Christopher D. Connors's Blog, page 39

Thanks so much, Pierre!!

Thanks so much, Pierre!!

Thank you so much!!

Thank you so much!!

The Priceless Lesson for Living from a 4-Year Old

The Priceless Lesson for Living Your Best Life from a 4-Year Old

What do you love?

What gets you so fired up for living each day that you can barely contain your excitement? Those emotions, feelings and goose bumps that come from thinking to the future and bubbling over with genuine joy and love in your heart?

I realized very early this morning that my son has been teaching me a priceless life lesson over the last several weeks. I wanted to share our conversation with you now:

My 4-year old son: Daddy is today my baseball game?

Me: No.

Son: Ohhh! Is my baseball game tomorrow when I wake up?

Dad: Yes

Son: Yeeah! Yeeah! Baseball! Let’s go play!

I may actually have the next Mike Trout as my son.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mike_Trout_2017_(cropped).jpg

But it got me to thinking- as I rose out of bed to begin my day, it was so refreshing to hear my son’s enthusiasm for what’s next. He loves baseball, but he also loves life.

He always asks me, “What do we do tomorrow when we wake up?”

That mindset of looking forward to the next thing is priceless.

It’s really the best mindset for living that I can think of. All about what is coming next.

From the lips of a beautiful 4-year old boy, it comes in the form of a question:

What will I do tomorrow when I wake up?

Now, I pose the question to you:

What will you do tomorrow when you wake up?

You have the control — the autonomy — over this decision. You are empowered to act on your own behalf, as well as that of your family, to live the life you want to life. To do work that you love. To put the people and things in your life that light you up inside.

Despite how much you may feel at times that society has its restrictions, that the walls are caving in, or that you cannot live your dream life, I assure you that you can.

When I first became a full-time entrepreneur, oddly enough, I didn’t feel nearly as “free” as I thought I would. I was putting more pressure on myself — and dealing with more anxiety — than I was before I left my very stressful, very unfulfilling “9-to-5” job.

Every day felt like a time crunch. A battle against time to get the most things done that I possibly could, organization and essentialism be damned.

I wore myself into the ground, despite a head full of optimism and a heart full of enthusiasm and hope. I lost sight of the clarity and freedom of thought that we all need to do our best work and live our best lives. What do I mean?

We’re at our best when we stop enforcing our own mental shackles.

We’re at our best when we live, lead and love straight from our hearts, and then let that incredible passion infuse itself into our relationships and work.

So much of this is born from a renewed enthusiasm each day to live the best life that we possibly can. It’s a daily reinforcement of looking forward to what’s next — unbridled optimism and hope that the next day will be the one that we take our biggest step forward to becoming the person we’ve always wanted to be.

No matter where you are in your life now, I want you to know that you have this incredible power within your control. You have to recognize it and see it for yourself. Once you do, you will be well on your way. Committing to this mindset, then taking action to work toward your big dreams and goals, is what great living is all about.

Wherever you are in your career, ask yourself, what are you doing tomorrow when you wake up?

If it’s not something that you love- that gets you super excited- it may be time to re-evaluate and think about what does get you fired up.

Love what you do. Look forward to every day with a youthful spirit and joy in your heart.

Lessons from a 4-year old future Hall of Famer.

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This story is published in The Startup, Medium’s largest entrepreneurship publication followed by +432,678 people.Subscribe to receive our top stories here.

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How to Reverse Engineer the Career of Your Dreams

Reverse engineering. This is the way to start planning your life.

“The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” — William James

Every beginning should start with your end.

Let’s face it, we, the people of the world, are living in a results-driven culture.

“It’s about the results!” Right?

We see it in the workplace. We’re reminded of it on television. It’s plastered all over billboards and social media.

‘If you achieve something — anything — that result will come to define you. And those results, are all that matters,’ they tell us.

You and I both know that’s a bunch of rubbish.

We’re fed a Be — Do — Have system of thinking. It all culminates in a bottom-line approach. “Show me the money.” “What have you done for me lately?” In reality, this obsession with results matters very little when juxtaposed against our life’s journey. Results don’t quite measure up to the minutes and hours lived in the “Be” and “Do” states. Results take time. They’re often goals we work toward.

