Why Meekness Does Not Mean Weakness

Why Meekness Does Not Mean Weakness

I recently visited with Tony Olson at his office in North Sioux City, SD. Tony and his colleagues at Documents & Design, LLC (a.k.a D2), comprise an talented and eclectic team of “product designers, coders, program managers, technical writers, graphic designers, editors, behavioral scientists, technicians, testers, patent agents, and business people” who “strive to make…products and services better.” 

At one point in the conversation, Tony pointed out the phrase, “Meekness does not mean weakness,” which was drawn on the glass wall of his office with a dry-erase marker so that anyone who walked by would see it. He said he’d written the statement a few days earlier as a way to generate thoughtful discussion amongst the team and to reinforce the culture they want to create and sustatain at D2.

Tony asked me what I thought the statement meant.

I believe the meanings of the words we use are so important. The words we choose can have a significant effect on how others perceive what we communicate. So, I told Tony I didn't want to answer his question until I’d had a chance to look meekness and weakness up in the dictionary. Before I compared and contrasted them, I wanted to understand what they really mean.

Source: http://s3.amazonaws.com/ligonier-public-media/learn/series_images/DevelopingChristianCharacter_620x348.jpg

Meekness

When I referred to Merriam-Webster.com for the meaning of the word, I observed three different definitions which can be applied to meek people and summarized as: mild, submissive and moderate. These three words appeared to represent a weak-nature at the surface but I knew a deeper analysis was needed.

When I apply the three definitions of meek to the context of Tony’s message, I can see it is most accurately reflected by the first definition, “enduring injury with patience and without resentment: MILD.” I also believe the third definition provides insight into Tony’s point, in that it tells us that meek people do not want violent conflict or negative debate simply for the sake of argument.

Weakness

The dictionary showed me that weakness is “the quality or state of being weak.” So, logically, I was led to find the meaning of the word weak where I learned there are a number definitions which help illustrate the contrast between weakness and meekness. 

Five Definitions of the Word Weak Which Prove Weakness Does Not Equal Meekness

1. The first definition indicates that a weak person lacks strength and the ability to withstand pressure. 

•  If meek people are also weak, then they would not be capable of “enduring...with patience,” a characteristic which I believe represents significant fortitude. Meek people must be resistant to the burden of stress created when opposed and especially when attacked physically or with verbal disrespect.

2. The second definition tells us that weak people lack the intellectual resources to discern what they stand for and take decisive action.

• Just because a person is meek, it does not necessarily mean they cannot use reason and logic to determine what they believe in. If meek people were also weak, they would not be able to resist the temptation to give in to contrary opinions or opposing arguments just to avoid conflict. Meek people are not against conflict, they are against losing their calm in situations where their points of view differ from those of others. Taking a stance is a decisive action.

3. When one’s position is “not factually grounded” the ensuing weakness in their case makes it vulnerable to opposing argument (Definition 3).

• This definition can apply to anyone who does not put forth the necessary effort required to gather facts and understand the situation as clearly as possible before entering into a debate. So, logically, this definition applies to any type of person. What we must remember about the meek is that they stand resistant to opposing arguments because the reasoning they've invested in determining what they believe in creates the conviction to do so.

4. When a person or mechanism is not able to function properly, weakness is present within (Definition 4).

• This definition applies to the laws of physics and to systems. Meek and weak people are certainly susceptible to faulty design and logic, as are the strong. So, there is a correlation. Just remember, that which correlates does not necessarily translate to cause and effect. Displaying the characteristics of the meek does not preclude anyone from “developing vigor of expression or effect”. So, we cannot necessarily exclude the meek from the strong. 

5. When one does not apply political power or authority over a situation it makes them ineffective; impotent (Definition 6).

• If we believe that meek people are capable of forming logical arguments to discern their position and are willing to patiently present their case without resentment, then the only thing they give up under those conditions is the influence that is gained through political alliances made with others or the power bestowed through the authority of position. Meek people stand on the merit of their argument. If that means they stand alone and must resist the current of unified but irrational influence from others then they must be steadfast.

Meekness + Conviction = Significant Enduring Strength.

