Brian Said...

A Blog by Inspirational Writer and Speaker, Brian Hicks, who resides online at www.brian-hicks.com.

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Snap Out of It!

Brian Hicks - Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Today's Daily DifferenceMaker...
The Tinderbox Tapes club members receive a Daily DifferenceMaker (DDM) every morning. The DDMs are a little different than today's post here, but I hope it will nonetheless make a difference in your day.

As a reminder... When I talk to myself, it looks like this and when I talk BACK to myself, it looks like this.




"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club."
Jack London (1876-1916)
American Author with whom you likely associate wolves and 9th grade
 

Dude, your street cred is totally shot right now. Cher? In a chick flick? Seriously...
Yeah, well... Some people think she's hot, so maybe that's where I was goin'. How ya like me now, big boy?
Drag Queens in Vegas think she's hot. Is that your message?
Bite me.

In all honesty, this is one of those movie moments that has stuck with me forever. I can honestly say I think about it almost every day. Whenever I need a wake up call, I simply allow Cher to smack me around in my head, and it honest to goodness works!

If you've just recently joined us, you may not know that the "Astound Yourself Today" & "Tend the Flame" thing is about creating a new world for yourself & your family. My whole purpose for the club and the book and the speaking and the site is to encourage you to create that new world by doing what you're capable of doing; nothing less, but thankfully, nothing more.

As I've traveled my own journey & talked to others on their journeys, I've noticed we all have a common fault: We all have moments when we sit and wait for inspiration to strike.

For some, it's at the beginning of the journey itself. They sit and wait. They pray and wait. They moan and wait. They complain and wait. They watch American Idol and wait...

The point is that they wait. They wait for inspiration. They wait for someone else to motivate them. They wait for Adam Lambert's new album...

And as a result, they never get off the proverbial couch. I'm gonna give you a minute to put on your big boy pants.

You got 'em on? They pulled up high & tight?

Okay.

Here's the deal, pickle:
Get up.

Just get up.
Don't worry about where you're going or how you'll get there.
Just get up.
You don't need 7 habits or 21 laws or any "secret."
Just get up.
Grab a club.
And get up.

Make one call. Write one page. Paint one wall. Buy one rose.

Seriously. Why are you still reading this? G.O. GO!!!

Alright, so that was pretty cool and I get what you're saying, but haven't you read those books?
Course I have, and they're great books. But the bottom line is that too many people are saying, 'I gotta read the book before I start.' That's BEYOND wrong. When you justify not creating your new world by saying you're reading a book so you can 'get it figured out better' first... Well, you'll still be reading books & trying to figure it all out next year & the next year & the next year, won't you?
Well as long as you cleared that up...

For some, getting started is easy; it's after the new wears off that they get into trouble. Certainly, "tending the flame" comes into play here, but today we're taking a slightly different look. See, it's the day-to-day disciplines that trip us up.

I think London's quote resonates with me because I've lived it in the last year. When you write a book, you have to commit to 1,000 words a day or 5 pages a day or a scene a day or whatever your goal is. Inspiration doesn't descend upon you each morning & say, "This is the word from the Lord God Almighty. Write this down." No one comes along to get you off the couch, especially when your book is a motivational book wrapped in a novel. I promise, it's ALL YOU. And maybe your wife a little...

I spent 20 years in the health insurance business & can tell you that waiting for inspiration to strike is a condition common to everyone in every profession. And it's not just professional. It's relational and spiritual and all the other "-als." You think you're cute, don't you?

We wait to be properly inspired before we make a call or buy flowers or help with chores or put in for the promotion or write a word. But what do you do when the inspiration doesn't come? What do you do when the outer distractions are louder than the voice in your head?
You never have that problem, do you?
You think you're cute, don't you?
Duh?! Have you seen me?
Shut it.
The answer is simple... You already know what you need to do. So SNAP OUT OF IT and grab a club! My experience has been that once you "get all up in there" even though you don't "feel" like it, it'll be a little tedious at first, but somewhere along the way, you'll hit upon some little thing that will inspire you to do more.

But notice the inspiration comes after the doing. In fact, the inspiration comes from the doing. It is rarely the other way around!

You can use all kinds of mental tricks & read all the books (Dude! You're killin' me! Sounds like you're trashing the books. Did you forget that YOU wrote one, too! Yeah, but mine's waaay different, right? Oh yeah, DEFinitely different...), but the bottom line is that you don't need to see the finished product today. You just need to see today. You just need to see what you're capable of doing & go do it.

