Passion is BACK in Fashion

Google the word passion, and what you’ll find is a lot of adult sites, dating sites, links to “The Passion of the Christ” and not much else. The word passion, and the concept itself are vastly underrated, and relegated to romance novels. To me, it is much more than that.

Passion is what gets me out of bed in the morning. It’s what motivates me, inspires me, pushes me to do more in my day, in my life, in my relationships, and in my world. If I am not passionate about something I will rarely waste my time. When I am passionate about something, there is no denying it. Everyone who meets me can feel that passion, That exuberance. It is not merely one of my qualities… it is the main quality that defines me.

Look at these blogs I’ve been writing, and it will come across. Whether it’s a blog about technology, surfing, or life lessons, my passion is obvious and inspiring.

What are you passionate about? What do you care about? What would you fight for?

Passion is a rare quality, and is often hard to find or describe. When you are passionate about something, it can change you, but usually that change is subtle, internal, and only noticed by those in your closest circle of friends. I propose that it shouldn’t be that way. I suggest you broadcast your passion, scream it from the rooftops, write it in blogs, tell your friends and family. When you meet someone who shares and shows their passion it is intoxicating, inspirational, and above all totally contagious.

When you come out of a movie theatre with someone who was charged up and fueled by what they just saw, and they share it openly with you, don’t you feel their excitement? Doesn’t it catalyze and change something within you? How many times has one person’s experience or point of view created a spontaneous debate or discussion that results in the two of you actively stating your beliefs, your opinions, your perspectives… even if they are diametrically opposed…. That’s the power of passion.

When I get up in the morning, and get my day started, if I don’t connect with some part of my passion I am dead in the water. Until I connect with something that I really care about, and feel in my bones my day doesn’t start. Yes, I may have breakfast, and go to work, and have phone calls and conversations, and get things done, but I’m just going through the motions… faking it… on autopilot. Be honest, how often has that happened to you? How frequently do you look at the clock and realize it quarter to one and wonder where your day went? Were you present for the first half of the day, or just in a fog, in a rut, in your head?

Passion is capable of bringing us 100% into the present, and keeping us there. Your heart rate increases, your pulse quickens, you are aware of everything on a completely different level.

I have a man in my life who taught me the intense value of focusing on our breath. It’s not merely meditation, although it is a form of that. It’s a way to be present, focused and awake. This man has found his passion. He teaches everyone around him how to connect to that quiet place inside your head, where the sound and feeling of the universe “breathing” you is present. Where you are present. When he talks about the power of focusing on your breath, you know how much he cares about it and it changes you. Suddenly you care about it too, and we are all bettered because of this man sharing himself, his knowledge and his passion.

I had to defend writing this blog to a friend of mine this past week. He is an awesome man, and I greatly value his perspective, but in this case he was just flat out wrong. He is so focused on his business, that in this case he missed the point. He is passionate about helping people, and helping them get their businesses on another level, and I can feel it… but I don’t always agree with it, and that’s OK, but I acknowledge his passion and am grateful for it.

He suggested that rather than waste my time writing this blog, I should focus on my technology blog that is part of my MacWhisperer brand… He told me I was diluting my value, and that my time was better spent furthering that brand, and making money from it. I should be doing more podcasts, video reviews of technology, training videos on how to use your iphone, ipod, ipad, and Mac products. He’s not wrong. I should be doing all of that and a lot more than I currently do, and there are only a limited amount of hours in the day, but he was just missing the bigger point of this blog.

You see, this blog is something I am truly passionate about. It charges me up to write it. To be creative. To share my thoughts and perspectives, and to acknowledge the path I am on in this life. For me, business is only one part of the multi-faceted life I am building here. This blog connects me to my higher purpose, gets me in touch with a power greater than myself, and motivates me to do more with my day every day. I could write a thousand technology blogs (and I am passionate about technology as well), but they would lack power, purpose, focus and vision without taking the few minutes to work on this blog first. Writing lifts me up, and then everything I do from that point on is better, stronger, and more full of LIFE and ENERGY.

And if my passion here can inspire someone else’s passion out there, all the better. We are, after all, all in this world to create a better experience and existence for ourselves and those around us.

So get PASSIONATE!!! Find out what you really CARE about, and let the world know, in any and every way you can. And I will keep on writing….

Thoreau, Thoreau, Thoreau Your Boat…

So, we’ve all heard it… A rolling stone gathers no moss. But is it true? Maybe we should ask Mick Jagger… he’s still rolling and rolling and rolling, as the lead singer of one of the longest running, constantly performing, still touring, and still rocking bands on the planet. The fact that his band is called The Rolling Stones is just a coincidence… it’s his inner momentum that keeps him going forward at full steam, and keeps him looking fairly young (all things considered).

In the last post, I talked a lot about changing your life and changing your story. I talked about shifting your perspective away from what you have been doing, to what you WANT to be doing. Now, the big question… How do you keep moving in that new direction?