• They seek the truth through reason and logic.
• They are thoughtful, and in their thoughtfulness they find grace.
• Their steadfastness comes from conviction- The belief in what they are doing.



Source: http://eof737.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/
steadfast-rocktorres1.jpg?w=500&h=375

• They influence because they endure.  

How Can You Be Both Meek and Strong?

•  When you find yourself in a situation where your point of view differs from others, be patient, listen, so you can understand the real root cause of the conflict.
• Don’t let the stress caused by the conflicting position you take against the argument of another cause you to try to force the other person to agree with you. Recognize it’s possible that neither of you are entirely right. The key thing to remember is that both of you want the same thing: to be entirely right. The only way for that to happen is for both of you to understand the situation accurately, put your pride aside and accept the logical truth.
• Be resistant to showing your natural initial reaction to the things the other person says even if they are being disrespectful and insulting. Use your strength and energy to lift their thoughts and behaviors up to a level of reason through your own deliberate and logical approach.
• When you believe you disagree with what is being said and at the same time not sure how to respond, acknowledge the situation and let the other person know you want to think about what you want them to hear. A rational person will respect that.
• Don’t rely on your allies to strengthen your argument, depend on the reason and logic behind it. It doesn't matter how many people are on your side if you are not entirely right. All that does is multiply the weaknesses in your reasoning and creates an opportunity to use force to inappropriately coerce someone else.
• Focus on the logic and reasoning behind your argument, not on how many people stand on the other side of the debate. Being outnumbered is not a reason to change your mind. The only reason to change your mind is if you’ve been presented with an argument that is more logically truthful than your own.

Source: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wQQsp5-0_Og/Tj1TVI8TndI/
AAAAAAAAAiw/wuiGfVq55KE/s1600/meekness.jpg/

Wow! I couldn't have said it better myself!

BOOM!

Finding Success
Get the win you really want and 
ORDER FINDING SUCCESS NOW!

Tom Eakin

Success Engineer, BoomLife

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email us at tom@goboomlife.com

In Memorial Of What's Been Lost

In Memorial Of What's Been Lost

Remembering What's Been Lost

Tomorrow is Memorial Day, 2014. I imagine it was not coincidental that I received an email from YouTube on Friday, the eve of a weekend that comes each year in the month of May and culminates in a day meant to remember the people who gave everything for what they believed in, with a recommendation to watch the TED Talks video, "Sebastian Junger: Why Soldiers Miss War." 

Who do we remember? Whose examples do we treasure most? I'm not just talking about soldiers, even though there is a tendency to focus on them during this holiday. I'm talking about the people who had the conviction to live in a way we each wish we could, regardless of whether they served in the military. I'm asking: Who has served mankind in ways that are meaningful to us? Do we even understand what that means?

Sebastian Junger's message is important and I believe he is right in that we need to understand "why soldiers miss war". For them. For ourselves. Please take the next thirteen minutes and eight seconds and listen to him explain it before you read on:

The last few minutes of Junger's talk is focused on love and brotherhood. Military history is full of examples like those discussed in the video, stories about ordinary people doing heroic things in extraordinary situations because they love the people around them more than they love themselves. As a veteran, I appreciate Junger's message here about soldiers, love and brotherhood and trust forged in the crucible of actions taken for the sake of others. As a human being who is no longer a soldier, I crave that feeling more than anything else. Ask any veteran what they miss most and they'll tell you, "The camaraderie of brotherhood." 

What Do We Value Most

Ross McGinniss
Source: http://www.army.mil/
medalofhonor/mcginnis/video/index.html

In my first book, "Finding Success," I share a story I read about in Kelly Kennedy's powerful book, "They Fought For Each Other," to illustrate the concepts I've put together in my GPS Theory model to help people define, for themselves, the reasons why they would do things for other people. The story is about a soldier, named Ross McGinness, who sacrificed his own life so his friends, his brothers, would be able to live. When I tell his story in the book and in my workshops, I ask people to answer this question, "What words would you use to describe him and the life he lived?" I invariably hear words like, loyalty, duty, honor, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. 