And work, we should, toward our goals and dreams. I’m a chief proponent of this! Just know, your energy is far better spent and focused on living each moment of the day with vim, vigor and full immersion in the “Be” and “Do” activities. I also encourage you to recognize that you likely already have something great going. You just have to appreciate it for what it is.

We can find happiness, fulfillment and a sense of our purpose in the world in all three stages. Where we get lost and suffer is when we fixate too much on the future — what we don’t have. When we long for these results, that may not be what we truly want at heart, it leads to anxiety and a hollow feeling that leaves us empty and unsatisfied.

Building Your Foundation

Results are both objective and subjective. Some people live their lives trying to achieve particular results because they think it will make their parents, boyfriend, girlfriend or classmates proud. While those are wonderful complements and side effects, they should not be the reasons why you do what you do. The results you strive for should be for your own self-satisfaction.

Look at this small graph below of “Be”, “Do” and “Have.” I believe for far too long, our culture has obsessed over the results. As a result, there’s little attention paid to the fine details like values, beliefs, attitude and effort. These qualities form the backbone — the foundation — of who we are! We cannot possibly achieve big things in life if we bypass these important steps.

We need values to help shape our behavior and outlook on life. Our values become a reflection of the way we see ourselves. We behave in accord to the way we think and the values we hold dear. Take Steve Jobs for instance. He wasn’t a very religious man. But he was a man of great faith and conviction. He believed fervently in placing trust in himself — in anything — for the future, then working toward it with enthusiasm and dedication.

Once you have the “Do” and “Be” down, then you reap the results. Right? Or not right? Have you been paying attention?! Let me flip the script on you.

You Have It

“Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.” — Shannon L. Alder

What if you started living each day — leading with the “Have”? What I mean by this is, let’s say you’re an up and coming entrepreneur. You want to create a great new app that everyone is going to love. Chances are, you’re already writing the code, and perhaps you’ve already created something to beta test. It could be awesome. But you might not think so. So you doubt. You feel you need external validation in the form of sales and social media buzz.

You don’t. In reality, your vision of “Have” may be what you already have going for you. You’re on a journey that’s chock full of great rides, turns and changes. Start living in that moment. That is the “Have”!!

But what if you do some introspective searching and find that you really aren’t completely happy with your current state? Then start making your future state — your Have — a reality now. You may not have the sold-out arenas or adoring fans. But start acting like you do. Start imagining exactly what the “Have” looks like. Paint a picture so vivid, it would make Michelangelo blush.

Envision exactly what this looks like. Lead with this. Live a life that celebrates your future success. Then, start being and doing what that is. It’s a philosophical and cultural paradigm shift that will change the way you live your life each day. It will propel you toward living your dream faster than you ever could have imagined.

It’s how you create a legacy and make the most of each moment.

Find my absolute best writing, plus receive a free offer by subscribing for awesome updates on my Newsletter!

This story is published in The Startup, Medium’s largest entrepreneurship publication followed by +428,678 people.Subscribe to receive our top stories here.

How to Reverse Engineer the Career of Your Dreams was originally published in The Startup on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I really appreciate this, Steve Kyler! Have an awesome week!

I really appreciate this, Steve Kyler! Have an awesome week!

Thank you, Gregory!

Thank you, Gregory!

Emma Mehrabanpour Thank you!

Emma Mehrabanpour Thank you! Without a doubt, self-awareness and empathy are at the top of the list. I’d also add positivity (optimism) and adaptability as being right there with them! Thanks for reading!

Thank you, Tony!! This means a lot to me. I really appreciate it and I’m so glad you enjoyed this!

Thank you, Tony!! This means a lot to me. I really appreciate it and I’m so glad you enjoyed this!

Thank you, Jesse!

Thank you, Jesse!

