Love

How to Work with a Leader in Your Industry

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First, what’s your industry?

I know, you’d think I wouldn’t have to ask that, but a lot of people don’t know what kind of work they’re in, or they hate what they do.

This post is geared toward you who are pursuing your dream work, but it’s a recipe that will work in any industry.

I have used this technique to meet famous people on movie and tv sets as an extra, and I now teach acting classes.

Another “coincidence” happened a couple years ago when I was deep into writing – I had been blogging for years before that, but I was definitely feeling more confident in my writing around this time(although looking back at it, it wasn’t that great). But I was confident in it! And it was pretty good.

Anyway! Ryan Holiday was and still is a writer I look up to. I was scrolling through his book recommendations in early April of 2018 I believe it was. I came across the book Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, it piqued my interest so I got it and read it in like a day or two, it was so good, one of my favorite books of all time. But then a few days later an intuitive thought led me to checking out Tattered Cover book store’s website, to see if any authors I knew were coming to Denver for a book signing. I hadn’t checked that site in months, literally, and guess who was coming to a book signing two days from that day? Ryan Holiday. I felt a strange sensation go through my whole body.

So, point two — After you know your industry, who do you look up to in it? Who are the leaders you’d love to work with?

A lot of people never think it can happen to them, but it can! Part of this technique is just thinking about who you’d like to work with, because the mind is an extremely powerful thing. So think about it.

Next — I saw an opportunity in this book signing. Opportunities surround us more than we know — they are like objects in the background, we don’t pay attention to them because well, there’s more convenient things to focus on. But they are there.

So I took time to hand write a letter for Ryan, giving my appreciation to him, the work he’s done, and the influence it has had in my life. I included my email toward the end of it and mentioned that I had been writing for some years now and would love to work with him if there were any openings. A few weeks later I get an email from him with a trial assignment if I was interested in the position. If that’s not magic then I don’t know what is. Who knows, but I was really fucking excited. I did the assignment, got the position, did the work, and learned so much. I’m still learning from him, and am grateful for that opportunity. Him being a best selling author and world speaker definitely didn’t need me, and although I wrote a good amount of content, he did so much more for me by giving me that opportunity. 

So that’s another thing — if you do get an opportunity with a leader in your industry, stay humble. They’re doing you a favor, not the other way around.

Then from there, do the work. 

Put in the time. 

Never stop learning.

But remember that it all begins with an idea. 

Where are you really? By Dan Millman

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“…He asked, “Where are you today, right now?”

Eagerly, I started talking about myself. However, I noticed that I was still being sidetracked from getting answers to my questions. Still, I told him about my distant and recent past and about my inexplicable depressions. He listened patiently and intently, as if he had all the time in the world, until I finished several hours later.

“Very well,” he said. “But you still have not answered my question about where you are.”

“Yes I did, remember? I told you how I got to where I am today: by hard work.”

“Where are you?”

“What do you mean, where am I?”

“Where Are you?” he repeated softly.

“I’m here.”

“Where is here?”

“In this office, in this gas station!” I was getting impatient with this game.

“Where is this gas station?”

“In Berkeley?”

“Where is Berkeley?”

“In California?”

“Where is California?”

“In the United States?”

“On a landmass, one of the continents in the Western Hemisphere. Socrates, I…”

“Where are the continents?

I sighed. “On the earth. Are we done yet?”

“Where is the earth?”

“In the solar system, third planet from the sun. The sun is a small star in the Milky Way galaxy, all right?”

“Where is the Milky Way?”

“Oh, brother,” I sighed impatiently, rolling my eyes. “In the universe.” I sat back and crossed my arms with finality.

“And where,” Socrates smiled, “is the universe?”

“The universe is well, there are theories about how it’s shaped…”

“That’s not what I asked. Where is it?”

“I don’t know – how can I answer that?”

“That is the point. You cannot answer it, and you never will. There is no knowing about it. You are ignorant of where the universe is, and thus, where you are. In fact, you have no knowledge of where anything is or of what anything is or how is came to be. Life is a mystery. My ignorance is based on this understanding. Your understanding is based on ignorance. This is why I am a humorous fool, and you are a serious jackass.”

“A Cup of Tea” Zen Story

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Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.

Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring.

The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself, “It is overfull. No more will go in!”

“Like this cup,” Nan-in said, “you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”

Don’t look back for too long…

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Or you’ll crash…

When you aren’t following your own vision and goals you are likely to follow someone else’s vision and goals.

What are your goals?

