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

Game ON, 2017...

Website

I was surprised last night by two young women who were visiting Greenpeace supporters in the area... They wanted to reach out and accomplish three things with their visit (which we can all learn from):

1. EXTEND GRATITUDE. They braved the cold to visit their Sacramento supporters and personally say "Thank you". I even got a hug. Emails and phone calls can't sent that message!
2. RECONNECT WITH PEOPLE. There will be a lot of challenges for everyone this coming year and we cannot do much on our own. We need to connect with like-minded people and link arms.
3. ASK FOR HELP. We can't be timid or shy when it comes to making changes in this world. We each have to not only stand up for what we believe in. We also need to "put up or shut up" with financial support, volunteerism and knocking on doors...

I told them I have been an environmental advocate since the first Earth Day in 1970 and I am SO EXCITED to see the next generations on the bandwagon. I am also inspired to up MY game in 2017.

So I dedicate THIS blog to all the organizations I have supported and to the people who make a BIG difference. If your cause is not on my billboard, make your own and make a difference. 

GAME ON, PEOPLE!! (This is me asking...)

'Tis a MAGICAL Season

As the song says "It's the MOST Wonderful time of the Year!" It's a season of family, community, giving and peace. Here are just a few things to consider:

• VOLUNTEER, DONATE, SUPPORT: Many of you already do so much for your community. Let's each of us step it up a notch in 2016 and through next year... Let's see if CHANGE happens... 
• SUPPORT & CELEBRATE LOCALLY: Support a local business by shopping, dining & spreading the holiday cheer in your own community. Let's see if PROSPERITY happens...
• BE PART OF THE SOLUTION: There is so much in this world that we can complain about (so much!). I like the lyrics from Michael Jackson's song: "Man in the Mirror": If you wanna make the world a better place; Take a look at yourself, and then make a change." Let's see if MAGIC happens...

Check out the events coming up in Rancho Cordova and more in BobsPocket.com. Hope our paths will cross somewhere "out there"... let's make some MAGIC!