A vision, a voice, a stage

A vision, a voice and a stage. These three components can change the world.

The vision is the answer in the crystal ball of your mind. All of your knowledge, experience, pattern recognition, insight, wisdom, and intuition create the vision. You have a belief in your vision.

The voice is the way you personally use your communication skills to tell the story of your vision. You have to tell the story in a way that no one else can. It may be the words you choose, it may be in your art, it may be in the presentation you are delivering. It's your unique way of sharing the story of your vision.

The stage is your means of communication. It could be a physical stage, blogging, a business meeting, a job interview, a trade show, an art exhibit. You've got to get on stage.

Take any one of the three away and your story won't spread. You need your story to spread.

A vision on a stage with out an effective voice won't be heard.
A voice on a stage without vision won't captivate and move your audience.
A vision and a voice without a stage is like art in a closet.

Believe in your vision, find your voice, and get on stage! Do this and your audience will find you.

Invent your future.

Tom

Mom, Dad... I got two D's on my report card! Aren't you proud!

Report card one:

Math, A+
English Comp, D
American Literature, D-
Physical Science, C+
Art, A-


Report card two:

Math, D
English Comp, A+
American Literature, A+
Physical Science, D-
Art, A-


Report card three:

Math, B
English Comp, B
American Literature, B
Physical Science, B
Art, B

The typical parent would prefer their child bring home report card three. Report card one or two would most likely elicit a negative reaction from mom and dad. Does this really make sense? Would we be better off to accept and nurture our natural abilities and accept our weakness? Could report card three suppress our true passion? Just something to think about!

Invent your future.

Tom

Simplicity

I love electronic gadgets. I've bought PCs, Macs, PDAs, iPods, iPads, ebook readers, video game consoles, TVs, digital cameras, media players, surround sound systems.... You get the picture. Of all the gadgets I've consumed, only one has stood the test of time. It has one single button - an on/off switch. It's never failed me. It's beauty is it's simplicity. It's my Adcom stereo amplified that I bought at a scratch & dent sale at Sound Advice in the mid 1980's. Today I use it as the amplifier between a set of speakers and my iPad. The sound is amazing! There's something to be said for simplicity.

Simplicity lasts the test of time.

Invent your future.

Tom

The best book you've never read

It's sitting on your bookshelf right now. Something about that book peaked your interest. You bought the book and started to read it. You were interrupted and you set the book down.... And it still sits there today. How many months ago was that? Or has it been years?

It's time to brush off the dust and read it! It very well could be the best book you've never read. Wake up 30 minutes earlier than you usually do and start reading. It's a great way to get your creative energy flowing that will stay with you throughout the day.

Invent your future.

Tom

Game changers who influenced me

They all invented their future. Invent yours!

Tom

Let inexperience be your guide

Think back to your most memorable accomplishment that gave you great personal satisfaction. Was this a time when you were very experienced in what ever it was that you were successful at? More than likely you'll recall an accomplishment in a discipline that was new to you. You simply let inexperience be your guide. Your success was because you didn't know what you were doing so you didn't have preconceived limitations.

I do not believe in the "fake it till you make it" mantra. I do believe in the value of inexperience. The inexperienced are innovators, inventors, and leaders. Be inexperienced.

Invent your future.

Tom

Watch out for falling pianos

Imagine walking down the city sidewalk and coming across a broken stool. You stop and stare at the stool and wonder what happened. While you are looking down at the stool, a piano is falling from above. You don't notice the piano because you were focused on what happened to the stool.

Don't overanalyze the problem! Analysis paralysis is real. Stop comparing the continuing education courses you've been thinking about taking. Stop researching networking groups to join. Stop looking at resume samples. Stop spending time searching for LinkedIn connections. It's time for action!

Invent your future.

Tom

I certainly was in the right!

Have you ever heard the story behind the spoken lines at the end of Pink Floyd's Money? This audio was capture by asking a question to random people.

The question: 

Recall a time when you were in a huge argument. 

Were you in the right?

A few of the answers:

• Uh-Huh! I was in the right!
• Yes, absolutely in the right!
• I certainly was in the right!
• That geezer was cruising for a bruising!

Overwhelmingly, people answered the question that they were, indeed, in the right. Either A) half the people who answered the question were not in the right, or B) they simply recalled an argument when they were in the right. I'd put my money on A. 

Give yourself permission to be wrong more often. You'll open up new ways of thinking and free up a bunch of brain power. 

And maybe the only honest answer to the question:

• I don't know, I was really drunk at the time!

Invent your future.

Tom

Conscious change

It's never too late to start. It's never too late to stop. In fact, we're always starting and stopping. It's what change is all about. Change really isn't change at all. Change is really a constant pattern of starting and stopping. You can't prevent change, you can't stop change and you have a hard time consciously participating in the change that's happening right now. You most likely underestimate how much you are going to change, according to a new study in Science magazine. It seems that we admit how much we've changed over the past 10 years but we don't think we'll change much over the next 10 years.

What you can do is try and be a bit more conscience and deliberate. You can choose the things you start and stop. You can choose your thoughts. Plan to change significantly over the next 5 to 10 years, because you will. You can sit back and let the change happen or you can actively participate and shape the future you.

Participate in conscious change.

Invent your future.

Tom

Big Data and Horse Manure

Big Data.... Data is pouring in at inconceivable rates. Technology to capture data is simply remarkable. In fact, 90% of all data in the world has been created in the past 2 years. The challenge is how we store and process these huge data sets. Our ability to capture has exceeded our ability to process. By a long shot! This is known as Big Data and it's all the buzz. The problem will only continue to grow as more and more data is created.

In an article in the Times of London in 1894 another problem of epic proportion was projected. Horse manure is going to be 9 feet deep in the streets of London by 1950, the Times reported. Population growth and the need for transportation could only lead to more horses. More horses meant more manure. It was inevitable.

Clearly, the technology of the automobile wasn't even a factor in the equation because the technology didn't exist at the time. I have confidence that new technologies will emerge to solve the Big Data problem. For a technology geek like me, it's exciting to watch breakthroughs like this emerge. 2.5 quintillion bytes of data were created today! What are we going to do with it?!

When I invent my future I like to save space for what I can't conceive. I have a vision that I consciously act on every day. It's not a plan or a blueprint that would limit my tools and techniques, it's a dream that's open to new ideas and inconceivable concepts. I believe in my dreams without limitation.

Invent your future.

Tom

The excitement of the first time

I'm writing this on a United Airlines flight from Washington DC to Tampa returning from a great conference. There is a young child seated in front of me who has never flown before. I know this because he is very vocal. He excitedly shouted "This is my first plane ride" as we taxied down the runway. His first time enthusiasm was contagious. He engaged everyone around him in joyful conversation.

At the same time I was contemplating a solution to a problem. The distraction and excitement of the boy in front of me gave me inspiration. The solution to my problem clicked in my mind. The bit of first time enthusiasm I caught gave me the ability to think differently and come up with a solution to my problem.

What if you could attack a problem you're facing with first time enthusiasm. Come at it with eyes wide open excitement, energy, and optimism. Give it a try!

The wheels of the plane just left the ground. "Dad, I'm flying, I'm really flying!"

Inventing my future,

Tom

It's better to blend in with the right crowd than stand out in thewrong crowd.

How do you differentiate yourself from the crowd? How do you stand out in a crowded commoditized field? There's a lot of advice on how to do this. But maybe, you don't need to stand out. Maybe you need to blend in... with the right crowd.

There will come a day when you have to leave your current crowd behind and find a new crowd. A crowd where you will blend in with like-minded people. This will, and should, make you uncomfortable. Even though you don't fit in with the crowd you're with, it's still a comfortable crowd. You know it well and you followed traditional wisdom and figured out how to stand out. In fact, you find it very easy to stand out in your current crowd. What should make you uncomfortable is how easy it is to stand out. Easy is a sure path to mediocrity.

Take a good long look at your current crowd and ask yourself if you would choose to be a part of this crowd today. Ask yourself this question as if you were not currently a part of this crowd. Would you join? If not, why do you stay? Fear. Fear of change. Fear of the unknown. But most of all, fear of just being another member of a crowd. Fear of not standing out.

Get over the fear. Fear stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. When you know it's time to leave your crowd behind and blend in with a new crowd, take the leap.

Inventing my future

Tom

The twenty mile march

Consistent progress wins the hour, day, month, year. Consistent progress means consistent momentum and consistent down time. Know your upper and lower limits and stay the course within this range. Don't let temptation lead you off track. I'll take this advice to practice in 2013. Well executed discipline, focus, and patience backed by a solid plan built around vision and trust.

http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2011/09/30/jim-collins-great-by-choice-exclusive-excerpt/

Inventing my future

Tom

Daily thought extraction

It's been said that we overestimate what we can accomplish in a single year and grossly underestimate what we can accomplish in five years.

My goal for 2013 is simple... Blog every day. I read a lot and from many different sources. I enjoy letting articles, books, blogs, and other mental inputs collide in my mind to create new abstract thoughts and ideas. Some of my thoughts seem brilliant at the time and later become funny or even absurd. Other thoughts and ideas still seem pretty clever in my humble opinion. Nonetheless, in 2013 my goal is to write and blog every day.

Inventing my future,

Tom