Grateful for Community

The news reports have been filled with stories of communities decimated by recent natural disasters. I know many individuals and businesses that have been impacted AND others that have sent donations and/or volunteered to help those communities. Amid all the stories, there is a common thread... one of human compassion and kindness.

So, in spite of the tragedy that has fallen on so many, I am grateful for the reminder that humanity, at its core, is kind, compassionate, generous, and hopeful. After Las Vegas, Paris, and so many other incidents of violence, it is good to know that as a community, whether local or global, people rally together.

I am also grateful to be part of the Rancho Cordova community where I find examples of people helping people ALL the time. Hope you will come out and rally with others in November.

WE Can Help Homeless Students!

In 2008 the Folsom Cordova Unified School District had 680 documented cases of “homeless” students. And that number has continued to grow. It’s hard to grasp that so many local kids are struggling with something as basic as a stable place to live.

The Good News is that many good-hearted people and organizations are working to help these young people. One of these is Project 680 which was named after the aforementioned number.

They started with a sock drive in December 2008. Their goal was to collect 680 pairs of socks. They were overwhelmed with generosity from our community and saw 3,144 pairs of socks come in. Local residents, neighborhoods, organizations, churches, and businesses all teamed up to make this happen.
They are continuing their efforts with a Hoodie Drive this year. Visit Project680.org for more information about how YOU can help.

Small Steps... Giant Leaps

You’ve probably heard about the book “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey. Committing to and practicing a habit that will positively affect your personal or professional life may only be a 5 minute commitment each day but the long-term shift it can make in your life could be MONUMENTAL!

Sometimes we KNOW what we SHOULD do but put it off... (That’s another habit.) One quote that sums it up is that “Procrastination is failure on the installment plan”.

Sometimes we don’t KNOW what we COULD do to make improvements. So one habit we could practice is seeking solutions: read, attend workshops, mastermind with others. Speaker Jim Rohn said “Rarely doesa good idea interrupt you.” However, seek and ye shall find!

Check out workshops, videos, tips, tools and resources on ExpandMyBrand.biz (to grow your business and save you time) and TradingFaces.us (to live a happier, healthier, more fulfilling life).

Two Heads are Better than One...

Then it is safe to say that "Many Heads are Better than Ever!" We call it a Mastermind group. The origin of mastermind groups came from Napoleon Hill In his book, "Think And Grow Rich". He defined a mastermind as: “The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony.”

​The benefits of a Mastermind group are many:

1. You gain the perspective and feedback from others so you have an insight into a scenario or situation ​that may differ from your own. It takes a village...
2. You receive support in dealing with a difficult situation and kudos when you achieve a goal. No person is an island!
3. You will be held accountable for your commitments so that you are more likely to achieve them. Procrastination is failure on the installment plan

So if you have a business, a project, a dream... find or form a group who want to achieve something as well and support each other. Chances are you've all just increased your chances of meeting or exceeding your expectations! Go for it!!

Do YOU know the Way...?

If you have ever tried to get from POINT A to POINT B without a map (or GPS), you know it can be a long road... full of wrong turns, potholes and frustration. No one ever gets into a car without having directions in one form or another.

However, in business (and sometimes in life), we often head down a path without knowing the best, most direct way (or sometimes even where we really want to go). So here’s the “well, duh” advice:

1. Know (about) where you want to end up (see “reverse imagineering” article from last month). You may adjust mid-course but at least you’re mid-way there!
2. Get the right tools*: Advice from someone who has already been: read, learn, ask... why reinvent the wheel?
3. Get going! If you don’t take a step, you won’t make any progress. Procrastination will leave you in that rut!

*GOOD NEWS: The right tools and support are as available as the internet which puts all those resources at your keyboarding fingertips! Visit BobPocket.com for some good business resources.

Resourcefulness is ALL you need...

You may have heard it said "Seek and ye shall find" or "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear". Both very true because EVERYTHING you need to achieve your goals is out there. But all the resources in the world mean nothing, unless you have this quality: RESOURCEFULNESS!

One definition is "the ability and initiative to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties or challenges". So if we already know the resources we need to overcome obstacles exist, the only thing standing in our way to solve the problem is the initiative to seek them out and engage.

I've watched a few seasons of the TV show "Survivor". One of the things that has astonished me is the ability and initiative of some players to find a hidden immunity idol on a friggin' island without a clue where to look or what it looks like. Now that is initiative, my friends!

So there is no excuse (or benefit) for any "woe is me" self-pity. The resources are out there... We just need the initiative to start looking! Helpful hint: be sure to "reverse engineer" what you want to accomplish per last week's article (www.BobsPocket.com)... Next week, we look at scavenger hunts and teamwork..

Reverse Imagineering...

Sometimes to create your "dream life" or "dream business" can seem a daunting task. Especially if you don't know where or how to start and don't know what you'll need to get there. Then sometimes it's better to start with imagineering what it looks like and then start recognizing the pieces that show up that will fit the puzzle. Let's call that "reverse imagineering"... 

I heard that when a sculptor starts with a big block of stone to carve an eagle, he just starts removing anything that is NOT the eagle. 

​Life can be like that as well... If you have option A or option B, eliminate the option that is more obliviously NOT what you need. Then decide on option B or wait for another option to show up. Sometimes it is easier to recognize what is NOT right rather than what is... 

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More tips on this next month...​

​Willy Wonka touts the benefits of a world made from "pure imagination". Let's have at it, shall we?

Renaissance, Anyone?

I am not a history buff, but from the little I know, a Renaissance is a GOOD thing. According to the Internet, an oracle of knowledge in OUR times, a Renaissance is a "time of rebirth of humanism and new discoveries in fine arts, music, literature, philosophy, science and technology, architecture, religion and spirituality". AKA, a time to be PROUD to be, not just an American, but part of the human race. 

Personally, I've felt this dread that our nation is heading into a period of "dark times" that I am not looking forward to. But, I have learned, that if ALL you do is complain, then you are part of the problem, not part of the solution.

So we need to commit to what we EACH value and cherish and not take two steps back for the step forward we have made to ensure that:

1. EVERY person has those rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness;
2. we act as STEWARDS to this planet and own our commitment to protect and preserve its resources for every living thing we share it with and for future generations
3. we are stronger because we have different skills, interests and points of view and we need to CELEBRATE that, not mock it!

One of my favorite words has always be IMAGINE but even more, the word IMAGINEER! It's one thing to envision a world of peace, harmony & creativity... it's even more wonderful if we build it!

I'm sharing these quotes (found on the Internet) from folks far wiser than me. They inspire me. Hope they do you to spark the IMAGNEER within!

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”  

― Martin Luther King Jr., 

A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches

​“Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.”  ― Anne Frank​

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“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

- ​J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring