the transformation of your unique Divinely granted purpose.

Truest Source of Happiness...

This Divinely granted Purpose is the truest source of your happiness; the truest source of your significance. Your lifetime significance is not based on what you attain in life; the car you drive, the purse you carry, the suit you wear. Your happiness will not be found in a chair, in an office up top on the 52nd floor. Or, in a title of professional achievement. If you continue digging in this direction, at best you will find a sense of temporary satisfaction.  At life’s end your fulfillment will not be found in a bank account, or from within a garage filled with Maserati's.

Early on, when I made the statement that the Obtainment of your Highest Potential would not be a matter of luck or the breaks, this was my source of confidence.  The requirement of luck or a break would imply that there was something you must receive in order to deliver your Divine Purpose. Instead, you are free to begin your delivery, the transformation of your Divine Purpose at any time. With no hesitations, with no permissions required. The transformation of your Divine Purpose, the Obtainment of your Highest Human Potential is given throughout your life; You are free to start at your earliest convenience.

Let me guess? - You want to know...

HOW?!?

// Unedited excerpt: SYSTEM ERROR! Abort, Retry, Ignore - 7 Essential Steps on How to REBOOT the Human Operating System.  Author: Phillip A. Lopez  ~ Kindle/Amazon - Available Spring 2013 //

The Starting Point of All Achievment

“Daily the clock is ticking... 

The bookend of earthly life draws ever closer and the Universe continues calling Your name. Yes, You are being called to Start-Up Your Greatness. Do you have what it takes to answer the call?”

-Phillip A. Lopez

The Starting Point of All Achievement...

Years ago I read an interview of Wally "Famous" Amos. What many have always found interesting about Wally is that he virtually started with nothing! Of course we all know that at one point he built a global enterprise around 'chocolate-chip cookies'. In the interview Wally was asked, "HOW did you know where to get started?" At the time, Wally's reply caught me off guard. I figured he would weave a response filled with the requirements of great entrepreneurial skills, or the necessity to plan every detail, or the requirement to entice venture capital. But he didn't. In summary his reply was, 'I started with me! I came, one day, to the realization that I was responsible for the outcome of my life. That my achievements in life would not come from the things that I Did Have; But rather, my achievements in life would have to come from the things that I Did Not Have. That if I really wanted to do something with my life, I was going to have to be responsible to make sure that I obtained these things.'

I am convinced that what Wally was saying is, Achievement is 'an inside job'. That the starting point of all achievement begins with the person that stares back at you in the mirror! You know, the bloke you brush your teeth with every morning... Yeah, that guy!

Before we get along too far... let me ask you a very important question  --  Are you confident enough to stare into the eyes of your friend in the mirror? You will need to be! After all, the person in the mirror cannot survive without you. And you cannot survive without the person in the mirror.

So take a minute, go to the mirror... introduce yourself to that person (warts and all). Take a good look at this person. Come on take a good look! You are staring at the person who holds the keys to your share of the claim of achievement. Do you feel comfortable with what you see?  What if you discover that, this is the person who keeps imposing false self-limitations? Are you determined enough to overhaul this person?

Go ahead - Ask that person - "If they are willing to travel down the pathway of Obtainment with you." Come on, you're traveling partners... ask if that person is tough enough to carry you through the ups and downs, through the sleepless nights, to stand with you through the early snow of Fall, through the bitter cold of Winter, through the blistering heat of Summer. Ask that person... "So, how GOOD can you stand it?" -- This is the starting point!!

(An unedited excerpt from: 

SYSTEM ERROR! Abort, Retry, Ignore 

- 7 Essential Steps on

How to REBOOT the Human Operating System. 

Author: Phillip A. Lopez, ePublish: Amazon/Kindle, Available: Spring 2013)

Obtainment: Attain vs. Obtain / an unedited manuscript

Attain vs. Obtain

Subtle but Meaningful Differences

So here we stand at the fork in the road. Before us two roads, we must choose only one. The roads are clearly marked; one “Attain” and the other marked “Obtain”. I can almost guarantee that you have never taken the time to explore the subtle but meaningful differences between these these two extraordinary and directive words.

Attain and Obtain can be applied as transitive and intransitive verbs, and although having similar meanings to one another, each has, essentially, a mutually exclusive application. Although both possess the identical suffix ‘tain’, the etymology of the two words is somewhat different, with ‘attain’ being derived from the Latin ‘tangere’ (to touch), and ‘obtain’ from the Latin ‘tenēre’ (to hold).

From their differing etymologies, it can be seen straight away that there is a difference in the meaning of the two words. Essentially, ‘attain’ is applicable when one achieves, or reaches a set criteria or goal, to accomplish something successfully, -to do or finish with success. Here success traditionally requires the combination of Physical and Mental energies. To attain a Bachelor's Degree in Economics, Engineering, Health Science, you must successfully complete a course of specified study.  To attain a predetermined level of desired physical wealth or to pile your garage full with Maserati's you must achieve a level of professional proficiency.  Whereas ‘obtain’ should be used when you actually acquire or hold possession of something through one’s own efforts, be it a physical item or a notional characteristic. To hold or gain possession of something through one’s own effort traditionally requires the combination of Physical, Mental and Spiritual energies. To assist with understanding, here is a differentiating example; when you attain a successful result, you might not hold or gain possession of  your Highest Human Potential.

Maximized Efforts...

We are looking to maximize efforts of Obtainment...  specifically HOW do we hold or gain possession of our Highest Human Potential. As a sole purpose of life the collection of physical wealth can hardly be considered the obtainment of your Highest Human Potential. Please, do not misunderstand our stated intention here. The collection of physical wealth can be a noble ambition well worthy of pursuit. And Indeed, your Highest Human Potential may come through the applied benefit of physical wealth. As a sense of example, I am specifically speaking in terms of the gained benefit delivered by the use of the wealth which has been achieved by Bill and Melinda Gates. Or the gained benefit of the preservation of art delivered by the use of the wealth which had been achieved by individuals such as Henry Huntington or J. Paul Getty.

SUCCESS Happiness-  The Social Push...

The common social push is to Attain happiness through Success. Attaining success suggest that you will finish this as an achievable task. In this sense we are digging in the wrong hole! For you who are reading this book the value of life, happiness, will not be found through the Attainment of Success. Your directive is to push beyond ordinary success; your directive is the Obtainment of Highest Human Potential. In this model SUCCESS is not an end-point of happiness which can be Attained, rather it is an Obtained pathway to happiness.

Becoming successful or being labeled as a success, simply means that you are recognized by the body of work that you have completed in building your pathway.  Building your pathway is created by your continual activity of laying the stepping stones in a manner defined by a gained direction and length.  In this way, You must determine from the inside-out, which stones of virtue will interlock to make your path of happiness. In this model you own the path, you own the stones of virtue, you choose direction and length. Here in, lies Your Happiness.

The beauty of Obtaining SUCCESS is that regardless of past experience, no matter where you may find your starting point, you can build your happiness pathway. If you are willing to work at it, you can gain that purpose which you have been individually granted and are divinely guided to deliver.

Wallace Wattles - author of the book titled, How to get what you want, once touched on this concept in this way;

“The cause of success is not in the environment of the individual. 

Because if it were, all persons within a given radius would be

successful. And, success would be wholly a matter of neighborhood... 

And we see that people whose environments are practically the

same, and who live in the same neighborhood show us all degrees

of success and failure. Therefore, we know that the cause

of success must be in the INDIVIDUAL and nowhere else!"

Do not underestimate the significance of this written statement. Before you is a critical clue as to the nature of Highest Human Potential.

Each Called to His Own...

We know this statement to be true because our world is filled with path builders working at many different levels of capacity.  Some have been granted the capacity to lay the stones for their pathway by the truckload, some have been granted the capacity to lay the stones of their pathway by the wheelbarrow load, and yet other may have been granted the capacity to lay the stones of their pathway one-by-one.

The Obtainment of your Highest Human Potential is as individual as your fingerprint and is as fragile as a snowflake. In our common desire to live from the outside-in, to attain, to touch as much as possible in our earthly life, we have grown to bulldoze over the fingerprints and wipe away the nuisance of the snowflakes. In reality, we should be living from the inside-out, looking to recognize the value gained through the potential that our fingerprints can offer; looking to deliver the incorporated benefits held through the preservation of snowflakes.

The 'A' Word...

I had the weirdest dream the other night...  


In this dream the phone was ringing - Being a dream, I got up to answer it.  When I picked-up, there was a silent pause on the other end - Great I thought!  Another Political candidate survey.  Boy, was I off base on this one...

Hello?
   - Yes, is Mr. Lopez available?
Yes, this is Phil...
   - This is not a paid or sponsored call.
Ok, well - Who is this?  I didn't catch your name-
   - Mr. Lopez,  this is the Universe...
        -  And we want to know when you are going to deliver your highest potential?
Ahhh---
   - If you don't want to deliver that's ok, I guess, but the universe needs the purpose that is inside you. If you won't deliver it, we'll have to pass your purpose to someone else!
What?!
   - Yeah -that's right, the universe - we need to know if YOU are going to deliver...  !

I sprang out of bed!  Heart racing 12bazzillion miles per hour.
That little voice, from within was shouting - "Don't freak!! - Don't Freak!"  Keep Breathing!!!!I ran to the bathroom - turned on the light... looked into the mirror and said, "We need to go over a few things and we better hurry!" ---


There is no need for you to worry, I got your back on this one... I will make sure that your phone doesn't ring.   In the  next few paragraphs I will walk you to delivering your universal potential.  You, just keep reading!!

One Nugget of Gold...

Oddly enough, just a few days earlier, I ran across the following little nugget of gold...

"In the Universe, there are no spare pieces. 

Everyone is here because they have a place to fill, 

and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle."

-Deepak Chopra

We have to find this statement very reassuring.  It's claim supports the fact that my purpose  and your purpose (our Highest Potential), the pieces;  are universally important! That if indeed the universe is trying to piece a puzzle together, it WILL, at some point in time, need the purpose placed within us.

Now let's think about this for just a moment...  in my mind, the universe is very mighty-full -and because of this might, I am pretty confident that it is Not going to be denied the competion of the puzzle; simply because you or I decide to withhold our piece (our potential).  Agreed?  ...    Good! So then, what next?

Let's Get Started!!!

We have agree that delivering the purpose within us is a good thing.  Now, the question becomes, HOW!   HOW, do we got off the sofa and in-to-action in order to deliver our Highest Potential? After all, We probably do not want to piss-off or disapoint the universe.

You will need to have a clear understanding of your purpose.  Purpose comes to you in the form of an idea. You then formulated that idea into a plan. That plan requires Action...  On a daily basis that action transmutes itself into achievement.  Ok, hang-on...  you do know what initiates achievement, right?   NO...  I didn't think so  ---

The Great Initiator...

All Success is obtained through achievement.  Achievement is not just one single action, on one single day, in one single moment.  Achievement is the string of action taken moment-by-moment, day-after-day.  In this way, Success is the accumulation of achievement(s). Success then comes through the pursuit of a worthy purpose.  Think of Success as - Winning the NBA Championship. Achievement is then the accumulation of wins. The goal is to accumulate as many wins as possible and as many wins in a row as possible.  So HOW do we do this?

Look, the universe needs us to deliver our piece, our Highest Potential, right?  Well then the universe must have supplied us with a tool, or forged a trail for us to follow.  Indeed, it did!  The universe provided to us, AMBITION.

The A word...

Ambition is the great initiator!!  Without Ambition you park your A-- in the sofa and you never put down the remote.

Ambition is at the core of your Highest Human Potential. Ambition leads you to the good life; turning your hopes and dreams into reality. Ambition is the pathway traveled between impossible and possible.  True Ambition keeps you on course.

You don't need to feel embarrassed by your Ambitious desires. True Ambition is an ally which keeps you grounded. True Ambition roots itself in the service of others, not in the expense of others.  True Ambition says, If I want to deliver my highest potential tomorrow, then I better prepare for it today.

Created in Ambition...

Ambition has created the likes of Ford, Carniege, Edison, Rosa Parks, Gates, Oprah, Jobs, MLK, and the list goes on, and on, and on. Ambition is responsible for Great Parenting, Loving Relationships and Raised Spiritual Awareness. Ambition will lead us to the cures of disease, to peace, to greater love and understanding.

The Universe Will Not be denied.

Regardless, of your purpose, you deliver it through Ambition.  Imagine for one moment that you have no limitations on what you can Have, Be, or Do...  Ambition can take you there!!

I appreciate the fact that the universe has given us the choice to deliver or not to deliver.  I don't know about you but, I can't see it as such a good thing if we choose to withhold our piece, our potential.  I'm kind-a thinking that the Puzzle IS going to get completed... with or without you!  If you decide to withhold   -the universe WILL simply deny you the  opportunity to deliver your potential; handing your opportunity of success to somebody else and allow them to ambitiously deliver in your place. 

Pursuit... Your Divine Right-

Yes, It is Time to Choose!

- Get on the bus or, 

get left behind. 

If you miss this bus it will be more of the same; missed economic opportunities, hopelessness amid aimless wondering. Your job is to catch this bus! In the next few paragraphs we will buy you a ticket and find you a seat.