How to Create Your Best Work and Give it to the World

What we can learn from the incredible life of Nikola Tesla

One of the most gratifying results of intellectual evolution is the continuous opening up of new and greater prospects. — Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla is a name that will be remembered forever. Why? Well, he was a genius. But more importantly, he produced remarkable innovations with the intention of adding value to the lives of future generations! Tesla was an altruistic inventor. His dream of sharing free energy with the world was never realized, but it was in the works purely for the benefit of mankind.

Nikola Tesla’s life mattered because he wanted to improve the way we live.

He challenged himself and kept pursuing bold, new innovations because he believed this was his reason for being. In order to be truly great, he had to first keep challenging himself and proving his worth.

Isn’t there a reason we remember people? Boldness. Daring. Courage. Success. Flair. These are all things that stand out. But who really cares if one’s actions aren’t for the benefit of all? In the long run, few will. The greatest artists, inventors and businesswomen of all time have one common thread:

They created enduring works that have enriched the lives of those who came after them.

First, for You. Then, for Others

Now, while I’ve hit you with with my feel-good altruism, let me splash the pot a little bit: First and foremost, what you produce, the life you choose to lead, should be for you. Huh? Allow me to explain.

For us to give our maximum energy, inner-being and purpose to the world, it has to first be for ourselves. I’m talking about the core work we produce in this lifetime. This is separate and distinct from say, holding a door for someone. Or showing kindness through an act or words. I’m talking about what we produce, what we aim to give.

After I finished writing my book, The Value of You, I considered that to be a great accomplishment. I wanted it to be successful and my goal was for the book to add value to the lives of people.. But first, I wrote this book for me. I wanted to create something special that resonated with my life’s experiences and talents. This was for me, so it can deliver value to you.

Make sense?

If your only concern is using your talents to create things first for other people, I believe you will fail. When you do this, it tends to lack authenticity. It’s more “for show” and less about core substance.

The lesson here is — if you’re looking to create the next great app, medical device or scientific breakthrough, do it because you want to compete with yourself to produce your best work. Do it from the heart and with pure love and grit. If you do, I guarantee you others will benefit from it.

Legacy

The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it. — William James

I used the above quote in one of my recent pieces. I had several people reach out, telling me that it deeply touched them. It certainly did for me, which is why I used it. It got me thinking more about legacy, the mark we aim to leave on the world and the existential question of why we do, what we do each day.

We’re always experimenting, always searching. When we find what matches up with the core and purpose of our life, it then becomes a matter of strategy. Planning. Doing. Living like we already have it. Refining, improving and finding the persistence to keep going. Then what? On we go in search of achievement and later — legacy.

“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Live long enough and you’ll continue to ask the meaningful questions:

Does this use of my time matter to me?Will this add value to the lives of others?Am I being true to my core self?

The more you ask, the more you’ll learn. The more you’ll realize the imprint you leave in this world has profound influence on others. The biggest mistake we can ever make is thinking our words or actions don’t matter. Too many of us underestimate our talents, skills and impact. We fear. We hide. We don’t release our work to the world.

For what? Because we only wanted it to be for us? Or because we felt it wasn’t worthy of someone else’s consumption?

For the Benefit of Others

I’m willing to bet you’re thinking of something today. You’ve maybe just started your process of thinking big, bold thoughts that are going to convert into ideas. Those ideas will become the lifeblood of a future creation — your future work of what you give to the world. If you’re willing to keep going, then you’ll know you need to believe in what you’re doing.

From there, it’s a matter of hope, conviction and perseverance for your idea.Your idea may take the form of a speech, art, digital or physical creation — whatever. You’ll know what your thing is the more you stay hungry, keep trying, failing, failing again (and again) and moving forward because that fire inside of you demands you to keep going and never quit.

Nikola Tesla was out to help the world. He wanted to use his genius to give value to others. My friends, that’s what it’s all about. Take the value of who you are and give it to as many people as you can. Do it for you. Then give it to everyone. If it’s sincere and true to who you uniquely are, then it will make a difference in someone’s life. Maybe millions of people.

Live Boldly!

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This story is published in The Startup, Medium’s largest entrepreneurship publication followed by +427,678 people.Subscribe to receive our top stories here.

How to Create Your Best Work and Give it to the World was originally published in The Startup on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.