I never knew Ross McGinnis but I believe those words all describe the life he lived. The reason why he was willing to personify all of those words, however, can be summed up into one word: LOVE. The people in these workshops often struggle with understanding how to reconcile the tragic results of McGinniss' actions with the example of values-driven success he really provides. The question they're not asking themselves is: Why do we honor him? 

Regardless of the tragic result, regardless of the amount of time he lived after he decided he was going to save his friends, when it comes down to it, he lived a lifetime of love, brotherhood, and trust. Didn't he? Ross McGinnis received the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously. He couldn't be there for the ceremony. What does that matter? Do we honor him for the medal, or for how he lived his life in the final moments?

Ross McGinnis didn't get to see the results. The medal, the lives he saved, he did what he did on faith. 

Twelve years after I left the U.S. Army, I'm still searching for relationships like the ones I forged with the people I still identify as my brothers and sisters, today. I've known that sense of belonging and a purposeful desire to do what it takes to be worthy of brotherhood and trust. I've looked for it in the corporate and business world over and over only to find myself still craving it like other soldiers who have known it and lost it do. 

I still find myself feeling as Sebastian Junger puts it, "...just back in society, like the rest of us are, not knowing who they can count on, not knowing who loves them, who they can love, not knowing exactly what anyone they know would do for them if it came down to it" (Note: You can find this quote 2:20 into the video). I couldn't have said it better myself. 

Soldiers don't crave war, that's not Junger's message, they crave love and brotherhood with people they trust. My biggest question: Why can't we create those conditions in all of our relationships? Why do we need wars and extraordinary circumstances to create relationships based on brotherhood and trust? I ask these questions because I don't believe we need them. Yet, my experience, my search, indicates without getting ourselves into such dire circumstances, we have a tendency to not focus on what we want the most.

I believe we all crave the same thing as what Junger describes in this video. We become confused about what it means though. We tend to become driven to serve ourselves instead of each other when our situation threatens our status quo. When I rediscovered this simple truth, it inspired the creation of GPS Theory. I developed the model because I never want to forget what is most important to me, again. I am sharing it with whomever truly wants to be the person they want to be because I believe it can help them to always remember what they value most, do things that will make them satisfied with their efforts, and find life-long success. 

How Do We Satisfy The Craving For What's Been Lost?

The moment we accept that we're all equally susceptible to forgetting those three things is when we recognize we need relationships with people based on love, brotherhood, and trust, only then can we be successful in our personal, professional, and organizational lives. We must remind ourselves. The soldiers Sebastian Jungers talks about understand what they are willing to die for- Love, and all of the values that grow from it and lead back to it. They remember a time when they were willing to live for it. They crave the sense of purpose, belonging. They crave the brotherhood. 

In my own searching for success, I've learned the reasons for my deepest cravings really come down to these questions and answers:

Q: Why do I choose to remember and honor people?

A: They have loved heroically.

Q: Why do I need extraordinary situations to love heroically?

A: Any situation where I love is heroic. Loving is the first step.

Q: How can I feel like I have people in my life I can trust?

A: Showing them love is the first step. I cannot plan beyond that.

Q: Why am I so afraid to love first?

A: I am focused on the results. I want success now. I forget that if I can trust the people around me, they will help me get the things I need. I forget that only if I am the person I want to be can I find relationships that are meaningful to me.

The situations we create and the results we want, but have no control over (we can only influence), tend to twist our logic in ways we can't always perceive. We hold tighter to what we have. Our thoughts focus away from how we can gain more strength through relationships based on what we truly value. Our decisions become driven to achieve external results. We lose sight of how the means keep us from being the person we want to be.

1. We crave love. We can only get it if we give it.
2. We crave brotherhood. We can experience it when we engage in relationships that are meaningful in ways that represent the person we want to be. 
3. We crave trust. We can only earn it if we help others find it in us.

When we forget these three things, we try to fill our cravings with things we can get through methods we find easier and emotionally cheaper to invest, like money and things. We then see external results and perceive we're making the kind of progress we want. 

When we remember these things, we recognize the root of our greatest fears. The key to solving any problem is identifying the root cause. We fear giving love, because we may not find the love, brotherhood, and trust in those we give it to. No reward comes without risk. If we don't keep giving love, we'll never find the people who are willing to give it back. Keep giving. You will find the willing, but only if you take the risk! Be Bold!

