Category: Life Lessons

Day Eleven: A Cup of Coffee

Today’s prompt:

Write today’s post as if you were having a virtual coffee date, catching up with an old friend. You can share any details you’d like and include as many as you want, as long as you begin each with “If we were having coffee right now …”

Funny because today we’re actually in a Starbucks about to work on a side project, so it’s an ideal environment for this post.

I just so happened to use my free reward I’ve saved up 😁 (The article I wrote shows how I turned $7 into $19).

Venti “Green Master Jedi” frap (everything tastes better when its free 😏)

If we were having coffee right now, I would talk about the current book I’m reading, The Everything Store. It’s a very detailed account of Jeff Bezos and the origin story of Amazon. I’m hardly halfway through but it’s phenomenal so far.

I always love reading biographies of amazing and accomplished people. The biggest value I get from their narratives is not how they shaped the world around them but taking a look into their mind and how they think. I believe that if you can learn how to think like they do, you can pick up some of the valuable essences of what makes them stand out.

What’s crazy about Jeff is that he has such a clear vision of what he wants. It seems like people around him knew he was gifted at an early age. The author and Jeff himself also point to the nurturing environment that his parents provided him; they always encouraged and supported his creativity early on.

He’s also very smart and analytical in who he works with. Even if he has to let go some of he people he started the company with, he knows it’s for the better of he company.

I think it takes a special type of person to be able to handle such a huge company. When someone like that makes waves in the marketplace, I feel it takes a strong leader who can deal with the “sky and the dirt,” as Gary Vaynerchuk says.

It’s always fun to learn about the back stories and behind the scenes, details that outsiders like myself had no idea was going on as it happens. For example, the shift that Amazon made to incorporate 3rd party sellers and a “related products” search in the marketplace. Also, all of the business meetings with other companies like Walmart and eBay that never went anywhere but we’re still a part of the Amazon story.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you about how I’m starting to get back into tricking with some college friends. A couple days ago after work, we had a productive park session:

When the cameraman tries a moving action shot, but trips and drops the camera 🏃🏼🎥💥😅

A video posted by J.R. “Pulse” Yonocruz (@yolocruz) on Aug 12, 2016 at 11:21pm PDT

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I’m hoping to be able to session once a week. I want to add more variety to my physical activity as well as gain new skills. It’s addicting when you accomplish your goals.

If we were having coffee, I’d also tell you about how I’m stepping up my workout game with my workout buddy Michael and progressing towards higher level calisthenics. We’re using Hugh Jackman as our war cry to push harder than we think we can, haha.

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That’s pretty much it! I’ll be sure to keep you updated. Let’s do this again soon 🙂

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you liked best, and I always appreciate any insight or advice from my readers. I read and respond to every comment 🙂

Day Eight: Reinvent the Letter Format

Dear future self,

Hey buddy, how’s it going? Long time no speak, it’s been years (literally). I’m not sure what age you are but I’m your 25 year old self writing you from the past. Just checking in on you to see how things are going.

Congrats on all your recent success and accomplishments! I know you’ve been putting in all the grind and hard work consistently, so I know you’re starting to reap the rewards.

Just be sure to remember your “why” and don’t lose sight of it. Try not to get caught up in all the minutiae and remember to enjoy the journey. Don’t be too caught up and focused on the results without understanding the purpose.

How’s the family? I know you’re probably married and have kids. You’ve wanted to be a father for so long, I bet it’s a roller coaster of a ride, haha. I’m sure it’s tough but I’m hoping you’re loving every second of it.

Good job staying close to our parents and other family. Family is always important, especially your parents. Don’t ever stop making them feel loved and appreciated. Even if there may be times when they might annoy you, you know you’ll always love and forgive them.

I know you’re ultra wealthy, successful, and famous, but don’t forget to keep donating and giving back. Life is a gift, nothing really belongs to you, so always make it a core focus to add value to others. Keep inspiring others to do what inspires them and always strive to make the world better each day.

In case you’re wondering about me, I’m just as young, ambitious, and naive as ever 😁. I’m very optimistic and hopeful for the future. Gratitude is always at my center which I believe is why I’m always so happy, even if I don’t show it.

Sorry for all the mistakes I’ve made along the way. At the same time, I know you’re grateful for them because there are no such things as bad experiences, simply learning experiences. We’ve survived 100% of our worst days, right?

Whatever challenges and struggles you’re facing now, just remember that I believe in you. You got this! #easy, right? Keep going full out, live with no regrets. I know you still have time, but there’s always still so much more to do. You’ll be more fulfilled working towards something that drives you than being complacent and relaxing.

