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!!

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

I am sure that at some time in your life, you have been blindfolded and asked to walk forward. Or have had to enter an unfamiliar room with no lights.  I am confident we can agree that, these were not comfortable circumstances. 

Reaching your Business-for-Self, Highest Potential, has much in common with walking around blindfolded or having to walk through a pitch-dark room.  Suddenly, you run into things that you had no idea even existed.  Even if you are headed in the right direction, clear of obstacles, you remain filled with anxiety, self-doubt and uncertainty.  If you remain in this state for an extended period, FEAR creeps-in, to distort your thinking, paralyze your intuition, and eventually render all action as useless. This is NOT a Good Place to be!!

So let's put into place a firm thought foundation that will afford you a course of repeatable and trainable action.  We have 3 fundamentals in the understanding of WHAT... Before How.  These include;

• The Need for Pacing
•  Creating Your Lighthouse in the Fog and
•  The Journey through 3 Ports of Repeat-ability / Part II(b)

The Need for Pacing
As we covered in Part I; WHO... Before What,  CHARGING is a highly desirable entrepreneurial trait. When you are ready to combine Action with watch words such as Focus, Determination, Attention-to-Detail, and Patience, you can begin to move forward. Filled with the need to Succeed, the tendency will be to CHARGE HARD. Attempting to move straight forward, rapidly, often without regard to potential negative effects. 

Pacing is required to insure three things;

1. You don't develop shaky knees and wobbly legs; which inhibit you from taking daily action. The world is filled with hopeful ambitions and dreams that never clear the runway. But, You are No Longer Dreaming! You are No Longer content to sit on the sidelines! You want your 767 to take-off, to clear the runway. You are willing to wake-up every morning take responsibility for the things that you do, and the things that you choose not to do.  As an entrepreneur, You are creating your reality.  
2. You are able to maintain a high level of Mental, Physical and Spiritual fortitude.  You don't want to charge so hard that you get halfway there and run out of resources. 
3. Pacing allows you to collect data, analyze the data, and then make corrective steps to maintain balance and forward progress. Remember, that your target is moving. Collecting and Analyzing data assures that you are running your race without blinders.  You need to look side-to-side; you’re attempting to fulfil an opportunity marked by time.  With the passage of time, the target may have moved, and if you are not prepared, the opportunity will be missed. Pacing affords you the flexibility to adjust in preparation for this.

 
The first critical Pacing step is Assessing Resources.  You need to have a firm inventory of what is in your pocket.  This is not a financially based statement. Many assume that they need money to succeed in business.  This is the wrong - CHARGE HARD mentality to adopt as you begin to undertake whatever you have set your sights on. YES, money, at some point, is often needed to reach the end.  More significant than money are the resources of knowledge, passion and relationships. This thought foundation is influenced by the factual success of many businesses that started in a basement or college dorm room with little more than a Passion.  Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Hewlett-Packard...  all started with little more than the smarts and the passion of their founders.  These founders achieved their Highest Potential by moving side-to-side; zig-zagging if you will, stringing together smarts, passion and the network of their friends and their financial resources. 
  Your ability to build relationships is the most important resource that you carry in your pocket. Money does not yield knowledge, passion or relationships. Knowledge, passion and relationships, will always yield money. While you attempt to build and maintain relationships, you are able to reduce stress if you remember two things... a) Do the right things for the right reasons.  b) NEVER use People - Have a genuine concern for others and constantly be on the lookout for ways that your product or service can serve those around you.

Creating Your Lighthouse in the Fog
As you prepare to set sail toward your highest potential, rest assured that there are many who will attempt to dissuade you.  So you need to be on guard!  You are looking for three types here: (1) Those that Never Do,   (2) Those that wish they could and are hoping that you don't, and,     (3) Those that say, You can't do it.  So, WHAT do you need to keep on course while you endure the fog of dissuasion?

Every Achiever, in order to claim their success, has had a set of values to work from.  Let’s go back to Part I, WHO... Before What - Your WHO Values are a set of behavioral traits that must be in place as you build toward your goal.  These behavioral traits, are Your Lighthouse in the Fog. Always shining in front of you, they keep you from running aground.  Tested through time they evolve to be the cultural foundation of your business. They serve to clearly define the rules you follow and they outline the direction that you are headed.
If you refuse to first establish your WHO behavioral traits, you leave yourself in jeopardy of allowing just anyone to join your efforts.  The goal here is to never let anyone into your intimate circle that does not fit with your values. Period! This applies to everyone - your important hires, your friends, your partners... everyone.

In Part II(b) of WHAT, before How...  We will pull up anchor and journey, along the Seas of Highest Potential. Our journey will lead us through 3 Ports of Repeat-ability...