You don't need to see how she'll react; you just need to buy the flower. You don't need to see the signed contract; you just need to make the call. You don't need to see the NY Times Bestseller List; you just need to write the scene. You don't need to see them winning a Nobel Peace Prize; you just need to teach them how to love their little brother. You don't need to see the sold-out arena; you just need to write the chorus.

In short, you just need to do what you're capable of doing today.
When you do, you'll Astound Yourself Today, and that will inspire you to do it again tomorrow!
And a month, a year, a decade from today you'll be living in your new world - the one you created by simply doing what you were capable of doing today.

AYT,
Brian
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Haystacks & Starry Nights: A Life Lesson from Van Gogh

Brian Hicks - Monday, August 23, 2010
Today's Daily DifferenceMaker...
The Tinderbox Tapes club members receive a Daily DifferenceMaker (DDM) every morning. This one originally went out a couple of months ago. While on the road recently, I was in a pinch for a DDM to send one morning and decided to recycle one. As I searched my archive, I came across this one and it spoke to me in a new way. Yes, people, I astounded myself today! Hope this one speaks to you, too.


"Great things are done by a series of small things brought together."
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
Dutch Painter & hell with a razor blade
 

You'll recall he didn't like his ear; You've probably heard Don McLean sing about him; You've certainly seen the "swirly" stars. You also may have noticed he died at 37.

Van Gogh was an interesting character.

He only painted for 10 years.

He grew up a preacher's kid, living in mining communities as his father preached to the poor, and never pursued any significant artistic endeavors as a child.

While he did work for an art dealer for a time, he eventually became a preacher like his father.

It was his brother, Theo, who encouraged him to paint. Both van Gogh AND his parents thought Theo was nuts, but he pushed Vincent anyway.

So in 1880, Vincent gave up preaching and began to paint.

And then...

It appeared Vincent & his parents were right!
No one was buying his paintings.

Regardless, Vincent kept at it.

Despite suffering mental illness, epilepsy, a myriad of other illnesses - and absolutely zero success in the marketplace - van Gogh became a prolific painter over 10 years.

Right up until he took his own life.

Wow, Brian. Thanks for the Buzzkill. On Monday.

Stay with me, please.

Van Gogh created a new world for himself.

He didn't begin to paint as a first career; He wasn't a prodigy; He didn't even have confidence in himself! If not for his brother, Vincent would likely have never picked up a brush.

Despite his late start, mental & physical illness, Vincent van Gogh ended up painting 3 of the top 10 most expensive paintings of all time.
That's more than any other individual artist, and the 3 paintings total over $200 million! JUST THOSE THREE! I'm sure someone knows the value of his entire collection, but I couldn't find it. Suffice it to say, it must be worth a LOT of dollars!

Yet he died a "failure."

Sometimes the new world you create won't pay economically until long after you're gone.
But it won't pay today, tomorrow or EVER if you don't do the small things that can be brought together to form something great.

Remember, you don't have to invent the light bulb to astound yourself; You simply have to do what you're capable of doing.

Van Gogh was capable of painting potato eaters, sunflowers, haystacks, starry nights, even himself;
So whether they sold or not, he continued to paint them.

It must have seemed small at the time, sitting in a field alone, staring at hay, filled with doubt, knowing no one was buying.
And yet, he did it - every day - because it was the one thing he was capable of doing.

Are you capable of doing a small thing?
How about a series of small things?
When you put those small things together, what kind of new world will you create?

Do something small, something you're capable of doing, as you start this week - a call, an email, a household chore, a single flower - and you'll Astound Yourself Today!

Brian
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One Day at a Time...

Brian Hicks - Wednesday, August 11, 2010

One of our club members asked that we post yesterday's Daily DifferenceMaker (DDM) here today so she could share it with others. Thanks for that!

"The best thing about the future is that
it only comes one day at a time."

Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865) 

 
Mr. Lincoln continues our theme today with some more insight into how the future unfolds.

 Many people probably look at this and think, "Thank goodness it only comes screaming at me one day at a time! I can barely hang on as it is."

 But not you.

 You see things a little differently. You see that the reason it comes one day at a time is because you're creating it each day.

 You create it by how you choose. You create it by what you do. You create it by what you don't do.

 Remember, the idea here is to create a new world for yourself and your family by doing what you're capable
of doing each day, one day at a time.

 The decision and the day are important because when you put them together after 1, 5, 10, 20 years, the cumulative effect is either a new world or the same old one you're not satisfied with.

 On August 10, 2011, your world will be no different than it is today, unless you do something different today.

 Thanks to Mr. Lincoln for reminding us it's one decision and one day at a time.

 Today's decision: Astound Yourself Today!

