the funny thing is that you didn’t miss me
June 8th, 2011
hi there,
it’s been awhile – in my mind – since i’ve written you.
i started to feel some guilt over it, as in “i need to write you again” in a blog post.
but you didn’t even realize i was ‘missing’ and hadn’t written you for awhile until i came back and told you i was missing, right?
funny!!!
i made up all the “i should write” guilt in my own mind.
all your guilt and “shoulds” you make up in your own mind. you create it all for yourself.
- i should look for a new job
- i should start a business
- i should work more/harder
- i should make more money
- i should have more fun
- i should be a better parent
- i should write another blog post
- etc etc etc
sometimes it is better to take action and do something (like writing a blog post).
sometimes it is better to do something “internally” to tell the ‘guilty voice’ in your head to SHUT UP… maybe literally, or by going and playing, by meditating, or whatever your own practice is to retrain your mind…such as studying and practicing patience. (patience is such an under-appreciated quality, in both life and business!)
no matter what, guilt is toxic and the more you can let go of it, the happier, fearless & more productive you’ll be.
i’ve been working for years to create a “guilt free zone” in my own life and in pebblestorm. it’s a ‘great work’ in progress 🙂
i would love to eradicate guilt…but in the meantime, like an unwanted visitor, i’ll settle for letting it visit less frequently, and when it does pop up showing it the door faster.
speaking of which, in a couple of weeks i’m re-opening the Unique Genius Superhero Program. the Program is actually a bundle of four courses (“Light Your Fire”, “Discover & Declare Yourself”, “Make Your First Dollar Through Your Purpose & Passsions”, and “Make As Much Money As You Want”).
so if the idea of creating work around principles like patience, baby steps, trust, fun and integrity is appealing, 1) keep an eye out, and 2) check out the training videos that are up on www.UniqueGenius.com.
you can make money through enjoyment!
in gratitude ‘n’ good stuff,
-air
aaron ‘air’ ross
The Unique Genius Superheroes Interview Series is about ordinary people who have created businesses they love around their purpose.
Everyone has a purpose (or “calling”), and there are always ways to turn your purpose, any purpose, into a business you love. It’s easier to live your purpose daily when you do it for work!
Cameron Herold is one of the country’s most innovative business leaders and was a leading force behind one of the most successful new business ventures of the last decade, 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
He was Chief Operating Officer for nearly seven years and his innovative business leadership helped enable the company to build a presence in 46 states, 9 provinces, and 4 countries. During his tenure, numerous MBA programs studied the company, including the prestigious program at Harvard. He helped grow the company from $2 million to over $100 million in revenue!
One of the many things that I admire about Cameron is that he knows building a successful brand and hyper-growth business isn’t about personality or luck. It’s about having the right systems. Cameron can give you the framework and proven solutions that will accelerate your revenue, build your profitability, and help you avoid costly problems. It really IS like having a COO right in your back pocket.
Cameron’s Unique Genius is: “to lead and energize people by using quick, intuitive alternatives to build plans that reverse engineer their dreams.” ~ AWESOME!
Here’s some of what we covered in the interview:
- how writing 20 minutes a day and making lists led him to the work he loves, his dream business
- how clearly & specifically Cameron describes his ideal clients (awesome!)
- a great story about how he got over being chicken and fired someone he’d needed to fire for six months (ps – his mentor gave him the advice that ‘you’ve been stealing his life from him by not firing him’)
- why his “painted picture” visioning is so important for clients, and why he started it after learning how olympic athletes used visualizing
- his three key areas of vision, people, and focus
Cameron and I also talk about his last chapter called “Letters To Myself”…which includes all kinds of advice to his ‘past selves’! That section of the interview and in the book you do not want to miss.
Listen To Or Download The Interview
More About Cameron Herold
- Back Pocket COO
- Double Double, the book
- Cameron’s Ted Talk: Raise kids to be entrepreneurs not lawyers
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About Unique Genius
There’s a process to discovering your purpose and turning it into a business. Find out the latest at www.UniqueGenius.com.
What Was Your Favorite Part Of The Interview?
Please leave a comment!
Unique Genius Superhero Interview: Jennifer Lee, Author of “The Right-Brain Business Plan”
May 3rd, 2011
The Unique Genius Superheroes Interview Series is about ordinary people who have created businesses they love around their purpose.
Everyone has a purpose (or “calling”), and there are always ways to turn your purpose, any purpose, into a business you love. It’s easier to live your purpose daily when you do it for work!
Today I’m interviewing Jennifer Lee, the author of The Right-Brain Business Plan. She helps people really get clear about what they want in their life and their business, AND she makes what people really want happen! Jennifer is a certified coach, writer, artist, yogini, and the founder of Artizen Coaching. Before pursuing her own passions full-time, she spent time in the corporate world, consulting for ten years for companies such as Gap Inc., Accenture, Sony, and HP, helping leaders and organizations manage change.
Now she is on a mission to empower people to awaken their innate creativity and make a living doing what they love (sounds familiar, doesn’t it?!). I was honored to talk with one of my fellow empower-ers on how she helps people.
In the interview, Jennifer shares about:
- how she fell in love with life coaching in 2003
- how she reached her limit and finally made the leap out of the corporate world in 2006
- how she integrated her art and creative side to become a source of revenue
- how what “services” you in the corporate world might “sabotage” your passions
- the pitfall of “compare and despair” when creating your business
- how to engage in “income and expenses” in a fun and artistic way
- how making a visual business plan can help you perform more effectively
- a few easy ways to bring more creativity into your life
And… she also shares the advice she would have given herself back in 2003 ~ valuable!
Listen To Or Download The Interview
Want to download the interview?
Click here to download…
More from Jennifer Lee
- her website: the Right Brain Business Plan
- Artizen Coaching
- get free playsheets from Jennifer’s book
- on amazon: the Right Brain Business Plan
About Unique Genius
There’s a process to discovering your purpose and turning it into a business. Find out the latest at www.UniqueGenius.com.
How are you making your business plan “visual”?
I did my own version of a visual, circular version of a business plan here.
Please leave a comment below!
do you have a passion to start a non-profit? you may not like them, but you need to watch these videos
April 24th, 2011
have you or a friend ever had an idea to start a non-profit?
i have a very serious question for you (if you still have to work for money) – WHY was it going to be non-profit rather than a for-profit business?
i’m really serious, why does it HAVE to be non-profit?
whenever someone comes up with a passionate idea about how they want to give back and make a difference, they always want to make
it non-profit! WHY?
