Where does it start? It begins in the same place where all brilliant ideas, thoughts and creative seeds find their inception. Our minds.

I’ve heard that all manifestations take place once before declaring their existence in the world: once in the mind and then in the physical world. If this is true it would be worth it for all of us to pay attention to what’s going on between our ears on a daily basis.

What are we saying to ourselves? How do we move through our day? What do we focus on? What do we do when we don’t get the results we anticipated? Greatness is not an accident. You don’t trip and fall into it like a pile of gold coins lying on the ground. If you look at anyone who was ever considered “great” in an aspect of their life, you will find he/she spent many many hours at their “craft”. But not only that, they had the thoughts and mindset to support their practice. They had to. It’s imperative to them. Why? Because what you focus on becomes your reality. And people of greatness know that.

Unfortunately, that can go the other way as well. If you’re focus is on “what am I going to watch on TV today,” then your reality is going to be mostly mediocre.

Shooting for greatness isn’t such a bad idea. After all, you may just end up really really good a what you focus on. That’s not so bad either.

How often do you start your day with an intention? Do you take any time on Sunday to Rest, Reflect and Rejuvenate for the upcoming week? How about looking over what’s to come and putting together a plan on what’s important to you and what you would like to focus on the next 6 days?

I don’t do it nearly enough. Every time I do, I realize how focused and productive my week is afterwards. This is always a lesson for me. Writing down what is important to you is not only important – it’s necessary for staying on task, having a record of your process and a way to gage your progress as well helping you process your thoughts. The act of writing down your thoughts for me is a close to therapy as I can get without speaking with another person.

The older I become, the more I realize how important it is for me to be intentional with every task I choose to take on. It sounds silly. Don’t you already have an idea of what you want before doing something? Yes, but many times I engaged in an activity without really thinking it through of what I expect to get out of it. I’m not saying you have to write out a list every time you start a an activity, but if you remain aware of what your expectations are and how it fits into the big picture of your day or week, you may find more meaning in your work. You may also realize it’s just a waste of your time or better yet, you need to spend more time and preparation the next time you begin that task.

I moved pretty fast when I was younger, but I also wasn’t very efficient with my time. Being older I move slower, but I feel I’m much more efficient and effective with the passing of time and it’s because I do my best to approach my day With Intention.

I believe one of the primary intentions of people in this world today is to find and have a genuine experience. It’s nothing new. This desire has been around for years, but seems to becoming more aloof in today’s changing landscape.

Ironically, the experiences we are having today -via technology – can be the opposite of that. We are communicating more and more through our phones, laptops and Zoom meetings now than ever. I’m not sure of the long term effects of such methods, but I can assure you it cannot replace human to human connection.

The problem with such technology is that when we tend to like something for it’s convenience and time-saving aspects, we think more is always better. That’s not always the case.

Let’s not forget what’s important here.

After a long day of travel to distant countries or even across a few states in the U.S., the best way to reset your circadian clock’s and reconnect yourself to your world and your body is to walk the earth in your bare feet. Feel the ground beneath you and reconnect physically, emotionally and spiritually. This is absent from many electronic interactions.

The definition of genuine: Sincerely and honestly felt or experienced.

I value authentic and honest people in my life as well as genuine experiences and I would be willing to bet you do too. Then let’s strive for those.

Whenever I have made a choice to remain open to what the world has in store for me, I have always benefited from the results somehow or some way. Maybe not in that moment – in linear time, but down the road. The opposite would be to convince yourself you have control over everything that occurs in your universe and how it turns out. Well, to some degree, but there are enough elements out of your control to complicate matters.

The moment I think I have it all figured out is when I’m blindsided by something I couldn’t have imagined coming down the pipe. And this is why I must constantly remind myself to remain open and fluid. Roll with it. Stop judging. Expect the best results.

Whether it’s an individual I’m carrying on a conversation with that I just met, heading into a business meeting or considering diving into the next artistic endeavor – refrain from allowing your judgement to taint the moment.

Remain present in the moment and let the next one unfold as it was meant to be. Your pre-judgement of the situation or the outcome only depletes you from having a genuine experience and more importantly possibly making a deep connection with another human being.

And who knows – you might just find some joy in what you’re doing.

Should I start writing my own blog? The answer is yes. Should I begin exercising tomorrow to get into better shape? Of course. Yes. I wonder if I should take my camera with me to get some pictures while I’m on my road trip? No doubt. Take it. Yes!

I guess you already know what the I’m going to say: The answer is always YES. Say YES to the universe. There are a 1,000 excuses not to take a chance, to choose discomfort, to test the boundaries of your ability. Find the one reason to say, YES and then do it.

We tend to regret the things we don’t do rather than the things we choose to do (of course within reason and making strong choices). We don’t have a choice of what happens to us, but we do have a choice to how we react.

Say YES.