Reach Out And Touch Someone

Do You Have a Problem or Challenge? Talk to someone!

It might take one and it might take twenty conversations but if you keep your problems, concerns and challenges to yourself--you keep your problems, concerns and challenges.

You see, its a new perspective from an "outsider", it's the off the wall idea from the one who doesn't see your limitations and it's the missed but obvious answer from the one who isn't emotionally twisted that will advance your thinking, free you from your limitations and move you in your life.

Do this and you'll grow. You'll advance in the area of your prior struggle and as an added bonus you'll honor the people you open up to and grow your relationships as well.

Sheesh, who knew life could be so simple??

RR

Ode to Spain's Soccer Team--and us.

Saturday I went to Foxboro, Mass to see the American national soccer team play Spain's--who, by the way, just won The World Cup.

I'm still shocked at what I saw.

Spain won 4-0. That's not so hard to believe, I guess. What was shocking to me was the ease by which they won. It looked as if they barely broke a sweat while the Americans chased the ball all over the field never possessing it for long.

I was certain it would be a really great game. America's team isn't bad but...

Spain’s players were, almost to the man, masters. And playing like a team they created great results.

Being great as a team and masterful as an individual--and far ahead of the competition (if only your demons) requires:

• · A decision to be great
• · Caring more about your goal than you do your comfort
• · Spending time with people who are better than you at your chosen endeavors
• · A decision to never quit

We all have to choose where we’d like to place ourselves on the scale between mediocrity and mastery. Having witnessed the results of years of dedication and resulting dominance, I know I’m capable of more.

And you…? What is it time to stop messing around with and start hitting hard?

Toward Mastery,

RR

Interruption or Opportunity?

Here she comes...the old lady next door wants to talk--you're just trying to do some work in your yard.

Not NOW! A school bus pulls out just ahead of you--now you're stopping every 100 yards for a quarter mile local tour of your neighborhood.

The list could go on of course but it's instructive to think that we call these things interruptions.

Really? What got interrupted?? Your plan? Somewhere along the line we buy into the notion that our plan is the plan and then we become frustrated and less than our best when our plan is interrupted. Silly rabbit...

No. Your plan is your plan and then there are another 7 billion other plans.

At the risk of being all chipper-personal-growthy on you. Your choice is to see reality and accept the unexpected as an opportunity to bring more of what you want into the world or you can deny reality (not a good plan), think you are the center point of time and history, continue to be frustrated by people and their thinking that their plans matter.

I'm just saying...

RR

A Blog About Fajitas?

Is "fajitas" Spanish for "make your own burrito"?

I don't want to make my own burritos. But man I keep ordering fajitas when I go to Mexican places. I can't help it; I like them.

I want steak, fried onions/peppers, diced tomatoes, guacamole and that nifty sauce. But I don't want to have to do the math required to properly divide up the resources (previously mentioned) so I don't end up starring at an empty hot plate and three soft tortilla shells.

I'm not quite sure what the connection between this touch of inspiration and a personal growth message would be. Let me see what I've got though...

Why don't I simply ask for three steak steak soft tacos with onions, peppers, diced tomatoes, guacamole and nifty sauce? Why do I keep putting myself in this bind of missing dinner time conversations as I do long division on a sizzling plate that some dude is compelled to tell me is hot?

Hey, I know! I could actually ask for what I want. Why continue to damn myself to do math and the manual labor necessary to properly ration my foodstuffs?

Okay, motion carried. Asking for what I want is a good thing and worth trying. I'll be dining on Mexican Wednesday night and commit to ending the insanity.

Thanks for the therapy.

RR

Since Your Mind is Democratic...

Majority rules! Say that and most people would shout some version of, "Amen!" or "Of course!"

Would it change your thinking if I told that America isn't a democracy?

Would it change your mind if I told you that James Madison, known as the Father of the Constitution, had this to say about democracy: Hence it is that democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths.

A democracy is two wolves and one sheep deciding what is for dinner. No security, no higher principle and no natural freedom to appeal to in a democracy when 51% can be swayed and bind 100% of the population.

On the other hand, our minds are an awful lot like a democracy in that what we most think about, we become. If you want to change you need increase the volume and enthusiasm of those thoughts that reflect the best of you and your dreams and goals.

Wow, Ron! Interesting and informative!

Thanks,

RR

Those Darn Deadlines

You have to have them or you're dabbling in fantasy land.

You have to work hard to hit them or it'll cost you time, money, energy, commitment...

You have to take them seriously otherwise you know the next one won't mean anything.

You have have mercy for yourself when you can't hit them.

You have to not be put off or lay your efforts to rest when you can't quite meet them.

You have to create a new ones and rouse your enthusiasm to hit the next one.

What project or idea is it time to put a deadline on?

RR

Doing Something...