(the hidden assumption/belief is that making money is ‘bad’, that you can’t really help people while you make money.)
did you know there are ways to take ANY non-profit idea and make it for profit, in integrity? (i’m not saying you should, just that you can.)
i’ve been thinking about this a lot since i spoke on a panel at the “Stanford Women In Business” conference yesterday, on the topics of bringing new ideas to the non-profit world.
i recorded a couple of quick videos afterwards, about how the desire to start a non-profit is a GREAT sign you’re on track with your purpose…but you are probably thinking “non-profit” for the wrong reasons, unless you are already financially free and don’t need to make money.
there’s just as much of a lack of integrity in the non-profit world in as for-profit world. going non-profit doesn’t give you a free pass to fulfillment or happiness, and in fact can set you back.
in this one i share some thoughts and an example of how you can take your passionate non-profit idea and do it for-profit:
if you can’t see the video, click here
actually, many non-profits are started out of just as much fear as much out of passion: a fear of failure, a fear of not knowing how to start a for-profit company, a fear of being rejected if you’re charging money, or being perceived as “it’s bad to make money from doing good”.
if you can’t see the video, click here.
going non-profit also feels simpler at first. people – usually unknowingly and unconsciously – avoid the hard work at first of “what is the need, who values the solution, who will pay for it?” and go straight towards “i’ll just ask people for money,” with the false assumption that other people will be excited – even if it takes some work – to give you money.
i’m curious…i’m messing with people’s dreams here. will people appreciate these, or hate them? leave a comment below and lemme know…
enjoy 🙂
air
Get the Free Unique Genius ebook: “You Can Make As Much Money As You Want, Doing What You Love
Unique Genius Superhero Interview: Internet Entrepreneur Johnny B. Truant, “The Internet Made Awesome”
April 21st, 2011
The Unique Genius Superheroes Interview Series is about ordinary people who have created businesses they love around their purpose.
Everyone has a purpose (or “calling”), and there are always ways to turn your purpose, any purpose, into a business you love. It’s easier to live your purpose daily when you do it for work!
Today I’m interviewing Johnny B. Truant, a snarky internet entrepreneur with the fun catchphrase of “The Internet Made Awesome”!
Here’s why I wanted to share Johnny with you. He runs a different kind of internet and coaching business.
What he does doesn’t make sense. He doesn’t do internet marketing correctly at all, and his search engine stats are terrible. He doesn’t write about the things that make him money. He doesn’t have a big email list, and he doesn’t even contact the list he does have often enough, or in the right way. He has never spent a dime on advertising. He is known to swear too much and never, ever acts “professional.”
And in nine months, Johnny went from literally having never made a cent online to making five figures a month.
Here’s some of what we covered in the interview:
- why the biggest sin online is to be boring
- why it’s so hard to get johnny to work after 6pm
- why when he has a “slow business period” that surprises him, he relaxes instead of working harder
- why some people online have those “big long sales pages” that scream ‘buy buy buy’…and why he believes it’s not the best way to make money
- how johnny made his first $1 and how he made his $3000
- why it’s easier to make money “being yourself”
- the value of being scared outta his mind
And if that’s not enough, we’ll also talk about why Johnny’s doing “The Badass Project” about physically disadvantaged people who have accomplished ridiculously amazing things (like climbing K2 without legs??!)
Listen To Or Download The Interview
Want to download the interview?
Click here to download…
More from Johnny B Truant
About Unique Genius
There’s a process to discovering your purpose and turning it into a business. Find out the latest at www.UniqueGenius.com.
What Was Your Favorite Part Of The Interview?
Please leave a comment!
embrace the shit
April 11th, 2011
in my newsletter recently, when i announced my new unique genius ebook (my best work ever), titled “You Can Make As Much Money As You Want, Doing
What You Love,” i also mentioned that i’d be re-opening the Unique Genius Superhero Program soon.
i decided to postpone that re-opening indefinitely while i got my life in order in important ways. that is, i am learning a lot about how i sabotage myself and my happiness in my love relationships.
in fact, about two weeks ago i thought about writing a post called “i’m a mess and exhausted”, or “embrace the shit”, or…
well, you get the idea 🙂
just because you figure out what your dream business is, and then build it, doesn’t mean life is all ponies and roses.
do you move from job to job, but are always dissatisfied? or relationship to relationship, but none are good enough? perhaps the common theme is you, not them.
whatever challenges you have…don’t run from them – face them. conquer them now so they don’t follow you…and so doing you will find the silver lining / treasure / prize in them that will what powers your happiness and money/work.
it’s not easy. it can be frickin’ scarey to look in the mirror and take full RESPONSIBILITY for your life and actions…
but it’s worse to live while lying to yourself and blaming other people for your own frustrations.
(yes, i have done and do that too, so i am speaking from experience.)
my great friend richard walker says, “true happiness can’t be achieved without experiencing true sadness and loss.”
you can learn the most from your failures, and feeling sadness creates the opening to feel more gratitude on the other side.
in other words, embrace the shit!
in gratitude,
aaron ross
(aka “air”)
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A Free Unique Genius Ebook: “You Can Make As Much Money As You Want, Doing What You Love”
April 11th, 2011
I have a confession: “Make money doing what you love” and “do what you love and the money will follow” never inspired me. They just don’t feel quite, I don’t know, expansive enough. Almost as if it’s “yeah, you can do what you love, and make just enough money to get by.” Not good enough!
After starting six companies, spending thousands of hours of mentoring and creating, and years of refining my teachings, I’ve finally simplified my vision for what’s possible for you into a simple, easy-to-ready ebook titled “You Can Make As Much Money As You Want, Doing What You Love.” I can unabashedly say it’s the most inspiring piece of work I’ve ever written. It’s an easy read, less than 30 pages, with simple ideas.
Download It For Free
CLICK HERE to download the free ebook (no opt-in is required).
After clicking the link, the ebook should download automatically. If it doesn’t please leave a comment below on this page and we’ll get it to you. Please share it with your friends and also leave a comment if something in it inspires you!
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Free Unique Genius Training Videos
You can find my free training videos on topics like “Two Life-Changing Questions”, “Starting A Business That Can’t Fail”, “A 7-Step Process To Discover Your Purpose”, and “5 Ways To Make More Money On Purpose” at www.UniqueGenius.com.
To Subscribe To PebbleStorm Updates…
Reminder: you do not need to subscribe here to get the ebook. If you enjoyed the content and wish to subscribe to update and the blog, here you go…
What Are You Ready To Commit To?
March 15th, 2011
There are few things as simple and inspirational as a quote. I shared a Unique Genius-y Dr. Suess quote a couple of weeks ago (here) and my Superhero client Nate (of www.FearlessEndeavors.com) came back with one of his own favorite quotes that is SO PERFECT:
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back — Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.” -Goethe
Just awesome. First comes commitment, then comes clarity. So many aspiring entrepreneurs want clarity first before you make a commitment…but that’s not how it works 🙂 I know that all the companies I’ve started in the past began with a mental decision and commitment that “I’m going to start a company, even if I have no idea what it is yet. The idea will come.”
An Example Of The Power Of Commitment
I asked Nate to share why he’s so inspired by the quote and he shared a personal example of how it worked for him, that I’m sure you will emphasize with…here’s his well-written take:
“To me, this quote is about setting intentions and taking action. So many people, myself included go through the process of consume, consume, consume, but they never actually do anything. You know…there’s no real commitment put in. Why? Fear…plain and simple…fear.
Speaking personally, it’s scary to put yourself out there and try something that might fail or that I don’t know will succeed. It’s so much easier to question myself endlessly until I convince myself ‘yup, see, you can’t do that!’ or ‘nope, it won’t work, that’s a horrible business idea!’ It’s crazy, b/c I’ll come to those conclusions w/o actually trying something.
So..until you actually commit ‘f— it, I’m doing this….I’m going forward and nobody is going to stop me,’ then yes, you will hesitate and yes, you will draw back to innate, habitual patterns that have been built up over a lifetime.
Once you get over that though…well then, things start to happen. They start to happen because you open up to allowing new things to happen. Sure, you might open up to failure, but you also open up to succeeding and even if you ‘fail’ you’ve still learned and you can move forward from there.
It’s crazy….I work out on a pretty regular basis..or at least I thought. At the beginning of the year I really wanted to focus on losing some weight in the belly area :). I’ve tried in the past, but I’m not sure I fully committed. This time I did. I picked a program, I’ve been watching my diet and really consciously eating better and b/c of that I’ve lost 9 pounds in the last 6 weeks. It was through the commitment and initiative that I finally achieved results.
I’m trying to take the same approach with the Unique Genius work and thinking about businesses. In the past I’ve read material, done exercises, created a blog, wrote blog posts….but I’m not sure that was really commitment per se. A few weeks back I actually wrote down an intention on paper.
This is exactly what I wrote:
Goal Statement:
By July 14, 2011 I will have an established and profitable business idea that has made me $1,000 on the side. I will work 7-10 hours/week to work on and reach this goal. The ultimate goal is to have a side business that I can scale and grow, which will allow me to leave my corporate job so I can work when I want, where I want with who I want while being fully committed to helping others.
So everything I do now is related to the above. Is what I’m doing now helping me work toward the above? How? It’s helping me focus a bit better when I’ve actually set an intention and a goal.
You can follow Nate at:
www.FearlessEndeavors.com
What Are You Ready To Commit To?
Have you been dancing around committing to something, but are sick of not making progress? Write it down.
By the way, I applaud Nate for taking baby steps and not committing to some wildly unlikely goal of “make a million dollars this year”.
PDA It (“Public Declaration of Action”)
What’s a really important goal for you this day, month or year?
The best way to stick to a commitment is to publicly declare it. So if you’re bold enough and really going to do it, leave a comment here and tell people what you’re committing to!
A Perfect Unique Genius Quote From Dr. Seuss
February 22nd, 2011
I love this quote from Dr. Seuss about being a Unique Genius:
“Be who you are and say what you feel,
because those who mind don’t matter
and those who matter don’t mind.”
Here’s my imitation Dr. Seuss addition…
“What did you want to think, do or say,
But held back from expressing today?”
And one in haiku for kicks 🙂
It’s easy to wait
“Someday I’ll do what I love”
Someday never comes
What can you do TODAY to enjoy yourself at work? How can you earn 10 Enjoyment Points?
-Aaron
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Coming Soon – A Free Unique Genius Ebook…
The Unique Genius ebook “You can make as much money as you want, doing what you love” is almost done…look for it in early March!
And it won’t cost a dang thing.
(Superhero & Mastermind Clients – email me if you want an early copy)
Have A Quote, Poem Or Haiku To Share?
Leave a comment below!
If You Were Totally Honest With Yourself, How Would That Change Your Work Or Life?
February 15th, 2011
In 2004, I got honest with myself that my marriage had failed. Ouch. Yet as painful as it was, it led me to a much happier, healthier relationship.
And I remember in 2007, working as an Entrepreneur-In-Residence at a venture capital firm in Palo Alto, when I first got really honest with myself: I admitted that I didn’t want to start a business that didn’t feel meaningful, no matter how sexy it was. I admitted to myself that I didn’t want to start a company which required me to raise money. I admitted that I didn’t want to do software anymore, that titles and prestige just weren’t important compared to day-to-day fulfillment.
Raw self-honesty isn’t always comfortable, but it’s necessary if you want to live a full life and have a full bank account.
Being honest with myself that way changed my life forever, leading me to start PebbleStorm and create the Unique Genius work (how to make as much money as you want, doing what you want).
I originally recorded this video of the beautiful Brenda Owens to share with my Unique Genius Superhero Program clients, but this is a message everyone – including me! – should be reminded of…be honest with yourself!
If you missed it, I wrote a blog post in January called “How I Lie To Myself“.
More About Brenda Owens
Brenda’s one of five 1-1 mentoring clients in my “All-in” PebbleStorm Mastermind. Here’s a little bit about her from her site, and where her inspiration comes from to help others…
“As an only child, I lost my mother when I was 27, I lost my father when I was 30, and then my marriage ended a couple of months later. After that, I bought into the myth that unconditional love was no longer available to me, as I had no blood relatives or even a husband…
Today, I rarely feel lonely and live my life from the inside out. I love and trust myself and am comfortable and confident in my own skin. In my heart I know and believe if I could make such a shift, to live life from the ‘inside out’ that anyone can. It really comes down to understanding that it’s our thoughts and choices that create our reality. I assist people in feeling happy, loved, inspired and serene. My purpose and passion is to motivate myself and others to take the next step to Live an Inspired Life and enjoy happy success.”
She’s a wonderful example of someone who’s honest and authentic both with herself and others.
You can find out more about Brenda and her story at www.BrendaOwens.com, and if you have a pet, check out the cute “Pet Blessings” name tags at www.PacificPetShop.com!
Brenda’s starting a new coaching practice, so if she ‘speaks’ to you in the video or in her story on www.BrendaOwens.com, reach out to her to say hi or find out about her coaching at Contact Brenda Owens. She lives in Carlsbad, CA, so if you know anyone in that area who should meet her, please forward this on.
If You Were Totally Honest With Yourself, How Would That Change Your Work Or Life?
How are you settling in your work? What would your life look like if you didn’t give up on what you really want out of work? If you could be successful at anything, and started taking steps towards it?
I have never met someone who didn’t have a special gift or superpower that they could activate if they chose to.
How do you make excuses for not committing to finding your gifts / making more money / having more fun in life & at work / inspiring more people / making a bigger difference?
Please leave a comment!
Unique Genius Superhero Interview: Richard Robbins, Public Speaker / Entrepreneur / CEO
February 8th, 2011
The Unique Genius Superheroes Interview Series is about ordinary people who have figured out how to make money through their purpose & passions to create fulfillment and freedom.
If you read my post on my Top 5 Big Goals For The Year, you know speaking is one of them (“Get paid to speak or get invited to speak at a TED event”). Are you interested in speaking someday, but have a fear of it? Listen to this interview!
I’d never heard of Richard Robbins until a friend recently introduced us – and I was inspired right away. Through his passion for speaking (which used to be a great fear), Richard’s built a sales coaching and empowerment business that’s generated $50 Million in revenue over the past 10 years. He also has control over his time and days – his days don’t control him. I resonated with his vision, integrity and balance of business success with daily health and enjoyment.
He’s like “the future Aaron & PebbleStorm 10 years from now” in many ways, because I’m following in his footsteps and building a business with a similar model to what he’s done.
If you’re an aspiring speaker (even years out), listen to this interview. I grill Richard on different lessons learned, tips and what works for him….
- How Richard turned speaking from a great fear into a great passion (and how he now earns $25,000 – $200,000 per speech)
- How he gives 60-90 minute talks despite having “a poor memory”
- About his “Mediocrity Myth”: why success is only a price to be paid upfront, while mediocrity is a lifetime cost
- Why he set a goal to do 50 free talks in one year (and how he got them)
- How his free talks led to his next business
- The greatest advice he ever received about speaking
- About his weekly date night with his wife, and favorite times of the day in work and out of work
- What an perfect day in Richard’s life is like (beginning with two hours reflection time and exercise)
And more, of course!
Listen To Or Download The Interview
More about Richard Robbins
.About Unique Genius
There’s a process to figuring out how to make as much money as you want, doing what you want. Find out the latest at www.UniqueGenius.com.
What Was Your Favorite Part Of The Interview?
Please leave a comment!
Screw Resolutions! What Are Your “Top 5 Goals for the Year”?
January 26th, 2011
Now that January’s over and you’re ready to throw away all your new years resolutions, here’s a very simple practice I’ve found REALLY works in getting me to where I want to go without all kind of project planning and spreadsheets.
First, here two things that don’t work for me in goal-setting or changing my habits:
- New Years resolutions
- Having more than 7 important goals for the year, because it scatters my energy and I can’t easily keep ’em all in my head & need to go back and review pieces of paper or spreadsheets – and I just can’t make myself do that
And the super simple exercise that does work…
Answer This Question:
“If you can only accomplish 5 things this year, what would they be?”
Do this in a thoughtful way and you will zero in on the few, most important things to focus on (whether consciously or unconsciously) for the year. I can easily hold five big goals in my head, and having these makes it very simple to prioritize what to work on day by day.
The trick is focusing on a few SIMPLE and MEANINGFUL goals that you believe you can accomplish, even if they’re a bit scarey. They should not be crazy, like “make a million dollars” if you’ve never made six-figures. If you keep setting goals that you miss and take this too seriously, you train yourself to mistrust yourself.
Treat goals as happy experiments, rather than life-or-death things. Be totally committed to what you want, but when a goal doesn’t happen, smile and learn from it as a happy experiment!
2010 Goals & Results
AARON’S 2010 GOALS
1. $250k revenue
2. Become a best-selling author
3. Create three signature products or events
4. Find a full marketing partner
5. Find a full assistant/apprentice
AARON’S 2010 RESULTS
1. Result: I did $190k in revenue, less than my goal but about double 2009
2. Result: I became an author, though not best-selling – yet 🙂
3. Result: I created two, including my “Unique Genius Superhero Program” and my “Call To Adventure” 3-day retreat
4. Result: Not a full-time partner, but found a partner on my www.UniqueGenius.com launch, Jared Krause
5. Result: Yep, Lex!
I feel like I hit about 80% of my goals, which was perfect – they should be a stretch, but not too much of a stretch and become paralyzing.
The best part – THIS IS SIMPLE! It takes me a couple of weeks to flesh these out, but it is totally worth it.
This Coming Year’s / 2011 Goals
AARON’S 2011 GOALS:
- $240k revenue (this time I want to beat it)
- Get paid to speak OR be invited to speak at TED
- PebbleStorm 2020 vision co-created with the community
- Publish a Unique Genius book
- “Aaron Life Manual” documented and I’m using it (this is a combination life vision, “Ideal Day”, core values, etc)
See how these are easy to remember? I don’t need to check some complex excel sheet to know what is important.
Yours might be much bigger or smaller than mine – DO NOT COMPARE yourself to me. This is about what is important to you. A big goal for you this year might be to start a blog, learn a language or instrument, hold your first meetup, publish a first ebook – anything. What is a big goal to you?
LEX’S 2011 GOALS:
- Move to bay area
- Develop a Personal Success Routine
- Start a new project/product every 2-3 months
- Make $25-30K
- Write television pilot
With Lex having such a short list of key goals, it makes it easy for her to stay on track. AND…it makes it easy for me to support her in achieving them.
A 6-Step Process To Clarify Your “Top 5 Goals For The Year”
- Brainstorm: grab a blank piece of paper and take 5 minutes and list out 10 or more goals.
- Envision being one year out (say January 2012), looking back on the current year – what goals would be most satisfying & meaningful if accomplished?
- Pick out the top 5 that resonate the most with you.
- Write them down in a new place. Edit and play with them for a day or couple of weeks, until you feel solid with them. They should feel like a stretch but not too much of a stretch.
- Tell people about them! Post them where you & others can see them.
- Take a first step: what is one thing you can do to make progress on one goal? (And you can’t take a baby step that is too small)
See? It’s simple. You can do a first draft in five to ten minutes.
Is ‘Make More Money Doing What I Love’ In Your “Top 5”?
Did some version of “making money at doing what I love” come up on your Top 5? If so, I love mentoring people on how to find your passions and turn them into an inspiring business!
If you’re committed to finding your fulfilling work and making a lot more money with it in ways that feel good, reach out and let’s see if you’re a fit for my mentoring and one of the PebbleStorm Mastermind groups. We have groups both for 1) people who are “all-in” and fully committed, and 2) for people who are still nurturing their Unique Genius as a side-project.
To find out more, reach out:
Mentoring With Aaron
What Are Your 2011 Goals?
Please share and declare your own 2011 goals in the comments!
How I Lie To Myself
January 26th, 2011
Sometimes I have rough moments or days and I try lying to myself, telling myself that I’m happy. But in those moments or days, I’m not.
(It doesn’t really matter why I have those rough times, but mostly it’s because fear, uncertainty or doubt creep up on me and tackle me for a bit, before I can kick ’em to the curb.)
I don’t mean to lie to myself, I do it automatically because I feel like I should be happy ALL THE TIME, given I have a clear life purpose, an incredible business, and an inspiring fiance.
I feel guilty during times I’m not happy, like there’s something wrong with me. Especially with all the positives in my life, shouldn’t I be happy all the time?
That’s bullshit. I don’t know where my mind picked up the idea that I (or anyone) is supposed to be happy all the time, no matter how “successful” you are. There will ALWAYS be an ebb and flow in your life.
That’s just not real. Part of being human is having a range of emotions, including forms of fear.
In fact, it’s the challenges you’ve been through in life, the downs, that allow you to truly appreciate the ups.
If I hadn’t worked in the corporate world (including starting a business and having it fail), I wouldn’t be as grateful for my fulfilling work with my authentic Unique Genius mentoring clients.
If I hadn’t gotten married and divorced (and had many other short-term relationships), I wouldn’t be as grateful for my inspiring partner & fiance Jessica.
So be grateful for the downs – especially if you’re in one now!
Learn something from them, and inspire, educate and entertain others based on what you learned.
What past challenges can you be grateful for?
PS: those challenges are, in some way, a part of your Unique Genius, and you can authentically help yourself by sharing your story and lessons learned with others.
Unique Genius Superhero Interview: Rod Rotondi, founder of Leaf Organics
January 6th, 2011
The Unique Genius Superheroes Interview Series is about ordinary people who make money through their purpose & passions. They’ve found ways to combine enjoyment, money and meaning in their work.
A tireless traveler and culinary eclectic, Rod Rotondi has used his unique experience and perspective to translate world cuisine into delicious and affordable raw, organic, and vegan offerings. Rod’s dream was to create an inclusive eatery, one so affordable and delicious that people would eat there daily and make a positive change to their lives.
Here are some of the topics we covered…
- Why Joseph Campbell’s book “The Power Of Myths” was so influential on Rod’s life
- What allowed Rod to create “Club Red”, a business that mashed up scuba diving, a restaurant, yoga, meditation, adventures and more…in the middle east!
- How he lost everything in it…and why he wouldn’t change a thing about it
- What’s so great about raw food?
- Rod’s best suggestion for how to start eating better / raw
- Why being afraid of your food (cooked or inorganic food) isn’t healthy either
- How Rod’s balancing making money and fulfilling work now with his restaurant, book and products
- A GREAT kernel of advice for those of you with kids: “When you’re working: work; when you’re with your kids: be with your kids”
- “If you’re not feeling fulfilled in your work, go and help someone else as a next step. You’ll feel better quickly”
To learn more about Rod and his healthy and wealthy ways of living, please listen to his interview…
Listen To Or Download The Interview
More about Rod Rotondi
- Raw Food for Real People: Living Vegan Food Made Simple by the Chef and Founder of Leaf Organics
- http://www.LeafOrganics.com
What of these resonated with you? Let me know!