So let's establish the fundamentals to assure the obtainment of your desire.  

- In its most rudimentary form Success can be defined as; the progressive realization of a worthy ideal. If a man is working towards a predetermined goal and knows what he is doing... That person is a success! If they are not doing that then they are failing.

- The opposite of courage is not cowardice.  No, the opposite of courage is conformity. It takes no courage to conform; to do the same thing as everybody else, to think like everybody else, to achieve as everybody else.  Courage begins when you decide to differentiate your life from others.  To our demise, conformity will erase achievement...

- Every human has been given the Divine right to pursuit something.  Indeed, the creator allows each of us to Have, Be or Do, anything that we desire.  It is this fact that supports our existence.  Life then becomes a mission. On this mission, we all have something to pursuit!  It then becomes our duty to un-cover our purpose... To un-cover the 'something' that we pursuit.

- Everyone in serious pursuit of a goal,  at some point in life we all uncover this truth;  Success is an inside job!  Once discovered, it is what we do with this realization that greatly improves your odds of obtaining your desire.

If it is our Divine duty in life to un-cover our 'something', our pursuit, and if success is an inside job, then we must be self equipped with the features to succeed. So what then is the missing link between have something to pursue and Obtainment?

You're Gonna LOVE this...

Intention Rules the Universe-

There should be little doubt on our minds surrounding the truth of this statement. As it is The Creator's intention that all Human life attain their Highest Potential; The Creator has placed every living creature, at the footsteps of mankind. In a spirit of attainment, The Creator then embellishes mankind with the greatest of all gifts... Freedom of Choice. Indeed, it is the intention of The Creator, that Humankind be given the Choice to Have, Be or Do, Anything that He/She Desires.

Anything?  ANYTHING!!!   -  Pretty Remarkable!!  Don’t You Agree?
  Don’t you just LOVE it????   ---   Anything!... -  Your Choice...  -  Think BIG!!

Support of this fundamental, comes through the Natural Laws of Physics and MetaPhysics... Newton’s Laws of Action / Reaction, Cause and Effect, Motion and Equilibrium; Einstein’s Relativity, even the natural Law of Attraction.

In a simplified format, the Law of Attraction simply states that;

• We Attract to us, that which we think about.

WAIT... This is Powerful stuff... Let me read this again  ------    Ok.  

Think about what is being said here. Thoughts of Opulence and Abundance, yields Opulence and Abundance. Conversely, thoughts of Doom and Despair, can only yield the same. Thoughts of Spirituality, increase your attainment of a life of Spirituality. Thoughts of Destruction, increase your attainment of a life of Destruction.

The Law of Attraction is not a feel good principle. It is ‘ON’ - 24/7/365... Like gravity. It is available for your use from your first breath, until your last breath. If you fully understand this You begin to realize; the value of the things that you think and say, and the POWERFUL consequences of Negative self-talk.

You WILL become what you Think about  -  Suddenly, you realize the impact of thoughts like...  Man, these jeans make me look fat... Of course I got a bad grade, I can’t believe- I am soo Stupid... It figures I’d get dumped on - I can Never find Anybody who will treat me right...  OMG, I think my throat is sore, great; now I am going to get sick.  ---   HELLO? - McFly, ya in there?  YOU MUST STOP THIS!  ---  You Become what You Think About!

WAIT... WAIT... Wait...

• Are you saying that if I want to become the world’s best Digital Marketing resource, I can?  YES!
• Are you saying that I can move from Buffalo, WY, to Bozeman, MT, find a family to stay with, earn a Full Ride college scholarship, find the girl of my dreams, marry her, start a new business and lead it to profitability?  YES!

Yes, I am saying that you WILL become what you think about. Oh don’t get me wrong, these things do not just start falling out of the heavens...  You’re gonna have to work to achieve them. Just recognize the work will need to be proportional to the thought. Big Thought - Big Work. Little Thought, Little Work. No Thought, No Work. But, achieving your thoughts - you CAN do that!

In the next Blog, we will uncover the rules of engagement in the development of your Highest Potential. In the meantime - Do yourself a favor... Grab a couple of Post-it notes, write this down and place the Post-its where you can see them throughout the day... Nightstand, Bathroom Mirror, Wallet, Computer monitor, Laptop Keyboard, Smart Phone screensaver  -  Ready?  Write this Down--


I, (  your name  ), WILL receive an Abundance of ALL Good Things!   ex. I, Phil Lopez, WILL receive an Abundance of ALL Good Things!   -Attract this thought for a week!!!   Enjoy the results...  Continued SUCCESS in all that you Do.

3 Steps; How to Guarantee Highest Potential

--  I was recently asked to address the graduating class for an adult based trade school. I thought you might find benefit in my message. --

Graduating Class, I wish to congratulate you!

But before I address you, I wanted to say something to your fans. 

FANS -  I am so proud of each of you!!  Your encouragement and support has turned a life around.

You see, "there is No investment you can make which will pay you so well as the effort to encourage and to support a friend."  These graduates, despite there own hard work and dedication over the past few months, have succeeded because YOU cared.  This is a powerful day –and you should applaud each other.

GRADUATES -  Tonight I want to address your future but before we go there  -let’s recap the last 12mos…

• You woke-up one day and made an Assessment – that’s right, you took inventory of what you had in your pocket – After finding only a few pieces of pocket lint; you decided that was not good enough for you, and that you wanted a brighter future.

• Then, You had a Thought… gee, if I could get a little education and learned a trade; I just might improve what I find in my pocket.

• Finally, You decided to take some Action… You enrolled at NTMA and disciplined yourself enough so that tonight you could walk into this Community Center to the warm applause of your fans  - your family and friends.

 ASSESSMENT - THOUGHT - ACTION

- pretty simple -

wouldn't you agree?

Now, Before I ask you what you are going to do tomorrow.  I wanted to ask you;  Did you know that this pattern of;  Assessment, Thought, Action; are the very same steps that Thomas Edison took to create the light bulb?  The same steps that Henry Ford followed to mass produce automobiles, that Andrew Carnegie used to amass of fortune in wealth. Did you know that this same pattern were the same steps that Steve Jobs took to create every Apple product?

You see besides teaching you a trade,  your education at NTMA has introduced you to a NEVER Failing process. In the short time frame of 12 months, you have learned and experienced a 3-step process; guaranteed to deliver a lifetime of Highest Potential. A process so Powerful, that all you have to do is repeat it beginning tomorrow. And, if you are courageous enough to do this – You Can Be, Do or Have Anything, that you Desire.

 ASSESSMENT - THOUGHT - ACTION

So now, let me ask…  What are you going to do tomorrow?

Class Congratulations!!    NTMA Staff Congratulations!!    I will let you continue on with tonight’s great event.    Thank-You and Continued SUCCESS to all of you.

Zig-Zag-Zoom -Part III: HOW, Staying out of the Weeds.

   As we voyage the seas of Highest Human Potential, we sail from Port-to-Port. Our long term survival depends on our ability to continuously review the sailing maps.  The sailing maps- outline for us the things that we cannot see; the diversions and distractions; aka, The weed beds and rock formations.

  The weed beds are the distractions and inefficiencies of our day-to-day actions. The rock formations are the short-term successes that tear a hole in the hull, the short term positive results that keep us from sailing the full course we have set for ourselves.  Gaining a complete understanding of your sailing map is just as important as guarding against Pacing, or being mindful of your WHO values. The challenge is to recognize that your sailing map is just that... Individual, personal and will vary according to your profitability and objectives.

 To avoid the loss of momentum or capsizing, you need to give specific thought to your sailing map.  Your watch words should be self-discipline and self-control.  You do not want to attempt to correct your course while in the middle of your voyage, in the middle of a Port-to-Port heading.  If you get tangled in the weeds at this point, at the very least it will lead to delays; at the very worst, it could include a loss of passengers and significant cargo. In all cases, Profitability will be impacted.

  Your sailing map needs to identify the things you feel are significant to avoid. I went to a few of my seasoned entrepreneurial captains, to collect their look-out points.  Here are a few to guide you...

 - I will not get involved in a business that goes against my moral compass.

 - I will not work with people I do not enjoy.  This includes customers, vendors, or an employee.

 - I will not make or sign on a personal guarantee, on a business that I do not personally control.

 - I will not jeopardize the financial stability of my family home.

 - I will not let anyone into my circle that does not fit with my WHO values.

 Utimately, You CAN sail the Seas of Highest Potential!   Your voyage begins with a single step filled with faith.  Your WHO values establish the set of your sails and will determine the speed at which you sail from Port-to-Port.  Your Capitains log will allow you a repeat-able course of direction, allowing you to load passengers and to add needed cargo. Your sailing map will guide you to avoid the weeds and rock formations.


In this Life - You CAN, Be, Do or Have, anything that you Desire!!