One Word: MOMENTUM

For me, momentum has been one of the tenets of my life… a belief that I have had and utiilized since high school. The theory is simple, in the morning, start yourself in motion… and never stop moving until your day is done.

I remember many long, late night cramming sessions, trying to fill my brain with everything I would need for a test the following day. I remember being up until 1 or 2AM, and then waking up at 5:30AM, jumping out of bed (to start the momentum), then a quick shower, get dressed, hop on my bike, and ride towards school. I would stop at a nearby Denny’s, and grab breakfast, and keep studying, cramming, absorbing as much knowledge as my poor sleep-deprived brain could handle, and then heading into class. As long as I didn’t STOP… as long as I stayed focused and present, and refused to lie down and rest, I would be fine, I would power my way through the day… ACE the test, finish the rest of my classes and head home…

But it wouldn’t stop there. I’d get home, and you would have to maintain the momentum. Read a book, do my homework, write a little, dinner and then keep it going until I was fully spent. Most of my life, I have survived and in fact thrived on a bare minimum hours of sleep based on this concept. I have a lot to do in my day, every day. A lot to do in my life. Goals, hopes, dreams, plans. It never stops.

Someone told me the other day that he only had so many hours in the day, and I laughed to myself… If that’s true, you either need to use those hours smarter, or sleep less… or in my case, a little of both. If you put your mind to it, there is always enough time in a day to do what is TRULY important to you. Most of us waste at least half of our days with television, facebook, movies, twitter, and other mind numbing activities that make us feel busy and productive, but actually accomplish nothing more than making us FEEL busy and productive. In most cases they do not further our hopes, dreams, businesses, and higher purposes. That’s not to say you have to completely stop doing those things, especially if you enjoy them… just recognize them for what they are. Everyone needs some downtime, and some time to (pardon the phrase) fuck around… but it should be the dessert of your day, not the main course.

I say it to you, because I need to hear it for myself.

In fact, everything I talk about in this blog is as much for me to hear as for anyone. That’s how my brain works. We teach what we must learn the most. My personal struggles and challenges have always been the biggest inspiration for what I write about, so don’t think I have mastered any of these things. I am still a student, and I am merely speaking out loud the lessons that I need to take in. If they help you or anyone else along the way, that’s just the icing on the cake.

So, back to momentum….

About a month ago, I had a life altering experience. I raised the bar in my own life. I challenged myself to show up differently. To hold myself taller, stronger, to stand up straighter. I realized a greater value for who I am, and I found my higher purpose. But that was just the beginning. Each morning since that realization, I have found myself back where I used to be. Back in my comfort zone. Back where I think I’m not worth anything. Where I question my drive and my direction. Where I doubt myself and my value. And every morning I must remind myself of where I am going.

That’s what MOMENTUM looks like to me today. It’s a way of connecting each day to the prior day, and to the day before that. Remembering where I’ve been, and what I’ve learned. Acknowledging that the voices in my head, the fears, the doubts, the confusion is all a pattern I don’t want to be a part of anymore. It’s all an old tape loop. By being present, aware, focused and in complete recognition of the path I am on, I maintain my direction, and move it forward another day.

One tool that has helped me is to ask myself (and those around me) a revealing question every day… here are a few of the one’s I have used:
* How will you help another person today?
* What will inspire you to stay focused today?
* What lie that you tell yourself regularly will you dispel today?
* What fear will you face up to and overcome today?
* How will you know that today was a successful day?
* Where do you want to go today?

Each day… each question… each answer… reveals something about how I am evolving. Each moment is a chance to live my higher purpose. Each day in an opportunity to move one day closer in the direction of my dreams.

One of Kurt Simon’s favorite quotes (other than this blog’s namesake), was Thoreau: “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. “

And so I do, and I will continue to….

What does it take to get THE MOST out of your Life?

Tonight, I got put face to face with a past version of myself. This man, stuck in his story, was busy manifesting in the wrong direction. He has been successful in his life, but at this point in time, he is at a loss on how to move forward. I know this place. I know this man. He is me.

When I have found myself in a hole, I am always the first man to beat myself up. To blame myself for where I am. To berate and deride each and every accomplishment I have made… each and every positive decision…. each and every step towards a solution. I will bash myself over the head for every mistake, and swear I’ll never get on the right track.

They say if you’re in a hole, and you want to get out, the first step is… STOP DIGGING!!!!

It seems like simple advice. Good, easy to follow words of wisdom…. but most people (myself included) find it hard to know when they are digging themselves in deeper. Or better yet, how to stop.