About Unique Genius
There’s a process to discovering your purpose and turning it into a business you love. Find out the latest at www.UniqueGenius.com.
What Was Your Favorite Part Of The Interview?
Please leave a comment!
7 Ways To Make It Easier On Yourself To Improve Your Nutrition (Health Series Part 3)
January 5th, 2011
- “Baby Steps To Being A Lean, Mean, Optimum Nutrition Machine (Part 1 of 3)“
- “A Lifetime Of Baby Step Health Improvements (Part 2 of 3)“
Do you ever put people on a pedestal and think they’ve got it all figured out? Let me tell you, NO ONE has it all figured out.
It doesn’t matter how many millions they have, “successful” people have just as many issues to work on as you do. I know I do. Just ask my fiance, heh – she’ll tell you. (By the way, I got engaged on Xmas eve! A video of the proposal)
So a “BS Meter” you can use with people is if they pretend to be perfect, they’re lying to you and to themselves.
For example, I procrastinated the hell outta finishing this post and health series. I have been one lazy SOB the past two weeks, and have distracted myself with all the new shiny many iphone games I got for Xmas and my birthday. Whee 🙂
Plus, it didn’t help that I’ve been eating like crap since before Xmas. But hey, I’m only human too. I fall down. And I ALWAYS get back up and keep at it…
It’s probably better anyway that I waited to share this post until after the new year, so that your (and my) holiday gorging is done and you (and I) are ready to get back to the basics…
And now’s the “real” post – enjoy!
Aaron
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Food can be a big source of happiness in your life – or stress. There are a lot of parallels with it and with work, how it as well can be a big source of happiness or stress. I make a few specific parallels between the two below.
Authentically Enjoy Your Food & Drinkin’ (Whatever It Is)
<= The picture is of a meal from the super-yummy Leaf Organics restaurant in LA. If you go there, get the mushroom-avocado burger with the onion bread (gluten-free), it is insanely good. My fiance and I both LOVE it. I also have a Unique Genius Superhero interview of the founder, Rod Rotondi. He has a fascinating life and business story.
Much of your health and happiness in life comes from your feelings around food and meals: your happiness goes up when you eat food that you appreciate, are grateful for and share with in good company. So whatever the hell it is you eat – green or junky – do your best to really enjoy it and the whole experience.
(The same with work: As much of your happiness and wealth in life comes from your feelings around work – your happiness goes up when you have work that is fulfilling & satisfying, are grateful for it, and share with in good company.)
I would rather you had fun eating bread and cheese you love with good friends than having a “I don’t enjoy this but it’s good for me” raw salad miserably alone.
(The same with work: I would rather you had fun at a boring job with good friends than doing noble work in conditions – like doing it alone – that make you unhappy. It can be lonely starting a company, rebuilding and recreating a work community around yourself…it’s not for everyone.)
Enjoyment from a “quick fix” of a candy bar or Frappacino doesn’t count – that’s a fix, not authentic gratitude or happiness that lasts. (Unless you’re starving after doing a 28 day Utah survival course, and then get a peanut butter and chocolate milkshake – now THAT is gratitude! Even though it didn’t stay down…)
A small digression…I did mention the hot chocolate exemption for all this, right? Heh 🙂 While someday I might give up my hot chocolate habit, for now I truly do enjoy my Huckleberry hot chocolate, because 1) it’s “the real stuff” and feels like authentic goodness, and 2) it’s also an entire enjoyable experience beyond just the drink, because I ride my bike there, and/or share it with my fiance. On the other hand, if I just walk into some cafe and get some crummy powdered hot chocolate, I do feel guilty. By the way, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf hot chocolate is terrible – avoid it.
Find ways to ENJOY and be GRATEFUL for awesomely healthy food. There is so much really tasty stuff out there. And if you’re eating crap food, instead of feeling guilty, find ways to authentically enjoy it and be grateful for it too.
Guys – pounding on your chest about how much meat you can eat doesn’t count – that’s eating just to get attention. Unless you’re Epic Meal Time, the funniest cooking show on the internet, and the only guys I’ve ever seen who have turned fast food into sushi. Hilariously gross!
OK seriously, now on to the…
7 Ways Make It Easier On Yourself To Improve Your Nutrition (Or Find Your Unique Genius)
The easier you can make it on yourself to make progress, the more likely you’ll do it and stick to it, whether it’s around food or work. In this case, I’m usin’ food examples:
- Spend time with people who inspire you / you want to be like / learn from: Studies have shown that your weight and health is affected by your friends. Want to gain weight? Spend time with heavy people! So spend more time with your healthy friends and family, and less time around your unhealthy friends and family.
- Be adventurous: just frickin’ try something new, for God’s sake, it won’t kill you. Many adults I know – are like little kids refusing to try a green food when they’re young, “it looks icky!”
- Go for progress, not perfection as you experiment and try new things to learn what works for you: I don’t believe 100% vegetarian/vegan is for everyone. Some people should eat meat. You won’t know where you fall until you experiment. And after you have a holiday gorging feast (or several weeks of them)…forgive yourself, appreciate it and come on back to the good habits!
- Learn from people you trust, but don’t depend on one source (what works for them may not work for you).
- Everything in moderation.
- Buddy up: if your partner eats worse than you want, don’t criticize them and make them feel guilty – that’ll just make things worse. Educate them, partner with them, find ways TOGETHER to enjoy being healthier – inspire them and you’ll get better results!
- Be persistently patient (with yourself and your partner). Adopting new eating habits that stick change as fast as your mind does – that is, not very fast at all. It takes 21 days to change a habit, and as long as 9 months to really lay down new neural pathways stick.
Notice that all of these principles apply to finding your optimally fulfilling work (Unique Genius) too!
Take A Next Step
- Read this book: In Defense Of Food, by Michael Pollen. His sum philosophy: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants”. Michael’s definition of food here is ‘real’ food not the imitation food we have now like energy bars and drinks; if your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize it, it’s not ‘food’.
- Write out an “Ideal Health” vision for yourself. If you had NO LIMITS, what would your body feel like? How would your family and friends eat, move, practice health? Your community, the world? The more you can emotionally connect with an authentic vision, and believe in it, the more likely it will stick as a big enough “why” to inspire you for the next step…
- Commit to improving your health and taking baby steps! Without commitment, it’s not going to happen. Why is it important to you to do this? First envision your life 10-20 years out following your current habits. Then envision what life would be life if you keep improving your habits step by step over those 10-20 years.
- A simple first way to start your day off right and add a lot of nutrition: making your own smoothies (not that Jamba Juice crap), especially green smoothies. I have one almost every day, made from greens (spinach or kale or chard or collard greens), parsley, fuji apples, ginger, mint, a whole lemon with rind, flax/chia seeds, hempseed, maca, goji berries, spirulina, water as the liquid. I blend it all up in a Vitamix Turbo-blend 4500, which was about $350. (Also: a blog about Green Smoothies)
- Have fun trying new things and exploring – isn’t that the whole point?