I wish you continued success and clear waters!  I hope that you found this 3-Part post to be insightful and useful.

Publishers reading recommendations...
 - Bootstrap Business by Rich Christiansen and Ron E. Porter
 - The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
 - Poke the Box by Seth Godin

Zig-Zag-Zoom - Part II(b); WHAT... Before How

Are you ready to pull up anchor? Are you prepared to begin your voyage, along the Seas of Highest Potential? As you push a way from the dock, you will

undoubtedly hear a small voice in your head and feel just a little queasy.  You may even be tempted to drop the anchor and abandon ship. Not to worry!  For many, this is a normal reaction - You are experiencing what  others before you have experienced.  The phenomenon is known as Fear of the Unknown. Our fear of the unknown, leads to undue stress and potential procrastination. Procrastination then, increases stress, amplifing your fear level, which just brings on More Stress... and the cycle can go on and on and on.  So let's break the cycle - let's eliminate some unknowns.  To accomplish this we will set-up a Captains log. The Captains Log will give you direction and purpose and establish measurable guide-points of progress. Your maiden voyage will guide you through 3 Ports of Repeat-ability.   


A Journey through 3 Ports of Repeat-ability  
  Port #1.  The beauty of aiming for a Port is that it allows you to have a clear direction and destination. Your first business-for-self Port is "Profitability."  Initially, you should define profitability as the ability to pay all your bills and have enough cash to move forward.  While money does not insure happiness, being broke can surely be traced back as the root cause of stress, which typically assure's unhappiness.  
  As you aim for Port #1, you have two principles which guide you;

1. You are not aiming for perfection, you are aiming for profitability.  Your focus here is getting your vessel out of the harbor and out to open water. You spend your time and money in accordance with the 80/20 rule. This means that you focus your time and money on the 20% activities, that will yield 80% of the results that you are looking for.
2. You are working against time. This means you need to know when to Stop.  Give yourself a profitability deadline and stick to it.  If you are unwilling to stop, you will fail at a point in time which may have long term devastating consequences, emotionally and financially.

  Port #2, Having achieved a first level of Profitability we are now ready to take on Passengers and add Cargo. Your passengers are your employees and your cargo becomes things like capital equipment, and proprietary processes.
At this point  you have grown accustomed to micromanaging the details.  A self delusional thought that you carry is, 'only I can get this right.'   After all, this is your baby, this is your pride and hard work. Most importantly, this is your income stream! For many it is hard to let go!  Port #2 assures that you abandon this thought!  To insure that you maintain balance and control you do things like:
a) Reassess what you have in your pocket.  Make a list of the things that you
are good at, and compare it to the list of WHAT is needed in order to get to Port #2.
b) Hire the right people. Reference your WHO values list, and select this 
critical hire, based on the list of things that you are not good at. You can't
sail to your Highest Potential alone! It takes teamwork... Somebody has to; 
chart the course, man the rudder, trim the sail, yes, even swab the decks.   
c) Document the process that led to your profitability and train someone else
in that process. In today's business world, you cannot achieve your highest
potential by doing it alone. So take a deep breath, and recognize this to be
a simple task. There is only one wrong way here... that would be; not 
breaking down the process into chew-able pieces. You can always adjust
the size of the pieces to meet the knowledge and passion level of your
employee.

  Port #3. With profitability intact, filled with passengers and sufficient cargo- let's point ourselves toward Port #3; Scaling.  


WHAT does Scaling refer to?  Scaling refers to the development of your business model. In it's most simplified form, Scaling refers to two components;
1) a business model that you can replicate quickly and,
2) a business model which allows you to quickly get your product or service to market.


Scaling is a deliberate planning event.  It is an acedemic, cereberal  process. To over come the pit-falls of Scaling you need to adjust your mind-set. To this point your voyage looks like this...
- At Port #1, it's all about You - You are working hard and doing everything.
- At Port #2, You are defining the process and cheerleading others to do the work
- At Port #3,  You are looking for systematic growth. You are working with others to create the system which replicates the process and moves product.


It will take practice to Captain a vessel. And although each vessel has it's own unique characteristics, you CAN safely and prudently guide yourself, passengers and cargo toward your Highest Potential. The Port's outlined above give you a repeat-able and trainable courses to navigate. Find the other Captains, seek advise if you need it. Most importantly, don't forget to celebrate!


In Part III, we will review the sailing maps, looking for the diversions and distractions. As you sail toward your Highest Potential we will want to keep you out of the weeds.


Continued Success!!