Remember and never forget that you are the driver of your life. You are empowered to do great things. Everyone makes mistakes. There’s pain in all our lives. Keep going though. You have something the world needs.

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.”
Helen Keller

Read more related quotes and ideas here.

Love. Peace. Happiness.

Your Perspective IS Your Reality

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“Loving people live in a loving world. Hostile people live in a hostile world. Same world.” 
Wayne Dyer

We’re all living in the same world, but we all have unique perspectives. Our perspective isn’t the ultimate truth about reality, but it’s our truth about reality. 

We see reality through the lens of our individual perspective, which has been shaped and influenced by numerous external factors, but we can take control of our perspective.

A quick way to shift perspective is through gratitude.

Think about and write down all the things you are thankful for.

Begin with one or two, and then you’ll find your list growing. By dwelling in gratitude you can create more of a joyous life, creating a life of abundance, and one that you are in control of.

Love. Peace. Happiness.

5 Joseph Campbell Quotes to Live Fully

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“I don’t believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive.”

^^ What makes you come alive?

The world needs more of this. I do. I think we all do when it’s experiences founded in love.

“The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure.”

“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”

“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.”

“The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.”

It is a privilege

I am deeply thankful to my parents for always encouraging and loving me for who I am. They have shaped my life tremendously 🙂


What are a few of your favorite experiences?

How will you make more time for them?

Thank you for reading.

Peace. Love. Happiness.

Actions>Thoughts

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“Your thoughts are like wild monkeys stung by a scorpion.”
Dan Millman

Don’t believe everything you think; I have heard this phrase many times & it relates to this idea.

We can’t always control what we think, but we do have control of our actions.

Yes, try to think positive & focus on the best, but don’t try to force thoughts away. Embrace them; let it come & then let them go like clouds passing by…

Quotes from Dan Millman below.

“You don’t need to control emotion,” Socrates said. “Emotions are natural, like passing weather. Sometimes it’s fear, sometimes sorrow or anger. Emotions are not the problem. The key is to transform the energy of emotion into constructive action.”

“Old urges continue to arise, but urges do not matter; only actions do. A warrior is as a warrior does.”

“. . Action always happens in the present, because it is an expression of the body, which can only exist in the here and now. But the mind is like a phantom that lives only in the past or future. It’s only power over you is to draw your attention out of the present.”

Paying attention is also an action, and one of the most important actions:

“A Zen student asked his roshi the most important element of Zen.  The roshi replied, ‘Attention.’ 
‘Yes, thank you,’ the student replied. ‘But can you tell me the second most important element?’ And the roshi replied, ‘Attention.’”

Practice paying attention.

“Ultimately you will learn to meditate your every action.”

“Use whatever knowledge you have but see its limitations. Knowledge alone does not suffice; it has no heart. No amount of knowledge will nourish or sustain your spirit; it can never bring you ultimate happiness or peace. Life requires more than knowledge; it requires intense feeling and constant energy. Life demands right action if knowledge is to come alive.” 

“Full attention to every moment is my desire and my pleasure. Attention costs no money; your only investment is training.”

The POWER of Belief

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Was there a time when you believed in something so deeply you knew it to be true with all your heart and soul?

Maybe it was around Christmas time, a Holiday, or your first love?

Or maybe it was sitting in a chair you knew wouldn’t break?

Some things are easier to believe in than others, like trusting the chair you’re sitting in won’t break, but what if you could apply that same trust into areas of your life?

Here is one technique that has helped people such as Tony Robbins and many others acquire success:

Ask yourself, “If I had to believe my goals and dreams were possible to attain, how could I believe it?”

As you continue to ask yourself this question, and related questions to help grow your belief, your belief can grow. Here are 2 more questions to ask yourself:

“What would make me believe my goals and dreams are possible?”

And:

“What action can I take today to get closer to my goals and dreams?”

As much as we can think about our goals and dreams, actions are still needed, but it does begin with the mind by asking ourself questions.

Here are a couple quotes from famous people on this:

“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” 
― Albert Einstein

“Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habit.”
― Laozi

I’ve asked myself these questions, as well as others, and it has led me to some pretty awesome things, like interning with Ryan Holiday, which started as an idea in my mind.

Here is the full story of how it came to be.

Belief is a difficult thing, but we can strengthen our beliefs by consistently programming our brains with quality questions. In time, we will see progress within ourselves, as well as on the outside.

9 Paulo Coelho Quotes on Being Tested in Pursuit of Your Dreams

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1) “The closer he got to the realization of his dream, the more difficult things became…In his pursuit of the dream, he was being constantly subjected to tests of his persistence and courage. So he could not be hasty, not impatient. If he pushed forward impulsively, he would fail to see the signs and omens left by God along his path.”