- Have a quick laugh (or get so grossed out you’ll never eat fast food again) at Epic Meal Time!
So…
What’s Your Next Step? Or Your 2 Cents?
I’d love to hear what you agree with, disagree with and what works for you – leave a comment below!
A Lifetime Of Baby Step Health Improvements (Part 2 of 3)
December 21st, 2010
This is the 2nd part of a three part series. Part 1 was “Baby Steps To Being A Lean, Mean, Optimum Nutrition Machine (Part 1 of 3)” (It’s no coincidence that I repeat “baby steps” over and over again…)
I still drink hot chocolate every day (you’ll see this come up in my post!), work out just twice a week, am almost 40 years old, but am leaner than I was in college or at any time other than when I was doing Ironman training (at about 10% body fat now)…what’s the deal? Better and better nutrition habits, made over the years step by step.
For 20 years, I’ve been committed to slowly and surely improving my nutrition & health habits in baby steps. When I hear about things I’ve mentioned in the past here, like Optimum Health Institute (raw food, wheatgrass ‘n’ enemas, oh my) or the “15-Day Reboot Fruit & Veggie Cleanse”, I’ll often try ‘em out to see what works for me, and what doesn’t.
Why Am I Committed?
What’s interesting too is my motivation for better nutrition. Originally (in my teens) the purpose was looking good. In my 30’s, it shifted and it is primarily about feeling good.
You improve your health (or make any lasting changes in any area of your life) not by bouncing from diet to diet, system to system, or making sudden huge changes in eating: you do it baby step by baby step, over time, improving and improving. And after your setbacks – whether it’s for a moment, week or year – you don’t give up, but come back to what works for you.
Hey, it’s exactly like discovering and living your Unique Genius!
Lifetime Nutrition Changes
Here are the most notable highlights of how I’ve practiced this in life, so that you can see I make changes step by step, over time, that accumulate:
- High school: Having few friends and zero dates, this became the original reason I started caring about nutrition – looks. I started lifting weights and reducing the fat in my diet (back then, “low fat” was the health craze, even though now we know “low fat” doesn’t mean jack in improving your health).
- College: I stopped drinking soft drinks – one of the most destructive substances you can drink. For example, it’s a leading cause of osteoporosis – which even kids are getting now!
- End of college: I stopped eating cereal (I learned all commercial cereal is treated like the body as almost pure sugar)
- Through my mid & late 20’s: Beyond developing a taste and habit for spinach salads, I don’t remember which changes I made, but I remember I often had coffee (with a bunch of artificial sweetener) and a pastry for breakfast. Yuck! I worked a lot during this time, which was a higher priority to me than health.
- I start drinking 8-10 glasses of water most days. Soda, coffee or alcoholic drinks do not count as water.
- Early 30’s: I got married and divorced. This was a lesson in “As your partner goes, so you go: if your partner eats like crap, you’re going to eat like crap.” In other words, I ate like crap quite a bit during this time.
A Big Shift at 35 Years Old
- A doctor did some allergy tests, and told me I was allergic to wheat, soy, dairy, eggs. My first reaction at first what??! Those are in EVERYTHING! My second reaction was gratitude: now I have to give up more junk food.
- The doctor advised I give up alcohol & coffee (I substituted coffee for hot tea). Alcohol is a poison in your body. I realized as a drank less, how – at least at age 35 – the next day, even after one drink, I felt ‘mushy’. If you’re wondering more about how and why I gave up alcohol, leave a question in the comments.
- Around that time, in giving up coffee, I also stopped all artificial sweeteners like Splenda, Nutraseet and Sweet N Low (all toxic) and went back to normal sugar, honey or stevia. Ironically, as unhealthy sugar is, it’s better than that stuff.
- I also began meditating irregularly. It took a couple of years to get to a regular daily practice.
Age 36:
- I read Michael Pollen’s “In Defense Of Food” READ THIS BOOK
- I started eating regularly at vegan restaurants (like Real Food Daily & Planet Raw)
- I started making “The Ultimate Meal” for breakfast almost every day, which is some green powder, almond butter and water, mixed up in a Magic Bullet blender.
- Because I was off the wheat and dairy, I ate very few desserts. After a few weeks, I lost any cravings for them.
Age 37:
- I switched from “The Ultimate Meal” to making my own “green smoothie” almost every day for breakfast, which means mixing up some fruit, superfoods and greens (like spinach or kale) into it. They can be gross or very yummy depending on what you do.
- I started eating eggs & drinking milk again, in moderation (this year, I picked up a new hot chocolate addiction, and had one almost every day). I find that I can drink milk fine, but eggs just don’t sit well in my stomach, so I’ve backed off of them.
- I’m staying away forever from wheat and soy. Every 3-6 months I would break down and have a piece of bread or a donut, and it doesn’t kill me 🙂 But my face does turn a bit red.
Age 38:
- My main sweetener now: “Truvia” (a mix of birch sugar and stevia) or raw honey
- My partner Jessica’s a vegetarian, so I naturally began eating less meat (and didn’t miss it).
- I started eating regularly at raw restaurants, like Leaf Organics near Venice and Planet Raw in Santa Monica.
- I attend some raw “uncooking” classes and learned more about the benefit of raw food, and the hazards of meat and animal-based foods.
- I’m shopping almost exclusively at Whole Foods Market and local farmers markets.
- By the way – I still eat and plan on eating cooked foods, I’m just making sure I do eat plenty of raw & living foods.
- November 2010: I attend Optimum Health Institute (As described in part 1 of this series, “Baby Steps To Being A Lean, Mean, Optimum Nutrition Machine”)
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I Ain’t No Saint
I love hot chocolate (in fact, if you’re ever in Santa Monica, you MUST try Huckleberry’s hot chocolate – it’s like crack cocaine). I eat junk food, I backslide, I feel guilty. But I keep making progress, step by step, and don’t give up. Or at least two steps forward, one step back 🙂
My Simple Take On…
1) ORGANIC FOOD vs. CONVENTIONAL FOOD
The Bottom Line: Before pesticides, everything was organic – that was conventional! Somehow we got turned around so that “conventional = sprayed with chemicals” and “organic = unconventional”. This is simple – you are what you eat. Chemicals can’t just be washed off, they also get absorbed by plants when they grow. The more organic food you eat, the less pesticides you take in (which are linked to, it seems, every kind of health problem & cancer you can imagine).
Why I didn’t do it in the past: Choices of organic food is hard to find in standard American supermarkets like Vons & Albertsons. Some organic foods (like almonds) are a lot more expensive than conventional.
Why I’m going to do more of it in the future: There are more and more choices now at all markets, and Whole Foods especially has lots of options for organic, and it’s not always more expensive. Also, I’d rather pay more now and save on the pain, cancer and hospital bills later. The best source: local farmers markets (LocalHarvest.org) and I’ll make them my main source of food when possible.
2) RAW FOOD vs. COOKED FOOD
The Bottom Line: When you cook food above 118 degrees (some say 105 degrees), it destroys a big chunk of the nutrients and enzymes in the food that makes it healthy in the first place.
Why I didn’t do it in the past: I didn’t really appreciate the benefits. Also, some people advocate eating 100% raw, which feels extreme to me (no moderation).
Why I’m going to do more of it in the future: There are lots of cookbooks out there now on simple and easy ways to eat raw, like Rod Rotundi’s “Raw Food For Real People”. In 2009 I’m already eating 50-80% raw most days, as I’ve been inching up the past couple of years. I’m planning on eating 80% raw / 20% cooked food.