Remember Who We Have Lost By Remembering That Which We Valued In Them.

We think we honor people who have shown us the way by remembering them. We do. But, it's not enough. It's not really what they would want us to do is it?  What, do you think, they would want more? To be remembered? Or, for us to understand what they believed in, who they loved, and why they lived for both? Any one of them would say, "I found myself in extraordinary circumstances. I did not control that. In those circumstances I lived for love. I made that choice. It wasn't easy, it hurt me and the people I loved. I would do it again. I believe in love that much!"

I want you to think about these questions and answer them for yourself, whether you're reading this on Memorial Day, or any other day:

Q: Who do you choose to remember and honor?

A: 

Q: Do you know why you would love heroically regardless of the situation?

A:

Q: How can you feel like you have people in your life you can trust?

A:

Q: Am I willing to put love first?

A: 

Q: What words do I want people to use to describe me and the life I've lived?

A: 

Q: Am I spending my time and energy on finding the people who would recognize those words in me and give them back?

A: 

Remember what has been lost. Get it back!

Remember the people who have loved heroically. Honor their memory and their example by knowing why you would do the same. The last question I asked you is the question I asked myself on the day the concept of GPS Theory was born. 

Do things that represent the words in your answer to that final question. When you do:

The things you do will help you satisfy your craving for love, brotherhood, and trust.

You will help other people.

You will love heroically. You will be remembered for that by the people who value it. Can you really ask for more than that? 

Never Forget This: You Get It Back By Bringing It Back.

Tom Eakin

Success Engineer, BoomLife

Sign-Up for BoomLife's Newsletter to stay informed of updates, events and news about GPS Theory!

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Need an Inspirational Speaker for Your Next Event? 

Tom Eakin's presentation of "What Do You Want?" is designed to challenge the way you define success and inspire you to engineer your own personal, professional or organizational path to success. 

email us at tom@goboomlife.com

GET WHAT YOU WANT! 

Getting what you want and being the person you want to be can seem complicated and confusing! Together, we'll define what you want, what it takes to get it and help you realize the kind of success you never been able to achieve before! Sign up for personal one-on-one coaching. You can sign up for a program or a single-session. It's up to you!:

• 90-Day Success Engineering Program
• Personal Success Engineering Session

BoomShare! Episode #1- Mike Ballman- Oneida Square Project

BoomShare! Episode #1- Mike Ballman- Oneida Square Project

A Little Background on BoomShare!

As I've stated many times, my passion, which is also my mission, is helping people achieve

personal, professional, and organizational life-long success. I believe success is a bit of a "hairball" of a subject because it's definition changes between people and sometimes from day-to-day. 

That's why I came up with this definition:

Success- Getting what you want AND being the person you want to be.

It's also why I created GPS Theory.  But, that's not the point of this post.

I also believe it's important to share stories about people who are doing things that are fulfilling, things that make them satisfied with themselves and their own efforts. These stories can only feed the flames of inspiration for others and help them find the conviction they need. 

I believe there's only way to get what you want, by being the person you want to be! 

So, these questions popped up a while back:

• What if I could share stories of the amazing people who are doing great things? 
• What impact would it have on people who want to do great things but don't know where to start or don't believe they can make it happen? 
• What if the people in those stories were willing to tell others how to get in touch with them?  

These questions have been kicking at me for the past six months. Last week, I decided to do something about it. So, I started BoomShare! a series of video interviews designed to answer all of those "What if...?" questions. 

Boom Share- Episode #1

For Episode #1, I chose Mike Ballman because he's been doing some amazing things for a long time. He fed my inspirational flame a few years ago when we'd reconnected after almost fifteen years. Mike's also a life-long friend of mine and I knew he wouldn't be too upset if I messed up recording the interview a bit...which I did. So, here's the first interview, sans introduction (had to cut it because I made a few mistakes). But, don't worry about the introduction, it's probably the least important reason why we did the interview.  Besides, I'm sure I'll have Mike back as a guest or co-host someday soon and will have a chance to make it up to him. For now, check out the interview we recorded for BoomShare! Episode #1.

