Your Best Work

Seth Godin says “Do your best work.”

“What?  But I’m having an off day.”

Do your best work.

“But there are some in the audience who aren't listening.”

Do your best work.

“I’m tired.”

Do your best work.

Regardless of the circumstances, the stock market or the gasoline prices – always, always do your best work.

You only care about the people who like your work anyway.  If they ignore your work, ignore them.  You can’t reach the whole world.  Seth helped me with that one.  Shucks, I've got some really close, life-long friends who don’t read my books and blogs.  I write anyway. 

And you should too …

~Write or

  ~Speak or

    ~Sing or

      ~Build buildings or

        ~Perform surgery or

          ~Knit or …

Got the idea?

DO YOUR BEST WORK!

Class dismissed.

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words Web Site

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Know Yourself

The axiom know thyself is by now a well-known and well-understood phrase.  Yet it is one in which we return to often.  It was a red letter day for me when I discovered the skill set for which I am amply suited to use. 

One of the freeing concepts in life is when we discover our areas of strengths. 

You will never see me on a ballet stage. 

And I highly doubt you’ll ever see me playing professional basketball. 

You will occasionally catch me behind a set of drums, or singing and speaking on a platform to a room full of interested individuals, and I surely hope that some fine day that you and I will greet one another across a book-signing table for the launching of one of my best sellers. 

You see, I have a firm grasp on who I am and what I am.  My interests match my skills and all of that flows together to give direction and destiny to my life.

And you? 

What is your destiny?  What is your passion?  Where is your north star leading you?

It all begins with knowing self.

This story nicely sums up our thoughts for today.

One of my favorite books is The Winds of War by Herman Wouk.  In this book, Mr. Wouk recounts a scene in which General E. J. Tillet, military author and one of the Commanding Generals for England during WWII, is speaking to the main character named Pug Henry.  Tillet is making an observation about Hermann Goering.

He said:  “He’s wasted a whole bloody month bombing harbors and pottering about after convoys.  He’s only got till September the fifteenth.  His mission is mastery of the air, not blockade.  Define your mission!  Define your mission and stick to it!” 

Know yourself.

Define your mission!

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Marketing and Life

Marketing happens whether you are selling a product or attracting a mate; building an empire or managing a household.  What do you understand about this ubiquitous thing we call marketing?

Consider this –

Marketing Is:

The person answering your phone and how they do that

The shirt and tie or lack thereof every day of your life

The shine on your shoes

The shoe laces that are either tied or not

The smile or lack thereof

The tentative approach or the bold step up to the plate

The direct eye contact or the looking away quickly

The inappropriate joke

The color of your business card and how clean it is

Your breath, good or bad

Your speaking volume

Your memory in critical moments that matter to others

You surely see by now that everything we do lends itself to the marketing of our interests and needs. 

We are “ON” every moment of every day, whether we like it or not. 

I suppose we get to decide how important our marketing is in every facet of our lives and then make whatever moves we wish to sell the message we sell.

Just some thoughts to make us all think.

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words Web Site

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Make Something

If I had a wish for you it would be this …

I hope that you will make something.  Make art, make music, write a song, knit a sock, bake a pie, add a dash of vanilla flavoring to your favorite recipe … do something original and creative just because you can.

I hope you might dare to dream outrageously.  Dream like never before.  Take the blinders off your dreams and dream big and in color and larger than life.

Don’t let the bound of this earth stop you. 

Don’t let the small minds of others stop you.

Don’t listen to the naysayers.  Listen to your own heartbeat.

Go!

     Be!

          Do the spectacular.

               Do the unusual.

Do the different just because you see the possibilities.

I hope you will go and make something that never existed before.  Even for one fleeting moment. 

I added vanilla to my French toast this week.  It was yummy. 

Occasionally I add a small teaspoon of cinnamon to my coffee grounds before brewing them.  Love that one too.

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words Web Site

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

I Sell

Every time I open my mouth, I sell.

Every time I buy in a store or order off the menu, I sell. 

Every time I talk with my wife, I sell.

And so do you.  What are we selling?

Only a bit of our integrity, our kindness, our people relationship skills and our nature at its core.

I also sell my own self-confidence, my believability in self, and a bit of my self-esteem.  And believe it or not, I sell my intelligence with each transaction.  Oh yes. 

Also, the core beliefs that I hold are either bought with every transaction or not.  My core beliefs are honesty, reliability, truthfulness, trustworthiness.

And do you know what else?

You also sell all of these character traits.  Every day – Every time.

Think about that one.

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words Web Site

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Drive Time

Carolyn and I have found a fun way to add interest to our drive time.  She reads to me.  Even on the short ten minute jaunt to our health club, she reads. 

Thus far, here is what we've accomplished in the last few years.

The Chronicles of Narnia (all 7 volumes)

The DaVinci Code

Angels and Demons

2 Volumes of Sherlock Holmes

Jobs (Steve Jobs Bio)

Thomas Jefferson bio

Various Christmas titles

Currently we are on book six in the Harry Potter series.

I highly recommend this as a shared drive-time activity.

And it expands your reading life.

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words Web Site

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time