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

D Minus Makes All The Difference

There is a song I used to sing constantly. And rightly so because it was derived from a movie that I constantly watched. And why not when it featured Julie Andrews as a mountain climber, a child tamer and Catholic rebel rouser. (Unlike Whoopi Goldberg in the Sister Act who sought refuge amongst the nuns so none of her nemesis could find her.)

Yes, the beloved based on a true story, The Sound of Music!

I feel we are already off to a bad start. Three words into this blog and I mislead you. There is A song. Singular? All those von Trapp songs played a vital role in my childhood but one of those songs I remixed the other day. As the snow came tumbling down in the middle of March, I, in my off-tune, off-beat over zealous, extremely loud voice, belted out:

“I have confidence in winter. I have confidence in snow. I have confidence that spring will come again, besides what you see I have confidence it will flee!”

So maybe my parody isn’t YouTube’s #1 watched reaching millions in just minutes. Maybe it doesn’t even make sense. But it made me stop and realize that snow is summer’s precipitation at a much, much colder temperature.

And I have confidence that it will flee.

That it will flee, not that we will flee. We can’t speed it up. We can’t rush it. We can’t force it. Spring must come on its own. But we don’t have to stand still. Together we’re going to rediscover spring.

We’re going to D Minus life.

1) D-clutter: Spring has sprung. And when it comes to the homeowner, renter or anyone who is trying to dust off the stubborn remnants of winter off their shoulder, they spring clean. Purge. J.C. Penny’s latest slogan? If it fits, you feel it. The D Minus way of living? If it’s too tight, too loose, you don’t wear, the color is puce or the buttons are about to pop, D-clutter.

2) D-stress: Is it just me or did we all get plowed up together amidst the snow and salt of life and piled high in shopping center parking lots, packed tight by the boom of the plow, waiting for weeks of sun to melt us so we can loosen our joints and jog our merry way home? 

No?

Okay, but seriously, what happened to hibernating? We have been extremely blessed with opportunities to exercise our creativity and network with like-minded people and meet new individuals, and yet less time to get to know ourselves and our families. Did you know my nearly 6-year-old nephew can make brownies from scratch? Neither did I.

3) D-activate: It may seem numbing to be neutral for a while, to just enjoy the quiet of life, even if everything is loud around you, but it’s a most refreshing state of being. All those wise written words about the ability of hearing more when you’re quiet. Though it may take time to adjust and appreciate, it is true. It’s like Winston Churchill expounds, “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is what it also what it takes to sit down and listen.”

So it shows; the D Minus life is an act of courage. It’s a life of contentment. And ultimately it's a statement of confidence in knowing who you were, who you are and who you want to be one day.

I Wish I Had Invented That

I wish I had invented that. I could have. I should have. But I didn’t. But, oh, how simple it is. How brilliant, how clever.

I assume you have been there; a quick grinding of our teeth, clenching of our fist and shaking of our head.

Really, though, a simple invention can go a long way in shifting the pattern and mentality of our lifestyle and technology. Sometimes this development is the bi-product of common sense. Others, it’s studying the needs of mankind and the lack thereof and boom! A new bestselling product hits the shelves; a trend is set; a new standard must be met.

And after discovery I face-palm pondering, why didn’t I think of that?

So back to the original thought I miserably succumb to: I wish I had invented that.

The intentions of my inventions are always greener on the other side.

Green. 

We talk a lot about green here.

• The counterpart to our teal branding color

• The Couch

• The future spring color that will hopefully alleviate our cabin fever

• The nutrients found on our plates

But inevitably what I do not like to talk about – people, in general, avoid this topic – is the green-eyed monster. He doesn’t live under our beds. He doesn’t live in our closets.  No, this past week he was flirting with me through subtle winks.

It was the other day he made an appearance in the name of Ikea - but only for a few, brief seconds. Of course he pops up erratically like a meerkat guarding his domain: Inconsistent and inconsiderate to my best intentions. And sometimes it’s like Old Faithful: A geyser of jealously that is exploding nearly unstoppable and obnoxiously obvious.

But this green-eyed monster in the office was pretty subtle, although I worxed it out of my system quickly.

So, Laura shared a story about a girl whom for years upon receiving her Ikea catalog would lose herself in the pages by doodling picturesque scenes of people and the likes. The pages now had a new sense of purpose and life. When Ikea discovered this tradition of hers, they offered her a job. When Ikea discovered this tradition of hers, they offered a job. No, not a typo. I typed that twice for special effects.

When I heard this story, I felt shivers. I was like, wow. That’s cool. And then… Suddenly I got that bitter taste in my mouth. The "I wish I had invented it," taste. It’s akin to gum that has lost its taste. Like accidently inhaling shower water into your mouth heavily laced with shampoo. But at most it lasted ten, fifteen seconds.

Because I sat back, looked around the green office with its teal counterpart and thought, I love my job. I love my job! And I wouldn’t trade it in for a golden yellow and blue branded job for all the Ikea catalogs of my lifespan. (Now, had they seen my doodles in their spread and offered me furniture? Different story, different ending.)

So how can you come to the same conclusion? How can you give your green-eyed monster some shut-eye so you can enjoy and put to rest the, “I wish I had invented that” mentality when it comes to the job you are living?

Here’s two ways I’ve tackled it:

1) Walk Ahead of The Crowd

I wish I had invented that. Had, had, had. Should have, could have, would have. However, did not. All past tense. It’s time to move on and find your invention. Maybe what you do is crunch numbers. Then you need to find a way for your company to crunch more efficiently. Perhaps your job title encompasses the duties of folding the jeans at Gap’s display stands. As you listen to customer’s concerns, you could be the one who resolves the conflict of skinny jeans losing their skinny as the day elapses. For every invention, there are millions more crises that need a cure.

2) Talk The Walk

Learn to talk positively about what you do. One of my brothers says he hates talking about work, thus avoids small talk. That perfunctory question you are asked every time you talk to someone: The weather, your health and the dreaded, how’s work? Yes, same old, same old. And it’s the boring, mundane description; full of busyness, stressful complaints.

But rather, point out the positive, animated topics. Talk about the culture. Talk about the lifestyle. Don’t talk about it as if it's work. Talk about the walk.

The purpose isn’t to make others jealous, but to make others zealous to do the same: To walk ahead of the crowd and talk the walk. To inspire a generation of inventors that instead of having to stay I wish I had invented, they can confidently say:

I had a wish. I made it happen. I’m walking ahead. Because, I am an inventor.