You can also watch this BoomShare! episode on its own Google+ Event page.

What's Next?

My goal is to post a new interview every week. Episode #2 has already been recorded so look for Zak Fick's story about the business idea he's investing a lot of time and effort into: Help University when I post it on the BoomBlog! next week.

I Need Your Help!

I know a lot of amazing people who are doing great things. But, it's not always easy to find a time that will work for both them and for me to conduct the BoomShare! interviews. So, I need to keep the pipeline full. Why is it so hard? These people are busy!

Do you know someone who is doing something incredible because they're allowing their values drive them to be the person they want to be? I'd really appreciate an introduction. My suggestion is to paste the following text into an email and send it to them...feel free to edit as you see fit...make sure you copy me (tom@goboomlife.com) so I can follow-up:

Hi ________ (Insert amazing person's name here),

I recently learned about Tom Eakin's project, BoomShare! Tom is sharing stories about people who are doing amazing things by living by their values every day. The cool part is, he's letting them do that using their own words. He's searching for more incredible people to interview in one of his BoomShare episodes and I thought of you and the work your doing______________________ (fill in the amazing things this person is doing and where, here)!

What's the point? Well, you never know what can come out of sharing your story in a new way with people you don't know. Your story could feed the flames of inspiration for someone else! You might be able to help them in ways they never imagined! They might be able to help you in ways you never imagined! The possibilities it could create are unknown and infinite at the same time!

All you need is to be willing to invest 1-2 hours of your time. Tom does the interviews using Google Hangouts On Air which means as long as you have a webcam and an internet connection, you can tell your story from anywhere!

Tom's going to follow-up on this email to find if you wanted to be a part of BoomShare! I hope you do! My role is to make the introduction. It's up to you two to take it from here!

BOOM!

__________ (Your name here...thanks for doing this...you're amazing too!)

I Can't Wait!

I can't wait to see who you send my way! I can't wait to meet them! I can't wait to hear and share their story!

BOOM!

Tom Eakin

Success Engineer, BoomLife

Sign-Up for BoomLife's Newsletter to stay informed of updates, events and news about GPS Theory!

Looking for the Right Self Improvement Opportunities?

Try our GPS Theory App at www.goboomlife.com

Need an Inspirational Speaker for Your Next Event? 

Tom Eakin's presentation of "What Do You Want?" is designed to challenge the way you define success and inspire you to engineer your own personal, professional or organizational path to success. 

email us at tom@goboomlife.com

GET WHAT YOU WANT! 

Getting what you want and being the person you want to be can seem complicated and confusing! Together, we'll define what you want, what it takes to get it and help you realize the kind of success you never been able to achieve before! Sign up for personal one-on-one coaching. You can sign up for a program or a single-session. It's up to you!:

• 90-Day Success Engineering Program
• Personal Success Engineering Session

Your Actions Define Your Personal Brand

Your Actions Define Your Personal Brand

The 1st Engineer Battalion
Unit Insignia

When I read the article, "The Brand Artists," in the April 2014 issue of Inc. Magazine by Tom Foster it reminded me that branding is a universal concept. It applies to products, businesses, events, etc. Mostly, it applies to people because it takes people to build businesses, to make products, to plan events. The article focused on communicating that branding is no longer about what we say, it's about how what we say and what we do align with each other. A quote jumped out at me which evoked memories of the mottoes of some of the military units I'd served in, or alongside and how they helped the people who belonged to them develop their own brands.

The 91st Engineer Battalion
Unit Insignia

When I was a Combat Engineer Officer in the U.S. Army, I served with the 1st Engineer Battalion. Our motto was, "Always First!" These words helped convey our "brand" as a military unit, that's for sure. However, what was more compelling was the fact that we could also say that the 1st Engineer Battalion was the oldest, most decorated engineer battalion in the United States Army. The unit's long list of decorations awarded throughout 165 years of history reflected the bold actions the battalion had taken in the past and they created a legacy for every Sapper who served in it to fulfill. The motto compelled us to be better. We wanted to be better for each other so that, together, we could do great things when we were called to do so.