I've come to detest within myself the tendency to talk about, with impotent intention, what I want. I've been saying I want to be fluent in Spanish for 15 years and have heretofore done very little to substantiate my noble sounding professions. I've gotten my "feel good" by telling people and having them say nice things about my capacity and commitment to learn. Talk about compromise...

Enter the Japanese disaster.

After initial sickness over the seemingly never-ending disaster, I felt that same unsettled feeling I got whenever I hyped my desire to speak Spanish. We all get urges. Those who make a difference in their world (personally and globally) do something with what they know and what they know they must do.

There is so much I can't do but what I am doing is a 5k run/walk to benefit the Red Cross' efforts in Japan. What do you know you must you do in your life that you can no longer just talk about?

Doing Something,

RR

Here are the Run for Japan details followed by expectations:

• April 2, 2011
• 10:30 warm up
• 11am start time
• 11:30/12 Lunch -we'll figure something out...maybe pizza on the tall-handsome guy.
• Boxwood Park (Rotterdam) -right off of I-890 and less than 2 minutes from exit 25 of the NYS Thruway
• Goal $50,000. Yes it's an obnoxiously high goal.
• Make checks payable to "American Red Cross" and place the words "Japanese Aid" in the memo section. All funds will be directed to the earthquake and Tsunami relief efforts in Japan and the Pacific. Red Cross will send you a receipt for your tax deductible gift.
• No cash PLEASE!
• If you want to give toward this specific effort for Japan and can't make it--or you have any questions email me at: Ron@RonRenaud.com
• Email if you are coming or can reasonably say that you can vouch for x number of others coming. We need to know how many cinnamon rolls will be needed to soothe the famished runner!

Expectations:

This isn't a fancy organized run. It is a run with kindred spirits for the sake of recognizing our own blessings and good fortune while we give of our relative abundance to those who've lost much.

Be bold-dig deep and give as much as you feel compelled to give, no pressure. Well not too much anyway.

There will be no bibs -you're responsible to know who you are at the start and end of the race! That's a joke...

Sorry, no aid stations along the way but my wife and a few friends will be baking so it'll be worth your while to run back to where you started!

Winners? When you contribute to the betterment of another you win. You are cordially invited to come and win!

This isn't an event sanctioned by any running governing body. It's a 5k route that I've measured out with my car and regularly run with a pal--Scott, if you must know.

Please tell anyone and everyone you know! Let's do something special.

Peace,

RR

How to Come Out of Hiding

My last post talked about people's proclivity to hideout and avoid working too hard, whether consciously or unconsciously, by doing things that look or even feel important but bear little fruit.

I got a couple of requests from readers asking, "How does somebody come out of hiding?"

Coming out of hiding...

Like most things it's more simple than we make it. So let's not get caught up (or hide) in working too hard to say what we already know.

1. Take a look around and notice what you are doing.
2. Get curious and rigorous; is what you are doing now what you want/need to be doing as you consider your goals?
3. Get help. Ask people for their help in discerning what you need to do to get where you're going.
4. Stop messing around. Whether from the help you received or upon your own review, when you know what you know, DO SOMETHING!
5. Be prepared for failure, learning and more and wiser action.
6. Be prepared for success and the need for more activity.
7. Be aware of nifty-sounding reasons to do something that is more about hiding than going after what you want.
8. Keep moving.

Of course this isn't exhaustive and misses the nuances of your situation but the main points shouldn't be missed. Be honest and willing to see truth, learn and do based on what you know.

Hiding is compromise of you at your best. That's not cool.

Be Good - Don't Compromise,

RR

What is it...?

I'm doing a run that will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in a month in Albany, NY. Nothing too exciting there. There are races that are run all of the time that benefit some worthy organization -as the CFF is.

This run is to the top of the Corning Tower, Albany's tallest building...42 floors and 809 steps. I woke up this morning wondering why I'm doing it. Sure, I generated some money for CFF but that isn't where I was looking this morning.

Why do I, and really many thousands around the world, do such events? The best answer I can come up with is to satisfy my competitive urge. Though I'm only racing me at this point, I guess I want to see what I've got in terms of my physical strength. But more...for me it's a test.

The test is mental. How hard am I willing to work for what I say I want? How much pain physically and more -mental discomfort am I willing to endure as I head toward what I want?

For me these events focus my mind and check my resolve. I know (as I'm sure many of the other competitors do) on the drive home if I did my best or if my sweat and tired walk provide a performance for me -and those who see me- to hide the fact that I didn't really perform when it mattered.

So maybe I race to check that I'm alive and engaged rather than "phoning it in" or posing.

What is your diagnostic tool to check on you?

Be Good - Don't Compromise,

RR

What Will Happen

So what will you do today?

I'm going to write two short biographies for the new TheUncompromised.com site (not up yet).

I'm going to coach one client.

I'm going to work with one professional coach to help him be better at his trade.

I'm going to converse with my editor about my book (she has it).

I'm going to...

Good intentions are the starting place. Good activity is how businesses, lives and circumstances are altered.

What will you do?

RR