Hello everyone! Today I’d like to share a video I created a few years back for Cool Notion Quest. Just a quick mix of beautiful fall scenery and tranquil music that makes for a great 10 minute work break. So take a few minutes to join me here; Relax For Awhile & Enjoy The Fall Colors…
I still watch it myself, especially in the winter when I get to missing the fall foliage. It’s one of life’s greatest experiences in my opinion, and I look forward to it every year. Hearing the colorful leaves softly crunching under your feet, the earthy, sweet smell of the autumn forest on a sunny afternoon. I enjoy taking my kids and my two Shih Tzu out for a walk in the mountains every fall. Knowing of course that it will all soon be covered in a deep blanket of snow makes it all the more enjoyable, with the last few weeks or days of warm outdoor fun at hand.
Time To Collect Your Thoughts
It’s always a welcome break from work, even though I enjoy what I do. But we all have to take some time for ourselves, get out and about, clear our minds. And this is how I like to spend my time, just about every weekend, every fall. Of course, I take every opportunity to spend all the time I can get during summer out and about in the surrounding mountains too. I find I can collect my thoughts and focus on things better when I return from a relaxing wander in the forest. I have always found that I come up with most of my best ideas on one of these adventures too.
But there’s just something so special about a walk in the forest in the fall. More calming somehow, more relaxing. Maybe it’s the crisp autumn air, or the bright, gold colored leaves rustling in a light breeze, the welcoming smell of the forest floor. Maybe it’s the feeling of being completely at ease, or maybe its everything all together; I find it inspires me to want to create, to grow, to share, and inspires me to come up with those ideas. At the same time it relaxes me, it energizes me for the winter to come, with all kinds of new goals, new exciting tasks to accomplish before spring.
Want More Of A Break?
I also created this Sea Turtle video (because I love sea turtles and find watching them relaxing), so if you want a few more minutes of break time be sure to check it out 🙂
So I hope you enjoy the video. Sit back, relax, have a cup of coffee, and perhaps you’ll find some of that inspiration and focus as well!
Working on our online businesses can be exciting and fun. You find a whole new absorbing world of opportunities. But we must never forget to take time to relax and enjoy the little things while we are at it, which is why I created this post; Relax With Me A Moment – Sunset Relaxation Video!
When our minds are calm and rested, we think better; we are more focused, and we make better decisions. Especially when we have a tough decision to make, or need to get our focus back, it’s important to take a few moments, or a few hours if needed. As a work-a-holic myself, I know it’s tough to make yourself take a break. And it may sound funny, but especially when things get difficult and stressful, it’s a must.
Simply put, if you want to work well, you have to rest well too. It’s good for us, and it’s good for business.
So Relax With Me A Moment and take some time to enjoy this Sunset Relaxation Video. Just sit back, think about the simple pleasures of life…
I hope you enjoy the video; I created it a few years back for a Youtube channel I was playing around with called Cool Notion Quest – some of my first forays into relaxation videos. I thought it would be a great way to relax, and it was. I really enjoyed making these; and when I would get stressed, or had something that I was stuck on somewhere I would go work on one.
Perhaps someday I will make some more again, but for now I thought I would share this here just for fun. Because it’s so very important to let your brain have a chance to clear out and get calm, even if it’s just a quick coffee, or green smoothie break! I also have more videos that are a good length for a well deserved break here>> And don’t forget to check out my blog for more great articles…
A great man once said, “Be water my friend.” And when the legendary Bruce Lee shared his philosophy with the world during a television interview in 1971, he was referring to adaptability. To open-minded, focused thinking that allows one to insightfully shape themselves to better handle any situation, to succeed in whatever they do. In his characteristically exuberant, Zen-like manner, he explained:
“Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless. Like water. Now you put water into in a cup…it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow…or it can crash.” And with a crafty, knowing smile he finished; “Be water my friend.”
Highly adept at this much sought after, and cherished skill of flexibility, Bruce Lee’s unique, innovative philosophy, and varied martial arts styles made him controversial to some, and beloved to others. But his talent for being highly adaptable and open to any and every successful move possible gave him infiniate room to talk. One is hard pressed to find a better example of a person who could so successfully adapt to the fullest, than Bruce Lee. After all, the mans’ whole life was one adaptation after another, and he used this ability to the fullest, becoming one of those rare individuals with much to share with the world. And even rarer yet, he was always happy to do so.
The Philosophy of Flexibility.
While this philosophy is highly relevant to pretty much every aspect of life, I am particularly drawn to the concept of its relevance to the world of business; most especially when it comes to eCommerce.
While I strive to be as adaptable, and open minded as possible myself, I find that there is perhaps no better place to practice, and benefit from a talent for adaptability than when you make your living online. In fact, carving out your own niche, and making an income on the web demands that you adapt, and “flow” at all times in order to succeed.
I find that its’ exactly what Lee described when he spoke about water; you must be flexible. And coming to the conclusion that believing in only one way, one particular style, that is written in stone and must be observed at all times is the surest way to fail, he forever changed the world of martial arts by adopting all of the styles one can; or more overly, any style that proved to be successful.
Adaptability, Flexibility Wins Throughout History
There are many well known examples of this concept being successfully applied to business, even before there was an internet. Go all the way back to the legendary companies that formed throughout the late 1800’s, and the early 20th century, like Ford, Sears & Roebucks, and Kentucky Fried Chicken, all the way through the late 20th century, like Apple. All amazingly successful because they looked beyond the standard methodology and acceptable practices of the time to enthrall their customers with something new, something better. They saw a demand or potential demand, sometimes even created that demand themselves, and they went for it. It didn’t matter to them that there was a way that was considered standard. They looked to a better, more successful way, regardless of the popularity of that idea.
Great musicians adapt their musical style to suit new generations and trends, clothing designers adapt their clothing designs. Take Chris Cornell for example; his skillful ability to adapt to more popular styles of music along with an updated yet still quintessential “Cornell” look have kept him on top well into his 50’s. And more power to him. That’s what we all need, and savvy online businesses know it. Successful businesses with staying power know that to be adaptable, is to not only survive, but to thrive. Without adaptation, all would go stale, and stagnate, and slowly fade away. Covered by a snowstorm of newer, more enticing marketing, strategies, products and services.
This concept has been proven throughout history to yield stellar results. Adapting well, and intuitively to your environment or situation, whatever it may be, being flexible, and open to new ideas, strategies, and methods is the best way to stay super competitive, and highly effective. To experience success. And adapting to the needs of your audience, customers, and clients is of utmost importance. The ability to flow from one thing to the next, taking all in stride, with opportunistic determination; that’s the stuff that successful, enduring businesses are made of, and it rarely fails.
To achieve this one cannot cloud their mind with thoughts of any one way, because this leads them to ignore, or perhaps even entirely miss, new things that may well prove lucrative if only recognized. Now, this does not mean re-invent the wheel when it is working, only that you should always keep an eye out for, and be open to, new concepts, methods, and strategies that will add to your success, new things that work. But you have to see them first. And to do that, you must open your mind.
And with this constant need for adaptability come new, exciting challenges every day; and perhaps the best opportunity one can find to grow, and thrive in the modern world. Which is infinitely appealing, and exciting to me. But then again, hasn’t it always been that way if only one was open minded, and flexible? After all, way back somewhere in time, someone certainly got the idea (most likely controversial at the time) to fashion clothing to keep themselves warm, to see a demand and create something to fulfill it; you get the idea. Most things were at one time un-thought of, and yet today it is considered a standard concept.
The Necessity of Successful Adaptation
Now, certainly some of that adaptability comes about in order to protect ones self. A modern example would be in the case of recovering from a severe hack on your website, or surviving a downturn in the economy. So there is risk involved too, but what else is new? Doesn’t this just give us a chance to improve, learn new moves and strategies to protect ourselves, and move to new opportunities? It improves business “Kung Fu” so to speak.
Adapting For Something Better
Now may be the best time in history to take advantage of this concept. The internet provides us not only with the ability to let our unique gifts and talents shine on a global scale, but also the opportunity to make something of ourselves that was never possible before, something better. To share those gifts and talents with the world in a way we never could before, helping others along the way.
I mean, it’s easy to forget to just stop and take a look at the internet for what it is anymore. It seems as if we have been working at it for so long, diving down every rabbit hole that comes along, drilling right down to the last detail of every technique and strategy possible. Learning every new thing that comes along that we can. But when you just take a moment to stand back and see all that the web has become, everything it’s become to us, what changes it’s made to our lives, it really is beautiful. Or at least it can be.
Like Bruce Lee, we can incorporate new styles, new forms, new knowledge, and skills with those we already possess, and we can come away wiser, and better human beings, with more successful businesses for it. We can share, and grow, and create success from nothing more than determination, and practically thin air. We can set our own schedules, our own financial limits, help the envronment, be the people we were meant to be, and pass this knowledge on to others. But only if we adapt, learn, and open our minds to new ideas and concepts.
To me, very few things in life hold a candle to the possibilities we have online. Very little is as worthy of our time, and so inspiring that you can wake up each new day, excited to get to see what comes your way. Nothing, with the exception of one thing; our children.
More than just your business…
And when you can make your world better by making a living online, you make their lives better as well. You can make more of your time with your children; more time, and a richer, fuller life with them. And then too, you can pass what you know on to your children. If you have one of those marvelous, like minded kids, who looks forward to doing what you do, and loving the job for what it is, you can especially ensure a better living for future generations too. All because you passed on this gift of adaptability, of possessing an open mind. That goes for every aspect of life.
More than us…
And it’s not just our children, and our income that benefit greatly from this way of making a living. The world itself benefits every time new successful online income is attained. How? Because every time this happens, it’s one less individual using gas to drive a car, or ride a bus to work. One less person using all that paper, less of a burden on our ecosystem. And now, that adaptation makes a whole new difference to the world.
If he were alive today, I wonder what Bruce Lee would think of the world wide web. Presumably, the master of adaptability, of crash and flow would no doubt take advantage of this amazing technology. I should think he would share his philosophical views, and ever improving martial arts style with the even more of the world than he did in his lifetime. And no doubt someone with so much talent and passion for that state of mind, and teaching others along the way, would quickly adapt. And keep on adapting to thrive, online. It would have been quite a thing to see.
