Day 1 Spain

Day one in Madrid, Spain has come and gone. Flew into Madrid about about 11:45 am. I slept the majority if the flight. Within 2 hours we got through customs and used the metro (subway system) and made it to out hotel. Not too bad of an experience.

Two hours into the trip my cousin Julia(cousin) and her friends (Christy, Meg & Eduardo) stopped by to then take Kirk and myself on a little tour of tapas locations. Each location stop we took in alcohol and various kinds of food. All good and great company. I am so thankful fir Julia and her friends to show use around. They made it an all day experience that was adventurous, culture filled and appetizing w food and alcohol.

Sitting back and thinking about today there are a few things I have come to ponder. Who am I without my job? Does my career rule my life or do I rule my life? This is a battle I fight at home constantly, but have come to cross in communicating on this trip. Talking work is something I do daily, shit- nightly. I can I release myself from that circle and open up to other things. Now I am not saying I cannot communicate about other items, there is more depth-- but how can I take loosen the reins on that. I find this something I have continue to work on to release stress or tension in my life.

Last point is, take it all in. Do something new. Do something adventurous. I will eat or drink anything, but how can I walk away and say damn you really let yourself go and made it the best you could.

Those two thoughts I must improve on for tomorrow. Until then.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Calle de Verónica,Madrid,Spain

Center Myself

This morning went for a hike. Definitely an ideal thing to center myself and prepare for my conference in Denver.

The 6th Month of 2012

As Memorial Day weekend has ended, I am currently preparing for a month of adventure and experiences. The Omaha lifestyle will take a pause, while I take on a month of venture. I will be in Denver for a week and Spain... Yes, Spain for 2 weeks.

The Denver trip is work related and really an opportunity. My responsibility is increasing in my job and this conference will be a great way to showcase my skills and growth in the past few years. The stress leading up to this meeting has been quite high. There are many moving parts and eyes on my planning/execution. I must deliver, and I will.
Spain is an adventure I am taking with one of my friends, Kirk. It is a 14 day trip starting in Madrid and ending in Barcelona. I plan to meet my cousin, Julia who has been living in Madrid for a year or two. There is a large list of places I am going, but my lack of planning skills (for this trip not my work conference) has positioned Kirk the organized one for this trip.

I am planning to use this trip as a sabbatical to truly take a look on where I am in life and what I am doing or not doing. I am one to always look for more and get more out of life and situations I am in. It seems I am always wanting more, but am I really just not relaxing and taking it all in?

So plan number #1: take the moments in on this trip. Really ensure I can remember what I am doing, take in the atmosphere, taste, scent, and feel. Completely release from day-to-day thoughts, sounds and feelings and jump into this new experience.

My plan is blog my whole month of June. You may get one day with just a picture, a few words, or a lengthy piece. Don't hesitate to comment.
So imagine a cold one in front of you and I am sitting next to you with my chilled drink. Cheers! Let the adventures begin for the 6th month of 2012.

Friday Night Lights

When I was sick there was one show that took me to another place. It was stability. Sounds silly now, but really it was a great show that put a lot of things into perspective.

Friday Night Lights

Yep- sure sounds like your silly teenage-melodrama, but not exactly. Check out this article. It really showcases how the series attracted people like myself.

http://tinyurl.com/3tsejok

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose

Proud & Happy

The Gift

Receiving a gift. Have you ever received something so hard to take or so difficult you thought you would never make it through. I received this gift close to a year ago this time. This gift was so small it would not be even visible in your hand. This gift led me closer to family and friends. It put me in a position to find myself, build my happiness, and have the confidence to carry myself through any situation.

How can something so small have such a dramatic effect on one's life? Maybe because you let it, or maybe because you did not even know it was happening. I didn't. I can tell you though, it was the most humbling and defined experience I have ever experienced.

I don't ever wish my gift upon anyone, but I hope everyone in some shape or form receives a gift as such that transforms their life in a way they find and feel all the things I have gotten to.

Awesome

Action

Too often we get stuck in inaction — the quagmire of doubt and perfectionism and distractions and planning that stops us from moving forward.

And while I’m no proponent of a whirling buzz of activity, I also believe people get lost in the distractions of the world and lose sight of what’s important, and how to actually accomplish their Something Amazing.

And so today I’d like to humbly present a few little rules of action — just some small reminders, things I’ve found useful but by no means invented, common-sense stuff that is often not common enough.

1. Don’t overthink. Too much thinking often results in getting stuck, in going in circles. Some thinking is good — it’s good to have a clear picture of where you’re going or why you’re doing this — but don’t get stuck thinking. Just do.
2. Just start. All the planning in the world will get you nowhere. You need to take that first step, no matter how small or how shaky. My rule for motivating myself to run is: Just lace up your shoes and get out the door. The rest takes care of itself.
3. Forget perfection. Perfectionism is the enemy of action. Kill it, immediately. You can’t let perfect stop you from doing. You can turn a bad draft into a good one, but you can’t turn no draft into a good draft. So get going.
4. Don’t mistake motion for action. A common mistake. A fury of activity doesn’t mean you’re doing anything. When you find yourself moving too quickly, doing too many things at once, this is a good reminder to stop. Slow down. Focus.
5. Focus on the important actions. Clear the distractions. Pick the one most important thing you must do today, and focus on that. Exclusively. When you’re done with that, repeat the process.
6. Move slowly, consciously. Be deliberate. Action doesn’t need to be done fast. In fact, that often leads to mistakes, and while perfection isn’t at all necessary, neither is making a ridiculous amount of mistakes that could be avoided with a bit of consciousness.
7. Take small steps. Biting off more than you can chew will kill the action. Maybe because of choking, I dunno. But small steps always works. Little tiny blows that will eventually break down that mountain. And each step is a victory, that will compel you to further victories.
8. Negative thinking gets you nowhere. Seriously, stop doing that. Self doubt? The urge to quit? Telling yourself that it’s OK to be distracted and that you can always get to it later? Squash those thoughts. Well, OK, you can be distracted for a little bit, but you get the idea. Positive thinking, as corny as it sounds, really works. It’s self-talk, and what we tell ourselves has a funny habit of turning into reality.
9. Meetings aren’t action. This is a common mistake in management. They hold meetings to get things done. Meetings, unfortunately, almost always get in the way of actual doing. Stop holding those meetings!
10. Talking (usually) isn’t action. Well, unless the action you need to take is a presentation or speech or something. Or you’re a television broadcaster. But usually, talking is just talking. Communication is necessary, but don’t mistake it for actual action.
11. Planning isn’t action. Sure, you need to plan. Do it, so you’re clear about what you’re doing. Just do it quickly, and get to the actual action as quickly as you can.
12. Reading about it isn’t action. You’re reading a post about action. Ironic, I know. But let this be the last one. Now get to work!
13. Sometimes, inaction is better. This might be the most ironic thing on the list, but really, if you find yourself spinning your wheels, or you find you’re doing more harm than good, rethink whether the action is even necessary. Or better yet, do this from the beginning — is it necessary? Only do the action if it is.

Choice is Invaluable

I don't feel I know a lot, but in the last year if I have learned anything it is this...

What I have learned- it is a choice you make everyday of who you want to be, who you want to be it with, where you want to be at, and how you want to be it. It means appreciating what has happened in your life to bring you to this point. And letting go of it. It means being willing to commit with no guarantees. It means knowing and accepting reality- you might just get the fantasy you have always dreamed of or you might not-- but knowing it is my choice is invaluable.

Dalai Lama’s 18 rules for living

At the start of the new millennium the Dalai Lama apparently issued eighteen rules for living.

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three Rs:
1. Respect for self
2. Respect for others
3. Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

Change and its Constituents

People who fear they will be hurt by a change speak up immediately, loudly and without regard for the odds or reality.

People who will benefit from a change don't believe it (until it happens), so they sit quietly.

And that's why change can be so difficult.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Six ways to make people like you

1. Become genuinely interested in other people.

2. Smile.

3. Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.

4. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.

5. Talk in terms of the other person's interests.

6. Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.

The Giving Tree

The Giving Tree is a tale about a relationship between a young boy and a tree in a forest. The tree always provides the boy with what he wants: branches on which to swing, shade in which to sit, apples to eat, branches with which to build a home. As the boy grows older he requires more and more of the tree. The tree loves the boy very much and gives him anything he asks for. In the ultimate act of self-sacrifice, the tree lets the boy cut her down so the boy can build a boat in which he can sail. The boy leaves the tree, now a stump. Many years later, the boy, now an old man, returns and the tree says, "I have nothing left to give you." The boy replies, "I do not need much now, just a quiet place to sit and rest." The tree then says, "Good! A tree stump is a great place to do just that! Come boy, sit down and be happy." The boy obliged and the tree was happy.

This story has generated controversy and opposing opinions for its interpreted messages, on whether the tree is selfless or merely self-sacrificing, and whether the boy is selfish or reasonable in his demands of the tree.

I ask you to think about your relationships with your friends and family. Are you selfless or selfish in your relationships? I have found myself becoming so selfless at times I would drop the most important things in my life for people. That is the person I am, and I have experienced lots of pain for it. I never regret, always forgive, but I never forget that pain.

Life provides opportunities to be selfish and selfless. At what point do you react selfishly and at what point do you act selfless? Are you ok to be cut down for one's happiness? Are you ok to take every branch to swing?