 January is gone. And, for most people, so, too, are those awesome resolutions that were made in the first week of the New Year. Some resolutions live on to see another month. Some resolutions didn’t make it past the first week of the year. Today, I offer a much better way to achieve your life goals. Today, I offer a different spin on a well-known acronym: the G.P.A. How long has it been since you thought about your G.P.A.? Today, I ask you to view your G.P.A. as a forward-looking model of success. Instead of reflecting on your grade point average, your new G.P.A. now reflects your goals, plans, and actions. In fact, if you can finish this extended post discussing my latest Dare, you will find a guarantee that will help you reach your goals without using antiquated resolutions. As an appropriate segue into the New Year, I’d like to reach back into one of my previously published pathways and offer two specific recommendations on HOW to view, create, and respond to significant changes in life: 1. Live in daytight compartments; and 2. Be persistent, optimistic, and realistic for a mere 40 days. In reality, your life is actually one specific event. However… The earth rotates on its axis, creating concepts we have been taught to refer to as day and night. Similarly, the earth orbits the sun, creating the concept we have been taught to refer to as seasons. We, mankind, have taken our long, lovely lives and divided those lives into segments according to rotations of the earth itself… and annual revolutions of the earth around the sun. Of course, you already know this. But do you realize the awesome power of using these known concepts to literally change your life? Do you understand the fact that day and night don’t really exist? Do you understand that day and night are just concepts that we have been taught to see, believe, and know how to use in the one, big, long life that we have been given? Obviously, we will never convince the rest of the world that day and night are mere concepts. However, we can use those same concepts as a foundational framework of focused transformation… the context for real, substantive change. We can use the mere concepts of day and night to help us realize that life, as one specific event, can actually be viewed as thousands of connected components. Each of these linked components, (connected only by you - and no one else), is actually interdependently created by you and others. This concept of interdependence must be fully understood before grappling with a major change to an ideal life. Interdependence recognizes the truth in each position and weaves them together. Why is this concept of interdependence so important to the concept of The Ideal? Moreover, what does interdependence have to do with day and night? And how can this concept get you to The Ideal life? The answer to each of these questions is based on the fact that your past has the potential to have almost nothing to do with your future. This fact is actually a double-edge sword. In other words, disconnecting your past from your future can be a good thing or a bad thing for you. You could have been a millionaire last year, and end up financially bankrupt tomorrow. Likewise, you could have been the picture of perfect health last night, and end up on life support in the hospital emergency room sometime next week. It’s true: Literally and figuratively, you could be flat on your back today, and, yet, standing tall just a few short weeks from now. Stranger things have happened. So what’s my point? Though connected by the long life that is you, each one of your individually lived days is totally different, dissimilar, divergent, diverse, and distinctive. You will never have the same day as today. In fact, every single one of your days is so dramatically different and distinctive from the others… it is literally impossible to have the same day twice. Accordingly, each day is a vast ocean of opportunity, unlike anything you have ever seen. Regardless of what opportunities you think you may have missed yesterday, last month, last year, or several years ago… today is so much better than yesterday. Today is the day you accept, adapt, and begin to creatively achieve the framework that goes far beyond the concept of day and night. Today is the day you take a step back, look at your life, and realize a powerful point of truth. There are no days, nights, hours, or minutes; we have been simply taught to live according to the calendar, clock, and watch. And though the calendar, clock, and watch may appear to measure something called time, the only time that has ever existed is now. The only time that will ever exist is now. Accordingly, I urge you to actually leverage the calendar, watch, and clock to measure how well you treasure the most valuable asset you will ever have: NOW. How? First and foremost, you must understand that, regardless of whether or not you like or agree with what “is,” sooner or later you will have to accept the reality of it. By crossing the threshold from denial to acceptance, you can begin to adapt to almost any event. Remember: to adapt is “to change.” To successfully adapt, we must first accept and understand that change is inevitable. And when something is inevitable, it is literally unstoppable. Better yet… It is also PREDICTABLE… Change will occur. If, then, you cannot work to stop change, why not learn how to make change work for you? More importantly, why not increase the likelihood of creating a successful change event by focusing on changing just your self? Use this transition of a New Year to endeavor to stop trying to change other people and their respective perspectives. Instead, focus on finding a philosopher to help seed your desired change. Think about it: This world is filled with a wealth of experience. Some of those experiences occurred last week and last year. Some of those experiences occurred hundreds of years ago. Sir Isaac Newton published notes on many of his brilliant and world-changing experiences, as did Plato, Socrates, Niccolò Machiavelli, Epicurus, Marcus Aurelius, and one of my personal favorites, Jesus of Nazareth. Each of these great philosophers left a profound mark on the world by publicly stating and sharing their respective philosophies. Yet their published works will go unseen, unread, and unappreciated by most people. Despite having a prolific and terrific sense of seemingly supernatural wisdom, these philosophers and many of their teachings will go unnoticed by the vast majority of people. Why? Time and time again, I hear pessimistic people say, “There is no instruction book for life.” Yet, these same people do not seek the instructions of some of the wisest sages who ever walked the earth. In reality, the aforementioned philosophers were more than just wise men; they were mighty mental mentors, immensely informed intellectuals, and tremendously talented teachers. Don’t blindly follow, swallow, or hollow out your own life-learned knowledge. However, once you find your philosopher, use his or her philosophy as a seed to grow your own philosophical garden. By using other philosophies to grow your own viewpoint, you will quickly learn what may have taken years for other philosophers to yearn, learn, and discern. More importantly, by considering other philosophies, you will not only help shape your priorities and presentations, you will also become a lover of wisdom… You will actually become a true philosopher (a lover of knowledge). In the final analysis, we cannot escape the clock, calendar, and continuous watching of the watch on our wrist. Accordingly, as we look to the New Year and our chosen philosopher to follow, I’d like to offer two specific examples of advice on HOW to view any significant change in your life: 1. Live in day-tight compartments. As the Scottish essayist Thomas Carlyle once said, “Our grand business undoubtedly is, not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.” William Osler took that concept one step further and boiled it down to five little words: live in day-tight compartments. Or, quite simply, “Yesterday has absolutely nothing to do with today.” If you plan to use the new calendar to mark the date, time, and place of the “New You,” remember one important corollary: The New You is (also) created every minute of every day of this great New Year. And if Day 40 Day 140, or Day 240 should happen to reveal a disappointing new start, have the confidence to know that Day 45 and any other day in this New Year (like the first night of this year), will usher in a whole new set of awesome opportunities. 2. Be persistent, optimistic, and realistic in your efforts... for a mere 40 days. I consider myself to be an Optimistic Realist. Accordingly, I tend to be positive and practical when it comes to setting goals. The optimism provides the confidence to effectively deal with a media-infested world of woe. And the realist helps keep me from creating grandiose illusions of grandeur when it comes to setting personal and professional goals. More to the point: Social scientists have long stated that habits take approximately 30 days to take hold of you and your self (it seems that our habits control us; we don’t necessarily control them… or do we?). So… Before you take a great stake and claim victory over the next 365 days, I will share one super-powerful parallelism among Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, and Jewish beliefs: 40 Days. Yes… 40 Days. According to the Gospels, Jesus the Christ fasted in the desert for exactly 40 days and 40 nights, and was tempted by the devil. Buddha also fasted for exactly 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness and was tempted by a great evil spirit. Similarly, in the accounts of Islam, Muhammad is reported to have been praying and fasting in a cave for 40 days. In Judaism, rain fell for 40 days and 40 nights during the Great Flood. And Moses reportedly spent three consecutive periods of 40 days and 40 nights on Mount Sinai. Perhaps most interesting… All these historical accounts appear to be about renewal amidst temptation... or temptation amidst renewal, something of which we are ALL familiar, especially on this last of the last and first of the first (days of the two respective years). So… There seems to be great historical, if not supernatural, support for the possibility that 40 Days is a perfect timeframe in which to change your point of view. Actually, perhaps I should re-phrase the previous line to something more accurate: There seems to be great historical, if not supernatural, support for the possibility that 40 CONSECUTIVE Days is a perfect timeframe in which to change your point of view. Accordingly, today I dare you to resolve to be consistent in applying your GPA: Know your GOALS... Create the PLANS to support those goals... And put forth consistent ACTIONS toward those plans. In reverse: if you commit the effort to take the actions to complete the plans and achieve the goals... those goals are guaranteed to be achieved. Guaranteed? Yes: money-back guarantee. Of course: it is YOUR time… And time IS money, yes? Actually, time is much more valuable than money. One can usually borrow money. Time? Use it once… and it’s gone… forever. Thus, today I encourage you to invest your time to... 1) Dream your dreams; 2) Set goals towards achieving those dreams; 3) Create specific plans to achieve those goals; and 4) Act to complete those plans; invoke your power daily. 2019 is just one short paragraph away from being "The Year of You." This time, let's not focus on a resolution or two. Let's make every day count towards this year's goals. Let's make a plan to achieve those goals. And let's make every action directly or tangentially related to each one of our plans. Indeed… It’s all about YOU. But tell me: What’s your role in your soul, your goal, and for whom the bell tolls? Today, I dare you: ~ Know Your GPA ~ Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ® ============================ Want the next dare delivered to your inbox? Click here to join John's mailing list ============================  John H. Clark IIIis an optimistic realist. He believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me). Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, "The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life," a teen-focused guide, "Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens," and the Christian-based book, "God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life." He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and “authorize” people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. His trademarked phrase is a winner:   The previous Dares have been somewhat easy. In fact, the previous Dare asked you to simply S.T.O.P. The term "S.T.O.P." is actually an acronym, and the previous challenge is a tad bit easier than today's Dare, primarily because the previous dare was all up to YOU. Today's dare is a bit more challenging because it's more about you and your interactions with your community. How many people live in your community? I guess the answer to that question depends on how you define the word “community.” My family lives in Hawaii, on the island of Oahu, which is also known as “The Gathering Place.” With just under one million residents, our island-home is a veritable paradise, complete with miles of stunningly gorgeous beaches, lush, green mountain trails, and countless vistas from which one can take it all in. As I have aged, I have come to see a million people as a relatively small number. In fact, I sincerely believe I will (sooner or later) cross paths with the majority of the people on this tiny Pacific