Be Formless, Shapeless…online.
But regardless of what the master of adaptation would have done with this wonderful gift, what I really want you to focus on here is this; what will you do with it?
Will you endeavor to adapt, to grow, and thrive online? I certainly wish this for all of my fellow entreprenuers, my clients, and students. I wish you all the best in your business endeavors; all you truly deserve in life. And after having pondered this extensively on this crisp, beautiful fall evening, my only advise to you is: “Be water my friend.”
Until next time; take care. Explore, Learn, Enjoy – and strive to be adaptable!
Your Future Is Created by What You Do Today, Not Tomorrow
It’s funny how our future is an easy thing to get caught up in without really doing anything to create the future we want. It can be tough to understand, that Your Future Is Created by What You Do Today, Not Tomorrow. It’s all too easy to think about things you want to do or achieve tomorrow, next week, next month, next year; yet the actual “doing” gets set aside for another time. Sometime in the future.
Operating this way though, when that future comes, next week, next year, the doing still needs done, and the future didn’t yield the results we wanted.
What’s difficult is realizing that there is never a better time than the present to help guide the outcome of our future. Perhaps it’s because the concept is so powerful. Perhaps it’s because today is now, and today doesn’t seem like anything special.
I get it, it’s so easy to feel like now, today, doesn’t seem like it has much bearing at all on the future.
But if you think about it a bit more philosophically, realistically even, now is gone in the blink of an eye, and then there is just more … now. Eventually, even tomorrow will become now. So when when you look at it this way, there is only really ever… now.
So, perhaps the difficulty is in seeing “now” as a gift; now as the Present one should never ever waste. Because the future is what we make of it, it is undetermined. And you are determining that future, right now.
Right “now”, you are here with me reading this post. And if in doing so, you come to the conclusion that “now” is special and entirely capable of molding your future, then my now, my Present is not wasted. Neither is yours.
We all have something special we can share with others.And when we share that something special, it makes the world a better place. Think of all the great things we enjoy today. Someone shared their something special with the world to give us that, even our freedom to do so ourselves.
And when it comes to online business, there is no difference what so ever. In fact, that’s what online business should be all about; sharing our something special, our gift(s), with others. That’s what makes you shine, what makes you unique. Your something special is what makes you, you.
Perhaps your passion is creating heavenly essential oils. Perhaps you can make video tutorials to help people fix their broken sink faucet. Maybe you provide a catering service, or bake yummy donuts…
Whatever your something special is, if you never spend your “now” sharing it, it will never benefit anyone else. And if your goal for your future is for your something special to make you money, it’s not going to happen if you never spend “now” sharing it.
You see, right now, someone needs to fix their sink. Right now someone wants to dab some Lavender essential oil on their collar, or put it into an infuser so they can take in the scent and relax. Right now someone is needing a caterer to make their anniversary party special.
If you are out there sharing your special something now, every chance you get, the future you want will be there. Or at least you’ll have a better chance of having that future you envision for yourself. And those people you help with their sink, with your essential oils, well, you make their future better as well.
That’s how you can use “now”, the Present, as a gift for both yourself, and others. And it can make your dreams of future success, making money or an entire living sharing your special something online, a reality.
Be one of those people who gets things done. Now.Because those are the people who produce results, people others can rely on. People that rarely, if ever, say things like “I can’t.”, or “I don’t have time.” They don’t complain about the work, or the learning curve they must tackle in order to get where they want to go. They also do not tend to give up easily.
People who understand how powerful now can be don’t put off for tomorrow what can be done today. They understand the importance of building their future today, every day. Those are the people who others respect, admire, count on, and look up to the most. Because those are the people who succeed in whatever they set their minds to. Because they are doing it right now.
It’s the same with our personal lives as well. The relationships we build today, whether it be with our spouse, our children, our siblings, our parents, or our friends; those are the relationships we will have to live with, and work with in the future.
And the beauty of this is; you always know that you can start creating your future now, today!
Understanding that we are working on our future right now, that we never have time to waste sitting idly by, that the things we do today can have a major impact on our tomorrow, our future; that’s powerful stuff.
Now, for us workaholics, I am not talking about passing up some well-deserved R&R, or time with our children, and family. Even some much needed time to ourselves to reflect, exercise, take care of ourselves. That is time well spent. Because if we are doing those things, we are still working on our future. You don’t have much of a future if you don’t take care of yourself. So be sure to take time for you.
There is another old adage that goes “You reap what you sow.” Same thing; the main point is, be mindful of what you do now, today, every day. These decisions and actions are what mold and sculpt your future.
“Actions speak louder than words.”
Another relevant phrase, because your actions show who you are, and what you stand for. They create your future. And those are the actions you are or aren’t taking every day.
So make the most of now, of every day my friends. Live life to the fullest; work hard, play well, take care of yourself. Be passionate about the things you enjoy most, and love with all your might. Whatever you do, do it well, and do it now, today. Do it every day. Because today is where your future begins. And when you start creating it today, you’ll build the future you always wanted, the future you deserve!