Brian
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Stuff That Scares Me

Brian Hicks - Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Well... There's my wife greeting me at the back door with that "it's pink" look on her face.

There's the 2010 kickoff without Tim Tebow & the HUGE loss of talent on both sides of the ball.

And snakes. Always snakes. But that's not what this is about.

I've been away from the blog for quite awhile. In fact, you could say it never got started good. But its time has come. And that brings me to my point. But before I launch into the list you should know that I talk to myself OUT LOUD and it looks like this. And when I talk BACK to myself, it looks like this.

Okay... so I'm afraid:

  1. That you won't like it. Dude. Seriously? Yep. I said it. Deep down I'm a 14-year-old girl on her first day at a new high school, not hoping to fit in but just praying no one even notices her. If they notice, there's a chance they'll make fun. And if they make fun, there's a chance it'll stick for four long years. Wow. You're creepin' me out. I know, but I once heard about this kid that got tagged "Cryin' Brian" in school and that stuff tends to stick. Just sayin...
  2. That you won't read it. I suppose the only thing worse than not liking it is not reading it in the first place. And why do I care? Because I genuinely desire to help tend your flame  as you create that new world you desire and astound yourself along the way, AND I believe my experience qualifies me to do it in an entertaining & engaging way. Okay. 3 things, Einstein: One, if they're not reading this, well THEY'RE NOT READING THIS! B, They don't know what you mean about new worlds and astounding yourself, and CUATRO, "Tend your flame?" You sound like a perv. That will all make sense as we progress. Trust me. And why should I do that? So far we've determined you're an insecure teenage girl with no friends & apparently a bit of a weeper. And "your experience qualifies you"? Man, you suck at this. And NEWS FLASH: There's a fine line between "entertaining & engaging" and public therapy. Shut up. You could stop me if you wanted to...
  3. That you won't like the look (because I don't like the look) and that will detract from the message. See, I'm breaking my big rule here. Pretty is good. Pretty is important. Pretty makes the reader more comfortable. It's the wrapping paper at Christmas, you know? This isn't a WordPress blog with a Woo Theme. It's the blog format of the website I spent a lot of money on & frankly I ain't changin' it yet. Hey, I thought you got a WordPress account. It's free, right? Yes. And yes. But then I'd have to link people back & forth between the blog & the site and that's a hassle. Since I paid money for this website before I really had a handle on my purpose here, I'm sorta stuck with it for now. Yeah. I think you're just cheap.
  4. That you won't "get"me. That is, my humor; my perspective. My wife says I creep people out because I strike up random conversations with people: There's the kid with the UF t-shirt on line at Sbarro in the food court to whom I smile & say, "Go Gators!" who runs to find his mom because "that creepy old man was grinning at me." Not your fault he forgot he was wearing that shirt. IT'S EVEN A COMMERCIAL, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!! There's the checkout girl at Wal-Mart to whom I say, "Come on SEVEN!" as I swipe my debit card and then, "HOTCHA!" when it says "approved." That's kinda funny, man. What does she say? Nothing. Just stares at me. I bet she doesn't speak English. You know what, I never thought of that! I bet you're right. Wait'll I tell the wife... And then there's the teenage girls sitting behind us at the pool. I can't remember what I said, but my wife informed me that you NEVER, EVER speak to teenage girls at a pool. Who knew? I KNOW! I thought it was that creepy old man thing again, but she said that while I am indeed old & creepy, it was more about THEM than ME. It wasn't about YOU? I bet you were devastated... See. I'm well aware that things get "misconscrewed" when we're standing face-to-face and you can see my nonverbals & hear the nuance in my voice. When it's in writing, I get worried that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you read is not what I meant. Huh? That's Robert McCloskey's fault.
  5. That you'll think I'm self-aggrandizing when I share parts of my personal journey. I'm truly more interested in your journey than in my own, but sometimes we get encouragement from those who are traveling a similar path. I'll never claim that anything I do is the only way to do things, nor will I claim that you'll fail if you ignore me. I just believe what my hero, Andy Andrews, says, "Encouragement is good. Proof is better." When you want to create a new world - relationally, spiritually, professionally and any other "ly" - it's nice to hear of others who are doing the same. It provides proof that it can be done. Yeah, but you're not done. Heck NOBODY'S ever done, are they? True enough, but you get the point. If not, see #4 above...
  6. That after I post this, I'll think of lots MORE stuff - better stuff - that scares me. But that's always going to be the case. You ponder. You pontificate. You put it out there. It is what it is. The one phrase that changed my is "Progress, not perfection."If you wait for it to be perfect, you'll be waiting a very long time. Just start somewhere & get better as you learn & grow. