Because the focus of this blog is on leading your life into your bigger story, I’m regularly asked my opinion on what is success.
If you think about it, there are many ways to answer the what is success question. For instance, true success is:
Kids spell L-O-V-E funny. They spell it T-I-M-E.
Yet, if you’re a parent, you don’t have to be Captain Obvious to realize that it can be quite a challenge to invest enough time to communicate love to your kids. So what can we do to find more T-I-M-E to L-O-V-E our kids?
Here are a few ideas that even busy parents can implement (and by “busy,” I mean all of us):
Often we experience life as “normal” or “average.” Each day is routine. From the moment we wake up, brush our teeth, eat breakfast, head off to work, and come back home…everything just sort of happens.
Sound a bit monotonous? Perhaps even mediocre?
Well, if we aren’t careful, mediocrity creeps into our lives before we detect its presence. What’s more, we can fall prey to its vicious traps that keep us from living the life we were born to live. So the question is: “How can we break free from mediocrity?”
There are a ton of solid ideas in books and on the Internet that can help us break away from mediocrity, and every strategy has its own “proven” methods. However, our problem is not a lack of ideas or information; our problem is us! Are we willing to do what it takes to break away from mediocrity?
Last week, Live It Forward LLC hosted our third annual Speak It Forward Boot Camp. One of the highlights for me personally is that my good friend and coaching client, Chad Jeffers, attended the Boot Camp.
So who is Chad Jeffers? Well…have you ever heard of Carrie Underwood? Chad tours with Carrie and plays dobro, slide guitar, guitar, and mandolin in her band. He has also toured with Keith Urban and Kenny Loggins. What’s more, he is a Grammy nominated artist who, in my book, will win a Grammy soon.
Each year during the Boot Camp, Kathy and I host a cozy reception at our home for attendees. This year, all of us enjoyed the incredible treat of Chad granting us our own intimate concert. It was amazing!! As I said to my daughters: “Can you believe a Grammy nominated artist is performing in OUR LIVING ROOM?!”
If you are a speaker or want to be a speaker, I hope you can join us next year at the Speak It Forward Boot Camp. But until then, check this out…
Jason Mraz is one of my favorite artist (he’s definitely in my Top 3). Not only is his music amazing, his lyrics are so authentic and soulful.
One of my favorite songs he sings is also one of the saddest songs he sings. It paints a picture of the incredible challenges many children and teenagers face during their coming of age years. Here are those lyrics, followed by a link to one of the most genuine and insightful online conversations I’ve ever read.
I’m not sure why I’m sharing this with you except to give you insight into my heart as to why I’m so passionate about serving teenagers and young professionals and helping them live it forward in the most important roles of their lives. Also, it’s why I’m so passionate about encouraging educators in what makes great teachers great!
I have not been this upbeat or excited since…well, I can’t remember when! But I can tell you this—Kent Julian was the springboard for my thought patterns changing. He didn’t know me, but he believed in me and set me in the right direction. For that, I will be eternally grateful. As I look back on my coaching sessions with Kent, I realize that for the first time in a long time, I started to dream again thanks to Kent!
Brian Bayless