That’s it from me, I’ll let you get back to it. I’ll keep on that grind and keep taking action on what I need to get done. The two biggest obstacles are just fear and procrastination, right? Haha 😊

Take care and have fun!

Sincerely,

Marlo

P.S. Keep being weird and silly. Here’s a reminder in case you forgot 😉

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Didn’t know The Broad was an AYCE buffet. #cheatday

 

Day Five: Hook ’Em With a Quote

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At work, I go to the bank to make our daily deposits. When I pass by the mailroom, there’s always one of these signs by the entrance with a new quote or insightful message.

This was the quote from sometime last week:

Leaders get out in front and stay there by raising the standards by which they judge themselves – and by which they are willing to be judged. -Frederick W. Smith (CEO of FedEx)

I love this quote for three reasons:

1. Leaders aren’t managers, they don’t lead from the back. They go out in front and lead by example. This means they’re also assumably one of the best in their field.

2. Life is all about standards. We don’t reach our expectations, we fall to the level of our training. How we do anything is how we do everything. Excellence is a habit.

3. Leaders don’t worry about following or judging by anyone else’s standards other than their own. Too many of us worry about what others think, yet don’t question the validity of the standards other people live by. Live by your own standards.

Be the change you want to see in the world, right?

 

Day Four: A Story in a Single Image

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At many points in our lives, we stand at major crossroads and junctions. Everyday, we make micro decisions that effect our lives on a small scale. However, we don’t see the effects of these small decisions until we’re way down the line.

Think of it like we’re navigating a train station. We might read and follow the signs, we might not. Sometimes we want to just explore. We turn right here, make a left here, stop at a dead end and turn around. We might ask for directions from people who seem like they know their way around. We might find out that they’re just as lost as we are.

Sometimes we get on a train. We don’t know where it’s going, but we go because we see other people get on. Then sometimes we sit on that train and are too comfortable to get off. Even if it’s going someplace we won’t want to, sometimes we don’t know because we aren’t paying attention.

Sometimes we find the courage to get off the train, locate the right terminal, and get in the right train. We’re sad, annoyed, or frustrated that we’ve been going the wrong way for years and years. But we don’t realize that it doesn’t matter how long we’ve been going the wrong way. All that matters is we’re going in the right direction.

So what do we do when we feel lost? How do we find our way to our destination?

First, we need to know where we want to go and what we really want. What we want comes from knowing what we value. Knowing what we value comes from knowing who we are.

Funny thing is, if you know who you are, it doesn’t matter where you’re going. You’re probably already there.

I think the journey is simply finding out who you are.

The most “Profound” piece of advice

Profound – Daily writing prompt

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received drastically changed the way I looked at life.

A few years ago, I had just graduated college and didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. I was thousands of dollars in debt, I was living on my parents’ couch after moving back home, and I didn’t know where my life was headed.

I thought I had wanted to work for the government and that the best way to do so would be to serve in the armed forces.

Long story short, that didn’t work out, haha.

Fortunately, I soon met up with a college friend who introduced me to the world of entrepreneurship. Several more meetings within the course of a year, I had met a bunch of very high-level, successful entrepreneurs who kept giving the same advice:

Always keep learning and growing.

There’s a quote by Ray Croc that goes, “If you’re green you’re growing, if you’re ripe you’re rotting”

Jack Canfield mentions in The Success Principles the idea of C.A.N.I. = Constant and Never-ending Improvement.

In Japanese, this idea of constant improvement is called kaizen.

I learned from one of my mentors that the key to obtaining your goals is to grow and expand your comfort zone.

Instead of shrinking our goals to match our reality, we gave to grow ourselves to encompass everything we want to achieve.

It was empowering to learn that I had the potential to achieve anything, as long as commit long term to grow myself on a daily basis and constantly pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone.

I work out 5-6 times a week to keep expanding my physical comfort zone. I read almost 1 book a week to expand my knowledge. I attend church weekly in order to expand my spiritual knowledge. I am constantly setting goals and deadlines on when to achieve them to see if I’m on track. I visit my long term goals everyday so I’m always in tuned with my life vision.

Today, I can honestly say I’m happy because I always feel like I’m growing. I’m also pumped to know I’m making steady progress instead of being stuck or feeling stagnant.

Whats your most profound piece of advice? I’d love to hear about it in the comments! I respond to all comments so feel free 🙂

Why it’s hard to “Apologize”

Apology – daily writing prompt

Whenever I find myself in the wrong in a despite between myself and someone else, I always find it hard to say sorry. Even though I know it’s the right thing to do, its not always an easy task.

