BEING THE PRIZE

Inspiration often times feels synonymous with motivation. Life can be effortless when we are connected with inspiration. When we are walking adrift in discontent and a stream of other emotions we are often less productive (in certain areas)

It’s interesting to recognize that we can be productive and motivated to do different things depending on our mood. Inspiration is NOT one thing. For instance a poet could feel inspired by a emotional break up with their significant other. And write a beautiful pro that touches many people.

I’ve often associated Inspiration with something emotionally happy, and maybe it still means that. Maybe feeling “sad” is not good or bad it just is. Maybe these “negative” feelings we often think of are nothing more than emotions that we have less success transforming into an outcome that we would appreciate.

The fact is we are motivated to do things with any emotion. We are motivated to sleep or eat or run or cry or laugh. It is up to the Prize to choose which emotions should be used and how to use them in a given situation.

Choose when happiness is needed or where tears should be shed.

Choose for yourself how you will transform your energy in an emotion through inspiration into action that betters your life.

We often run into problems when we focus on the emotion and do nothing with it. We are staring at a hole in a mountain all day long and we fail to realize we need to start digging and mining the gold.

Choose which emotion to allow into your life and then USE IT to inspire you in some way. If you don’t want to be unhappy choose to be happy. If you want to mourn choose to be sad. The important thing is not so much the emotion, but the inspiration that you can use to create an end result that benefits your life.

(Wednesday Post- In Sedona)
• How does one separate their instincts from their emotions?
• When is your gut simply confused with your irritability, sleeplessness or hunger pangs?
• When is your gut impatient and how soon should you remove someone from a company?
• How much time/energy should you spend before someone is considered incapable of adopting the Prize Mentality?

Perfection is admittedly unattainable, but the pursuit of perfection should be consistently apparent in your team. If “good enough” because an acceptable way of being, then your organization will never be “good enough” because human beings always fall short of their intended goals.

Lack Luster becomes the surface that everyone sees. The degree to which your organization (and life)“glimmers” is the best way to determine its future. If your surfaces are dull, it will be difficult to truly see one’s self. People will begin to expect less from the group and its members. They will become accustomed to half-hearted energy and everything that you produce will be inferior. To add to the degradation of the team, the dingy environment will create unrest and a depressed state.

Compare that to the glimmering image of the Prize Mentality. The brilliance reflects and radiates the power and excellence of the group. Everyone expects nothing but the best and anything less than extraordinary sticks out and becomes so obvious in the illuminated climate of this group.

The stronger the group is, the more apparent the dingy and dull personalities will become. They will be forced to push themselves or will fold under the perceived pressure and remove themselves from such an environment. Those who attempt to stay will be called out by the rest of the organization and removed far more quickly.

The key is integrity in building a team that holds themselves accountable to the concepts of the Prize Mentality. Anyone who speaks without action is first to be removed. Those who speak through action should be applauded and held to a continually higher standard to push their improvement to the pinnacle of its potential.

The only way to more accurately screen the world is to build a solid team around you and use the combined instincts of your mastermind group to arrive at the most logical answer. In all cases make sure that the entire body is rested, fed, and in a positive state of mind.

(Tuesday’s Post-in Sedona)
Every time I feel like giving up (I don’t really feel like giving up, I feel more disappointed than anything) because I don’t see the immediate effects of the Prize Mentality in my business, something jumps up to thank me.

We have an intern (and by intern I mean someone who is working for free) at the company, she was recently offered a paid position to work for Harley Davidson. I was not surprised to see that she was offered a position, but I was surprised to hear that she was unsure if she would take it.
She was torn because she wanted to stay working with me even though she was not being paid. She did not come in and try to negotiate some type of payment. No, she simply asked for my opinion.

She told me that she wants to work with me no matter what and was only considering going to work for HD, so that she could learn some new skills to bring into the company.

Her next statement was almost even more incredible. Her mother had told her that she should stay and work with me. No, seriously her mother told her to turn down a job for a huge company like HD and work with a guy who doesn’t even have a Net Worth of $1million yet.

She had read the team member guide and the Prize Mentality and she was so inspired that she thought we were a better choice to work with.

Speechless to say the least, I told her to go work for HD. I’m curious to learn about this company and see what good and “bad” can be applied.

(Monday’s Post-in Sedona)

Finding consistency has always been a strong challenge (opportunity) for me. It’s been difficult in the past to keep the momentum moving forward even if I’m not. I’ve seen a direct correlation to my activity in my business and the output of energy by my team members.

It honestly challenges me daily to discover a way to generate the energy level of each of the team members and separate their energy, desire and output from me. If I’m constantly the source of energy the candle will burn out if anything is to happen to me.

So what are the key components necessary to transform an average person (one who pulls energy from others) to that of an extraordinary person (one who accesses energy internally)? I’m honestly unsure. It seems that you can make little steps forward in this area, but it often extinguishes itself before a strong flame can begin to burn. I’m thinking that just like any new skill repetition, strong boundaries and rewards must be administered consistently.

