Quote to Self: Henry David Thoreau

“Men are born to succeed, not fail.”

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Okay, so I’m not sure why the old-timers insisted on using the masculine collective, when clearly everyone – men and women – (Spice Girls included) have the right and the means to succeed. But Henry D.’s point is still valid. While each of us may have a different definition of success in life, we can (we must) strive to achieve that personal vision and potential.

I like this quote because to me, it goes beyond “positive thinking” (which I also love). It speaks to the essence of the human experience. It speaks to a unity with a greater force and the potential that is life. We each have it, and we are inextricably connected by it, even if we don’t always behave as such. (For your reference: Every war and hurtful action in human history.)

Just as soon as the ink is dry on our goals (you do write down your goals, don’t you?), trouble often sets in. We often focus on all the bad things that may happen to us should we pursue our passion.

“What if they don’t think I’m right for the job?” (My dream job.)
“What if she says no?” (That woman that makes me weak in the knees.)
“What if they laugh?” (When I try my hand as a stand-up comic. Oh wait, that would be a good thing.)

Were you born to fail – destined to fall short of the mark? Never. Life may seem to have a sick sense of humor at times, but nothing could be further from the truth. The world wants your true potential. (It needs your full potential!) Everything else that gets in the way is simply bullshit.

(Sorry, but Thoreau brings out the rapscallion in me.)

Were you born to succeed? if so, how so?

1,001,001

This week, I wrote a bit about my new fascination with the social web. Sure, it’s been all the rage for awhile, but my main point was that I think goal achievers like you and I can use these tools to better accomplish some great things in our lives.

Think about it. Personal coaching programs delivered on a foundation of social media technologies could offer several things people need to succeed, including:

• Support
• Advice
• Structure
• Motivation
• Accountability
• Mentoring
• Convenience
• And so much more…

So, I thought about creating a simple slogan to capture this vision, and I settled on:

1,001,001

What do you think? Pretty cool, eh?

Oh wait. That probably doesn’t make sense to anybody but me. Let’s try it another way.

I believe we can create a series of coaching communities that will bring together:

• 1,000,000 goal seekers
• 1,000 coaches/experts
• 1 objective (helping everyone achieve his or her personal goal)

Some careful addition leads to 1,001,001. (Told you it was cool.)

So there you have it. Of course, this leads to an obvious questions for anyone who happens across this little blog post:

If you could design an online coaching community that would help you achieve your most important personal goal, what would it look like?

I have my own ideas, but I’ll be writing about those in the coming weeks. Right now, I’d love to hear yours! (Thanks in advance for any and all comments.)

KAED!

On being “Mighty”

Some people have asked me, what’s with the “Mighty“, Matty P.?

I realize that such a superlative moniker may seem presumptuous, preposterous, or even pompous, but I certainly don’t mean it that way. To clear up any misconceptions, I thought I’d jot down a few of my thoughts on being mighty.

Our friends over at Merriam-Webster provide a few synonyms such as powerful and extraordinary. Considering this, do I believe that I can classify myself as mighty?

You bet.

I think I’m powerful. I can make some great things happen in this world. I can set lofty goals, and I can work hard to achieve them. I’ll need help along the way, but I am extraordinary in my own right.

What I’m not is unique.

I’ve met many people who are more talented, intelligent, or hard-working than me. I’ve met countless people who deserve to succeed. I think that each of us is mighty. While many of us may be uncomfortable coming right out and saying so, we should do so more often. If you want to stand up on the rooftop and yell “I rock out loud!”, I’ll be the first to shout back “Well done!”

So be mighty. Take that to mean whatever you’d like in your own life and with regards to your own goals. If you don’t think this is true, you’re wrong. If you do think that you’re great, do you really know why? What are you working to accomplish in life? What are you working to bring to this world? That personal vision and determination is probably pretty extraordinary, when you think about it.

Find that same inner strength and sense of purpose. It feels good, doesn’t it?