There was another motto which had made an impression on me even though I never served in the unit. The 91st Engineer Battalion must have liked their motto so much that they put it on their unit insignia, "Acts Not Words!" Their branding message, I think, said it all.  

Ranger tab- A symbol of bold leadership!
Motto: "Rangers Lead the Way!"

I didn't serve in a Ranger battalion, but I did earn the right to wear the Ranger tab, which means I graduated from the U.S. Army Ranger School at Ft. Benning, GA. The motto of the Rangers is, "Rangers Lead the Way!" What I learned from the experience is: Bold thinking leads to bold action! Bold action comes from conviction! Conviction comes from thinking about what you believe in. Find conviction and you can do things you never thought possible. You can "lead the way!" 

The point is, all three mottos create a compelling message, a compelling brand. They have the potential to inspire! The reason? Because each needs to be proven in order to have any meaning. The legacy needs to be fulfilled and perpetuated through actions in order to continue to be true. The people who wear these insignia must take action to define the brand in the way they want it to be perceived! They must think! They must find conviction! They must take action to accomplish their mission, regardless of the situation!

When Acts Personify Words There is Meaning. 

The quote Foster provided in his article was provided by Kelly O'Keefe, a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University's Brandcenter advertising school, who was illustrating how American Express's message about wanting to help small businesses didn't have any meaning until they launched Small Business Saturday, an annual national campaign intended to drive business to small businesses. As O'Keefe put it, "That's a physical manifestation of corporate behavior. It's not a message, it's an action- and that action shows intent."

Here's The Logic: 

Intent = Purpose.  
Purpose is created by values. 
Actions show Intent.
Therefore: 
Actions show your Values to the people in your World!

Three critical questions:

What Values are you branding yourself with to the people in your World through your Actions?

What Values do you WANT to brand yourself with?

What Actions will close the gap between those two answers?
The difference between the first two questions creates your To-Do List for Continuous Improvement.

Do You Know What to Do?

Isn't it about time to resume your journey on the path to:

• The life you dreamed of when you were a kid! CLICK HERE
• The kind of leader you envisioned you'd be when you got "there"! CLICK HERE

There is no cost. Everything you'll get by clicking on those links is free. I do ask you to make the investment of time and effort necessary to:

• Live the life you truly want!
• Create the culture you envision your organization can become!

If you want easy, look somewhere else. I cannot help you.

BOOM!

Tom Eakin

Success Engineer, BoomLife

Sign-Up for BoomLife's Newsletter to stay informed of updates, events and news about GPS Theory!

Looking for the Right Self Improvement Opportunities?

Try our GPS Theory App at www.goboomlife.com

Need an Inspirational Speaker for Your Next Event? 

Tom Eakin's presentation of "What Do You Want?" is designed to challenge the way you define success and inspire you to engineer your own personal, professional or organizational path to success. 

email us at tom@goboomlife.com

GET WHAT YOU WANT! 

Getting what you want and being the person you want to be can seem complicated and confusing! Together, we'll define what you want, what it takes to get it and help you realize the kind of success you never been able to achieve before! Sign up for personal one-on-one coaching. You can sign up for a program or a single-session. It's up to you!:

• 90-Day Success Engineering Program
• Personal Success Engineering Session

"We Must Be Bold"

WE MUST BE BOLD

Back in December, I met Hugh Weber from OTA + Pollen. Hugh and his partners are working to create a "world class network of individuals + organizations + communities and ideas" to "transform" the OTA Region. The OTA Region consists of the three states ending with the letters "ota", Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. I live in South Dakota, and if you've read anything I've written about how each of us can change our lives and our "World" in significantly positive ways, then you can understand why I'd want to share their audacious theme: "We Must Be Bold".

A Bold Idea That Has Spanned Generations 

That first time I met Hugh, he was giving a presentation in which he told a story about the profound and lasting impact the last four words in President John F. Kennedy's "We Choose To Go To The Moon" speech had on him. As the crowds applause at Kennedy's final words builds into a crescendo, he ends his speech with, "and we must be bold." It almost gets lost in the din of the crowd. It didn't get lost on Hugh.