3) MEAT & DAIRY vs. VEGETARIAN & PLANT-BASED DIETS
The Bottom Line: Too much meat & dairy is bad for your health, causing all kinds of long-term health issues. ( “The China Project”). [Update: Celeste below shares a link of a neutral party who questions some of The China Study’s findings: click here for it]
To me, eating meat and dairy is healthy when people are moving from eating soda to milk, or candy bars to turkey – then that is better, it is progress. But the best is moving from meat and dairy (and all animal-based products) to plants, fruits, nuts and seeds, for at least 80-90% of your diet. In other words, if you’re going to eat animal-based foods, eat 80% plants and 20% meat/dairy, rather than 80% meat/dairy and 20% plants!
“Bread and cheese” vegetarianism (eating no meat, just junk food) isn’t healthy either – you must eat plants.
Why I didn’t do it in the past: Like most of you, I grew up eating meat & drinking milk. I was trained at young age that “Milk does a body good”, and that I need lots of protein which I can only get through meat. It can also be challenging, especially when traveling, to eat mostly vegetarian when I’m also allergic to wheat.
Why I’m going to do more of it in the future: From everything I’ve learned – both about health and the environment – I feel better and am healthier when I minimize animal-based food. And yet, I haven’t gotten to the point where I believe that I can or will give them up entirely (yet)…I am only human and I do love my hot chocolate! The stuff at that frickin’ Huckleberry place really is like crack.
The “Know Thyself” Exception To Everything
Everybody & every body is different, and what works for others may not work for you. Some people physically need to eat meat. Some people should never eat meat at all.
You gotta experiment to see what works for you – don’t just blindly follow what someone tells you to do. (Again, another lesson you can apply to anything in life…)
Stay tuned for the last part, part 3, in which I talk about the emotional connections to food, my lessons learned & suggested next steps for YOU to take.
Think I’m Full Of It? What Do You Believe?
Baby Steps To Being A Lean, Mean, Optimum Nutrition Machine (Part 1 of 3)
December 15th, 2010
In November I spent a week at the Optimum Health Institute (“OHI”) in San Diego, a place with a mission to “serve as a change agent for humankind by improving the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of everyone we touch”, and was inspired to write about it and how I’ve persisted in improving my health practices over my life through baby step after baby step. This is the first part of a three-part series.
Optimum health is more than food and nutrition, and must include exercise, mind practices (like meditation) and spiritual practices (like finding your purpose). This series focuses on the nutrition & food parts.
I’ll be sharing about some of the biggest nutrition changes I’ve made that I still practice, and a few of the new tools I picked up at OHI that I’ll add into my routine. I’ll also about how I ain’t no saint, and still eat junk food and am more apt to criticize myself for not being perfect with food and health than be grateful for all the progress I’ve made over the years.
Back to OHI…I heard about OHI two years ago, after my friend Carl Bressler went and came back RAVING about it, and what it did for him and his health. I don’t remember specifically what his results were, but I remember how excited he was about the experience and his new perspective on food and health.
The week included a regimen of raw food, classes, exercise, rest, wheatgrass and- yep – colonics/enemas. Heh! And they go through and teach you why all of this is important to your health.
This part of the blog post isn’t about recommending OHI as a place to go (go if you want, or not, it’s definitely not for everyone), but I am recommending going outside your comfort zone to try new things and experiences in order to improve your health.
What I Personally Got From My Week At OHI
- I was re-energized about my health practices, and reminded how important health is to life, and how much I and others take it for granted…until it starts fading.
- The red and dry skin on my face cleared up
- My dry scalp went totally away (I believe this is because the shower water there is filtered & dechlorinated here)
- I learned a lot about optimum health through mind, body and spirit
- I met a bunch of great people
- I got to deliver an early version of a new Unique Genius talk: “Authenticity: The Missing Link Between Money And Fulfillment”
Example Success Stories
Some people go to OHI because they have life threatening conditions like cancer. (And, by the way, OHI has some amazing stories of people’s bodies healing themselves after getting off junk food and practicing OHI’s teachings). Others go every few months just to recharge, detox and reconnect with helpful habits.
While I was there, some people in the program shared some stories. For example, one man (about 70 years old) said that during his stay at OHI:
- His blood pressure went down enough that he had to stop taking his medication for it (he had a blood pressure testing cuff with him, and measured it every day)
- His eyesight improved – he had bifocals, and had to put them down to read (he still needed them to see farther away)
Another woman told us she’d been coming to OHI 2-3 times per year for 30 years, and that she was 65, and had never had any plastic surgery. She looked like she was 50 years old!
How Kirsten Schulz Is Beating Stage 4 Cancer
Here’s an extreme example of what optimum health practices can do for someone even with a life-threatening condition.
On the day I left OHI, Kirsten here shared her story of being diagnosed with cancer in February 2010, and was given a few weeks to live. It’d already spread through several vital organs. Kirsten didn’t go with chemotherapy or surgery, and instead chose to focus on the kinds of health practices taught at OHI, and spent months living at OHI on their detox program. Nine months later, her cancer is in retreat.
By the way, my belief is that neither conventional doctors nor alternative practices alone have all the answers. They can be complimentary rather than competitive, like capitalism and Buddhism.
I mean, when I found out I had skin cancer on my nose, I had the damn stuff cut out by a dermatologist surgeon. I wasn’t going to try to heal just through nutrition and mental practices. But that’s me. And whatever health issue I get in the future, I’ll use a blend of eastern and western practices, rather than avoiding one or the other.
Another personal story: I had an aunt who was devout Christian Science, the “heal only through prayer not through doctors religion”. Her belief did not change the course of her breast cancer, and she died as expected 🙁 Of course, I have a great-aunt who’s now close to 90 and has never been treated by a doctor in her life, and she’s going strong. Go figure.
The point? Don’t follow others’ rigid beliefs! You need to try different things to find out what blend works for YOU. You can’t turn off your brain and live unconsciously and expect the happiness and results you want.
(which applies too in finding and living your Unique Genius)
Finally, don’t believe what you hear – such as that “you have ___ months to live” – just because someone (either a doctor or alternative health practitioner) has a degree or certification – those people are PEOPLE and that means they make mistakes and get stuff wrong ALL THE TIME. Do your own research, get third opinions and focus on the mental belief that you can heal. Your mindset affects how you heal.
Now here’s Kirsten with her story:
New Practices I Learned At OHI I’m Adopting:
So I learned a TON about health and practices and OHI, and here are the few most important & practical things I’m implementing at home…
- “Eat while I eat”: Too often we eat while watching TV, driving, working or rushing around. When we do this, our bodies and minds don’t really register that we’ve even eaten (and we don’t enjoy it!), leading to more overeating.
- Farmers Markets are #1: Shop for food as much as possible at local farmers markets and through Community Supported Agriculture (LocalHarvest.org)
- Soak & sprout seeds, beans & nuts to greatly increases the nutrients and digestibility of things like seeds and grains. (Sprouting 101)
- “Food Combining”: Your body has a lot of trouble digesting some types of food when you eat them at the same time, like protein (meat) and starch (potatoes), causing upset stomach, gas and low energy. Food Combining means being aware of the types of food you eat in one meal, so they don’t fight it out in your gut. (Food Combining 101)
- Not eating close to bedtime: OHI recommended eating at least 2-3 hours before bedtime, so that digesting doesn’t disturb your sleep. I have a watch that can track how deeply I sleep (www.SleepTracker.com), and I found at OHI that I slept MUCH better if I didn’t eat for 2-3 hours before I went to sleep.