island. Perhaps I won’t shake everyone's hand, and I probably won't share a cup of coffee with most of them. But we already share the same small mountaintop in the most remote archipelago in the world. Call me an optimist, but I actually look forward to meeting everyone in my local community. For most people, the word “community” represents a certain group, population, or society of people. For example, we all have a neighborhood community and, by definition, we have a neighboring community. Likewise, we usually share a community of interest with other people. Many of us have a work community, a political community, and even a church community. And then there’s this little thing called an online community. With such a wide and diverse number of communities to belong, one is left wondering which community reigns supreme? Which community knows you the least? The best? For which community would you trade all of the others? And for which community would you sacrifice everything? Hmmm... Everything? To some people, this last question may seem like a tough nut to crack. And yet, to others, they KNOW what they THINK is their answer. For those people in the religious right, the church community reigns supreme. For those in the political arena, their political community reigns supreme. Of course, rarely would one say they would forsake ALL OTHERS for their work, political, or church communities. And yet, this is exactly what many people do: They ostracize associates, friends, family, and very wide swaths of the worldwide population… simply because “those” people are not deserving of the love, respect, or even kinship of the most important person in their world (their self). Ah… the judge that sits alone within all of us. Yes: we ALL judge. Yet, judging is not the problem. However, being judge, jury, and executioner **IS** a problem... a BIG problem. And this “problem” is not only wreaking havoc on our worldwide society, it is also destroying the most important person in the world: our self... that is YOUR self, MY self... OUR selves. For too long, we have allowed the slow-yet-deliberate “decline of Divinity” to destroy what was once a glorious organization (the organization that is ALL of US). Ours was once a very powerful organization; bold, beautiful, strong, superior, and strengthened not only by our individual sense of self, but also by our conglomerate capability to rise up and repel anything that ran counter to our innate sense of surety. Are you, too, left wondering what happened to this great society? Better yet, like me, are you looking forward to the days when we can once again rise up, reach out, and render ourselves all-powerful? If so, await no more! Today, I need you to shift your perspective. But that 's not the exact dare. Whether you are a Christian, Jew, Muslim, Wiccan, or any other self-described representative of the Deity, I ask you to consider the daily opportunity to broaden our contemporary definition of "community" and proactively include your neighbor down the street, as well as those very similar people across the seas, and especially those comparable beings on the other side of the world. And though we cannot solve world hunger individually, we can certainly nurture one small soul in a sea of smoldering scorn. That one small soul is you. For you see… YOU are that one representative of the Divinity. You are that once-glorious organization. You are an organized system of thought, action, and re-action. You, my friend, are simply a re-SOURCE-ing of The Source. Yours was once a very powerful organization: bold, beautiful, strong, superior, and strengthened not only by your individual sense of self, but also your conglomerate capability to rise up and repel anything that ran counter to your innate sense of surety. And to get all of that surety back, YOU need to do one simple thing. Today I dare you to... Expand your temple. Gone are the “holy days of the week.” Here' a quick reMINDer: Every day is a God-given blessing; thus every single day is a holy day. Gone are the walls that defined and confined the vast omnipotence of the Great "I Am." We no longer need a brick-and-mortar temple to practice our patience. We no longer need a floor, walls, and a ceiling to fore give the apology. Indeed, we now need to expand yet return to the nature of what we could be... if only we would be what we should be. You see, my friend, we are all part of the vast Richness that always was and always will be. Gone are the days when we could sit comfortably in our own insular communities of comfort, constriction, and convenience. Accordingly, let us own and understand our “judgmentalness,” lest we grow proud within our denial, and subsequently seek surrender from the already suffering souls as we unabashedly assume the additional roles of jury and executioner. In reality, we are all one community, desperately in need of each other’s strengths as we navigate the treacherous waters upon which our very own crafts of weaknesses flounder. In reality, we are all One. And history is replete with examples of Great Saviors who dined with every aspect of society… even those sections of society who were deemed socially unacceptable by the very same society from whence they came. In reality, we are all One. And the success of our respective and collective futures will not depend on how harshly we judge each other, but rather on how readily and fervently we seek out sin in those of us who have not yet tossed the first stone. Trust me: the previous sentence is worth re-reading. On the other hand, if we can somehow slow down the wheels of self-righteously meted justice long enough to allow others to live their lives in the manner and matters which they deem significant, perhaps we can expect them to likewise like us enough to see us as a part of the Light that can broaden their obviously dark and wicked ways. Then again, maybe our first stone missed its mark and hit our little light instead. In reality, we are all One. Today, I dare you: Expand your temple. Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ® ============================ Want more optimistic, realistic food for thought? Join my mailing list ============================  John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist. He believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me). Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, "The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life," a teen-focused guide, "Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens," and the Christian-based book, "God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life." He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and “authorize” people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. His trademarked phrase is a winner:  |
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