Validation is Overrated
A stellar post by Seth Godin…
If you’re waiting for a boss or an editor or a college to tell you that you do good work, you’re handing over too much power to someone who doesn’t care nearly as much as you do.
We spend a lot of time organizing and then waiting for the system to pick us, approve of us and give us permission to do our work.
Feedback is important, selling is important, getting the market to recognize your offering and make a sale—all important. But there’s a difference between achieving your goals and realizing your work matters.
If you have a book to write, write it. If you want to record an album, record it. No need to wait for someone in a cubicle halfway across the country to decide if you’re worthy.
I’d Like to Know…
What “good work” are you involved in?
"This better work"
… is probably the opposite of, “this might work.” “This better work,” is the thinking of safety, of proven, of beyond blame. “This might work,” on the other hand, is the thinking of art, innovation and insight. If you spend all day working on stuff that better work, you back yourself into a corner, because you’ll never have the space or resources to throw some ‘might’ stuff into the mix. On the other hand, if you spend all your time on stuff that might work, you’ll never need to dream up something that better work, because your art will have paid off long ago. I’d Like to Know… How does this brief blog post by Seth Godin encourage your creativity?
Hope and the Magic Lottery
If you’re anxiously waiting for a “big break,” click on the link above to read an encouraging blog post by Seth Godin.
Can everyone make a difference?
Click the link above to read Seth Godin’s latest blog post on the one thing that will determine whether or not you become a difference maker.
For the Creators
Click on the link above to read a great blog post by Leo Babauta entitled: The No. 1 Habit of Highly Creative People
They Overcame Rejection
Regardless of whether your dream is to become a published author, a recording artist, producer, musician, etc., click on the above link to view a list of 50 Iconic Writers Who Were Repeatedly Rejected and be encouraged!
My Guiding Statements
There have been many changes to this blog and my brand over the last couple weeks so in an effort to clarify exactly what I, Edward Paz, am all about, here are my guiding statements with links to my various projects:
My Mantra
Inspire Dreams.
My Mission
To inspire a generation of individuals to decide to discover, develop and display the dreams that are their destiny.
My Motive
To play a role in putting an end to the epidemics of purposelessness and mediocrity that are plaguing are world today.
My Methods
EdwardPaz.Com - My blog of original writings.
InspireYourDreamTV - My video blog.
InspireYourDream.Com - My library of inspirational resources.
Feel free to subscribe/follow whichever of my projects would be most beneficial to you! Prayerfully, these resources can inspire your dreams for many years to come!
I’d Like to Know…
Which of my projects has been most beneficial to you and why? Is there anything you would like to see me do to improve my work and add more value to you as a reader?
Simple five step plan for just about everyone and everything
2. Do work you’re proud of. 3. Treat people with respect. 4. Make big promises and keep them. 5. Ship it out the door.The number of people you need to ask for permission keeps going down:
1. Go, make something happen.
On Omitting the Unnecessary
As an ambitious dreamer, it is common that I find myself busy and always on the move - always pursuing the next step and the next stage in my dream journey.
The following is an excerpt from an insightful post by the very well-known blogger, Leo Babauta, reminding us how we can, in spite of our busyness, omit the unnecessary:
Say less, and hear more.
Do less, and have a greater impact.
Make less noise, and appreciate the silence.
Send out fewer emails, and make each one count.
Tweet less, and each one becomes more meaningful.
Have fewer possessions and enjoy the space.
Have fewer “friends,” but make each relationship stronger.
Appreciate the spaces between everything.
I’d Like to Know…
What techniques do you use to omit the unnecessary?
Arrogant
A great perspective on “arrogance” in a recent blog post by Seth Godin…
There is a fear and a paradox of doing work that’s important.
A fear because so many of us are raised to avoid appearing arrogant. Being called arrogant is a terrible slur, it mean that you’re not only a failure, but a poser as well.
It’s a paraox, though, because the confidence and attitude that goes with brining a new idea into the world (“hey, listen to this,”) is a hair’s breadth away, or at least sometimes it feels that way, from being arrogant.
And so we keep our head down. Better, they say, to be invisible and non-contributing than risk being arrogant.
That feels like a selfish, cowardly cop out to me. Better, I think, to make a difference and run the risk of failing sometimes, of being made fun of, and yes, appearing arrogant. It’s far better than the alternative.
I’d Like to Know…
What do you think of Seth’s blog post?
7 Life Changing Lessons Learned from Walt Disney
The following is an adaption of a blog post posted on dumblittleman.com. Disney Encourages Us to… I’d like to know… Which of the above life lessons could you benefit from most at this stage in your life?
To see the article in its’ entirety, click on the link above.
A man should never neglect his family for business.
I have been up against tough competition all my life. I wouldn’t know how to get along without it.
Disneyland is a work of love. We didn’t go into Disneyland just with the idea of making money.
IIt’s kind of fun to do the impossible.
The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.
You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.
Whenever I go on a ride, I’m always thinking of what’s going wrong with the thing and how it can be improved.
Your Choices Will Change the World
This is a great word of encouragement by Chris Guillebeau for students, graduates and anyone else who is in a transitional period in their lives. Click the link above and enjoy the brief blog post!
Better than TV
Though TV is entertaining, hours spent in front of it rarely move you in the direction of your dream and the purpose for which you were created.
Click on the link above to read a great blog post by Seth Godin about activities that are, in his opinion, much better than TV.
I’d like to know…
What activities do you think are better than TV?
10 Amazing Life Lessons You Can Learn From Albert Einstein
The following is an adaption of a blog post posted today on dumblittleman.com. To see the article in its’ entirety, click on the link above.
Einstein Encourages Us to…
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Be Curious.
I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.
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Persevere.
It’s not that I’m so smart; it’s just that I stay with problems longer.
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Focus.
Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.
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Imagine.
Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions. Imagination is more important than knowledge.
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Fail.
A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.
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Be Present.
I never think of the future - it comes soon enough.
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Create Value
Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.
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Change.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
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Learn from Experience.
Information is not knowledge. The only source of knowledge is experience.
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Learn Rules. Play Better.
You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.
I’d like to know…
Which of the above life lessons could you benefit from most at this stage in your life?
The Difference
There are chess masters and there are chess grand masters.
Click on the link above to read a brief article on what differentiates the high achievers from the “grand masters of life.”