This is great stuff!
Progress, Not Perfection
Now that I’ve been home for a few weeks since OHI, I’ve been ok at implementing these – but not perfect. It takes time to change habits, and I’m doing my best in improving my nutrition AND being kind to myself and not beating myself up when I don’t do these changes perfectly.
In fact, right after I hit “publish” I’m going to go for a long walk and get some ridiculously amazing hot chocolate at a local place here in Santa Monica called Huckleberry 🙂 Hey, I am only human!!
This is about PROGRESS, not PERFECTION – something my clients must be sick of hearing me say since that too is a fundamental lesson in making money through enjoyment through your Unique Genius 🙂
Stay tuned for part 2 – I’ll review the major nutrition changes I’ve made over my life and share my take on raw vs cook, plants vs meat, and organic vs inorganic.
Do You Have A Story To Share?
Leave a comment below, I’d love to hear from you!
Related: Posts About A 100% Fruit & Veggie Cleanse I Did:
https://pebblestorm.com/2010/01/07/my-first-day-15-day-fruit-and-veggies-cleanse/
https://pebblestorm.com/2010/01/12/day-6-cleanse-update
Unique Genius Superhero Interview: Susan Kennedy aka SARK, Author and Founder of PlanetSARK.com
November 13th, 2010
The Unique Genius Superheroes Interview Series is about ordinary people who have figured out how to make money through their purpose & passions to create fulfillment and freedom.
Susan Kennedy aka SARK, is an artist who’s had a fascinating and tumultuous journey to figure out how to share her gifts with the world. You’ll immediately recognize her trademark colorful, handwritten style after the first time you see it! Think my sketches, on steroids times a bajillion 🙂
SARK also just published a new book, her 16th, titled “Glad No Matter What: Transforming Losses & Change Into Gifts & Opportunity“. It’s awesome. Have you ever seen a handwritten, published book? That’s SARK’s style. And while she’s crazily creative, she’s found an excellent groove in mixing her creative right brain stuff with left brain processes.
Rather than trying to explain more why she’s so awesome, just glance through the list of bullet points of stuff we covered in the interview… (for example, how can someone “opt out” of the money system and live on barter and trade for 10 years??)…pretty fascinating!
- Why she calls herself a “human experiment”
- Why you shouldn’t avoid feelings like loneliness or anger (and how to deal with them)
- Why SARK’s work is important to Unique Genius
- How being molested as a young girl planted the seeds of her Unique Genius, leading her to an early mentor
- How – at 10 years old – she save the life of her childhood mentor with small gifts, and realized “I’m supposed to be a beacon of hope”
- How SARK opted out of the “money system” to live on barter & trade for 10 years
- Great advice from her grandfather: “do everything you can think of doing now, so you know what you don’t want to do the rest of your life” (SARK went on to have 250 jobs between ages 14 and 26!)
- How, at 35, SARK decided it was time to share all her art and gifts with the world and first turned her art into money
- Why SARK’s first $2.5 million business wasn’t fulfilling or profitable
- SARK’s best three tips staying uber-creative
- About SARK’s “Micro movement wheel of delight” (I love how she reframes even baby steps into fun!)
- SARK’s Free Inspiration Phone-line (12,000 people call it every month): 415-546-3742
Here’s another inspirational and empowered woman who made her challenges in the past a tool for a better future…
Listen To Or Download The Interview
More about SARK
- www.PlanetSARK.com
- SARK’s fun programs like “Dream Boogie” [Aff]
- SARK’s newest book, “Glad No Matter What: Transforming Losses and Change Into Gifts & Opportunity”
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About Unique Genius
There’s a process to discovering your purpose and turning it into fulfilling, freeing work. Find out the latest at www.UniqueGenius.com.
What Was Your Favorite Part Of The Interview?
Please leave a comment!
I’m (Re)Learning How To Rest
November 10th, 2010
Know those people who are busy all the time? Well, your brain, like your body, needs time to recuperate, re-energize and get stronger. If you don’t get enough rest, you won’t physically or mentally ‘heal’ as much as you could.
Here’s a quick (1 minute) video about it, just after I’d gotten out of bed, and I’m still feeling a little silly 🙂
Why Rest?
After putting a LOT of energy into my Unique Genius work the past six months (mostly on launching the Unique Genius Superhero Program and the “Your Call To Adventure 3-Day Retreat“), I’m dialing it down for three months (November, December, January). I’m avoiding new projects to focus on my current programs and clients.
I don’t have a challenge in taking action – I have more of a challenge to rest enough (especially sleeping, napping, meditating, being positively lazy). And yes, it is a challenge. Without enough rest, I don’t feel as sharp, inspired, energized or creative as I know I can be.
I can get away with a few night or weeks of high-output work, but it always catches up to me. And the longer I wait to recuperate and rest, the longer it takes… hence the “take it easier for three months” goal now.
I actually don’t think this will be easy for me…but I’ll give it my best shot!
It’ll help that I’m going to the awesome Optimum Health Institute next week for a week.
About The Fruit & Vegetable Cleanse I Mention
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Have Advice For Me? What Are Your Favorite Ways To Rest?
I’d love some suggestions and ideas.
One that really works for me: Yoga Nidra guided meditations from Robin Carnes. I can actually take naps with these…and I have a really tough time napping.
What’s yours? Leave A Comment!
An IMPORTANT Lesson From A Death & Reminder Of How Fragile Life Is
October 20th, 2010
This is a direct excerpt from an email I wrote to my Unique Genius Superhero Program clients on Tuesday, October 12th:
Jessica Henning is my girlfriend (partner). Her best guy friend, Marc, was killed in a fatal car accident on Sunday.
Jessica was able to get to the hospital in time to see him. They both had the gift of being able to talk just before he passed. Marc was able to share with her his dying message, to paraphrase: “…all you have are the memories and experiences and love…”.
I’m tearing up again just writing this.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the drama and stress of life (around money, health, relationships…) – all of which is crap we create for ourselves.
I don’t have a simple answer on how to cut through the crap instantly to reconnect every day with what’s important, which is love of yourself and others (and related feelings, like fun, joy &, gratitude)…which come from awesome relationships and experiences.
I can see that everything that I’m putting into the Superhero Program is meant to help you do this, to create a life of happiness based on authentic work.
Who is someone you could email, call or write to express how much you appreciate them, have learned from them or love them?
Final Thought
Life’s too short to do work that sucks or be in a relationship that drains you.
No one else is going to save you – not your spouse, mom, coach or friend – only you can do that. Many of you already are awesomely working on it.
Yet even if you’re one of those people that complains about your job or relationship but never does anything about it (though if you fixed it, you’d have nothing to complain about) then take responsibility for your own life and ask yourself:
- How did I create what I have today? (If you blame others for what you have, that’s the “victim” in you talking)
- What do I actually, authentically want?
- Commit to taking a first baby step, and then frickin’ take it!
Baby steps, baby steps, baby steps.
Matt Bailey’s Follow Up Blog Post
UG Superhero Matt Bailey’s great post about this on “A World Of Inspiration”
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