President Kennedy's bold vision to put a man on the moon within a decade came true because he created the time and place where the idea became possible in the hearts and minds of all Americans. The community of people who needed to work together was vast and nation-wide in its scope.

A Bold Idea for Today and Future Generations

On Friday, April 4, 2014, I attended OTA 14 in Sioux Falls, SD, an event Hugh and his partners put together to share stories about how "connections and collisions of people and ideas have impacted our largest and smallest businesses, organizations and communities," and to gather together people in the region who want to do great things. In other words, they shared stories about "intersections" and created a time and place for them to happen. It was an inspiring event! It made for an inspiring day because of the people who shared their stories about the "connections and collisions" that created opportunities for them to make their difference: Antonio Neves, Kash Sree, Roman Mars, Jamie Millard & Meghan Murphy (from Pollen), Nathaniel Schachter, Paul LaRoche (who put on an amazing musical and visual performance with some of his family members and musicians from Brule), Jennifer Reedy, Baratunde Thurston, Tina & Ryan Essmaker, and Bryant Cryder who introduced the final speaker of the day. I'd love to tell you more about each of those speakers and the powerful messages they shared. But, this is an article, not a book. I'm going to just ask you to trust me when I say, these are people who truly believe they can make a difference in their "Worlds," strive to learn how, and have proven they are willing to try. 

A Bold Assignment

When we walked out of the theater of the Washington Pavillion after the final speaker of the day, Scott Harrison, finished moving us to tears through the story of Charity:Water, event volunteers were lined up at the exit handing out tubes of "mystery" gifts. I opened mine as soon as I got home after an hour-long anticipation-filled drive. In the tube, there were a few of the giveaways you typically receive at events like this one. But, I also found more inspiration in the form of two high-quality prints confidently and enthusiastically calling out the message, "WE MUST BE BOLD".

There was another flyer in the tube which said, "Now, we need you to take the next step...by sharing one of the enclosed prints with someone that inspires you or someone that you hope to inspire." I'll gladly take on this assignment. I will find someone who I hope to inspire and give them one of the prints. But, I want to inspire as many people to do great things as I possibly can! And, I'm going to do that in the best way I know how, with my current capabilities. I'm sharing a photograph I took of the print (I'm not a very good photographer) with my network of blog readers, my clients, my newsletter subscribers (I'm not the greatest networker but I'm doing my best). 

YES, WE MUST BE BOLD!

A photographic rendering of the print
OTA + Pollen gave me as a gift
and which I am sharing with you in
the best way I know!

What does this statement mean to you?

What BOLD way do you want to make a difference in the world?

What values inspire you to want to do it?

How will those values drive your decisions to do what it takes?

Not one of us can do it alone.

Who do you need to share your vision with to make it your BOLD thing happen?

How can I help you?

• Share your vision, your plan, your message by responding in the comments, below. You never know who will read it and want to connect with you! Take a chance, share it! If I see an opportunity to help you directly, or connect you with someone else who can, I will.
• Plan and implement why & how you will make your BOLD vision happen? I'm providing free tools to help you "Know" why it's so important to your life-long success so you will find the conviction to "Do" what it takes and "Be" the person you want to be. 

My Bold Message:

Your VALUES are your WHY!

I believe "GPS Theory" can help you find HOW you can get WHAT you want and BE the person you want to BE! 

Whether you live and work within the OTA region or outside of it. I want to help.


BOOM!

-Tom
Success Engineer
BoomLife

"I Believe" You Can Create the Life And The Culture You Want!

"I Believe" You Can Create the Life And The Culture You Want!

I just stumbled on Simon Sinek's TED Talks video "How Great Leaders Inspire Action," yesterday while I was searching for some communication-related content I could show to generate discussion in the Organizational Behavior course I teach at a local community college. The title caught my eye so I emailed myself the link. This morning I watched it.

I'd never seen the video before and I've never heard of Simon Sinek prior to watching it. Sinek's message reflects why "I believe" people will do great things when what they value aligns with what you ask them to do! There is a significant similarity between Sinek's Golden Circle model and GPS Theory and supports why "I believe" GPS Theory's Know-Do-Be approach is so critical to getting the kind of success you really want. I thought I'd share it with you. I highly recommend watching it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0HIF3SfI4

Sinek's Golden Circle, like GPS Theory, is as simple as they come. Both models provide a universally applicable system for finding the kind of success that so often eludes us in our personal, professional, and organizational lives.

Looking For A Simple System To Help You Achieve Life-Long Success?

Here's a great way to learn more about the process I use to help people "Know" the person they want to be so they can "Do" the things that will make them satisfied with their decisions and actions and "Be" what everyone of us craves: Happy & Successful!

Isn't it about time to resume your journey on the path to:

• The life you dreamed of when you were a kid! CLICK HERE
• The kind of leader you envisioned you'd be when you got "there"! CLICK HERE

There is no cost. Everything you'll get by clicking on those links is free. I do ask you to make the investment of time and effort necessary to:

• Live the life you truly want!
• Create the culture you envision your organization can become!

If you want easy, look somewhere else. I cannot help you.

BOOM!

Tom Eakin

Success Engineer, BoomLife

Sign-Up for BoomLife's Newsletter to stay informed of updates, events and news about GPS Theory!

Looking for the Right Self Improvement Opportunities?

Try our GPS Theory App at www.goboomlife.com

Need an Inspirational Speaker for Your Next Event? 

Tom Eakin's presentation of "What Do You Want?" is designed to challenge the way you define success and inspire you to engineer your own personal, professional or organizational path to success. 

email us at tom@goboomlife.com

GET WHAT YOU WANT! 

Getting what you want and being the person you want to be can seem complicated and confusing! Together, we'll define what you want, what it takes to get it and help you realize the kind of success you never been able to achieve before! Sign up for personal one-on-one coaching. You can sign up for a program or a single-session. It's up to you!:

• 90-Day Success Engineering Program
• Personal Success Engineering Session

Can You Fathom Your Thoughts Into One Meaningful System?

Can You Fathom Your Thoughts Into One Meaningful System?

The other day, I was talking with my two youngest children. We were just finishing up a bible study and I was talking with them about understanding how to relate what they truly value, what God wants us to value, with what we want to do. My point was to illustrate how confusing life can be when we don't make a habit of always trying to understand the connection between what we decide to do in any given situation with the very simple but powerful concepts that represent the kinds of "goodness" we all say we value.

My daughter looked at me and said, "My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations." 

"It was in the book I just read, 'The Fault in Our Stars," by John Green."

"Do you understand what it means?"

"Hmmm, kind of," she shrugged. 

"Well, there must be a reason why you said it just now."

"Well, it kind of made sense with what you were talking about."  

WOW! I can't tell you how amazed I was at that point in time by the insight my 12-year old daughter had just shared with me. 

Source: http://the-fault-in-our-stars-quotes.tumblr.com/post/58670292552/christy1521-my-thoughts-are-stars-i-cant#notes

That quote represents, I believe, a fundamental cause of our human weaknesses. We all know what "good" means and we know what is "good." We just don't take the time to always understand how the people and things we interact with in this world can make it very difficult to see the connection between a decision we need to make at any given point in time and what is truly "good". 

A constellation is a series of connections, a network, a system of otherwise disconnected bodies which someone, at some point in time, connected in a way that created meaning for them. 

What I want to help my children with more than anything, is to recognize their values as stars; bright shining beacons of "goodness" which, when they connect them together and link them to the decisions they make and the actions they take, create a system of "goodness". The key is to always focus on the "stars" in our lives, constantly consider them and pay attention to the choices ahead of us.

We all have the ability to make the connections. To see the linkages in our lives between what we're meant to be doing, living by our core values, and the choices we are forced to make. It's not always easy. The world we live in makes it very confusing. That's why I put so much focus on core values. When we allow them to be the primary drivers of our decisions we dramatically increase our chances to make "good" decisions. We do things that make us feel satisfied with ourselves. We give ourselves the opportunity to be truly happy.

Thank you, Madeleine! You helped your Dad and it was "good"!

ORDER FINDING SUCCESS NOW
to learn how to create a system that
turns your values and dreams into
values-driven success!