2) “It’s only those who are persistent, and willing to study things deeply, who achieve the Master Work.”

3) “‘I had to test your courage,’ the stranger said. Courage is the quality most essential to understanding the Language of the World.”

4) “…You must not let up, even after having come so far. You must love the desert, but never trust it completely. Because the desert tests all men: it challenges every step, and kills those who become distracted.”

5) “‘Once you get into the desert, there’s no going back,’ said the camel driver. ‘And, when you can’t go back, you have to worry only about the best way of moving forward.’”

6) “What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we’ve learned as we’ve moved toward that dream. That’s the point at which most people give up. It’s the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one ‘dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.’”

7) “He realized that he had to choose between thinking of himself as the poor victim of a thief and as an adventurer in quest of his treasure.”

8) “…Every search begins with beginner’s luck. And every search ends with the victor’s being severely tested.”

9) “In his heart, he felt a strange sense of joy: he was about to die in pursuit of his destiny.”

19 Joseph Campbell Quotes That Can Inspire You To Follow Your Bliss

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1) Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.

2) How do you find the divine power in yourself? The word enthusiasm means ‘filled with a god,’ so what makes you enthusiastic? Follow it. So I have a little word: follow your bliss. The bliss is the message of God to yourself. That’s where your life is.

3) To find your own way is to follow your bliss. This involves analysis, watching yourself and seeing where real deep bliss is — not the quick little excitement, but the real deep, life-filling bliss.

4) I have found that you have only to take that one step toward the gods, and they will then take ten steps toward you. That step, the heroic first step of the journey, is out of, or over the edge of, your boundaries, and it often must be taken before you know that you will be supported.

5) The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek. Fear of the unknown is our greatest fear. Many of us would enter a tiger’s lair before we would enter a dark cave. While caution is a useful instinct, we lose many opportunities and much of the adventure of life if we fail to support the curious explorer within us.

6) The world is full of people who have stopped listening to themselves or have listened only to their neighbors to learn what they ought to do, how they ought to behave, and what the values are they should be living for.

7) There are something like 18 billion cells in the brain alone. There are no two brains alike; there are no two hands alike; there are no two human beings alike. You can take your instructions and your guidance from others, but you must find your own path.

8) Breaking out is following your bliss pattern, quitting the old place, starting your hero journey, following your bliss. You throw off yesterday as the snake sheds its skin.

9) Questing is not an ego trip; it is an adventure to bring into fulfillment your gift to the world, which is yourself. There is nothing you can do that’s more important than being fulfilled. You become a sign, you become a signal, transparent to transcendence; in this way you will find, live, become a realization of your own personal myth.

10) You enter the forest at the darkest point, where there is no path…Where there is a way or path, it is someone else’s path. You are not on your own path. If you follow someone else’s way, you are not going to realize your potential.

11) Following your bliss is not self-indulgent, but vital; your whole physical system knows that this is the way to be alive in this world and the way to give to the world the very best that you have to offer. There IS a track just waiting for each of us and once on it, doors will open that were not open before and would not open for anyone else.

12) What I think is that a good life is one hero journey after another. Over and over again, you are called to the realm of adventure, you are called to new horizons. Each time, there is the same problem: do I dare? And then if you do dare, the dangers are there, and the help also, and the fulfillment or the fiasco. There’s always the possibility of fiasco. But there’s also the possibility of bliss.

13) If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it’s not your path. Your own path you make with every step you take. That’s why it’s your path.

14) The achievement of the hero is one that he is ready for and it’s really a manifestation of his character. It’s amusing the way in which the landscape and conditions of the environment match the readiness of the hero. The adventure that he is ready for is the one that he gets.

15) When you are on the right path, invisible hands will come to your aid.

16) Follow your bliss. If you do follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while waiting for you, and the life you ought to be living is the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in the field of your bliss, and they open the doors to you. I say, follow your bliss and don’t be afraid, and doors will open where you didn’t know they were going to be. If you follow your bliss, doors will open for you that wouldn’t have opened for anyone else.

17) Follow your inner heart and the world moves in and helps.

18) When you go through life…it all seems accidental at the time it is happening. Then when you get on in your 60s or 70s and look back, your life looks like a well-planned novel with a coherent theme…Incidents that seemed accidental, pure chance, turn out to be major elements in the structuring of this novel. Schopenhauer says, ‘Who wrote this novel? You did.’

19) A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder. Fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won.