Empire State Of Mind

Do you look at the glass half empty or half full? It’s a powerful idiom that could explain a lot in terms of your current lifestyle and how the world is working for you.

It’s hard to have the “I’m going to go out there and change the world” attitude. Before you can change the world, a country, a town, a group, a person, it has to start within. Once you change the way you think, everything else on the outside will reflect to complement it.

Success isn’t something you simply fall into, success comes with patience, dedication and consistency. Ultimately however, we are directly responsible for what happens in our lives. There are ways which we can be proactive, starting with our changing perspective. Successful people go against the grain and often combat pessimism with optimism and instead of embracing excuses, embrace solutions. The trick is to take action.

There are tough scenarios that we’ve all faced, but the way we respond is the test of our greatness or a glowing example of our capabilities. It’s very easy to fall into a negative rut. If the negatives outweigh the positives, you find yourself blaming others, you haven’t seen self-growth in long time, you tend to set low expectations to avoid disappointment; then it’s time to step back and reevaluate your perspective and transform that negative energy to a positive, thriving force.

The goal is to have an empire state of mind, and no, I’m not just talking about the Jay-Z song. It’s about creating a mentality of taking control of your own life. Here are some steps you can take to develop a healthy mindset and successful you:

Be open-minded

Being open to different perspectives, suggestions, and scenarios make for a more enriching life experience. Take a leap into the unknown, others have already jumped and will catch you when you do.

Look at the glass half-full

Life is really about perception. The cup is the same, just as your life. Are you embracing the positives or harboring the negatives? If you choose to look at it with an optimism’s mindset, you are choosing the route of self-growth. It’s difficult, and life always challenges us, but like billionaire shark, investor, entrepreneur and business leader Robert Herjavec said: “Tough times never last; tough people always do.”

Learn something new

This should be a goal you set for yourself whether it be big or small achievements. Pick up a new hobby, learn about someone else’s culture. Knowledge builds your arsenal of self-worth and expands your skillset.

Strengthen your circle

You are as strong as those around you. Don’t hinder yourself by playing the blame game, it doesn’t benefit you or help the situation. Instead, take responsibility and learn from your mistakes. Strengthening your circle also means sharing news and tips and tricks, spreading positivity and support. You will find that when you invest time and sincerity into others, it is a lifelong investment that will pay off.

Stop wishing

How many times have you caught yourself saying “I wish I could do that” or “I want this, but I don’t have time.” Wishing doesn’t change anything, it’s only delaying your process to greatness. Make goals and take appropriate actions to get there. It’s even better if they are equal parts heart and head. Be logical without a defined line for the future.

Don’t fall back into the same patterns

Once you’re into the swing of things, keep going! Every now and then won’t change lives, consistency will.

Today could be the day that you head in a new direction. Tomorrow could be whatever you choose for it to be, but it’s up to you to unlock its unlimited potential.

What lies before us and what lies behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us, and when you bring what is within out into the world, miracles happen. -Henry David Thoreau

Facing Your Fears

Fear is a 4-letter word all of us are familiar with. Some experience it less than others. Some are fearful; some are fearless. It’s even referenced in Brandstarter with the clever acronym “False Expectations Appearing Real.”

To celebrate 8 years since Laura opened the doors of Worx, we had a team birthday party. No balloons and streamers here, though. Instead, a 22’ pole, rope ladders, zip-lining, a huge swing and tightropes through tree canopies. It was a fun day overall, but every single one of us achieved personal goals and faced some major fears.

How do you know when you’re feeling “fear”? Does your heart race? Does your mind think of worst-case scenario endings? Do you shake from head to toe? We all felt a combination of those feelings when in reality our lives were not in danger. We had the proper safety equipment, a trained professional and our team to rely on. We all admit to repeating the same question and answer in our heads throughout the day.

“Will I die?” “No.”

During the climb of the 22’ pole, my body was shaking; I had to pause to control my breathing. I wanted to get to the top more than anything. The harness was attached to a rope that was being held by other members in my group. If I fell, I wouldn’t get hurt. Reaching the top and standing tall was liberating and joyful. I faced my fear, and I lived! So, while there are legitimate things to make you fear for your life in this world, most of the ones we face for personal or professional advancement isn’t life or death. 

The entire day, the bond grew stronger between the team as a whole and between each of us individually. To know we could rely on others, and we were willing to help each other in any way, demonstrated the importance of a team. 

Whether it’s your company, your family or a group of friends or a group of strangers, who is there during the initial fear? Can you count on them? A support team of motivators can really elevate your progress and successes.

While my favorite activity was the zip-line, the swing was also quite the adrenaline rush. As the harness attached to the rope is pulled by the rest of your team, raising you into the air, you feel it click into place. The only thing left to do is pull the lever. This frees the attached person from the rope stabilizing their height and allows you (and me, in this case) to fall and swing above the trees. The only way I was able to pull the lever was not hesitating. If you think about it too much, over-analyze the situation; you’ll never pull it. So with a green light from Clive (our man of the day!), I pulled the lever and experienced an amazing flying sensation.