Obviously depending on the context, it can be easier or harder. But generally, the more emotions put into it, the harder it is to admit fault.

We all believe we’re the good guys, by the way.

So why is it so hard to say sorry? It’s pretty simple.

Ego.

Our ego is what makes us selfish. It’s what gives us our pride and makes us stubborn to admit fault. Our ego is what pushes others away instead of trying to understand them.

Truthfully, if we all had a bit more humility and a lot less ego, conflicts wouldn’t arise so easily. And when conflicts do occur, it would be substantially easier to resolve.

Next time you’re in a conflict with someone, try to put your ego aside and empathize with the other person. Recognize that you’re wrong and apologize from the heart.

In every conflict where there’s a winner and a loser, both will end up losers in the long run from the strained relationship.

On the flip side, those who can apologize, will spur forgiveness on the other side. That way, both sides will win.

 

3 Ways to Live a “Dramatic” Life

Dramatic – Daily writing prompt

Monday mornings at work, we have a meeting usually about an hour long. The first half of the meeting we usually tell fun stories about our weekend on a volunteer basis. It’s a fun little exercise to get the week started as some stories can be pretty entertaining.

Over the past year, I’ve developed a bit of a reputation of having funny or at least mildly interesting stories. It’s now at the point where people occasionally request a story from me because they know I’ll have something interesting to say!

Honestly, I don’t believe my life is anymore interesting than the next person. However, I can tell you for a fact that I do go into the weekend with a mindset of having a fun experience or finding an interesting story to share with the group on Monday.

Here are some tips I have to living a more exciting life:

1. Seek out new experiences

Sometimes my girlfriend and I will look on Groupon or any other website for discounted deals on local activities. This is how we found ourselves taking archery classes, or how I went Flyboarding in Miami. One time, we just rented bikes to go cruising near the ocean at Huntington Beach for an afternoon. Another time we took yoga classes for two months for $30 each. We try to find new things to do at least once or twice a month. With sites like groupon, there’s usually a large number of activities to choose from.

2. Be proactive with your weekends

Instead of going into the weekend thinking, “I’m just going to relax. I’m too tired to do anything,” look to the weekend as a time to have fun and something to look forward to. Don’t be reactive and wait for something to happen to you. Before you know it, you’ll be sitting on your couch watching Netflix again, binge watching some series for 20 hours straight and wonder where the weekend went. If you want your life experience to consist of hours of Netflix, then go for it. But I would hardly consider that a great experience to look back on.

3. Say “Yes” more often

I found some of the most fun things I’ve done were usually things I didn’t want to do at first. But once I got out of my own mental comfort zone, the experience turned out to be more fun. For example, I was never big on outdoor activities like hiking. Now, however, my girlfriend and I have been on several trails because she’s always push for going. Overall, it’s a fun activity and great exercise as well. The views can be worth it alone, and being away from technology is a great feeling.

Any other tips for living a more fun and interesting life? Please let me know in the comments!

Becoming someone you “Admire”

Admire – Daily writing prompt

We all have someone we admire, whether it’s a parent, a teacher, professionals, successful business people, a friend, or even a sibling. There’s something about who they are and what they’ve accomplished that we really appreciate.

For some people, they strive to be someone that others can admire for their own achievements. It’s very rewarding to hear when someone says you’ve inspired them and your example changed their lives.

So how do you become someone that others admire? I think there are many ways:

-Do something that inspires you. Commit and do it fully. Despite what people may say and how they might discourage you, it’s more fulfilling do to it than to regret not having even tried.

-Do what you love, which will make it easier to do. As Gary Vaynercuk says, he hardly ever gets burned out because he’s constantly energized by following his passion.

-Love what you do. This stems from gratitude and seeing the bright side of things. Your optimism and appreciative mindset is what will make you happy in whatever you do.

-Overcome your challenges. Don’t wish things were easier, wish that you were better and then constantly work to improve yourself daily. When you reach the point where others give up, keep pushing until you succeed. Your story will inspire others that it CAN be done despite your challenges.

-Be consistent and persistent. When the rock and the stream meet, the stream wins every time. Case in point: the Grand Canyon.

-Focus. Most people have a deficit of attention. You’ll be surprised how far ahead of the pack you’ll be if you can F.O.C.U.S. (Follow One Course Until Successful).

Along your path to doing what inspires you, committing to something, following your passion, being happy and loving what you do,overcoming your personal obstacles, and focusing, you’ll no doubt inspire others along the way 🙂

Any other ways to become someone you’d admire? Leave a comment below!