1) Gain respect through your actions
2) Instill the Prize Mentality and demonstrate its value
3) Help them to overcome minor personal obstacles
4) Keep them busy beyond their control with specific tasks and deadlines
5) Keep them accountable to the systems and Integrity of their position
6) Keep them accountable to other team members (pair them with someone who challenges them)
7) Reward them when they succeed and discipline them when they lose sight of the goal

I’m thinking that my responsibility and my inability to be completely effective with team members is the lack of a solid structure and foundation as my new systems have yet to be implemented. The key to being a successful leader is to always have a simple and concise way to handle any situation effectively.

People look to a leader for answers and if they feel like your answers are incorrect it can slowly breed a mutinous environment. The leader has to show that they have “been there before” or if they have not, at least make their followers think that they know how to get there.

I’m fully aware of how the Prize requires a large amount of responsibility. The hypocrite in all of us can corrupt the Prize mentality. It’s important to stick to the mentality rather than talk about the mentality.

Reasons and excuses can creep in and erode what incredible situations the Prize Mentality creates for our lives.

It’s incredible how being the prize attracts others who share the mentality into your life. I had this view that integrity was vacant in the nightlife industry and now I’ve seen (still early) that there are others who are tired of the weak minded superficial individuals that plague such an industry.

When you adopt the mindset that something must be win-win and you trust your perception of people, your get incredible results. I’ve established three connections in a period of two days that align with my belief structure. I’ve also eliminated relationships that felt out of line with who I am and I’ve since been proven time and time again that the my judgment was correct.

I’m unrelenting with who I am and what I want in my life and I’ve been able to eliminate those who will eventually cause me problems and attract those who will bring me success. I’ve been patient and observant of the future and while things are not immediately generating money, the energy is building up. I can see the wealth growing. My wealth of knowledge and understanding is growing exponentially.

My theories are still being tested but seem to be working out positively so far.

Breakdowns are still happening alongside results. I’ve felt a little tired recently but I’m sure a lot of it has to do with my lack of commitment towards exercise, diet and mediation.

I’m having integrity in some areas but letting small things appear ok instead of being integrity fully. It’s one thing to acknowledge something, it’s another to correct it.

I’m tired of recommitting so I’m going back to the rubber band method and keeping integrity as a whole.

The one struggle I’m having is finding a balance. When am I pushing too hard and when am I not pushing hard enough. I will find an answer soon, hopefully through mediation.

Life’s breakdowns are like lactic acid. When you are not eating healthy, stretching properly or out of shape the lactic acid reminds you of this. It makes you soar and it makes you question whether or not you should continue exercising.

Similarly we have breakdowns in life as we are looking to grow and expand and it’s important to realize that we must work through them and understand that we are expanding our potential.

I am so “soar” right now, but it’s good and I’m growing slower than I would like. I’m confident that I’ll wake up one day and realize that I’ve become much stronger than I previously thought.

I’m expanding my potential in many areas right now. I’m growing the business and my costs are about $20,000/mo before I even turn a profit. The costs are greater becomes I’m growing the business and I am bringing on a mechanic as well as a sales staff and 4 full time vehicles (I’ll have 8 + on before a 12 mo period)

I’m moving into a house by myself because it makes me happier to have my own space (I think it’s a territorial thing, It feels so primal)

I’m now going to get myself a Christmas gift: Image Here

Plans on getting the vehicle at a reduced rate:
Call manufacturer and explain to them the win-win possibility by describing my talents and see which ones would benefit their company the most.
Sending pictures and bio to mtv for Pimp My Ride because they have never done a classic jaguar for the show.

I posted this late, but will post again tonight after I get off of work (2am or so)

I’ve analyzed my 6 month goals that are due in November and it’s interesting how many goals I’ve yet to complete. The major problems have been with my Integrity. I’ve been inconsistent in following through with my commitments because I’ve found “reasons” to circumvent them. Now it’s down to the wire and I’m forced to find a way to be consistent with my objectives.

The fact is that we all have challenges we put before ourselves and when we load ourselves up with countless desires to become perfect overnight we have little chance of succeeding.

I had a professor named Dr. Cox in college and one of the most memorable things he taught was that one must have realistic life expectations to be successful in life.

Now analyzing this comment through the concept of the Prize Mentality could lead to one dismissing such a comment.

I have come to understand that a foundation must be set before one can start to construct a beautiful structure.

The foundation is to engrain the Prize Mentality into one’s self through constant reminders and action. Building muscle memory into our thought and actions and creating consistency in every aspect of our lives.

The Prize should be balanced and avoid being overly anxious to take on every challenge in their life. By taking on the baseline and underlying structure in our lives we create the Possibility to accomplish future goals. By approaching challenges with this state of mind we lead ourselves to success.

I’ve recently seen how powerful the Prize Mentality is in creating a work environment that can produce extraordinary results. I’ve been at fault of avoiding harnesing my overzealous nature (inconsistent with the Prize Mentality) and I’ve seen how powerful deliberate planning and the implementation of systems in life and business will free us to create incredible results.

If one analyzes what they truly desire (the underlying drive behind a challenge or a goal), not the goal itself but the core of the goal, you will see that that by working on that area you will produce a more efficient way to accomplish all goals. wich by defaultlt will eventually result in a conquest over the challenge/goal itself. (is this making sense?)

Sharpen your axe and your saw before you spend days cutting down trees with dull equipment. Better yet, find a fantastic company to send your saws and axes to and then get to work cutting down your trees and eventually hire individuals to do the cutting for you. Be efficient by setting realistic goals and avoid stretching yourself too thin. The lion does not set out on a hunt with the hopes of killing as many animals as it can, instead it sets out on a hunt to simply satisfy its imediate hunger. Remember to be patient and calm and find time for yourself because even the Lion needs to rest.

I am Recommitting to the following goals by End of November 2007:

Physical:
• Exercise 3X a week
• Take Vitamin’s daily
• Eat a solid diet daily and never skip a day without eating

Mental
• Make a Blog entry 5 days a week (part of my work duties)
• Read something new 30/min twice weekly
• Add a vocabulary word once a week (signed up for wordsmith.org)

Emotional
• Travel once a month for at least a day

Spiritual
• Meditate once a week for 30 min (down from daily)

Community
• Family dinner once a month

Financial
• Net $200,000 in future 12mo income from new source of revenue (not sure how exactly this will happen right now, most likely working on vehicle wraps)
• Start to create a secondary or tertiary source of passive income (web based most likely figuring out how to outsource implementation of my ideas)

I’m back from my family reunion. I’ll post my entries from my time there tomorrow night. Today I want to write about carrying rocks.

I was working at a coffee shop today and I sat next to a woman and a young man who were discussing Metaphysics and life. I put in my ear buds and listened to my tracks on the computer so as not to be distracted. I took a brief break to use the restroom and when I returned the woman had noticed my wallpaper that displayed the Prize Mentality.

She noted the coincidence to their conversation. I ended up talking with them, as I felt there was not really any other option that I wanted to pursue. The young man had just purchased 60 gumball vending machines and was claiming to make between $6-7k/mo only working 10 hours a week. (so doing some quick math that’s 6000/60=100/.25=400 gumballs per location in one month.) I’m not saying it’s not possible, but not likely. He also offered me to make $50,000/year for the rest of my life if I could help him find an investor for a product he knows nothing about because he is helping someone else he doesn’t really know. I just need to come up with $300,000 for my 1000% return he was offering. (i’m not sure how that really equates, but it sounds like a lot of money)

The woman was unemployed and said she had been fired a lot. The two were in a yoga class together and the young man was waxing on about the law of attraction and the law of money (something about how poor people are always poor because the way they see money)

I started to talk to them about some books that might be useful and engaged them to find out some passions to maybe help the woman find a job she would love. Carrying stones is an old habit. The young man never wrote the names down to any of the books even though there was a book store attached to the coffee shop. The woman told me every excuse in the book why it wasn’t possible for her to make money and be around horses (even though countless people around the world make money and probably a lot of it dealing with horses daily)

I’m hoping to resign from preaching and just get back to being. I figure that the people who are interested in learning will ask and If they ask and still choose not to receive, then I’ll smile and wave goodbye.

You’ve met these people before, that need constant charging of their batteries. They are invigorated and inspired in your presence and believe that anything is possible. When they depart and your light is no longer there to charge their batteries, the energy wanes. The next morning they are on empty and look outside for a source of power.

I’m working on keeping my power plant going for myself and only sharing with those that can learn to harness the energy in them. I think it’s safe to say that these people are far more rare and easier to spot.

I think the two of them are on a path that will eventually lead to some greater understanding about where they are blind. I had this interesting sense of reincarnation while sitting with them. I felt (not in an arrogant way) on a different plane. They seemed to be in a different stage of searching. The woman seemed so lost for being so late in years. They both seemed lost, but the young man even more so. He was lost because he wasn’t even aware that he was lost. (I hope it’s not the same for me)

In the end, I’m going to focus on harnessing my energy more and distributing in more judiciously.

I was at a networking event today and I met a guy who works a lot of hours and would like to find a way to work less and have more money. It was interesting when I started to learn about his mentality regarding money.

He is an Engineer originally from Denmark. He has a wife and an interesting relationship with money.
he “Loves money more than anything or anyone in the world”, including his wife and apparently she feels the same way.

He told me he would rather drive home drunk than pay for the cab ride so that he can hold on to his money.

The people who have disregard for money and the people have too high a reverance are relegated to the same prison. There will never be enough money for these people and nothing will quench their desire. On top of that, the ability to create wealth will almost be non-existant. They will be trapped if they don’t hold on to enough of it and they will be trapped if they hold on to too much of it.

The guy wants to meet with me. I will offer him a few books as well as a different perspective and hopefully he will find a new relationship with both money and his life. If not, no worries. It’s an interesting experience that reinforces how much abundance is necessary to live a truly free life.

I’ll be in Wisconsin till Monday. If I have internet access I’ll post. If I don’t I’ll write daily and post when I return.