Be Stupid

I've not lost my mind, nor am I making excuses for incompetence.  I’m promoting a principle I just learned from Daniel Coyle’s book The Little Book of Talent.  

He says – “Be willing to be stupid.

If we want to improve any skill, we have to skate on the edge of our abilities and see how far we can go, how much we can strain and still be effective.  In other words, be willing to be stupid and look stupid. 

Reach

Strain

Do the ridiculous

Wayne Gretzky, the famed hockey player, was famous for performing all kinds of antics in practice.  One might think he was the clumsiest of skaters, but what he was really doing was finding the edge of his limits.  He was testing the waters.  He was pushing his skill to the edge, and the edge kept expanding.  

Daniel says this:  “Feeling stupid is no fun.  Being willing to be stupid – being willing to risk the emotional pain of making mistakes – is absolutely essential.”

Risk the emotional pain …

Vital principle. 

 

Daniel makes a comment I want to implant into the minds of every person alive. 

“Mistakes are not really mistakes – they are the guideposts you use to get better.”

And another …

“Mistakes are not verdicts, but information.”

Chew on that for a while.

Order Now

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Top Five Blogs for "It's All about People"

(Click on each of these links to read each post_

1.  Integrity
May 22, 2012

2.  Genshai
March 15, 2012

3.  Empathy
May 1, 2012

4.  Can You See
June 5, 2012

5.  Namaste
March 29, 2012

Enjoy these at your leisure.


P Michael Biggs
Up-Words.net
Offering Hope
Encouragement
Inspiration
One Word at a Time

Your Gold Mine

I own a gold mine.

You do too.

It’s located between your ears.  It’s your mind, and you own it free and clear.

What might the yield be from this gold mine of yours? 

It all starts with our thoughts and dreams. 

Do you have a focus, a destiny in mind?  Do you have a dream or passion that is bursting inside of you?

Most of us do.  We have these kinds of destinies within us.  Anybody can dream, but the few who dare to put feet and wings to their hopes and dreams are the ones who become reapers of the bounty of their own personal gold mine.

It is action that must accompany our dreams.  Action breathes life into dreams.

It defines where we go, and how far we go.

Action is the critical ingredient to mining gold.

We have to swing the pick-ax and man the shovel.

It’s not easy.  Never is.

But when we hit the vein of gold … oh my!

What a day to celebrate.

Russell Conwell tells a similar story in a little gem of a book called Acres of Diamonds.  It’s a book I try to read at least once each year. 

Remember, your gold mine is closer than you think.  It is inside of you. 

What do you want?

What is your passion?

If you could do anything in the world and be assured of success, what would you do?

Those are the compass points for your gold mine.

Keep digging.

Order your copy of "Acres of Diamonds" by clicking this link.

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Come to the Positive

Come to the Positive

I learned a critical principle from Denis Waitley a long time ago that has become a practiced habit ever since.

Denis reminds us that we should always couch comments in their positive state. 

Avoid these:

Don’t throw him a high outside pitch.

Don’t forget to pick up the milk.

Don’t forget to go to the dry cleaners.

Use these instead:

Keep it low and inside.

Remember to pick up some milk.

Remember the dry cleaning.

Denis says it takes the brain 47% longer to process a negative comment compared to a positive positioning. 

This stuff works.  I know firsthand.

Daniel Coyle uses this same idea in his new book The Little Book of Talent. 

If a violinist is facing a difficult passage, she should tell herself “Nail that A-flat.”

Avoid the “Oh boy, I hope I don’t miss that A-flat.”

Daniel adds this point:  “Reach for what you want to accomplish, not away from what you want to avoid.”

Click here to order

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

The Power of Words II

Words have power - Watch this 1:46 video blog.  Thanks for sharing it with someone.

Click here to watch 

"The Power of Words II

P Michael Biggs
Up-Words.net
Offering Hope
Encouragement
Inspiration
One Word at a Time

How to Get Better

Do you want to get better at whatever it is you do?

Here is one simple tip from my new favorite book by Daniel Coyle called The Little Book of Talent. 

“Look at every single performer who is

better than you and see what they’ve

got that you can use.”

That is practical borrowing. 

-Steve Jobs borrowed from Xerox.

-Babe Ruth borrowed from Shoeless Joe Jackson.

-Best Buy borrowed their Geek Squad idea from Apple’s Genius Bar.

“The Special Forces Group of the Green Berets borrowed from General Electric.  They went to GE’s offices for a period of time and followed their designated exec through their daily routine.  When they returned to their unit, the commanders noticed a significant boost in performance, communication, and leadership. 

“Up-and-coming chess players practice by replaying classic games, move by move. 

“Public speakers practice by re-giving great speeches, complete with original inflections.

“Some writers achieve this effect by retyping passages verbatim from great works.”  

(The Little Book of Talent – Daniel Coyle)

Imitation is the name of the game. 

That’s how we get better.

We look for the little things – the angle of the hand, the mouth shapes of a singer reaching those high notes, the body stance, and any other signals that we can apply to our own game to help us improve.

Imitate!

Get better.

 Order your copy of 

The Little Book of Talent 

by clicking here.

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

The Power of Words

The Power of Words

Words Matter

We listen.
Others listen.
We talk to ourselves.

What we say matters - Always.

Watch this.

Click here to view "The Power of Words" Video Blog

A 1:56 video

P Michael Biggs
Up-Words.net
Offering Hope
Encouragement 
Inspiration
One Word at a Time

What Do You Think

A quote: 

“Words are secondary.  Thoughts live.  Be careful what you think.”

-Some once thought that it was okay to own slaves and use them and abuse them.

That’s what some once thought.

-Some people believe that a marriage ceremony lasts only until you tire of your married partner, and then you can cast them aside.

Some people think that.

-Some people believe that a lucky rabbit’s foot will bring them all kinds of good will.

Some people think that.

-Some people think their version of God is the absolute way of approaching Him, even to the extent of hating anyone who doesn’t accept their doctrine.

-Some people believe in life beyond the bounds of earth on other planets. 

Isn't it amazing what some people think? 

I believe this:  All that a man achieves or fails to achieve is a direct result of his thoughts.

You get to choose your thoughts.  That space between your ears is owned free and clear by every human being, and is as of today still untaxed and private space. 

It is also a sacred space.  You get to choose what goes in and how you respond to that input. 

Amazing power

                       Dangerous power

Thinking is some of the hardest work an individual will ever perform.  It needs to be done carefully and accurately. 

That’s why I’m such a big fan of reading.  Just because one source says so doesn’t mean it’s so.  Check, read alternate views, and then consider your own impressions. 

Above all, THINK FOR YOURSELF!

We need to end this blog as we started it.

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Inspire Someone

Inspire Someone

If you and I wanted to inspire someone, we would, in essence, be breathing life into their spirit.

Think of it … the breath of life.  That’s powerful!

“To breathe life” – that means:

          -We give someone a great gift

        -We give a new opportunity

      -We give a brighter outlook on life

    -We give someone a few more tomorrows

We are capable of breathing life into the spirit of others. 

It is as if we were saying …

“From this day forward

I resolve to leave each person

better for having met me.

When we encourage, we become an inspirer, and we add to someone’s heart. 

I’m all about adding to someone’s heart.  How about you?

I never get far from this quote by Maya Angelou.

“I’ve learned that people

will forget what you said;

people will forget what you did,

but people will never forget

how you made them feel.”

People who inspire are people who constantly ask … “What can I give?”

People who inspire are …

   -Givers from their heart

   -Givers of words of kindness

   -Givers of encouragement

It’s time to inspire someone. 

P Michael Biggs

Offering Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Life's Remote Is Broken

I really hate to break the bad news to you, 

but here it is …

Life’s remote is broken.  

You have to get up 

and change the channel yourself.

Ouch.

You can’t call the repair man.

You can’t go buy a new remote.

You can’t put in new batteries.

You can’t order your kids or your spouse to change the channel.

You have to change it yourself.

We do the hard work on ourselves. 

We make adjustments and amendments.

We learn new skills.

We read some good and appropriate books.

We cope and we figure out life's weavings and wanings. 

And above all, we get up; we go and do the thing because it needs doing and because we want to change.  We seek change.  We see a better life from what we experience in the present moment and we choose to do something about that.

We change life’s channel ourselves. 

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

The Starting Line

The Starting Line

The starting line is just that – a place of beginning.  But you can go anywhere you want to go from the starting line. 

Zig Ziglar once said …

“It’s not where you start; it’s where you go that counts.”

Some amazing individuals have experienced slow starts.

Wilma Rudolf, 1960 Olympics Track Star, was from a rural town in Tennessee and was crippled and wore braces during her childhood.  She won three Olympic gold medals.

Stephen Spielberg was rejected from enrolling in the University of Southern California School of Theater, Film and Television on three different tries.  Some of his hits were ET, Jaws, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List, and War Horse.

Fred Astaire had a casting director write on one of his audition sheets:  “Can’t act.  Can’t sing.  Can dance a little. Is bald.”

Oprah Winfrey endured an abusive childhood and more than a few career setbacks.  She was fired from her first job as a TV reporter and labeled “Unfit for TV.”

Mia Hamm is considered to be the world’s best women’s soccer players of all time, yet she was born with a club foot and spent many of her early years in casts while allowing her feet to properly repair.

Remember this …

“It’s not where you start. 

It’s where you go.”

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Questions to Make You Think

Questions to Make You Think

Have you ever taken a thinking retreat?  I have, and it was a wonderful two days.  I took along these questions to guide my thinking, and I highly recommend this to you as well.

As I review these questions I am reminded of that famous quote by Socrates ...

“The unexamined life is not worth living”

Have a wonderful “life-examining” session.

Here are the questions:

~What is my passion?

~What are my strengths?

~Who am I?

~What is my purpose in life?

~If I knew I would not fail, what would I attempt?

~Where am I going?

~What must I accomplish with my life in order to feel successful?

~What do I want written on my tomb-stone?

~What makes me happy?

~When am I at my best?

~What do I fear the most?

~Of whom am I afraid?

~What is the worst that could ever happen to me?

~What price am I willing to pay for happiness?

~What does success look like?

~What legacy do I wish to leave behind?

~Who do I admire and why?

~Have you ever believed in something exceedingly strongly?

~What kind of person makes me feel uncomfortable?

What a journey you are about to take. 

     Enjoy

        Take good notes

           Go alone

If you find yourself afraid to open a certain door in your mind, remember what my good friend Harold once said to me. 

“What are you pretending

not to know?”

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Persistence

Persistence

In Og Mandino’s classic The Greatest Salesman in the World, he begins and ends The Scroll Marked Three with these words …

“I will persist until I succeed”

“Persistence” is considered by some to be one of the four critical psychological traits as measured in the Temperament and Character Inventory.

It is in high demand.  The persistent sales person will make the sale, provided he or she does the work and the follow-through necessary to keep his or her presence before the desired customer. 

Follow-through - one of the great synonyms for persistence. 

Another great one – Pertinacity.  That one means “stick-to-it-ive-ness.”  I learned that from my high school typing teacher, and I’ve never forgotten it.

Do you have …

     ~Pertinacity?

     ~Staying Power?

     ~Persistency?

They don’t sell those at the local Big-Box store in the large sizes.  They come with doing daily tasks with excellence and consistency. 

They are developed by showing up, with preparedness and excellence in tact, in all of our human encounters, ready, willing and able to accomplish the job. 

Be a person of persistence.

Stay until the job is done.

I want to paraphrase a small portion of Og’s words: 

“Success may be hiding around the next

bend in the road, and I will never know

how close I come to it

unless I turn the corner.”

Always take the next step.

Persist until you succeed.

P Michael Biggs

Offering Encouragement

One Word at a Time