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We need to be in the right frame of mind to pursue opportunities as they arise, but we also need to maintain a healthy attitude when opportunities pass us by. We need to trust that we made the right decision to say no, otherwise we get trapped in the anxious and regretful loop of post choice pondering.  Every year I’m presented with dozens of new creative opportunities, all of…

Some cartoonists become popular by having jokes and gags, but the truly legendary ones create a private language, a set of characters, a set of expectations, a new world and a developed universe.  Because they understand that when you create a universe that people can become a part of, it’s a lot harder for fans to switch when their next project comes out.  I remembering listening to a panel…

All creativity begins with the moment of conception. That little piece of kindling that gets the fire going. That initial source of inspiration that takes on a life of its own. That single note from which the entire symphony grows. That single spark of life that signals an idea’s movement value, almost screaming to us, something wants to be built here. And so, in this blog series, I’m going to…

I was reading a fantastic psychology book that addresses the dangers of excessive and unhealthy comparison.  The authors explained that constantly looking over our shoulder at what others are doing takes our eyes off what’s ahead of us. By fixating on someone else, they said, we lose unrecoverable time that could be devoted to becoming uniquely great.  Anytime I find myself stuck in this comparison trap, the mantra I try to…

Each one of us has something called universe creating power.  Zappos pioneered this concept several years ago. Their founder wrote in his book, when you envision, create and believe in your own universe, the universe will form around you.  I’m reminded of my friend who works as a church planter. Paul boldly relocated his family from one hemisphere to another, only knowing two people in his new city, and…

All creativity begins with the moment of conception. That little piece of kindling that gets the fire going. That initial source of inspiration that takes on a life of its own. That single note from which the entire symphony grows. That single spark of life that signals an idea’s movement value, almost screaming to us, something wants to be built here. And so, in this blog series, I’m going to…

Debono’s research on opportunity suggests that everyone is surrounded by opportunities, but those opportunities only exist once they have been seen, and they will only be seen once they are looked for.  What’s needed, he says, is a systematic approach to opportunity seeking. A formal exercise designed to sanction initiative. Without such a formal framework, the opportunity search will always remain a matter of mood, chance and individual motivation.  The first…

Once your dream comes true, not only do you have to learn to live with it, you also have to learn to deal with people who resent you for having and following it.  That’s the downside of success. The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune often show up in the form of bitterness, anger and resistance. Not because you’ve done something wrong, but because somebody else hasn’t done something…

My business was my first love.  It was the first thing I gave everything to, and the first thing that gave everything to me. The two of us were absolutely faithful to each other. We were inseparable. You couldn’t tell where the company ended and I began.  However, like so many first loves, after ten years of spending every waking moment together, I found myself bored, burned out and…

All creativity begins with the moment of conception. That little piece of kindling that gets the fire going. That initial source of inspiration that takes on a life of its own. That single note from which the entire symphony grows. That single spark of life that signals an idea’s movement value, almost screaming to us, something wants to be built here. And so, in this blog series, I’m going to…