Our stories become us. They define our experiences and our realities. Our struggles make our lives more real. Or do they? We’ve all been there. In a rut… telling ourselves over and over again how bad it is.. that it can’t possibly get worse… but then it does. We create our stories as we go along, and we become trapped by them and we recreate them over and over again. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Step 1: Acknowledge your Story Take a moment, and identify that story. If it helps, write it down, or say it out loud…. It might sound like this:

I am Dylan Stewart. I am 37 years old. When I was 9 my parents separated. I was forced to become an adult, and at that point my life and my future was decided. I would be the grown-up. The parent to my own parents… the parent to my younger brother… the parent to myself. Throughout high-school I was a geek, a loser, a loner. I struggled to make friends. I struggled to meet women. I was a part of the clique known as “The Smart Kids”. I graduated, and went on to college…

BLA-BLA-BLA-BLA-BLA-BLA-BLA-BLA-BLA-BLA-BLA-BLA-BLA-BLA-BLA-BLA-BLA

I’m Sick of it already… aren’t you? I’ve heard it a million times. I used to enjoy telling it to myself. I used to love hearing it, and seeing the reactions that it got from those around me. What a WASTE of BREATH!!!! And breath is precious. It is finite. One day, you WILL breathe your last breath… how many more do you want to waste on YOUR STORY?

Step 2: Let it Go It sounds like a hard thing to do, but it’s not… if you wrote your story on a piece of paper BURN IT, CRUMBLE IT, THROW IT AWAY!!!! If you wrote it on a computer, DELETE the file. If you spoke it out loud, VOW that it will be THE LAST TIME you do that.

It’s time to define the story you want…. not the one you were born into. Not the one you’ve been trapped by. Not the one that has KEPT YOU ASLEEP FOR YEARS.

State Your Limitations… AND THEY’RE YOURS!!!!

Step 3: Imagine and Create Your New Story Now comes the fun part. And this can be done in an unlimited number of ways. I’ll give you some ideas and suggestions, but be creative. Make it yours. If you have a way that works for you, share it in the comments… the life you inspire might be your own…..

Tomorrow morning set your alarm extra early. You must be the first one awake. If you live alone, this is easy. If you have a family, beat them all to the coffee pot. Keep a notepad or a laptop or a voice recorder (or whatever) by your bedside… and the moment your feet hit the floor, pick it up, and state 3 things you are grateful for.

1) I am grateful for music 2) I am grateful for my family 3) I am grateful for this life

If you feel inspired, keep writing. 5, 10, 20 things. Whatever you want to do.

Then, find yourself a quiet place you can be focused and uninterrupted for the next 30 minutes… bring your pad, or something you can use to take notes. I like listening to music when I do this. Other people like to be in nature. Some people like to take a jog or a run or do exercise first. Some people meditate first… whatever works for you. When you are in the right frame of mind, start to imagine your life in 5 years. Where do you live? What do you drive? Who are you surrounded by? What do you do for a living?

What INSPIRES YOU?

You can write it down, you can draw it out, you can clip pictures from magazines and paste them on a vision board, you can use Photoshop… but you cannot just do it in your head. You must somehow make it physical. Make it concrete. MAKE IT REAL!!!

It takes as long as it takes. If you run out of time, come back to it later. Give it love. Give it focus. Give it ATTENTION!!!

And when it’s done, put it somewhere you will see it every morning.

This works. I have seen it change lives. I have seen it save families. I have seen it make money appear out of nowhere. I have seen it bring more love into people’s lives. I have seen it change everything. But first, you must BELIEVE that it can all change. You must believe that you are worthy of the life you dream of. You must believe in YOU!!!!!

Step 4: Start Living Your Dreams

Each day is a new opportunity to move forward. If you slip, that’s ok, we all do. I know I have slipped and continue to struggle some days. Like anything worthwhile it takes time and practice. It is a process. But it is possible.

If you have a hard time on a particular day, here is what works for me…

Turn on random shuffle on your ipod or itunes, and play it LOUD!!!!! Go for a run, or a walk, or do pushups or whatever it takes to get you breathing heavy. Sit quiet and focus on your breath. Change your pattern. Take a different route to work. Eat something different for breakfast. Start a conversation with someone random. Spend some time with your pet. Kiss or hug someone.

And my personal favorite: DRESS THE PART!!!!

There’s a great scene in the Steve Martin movie MY BLUE HEAVEN… (and no, I’m not a Steve Martin fanatic or anything, but like the last post, it’s the most appropriate example).

In the movie, Steve Martin is trying to get Rick Moranis character out of a depression, and he takes him shopping for an expensive suit. Custom tailored and gorgeous. It’s not cheap, but when he wears it, Rick’s character stands different. He holds himself different. You can tell he feels different…. and Steve tells him “You see, the wardrobe is a symbol of how you are… you follow me? … Listen to me, it’s very hard for a human being to change. I know this. I am an expert on this. So, sometimes in order for a human being to change you have to change from the outside – IN.”

It’s true. Put on a nice shirt and slacks, even a tie if you need to, or a nice dress, or whatever makes you feel sharp. Look in the mirror… how do you feel?

Are you ready to start your new life now? THEN GET GOING!!!!!

It’s like the old SNL character Fernando used to say, “You look maahvelous… and it is more important to look good than to feel good!”

Just take the first step, and fake it until you make it.