The most challenging part of the day for me was the tight ropes between the trees. Constantly stabilizing my body and weight for 45 minutes straight literally led to muscle failure. I was completely exhausted physically and mentally. How can you avoid exhaustion? Pause when you need too, refuel as you go. Realize you are stronger than you think and keep going. Muster up that one last UMPH! to keep going. While I had to pause and regather my thoughts, I had special people around me helping me to appreciate my progress rather than feeling the frustration of my apparent weakness.

So, the next time you face fear, whether it’s starting a new job, giving a speech, or bungee jumping, ask yourself:

Who is there to help me?

How will it feel to overcome this fear?

How can I pace myself mentally and physically in order to succeed?

If you're interested in facing similar fears in an outdoor adventure atmosphere, visit upwardenterprises.com

Get through the rest of winter with hygge.

Amber Buhrman |  March 5, 2015 

Winter is going to go out kicking and screaming this year, isn’t it? It seems like there is no end in sight, and understandably that can really bring you down. According to the United Nations, in Scandinavia live some of the happiest people in the world (in spite of endless dark winters). Denmark has ranked first in the European Commission’s well-being and happiness index for 40 consecutive years. I know – being in a state of constant bliss when the sun sets before 4 pm everyday seems ludicrous. It is almost defiant.

While their country has plenty of reasons to be happy – they have 2% of the U.S. population; have easy access to health care; low crime; high gender equality; clean air and at least 5 weeks of paid vacation per year – this probably helps a lot with morale. However, they still endure long, dreary winters. What is their secret? Hygge. This is a vague cultural concept from Denmark that doesn’t have a clear English translation so allow me to explain.

Related terms like coziness, togetherness and well-being don’t even begin to scratch the surface of this concept. Hygge was originally a Norwegian word for well-being, but has evolved into a part of the everyday Danish lifestyle. To other cultures, hygge is a physical feeling of comfort and physical surroundings. To Danes, it is more a mindset and a general year-round spirit. It has more to do with how people behave towards each other, creating a sense of community.

Think of how content many people feel during the holiday season, when everyone gathers together to enjoy each other’s company. After Christmas, it seems like people hibernate until April – which can feel isolating and lonely. Why not spread a little cheer all winter long? This idea has become embedded in the Danish consciousness.

How to hygge

The idea is to slow down and enjoy connections with family and friends, taking the time to relax. You can hygge by curling up on the sofa with a good book or inviting a few friends over “just because.” Ban the word busy from your vocabulary; it shouldn’t be a state of being. Carving out time to enjoy the simplistic is also important.

Planning vs. Spontaneity

I’ve been a planner for as long as I remember.

Even in middle school I was always trying to organize my daily schedule in my head: practices, school, projects, homework, organizations and time to chat on MSN messenger. Planning my New Year’s and Birthday parties, I’d have a master sheet of the invite list, food to buy, games to play, even the cleaning duties list the day of the party. I don’t think we as planners should be looked at as boring, mundane and over organized, but rather so excited for the future that we can’t help but start to plan it; an efficient organizer that feeds off of the high of anticipation. We can visualize the future as a success, and we want to get started right away!

Unfortunately, with all of the excitement and expectations, comes the opportunity for disappointment; the anxiety of focusing on the details of something that might not even happen. Wasted time, energy and sometimes, even money.

On the contrary, there are times of spontaneity, and those are the times that can end up being most memorable. By being spontaneous, one can absorb the present and react to what is happening here and now because they are extremely aware of their surroundings. With non-existent expectations, the risk of being disappointed by a cancelation is practically non-existent.

However, these people can also establish a reputation of being unreliable and hard to coordinate with which can be disappointing and frustrating to others.

 So which is better?

Both!

Finding the balance between the two will create an opportunity to fulfill the planner and adventurer inside of you. So how do you find that middle sweet spot?

-Work with time chunks.

Planners: Schedule chunks of time to be open and ready for spontaneity. This will allow you to keep the structure without the expectations to details.

Spontaneous: Try to establish a time chunk for coordinating with others.

Work together: Use time ranges to coordinate rather than to-the-minute, on-the-dot details.

-Find flexible activities.

Planners: Choose an activity that doesn’t require a set start-time. Ex: reservations at dinner vs. open house get-together.

Spontaneous: Coordinate with others to choose the location that will sync well with your spontaneity.

Work together: By coordinating around a location near the spontaneous, and an activity that doesn’t require a specific start time, it allows for casual expectations and meeting arrangements.

-Be less demanding.

Planners: Don’t ask others to be definitive.

Spontaneous: Avoid vague answers such as, “maybe,” “we’ll see” or “I don’t know/care.”

Work together: By using neutral words, neither side feels attacked or under-valued.