Pursue Rich and Meaningful Life Experiences

Pursue Rich and Meaningful Life Experiences

In his “For the Love of Money” podcast Chris Harder points out that “everyone has the right to an abundant lifestyle, and the responsibility to help others have the same.”
.
Can you confidently say “I want to make more dollars” or has capitalism become a taboo word for you?.
.
The record of history is absolutely crystal clear, that there is no alternative way, so far discovered, of improving the lives of ordinary people that can hold a candle to the productive activities that are unleashed by a free enterprise system.” -Milton Friedman, Nobel Prize winning economist. .
.
Last year Americans spent a total of $70.15 billion on lottery tickets How’s that working out in fulfilling your dreams?
.
Lets face it there are only two things you can do with a paper dollar (1) use it for a fire (2) use it to wipe your rear-end. .
HOWEVER, WHAT DOES THAT DOLLAR REPRESENT?……RICH & MEANINGFUL” life experiences. Like the one in this photo, my wife Angelike’s first trip to Lambeau Field on Thanksgiving Day 2015.   About 35 million people watch on Thanksgiving Day. How many have been to Lambeau to be “in it”?
.
So maybe your “Rich & Meaningful” life experience is completely different. Maybe it’s:
Playing golf at Pebble Beach ($525) .
Taking the Fam to Disney World ($6,360 for a family of 4).
Summiting Mount Everest ($45,000).
.
Most memories have a price tag💲Not all, I know….Watching your child take their first step is priceless. A great sunset is priceless. Sharing a laugh with a friend is priceless…..But if we’re being realistic and honest, for everything else, there’s Mastercard. .
.
I ask you, where would you like to go? What would you like to experience? How will you get there?.

Connecting 101: Don’t Be A Loner, Get Out There And Make Friends

Connecting 101: Don’t Be A Loner, Get Out There And Make Friends

So you want to meet people and expand your network? I did a presentation this weekend on connecting and the premise was; it’s not like we don’t know how, it’s just that we aren’t

As convenient as online friendships can be, they are no substitute for the real deal and the inability to make new and meaningful relationships is sadly becoming a reality for many of us in this technology age whether we admit it or not

In the movie Wall-E the future looks bleak as we all float around on lounge chairs, sipping sodas and playing virtual golf. It’s frightening because we see it happening little by little.

My friend Chris Harder once said “David Norrie is a guy who can make friends with a tree” and that’s not too far from the truth, I met a wonderful Douglas Fir  last week on a walk and we’re having coffee Tuesday to discuss going paperlessBut seriously, what can we do to expand our social or business network?

3 suggestions on how to grow your friends list outside of social media.

Fall in love with yourself again.
When you’re working on yourself you feel more confident in your words and posture. Health clubs, salons and coffee shops are great places to meet new people if you’re intentional and put down the smart phones and take off the ear buds.

I got this from an article by Margaret Manning and it’s brilliant. Chase Your Passions, Not People
When people tell you to “get out there and make friends,” they are telling you to chase people but there’s several problems with this approach. First, it puts other people on a pedestal. They are the prize to be won. Second, chasing other people simply doesn’t work. By this point in our lives, we know that the best way to push someone away is to follow them. The alternative is to approach relationship building from a position of strength. Chase your passions!

Get your church on! Congregations of faith are quickly becoming one of the last true bastions for human interaction of the look, hear, touch and smell variety. Meaning they’re not friendships you make over a router. Don’t have God in your life? Well, making new friends is a great excuse to find him.

3 Steps To Help Separate Yourself From The Crowd

3 Steps To Help Separate Yourself From The Crowd

These days, being good at your job isn’t the only requirement for getting ahead in your career. If key people aren’t aware of you, you’ll likely miss out on opportunities to improve your skills and take on interesting assignments, despite your hard work and good performance”~ Mindtools.com.

 

So here are three hacks to help get noticed in a crowded world.

 

Vogue: Madonna said “when all else fails and you long to be something better than you are today..Vogue. We live in a visual world and people make first impressions of you within the first 4 seconds of meeting you so make it memorable.

Do you have a style or are you throwingagainst the wall? Are you playing it too conservative or going overboard? Men, a subscription to GQ won’t hurt. Ladies, you know best but I’ll give you my 2 cents anywho…go with the classics. Check out Allure’s list of the 12 Most Stylish Women of All Time.https://www.allure.com/galle…/most-stylish-women-style-icons .

 

Know Your Pop Culture: Become well versed on many different conversation starters (Television, movies, politics and music.) If you’re at a party or waiting in line to get coffee, you’ll always be in the mix of the conversation or be able to get one started.

 

In my Socially Speaking course, I always remind my clients not to be a One-Trick Pony. I mean it’s great if you know Spock was actually married once, to T’Pring, in season 2, episode 30, but it may be time to expand your wealth of knowledge beyond Star Trek. Yes?

 

Be A Human Rolodex: The more people you know, the farther you’ll go. Beth Kuhel, wrote in Forbes “If you have influence and share it with nine people, you increase your influence nine-fold.” In simplest terms, if you need something and I can help you, Im more valuable to you?Never burn your bridges. It does you no good to know people if you leave them with a bad taste in their mouth. Always take the high road, even on your way out. People have a way of circling back. My wife always says “burn the ships, but not the bridges.”

 

Captivate Yourself

Captivate Yourself

We all work hard, but for what? To achieve a level of happiness of course. We each have those unique things that bring us joy. For me, it’s the quest for the ultimate mid-century party room to retreat and entertain guests.

It’s a reflection of my personality, and if I can captivate myself, I can captivate my friends. I don’t want the same thing everybody else has, I prefer to put my own unique stamp on the world and I encourage you to do the same. Fall in love with what really inspires you, not what everybody else has or does. Life is so much more FUN when you live it that way.

Three simple things (that you’re probably not doing) that will make you a better friend, lover, or business person

Three simple things (that you’re probably not doing) that will make you a better friend, lover, or business person

Interpersonal communication, the process by which people exchange information, feelings, and meaning through verbal and non-verbal messages (AKA face-to-face communication) is vital to our growth and success in any type of relationship.

Is it as some say, “a lost art”? No. It’s basic instinct we need to reconnect with. Just take one trip to a mall or sit in the airport and observe and its not hard to see, as a society, we seem to be regressing in the way we communicate with one another in person. It’s the head down, buried in your device, repercussions of living in this day and age.

…And, it could be killing your love life, your friendships and your chances at success. Time to get back to basics with three simple things. (more…)

Keepin’ It Real, Like a Kid

Keepin’ It Real, Like a Kid

A little “foot in my mouth” story for you. Every time my daughter steps onto the mat at her Tae Kwon Doe class they have to say the word of the month.

Last month it was “Communication”.

So I sat and watched 7 toddlers huddle around the instructor as he lectured them on what the word means.

“What’s communication mean?” he asked.

“Talking to people,” the kids answered.

“What makes good communication,” he asked. (more…)