Now you know why I’m Mighty Matty P.

In my case, I have to admit that I did choose the tag for a few other, more pedestrian, reasons:

• My last name is pretty much unpronounceable and unmemorable, so a nickname works better.
• Being late to the social media party, there are already other Matty P.’s in many of the apps, so I needed to expand a bit.
• The only thing I love more than puns is alliteration.

So there you have it. More than you ever really wanted to know about the Mighty behind Matty P.

What makes you mighty? If you’re willing to share, I’m all ears. (Or eyes, here in the blogosphere.)

Bring it on.

Quote to Self: Henry Drummond

“Unless a man undertakes more than he possibly can do, he will never do all that he can.”

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Many of us feel like we’re completely overwhelmed with day-to-day tasks and time demands from home and work. “Work/life balance” seems like some sort of sick joke. In many cases, it isn’t the pace that’s the problem, it’s what we choose to do that becomes the issue. It’s unlikely that Henry Drummond was referring to your email inbox when he issued his quote. (Seeing as he died in 1897.)

Rather, I believe he’s referring to your constructive goals, your powerful personal vision, and a quest for your full potential. I like this quote, because it reminds me that it’s okay to feel overwhelmed, while reinforcing the fact that I need to be smart about what I put on my plate.

KAED

Who’s behind that avatar?

The other day, THRIVE! guy Jim Hill and I got to chatting about avatars. You know and love them. Those quirky and often stylized photos or icons that identify us in cyberspace. I’d never really given avatars much thought prior to developing a keen interest in social networking. Now, I’ve moved to obsession over the mundane examples that stare back at me from my LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter profiles. Drat.

Anyway, my conversation with Jim got started when he mentioned a separate conversation with Chris Brogan. Apparently, Chris had asked his web followers to share their thoughts on avatars as well as a few examples. Jim is a superlative designer and an inquisitive soul, so he gladly shared his thoughts and even some recent examples. (See for yourself here).

We began to talk about the psychology that goes into selecting an avatar. Some people choose a straight-up photo. (Paula Abdul-style.) Others start with a photo and stylize it. Do you use a cartoon image? A picture of something you covet? It’s fascinating when you stop to think about it. What do you want your avatar to say about you?

On his blog, Brogan (2008) later observed these psychological underpinnings when he wrote, “what we choose as an avatar seems to relate to our self-image, our self-esteem, and what we think about when we look in the mirror”.

Double drat. Now I’m definitely not happy with mine.

Fortunately, help may be on the way. A team of psychology researchers recently conducted a study to determine if a cognitive-mapping (CM) approach to avatar selection may help. CM is basically a nerdy logic technique designed to support decision making schemas. It utilizes advanced simulations and user feedback to come to the right decision outcome based on relevant criteria. But to quote Leslie Nielsen, that’s not important right now.

What is important is that the researchers took Jim and Chris’ psychological inquiry to a whole new level. In their article, Lee and Moon (2007, p. 765) ultimately argued that a CM-based approach to avatar design might allow a user to make a series of design choices and “see whether such changes would lead to improvement in maximum user satisfaction, actual self-image, and ideal self-image.”

Whoa. This avatar stuff is serious business. And to think, I had a lego dude with a briefcase stand in for me. Best not to dwell on it.

The psychology behind avatar design and selection is fascinating stuff.

What do you think your avatar is saying about you?

 
REFERENCES:

Brogan, C. (2008, April 12).What do avatars mean to us? [Blog post]. Blog entry posted to
http://www.chrisbrogan.com/what-do-avatars-mean-to-us/

Lee, K. C., & Moon, B. S. (2007). Enhanced avatar design using cognitive map-based simulation. CyberPsychology & Behavior. 10(6), 757-766.

Quote to Self: Irving Berlin

“The toughest thing about success is that you’ve got to keep on being a success.”

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A relentless pursuit to breakthrough the barriers, to be a lifelong learner, and to never give up are essential.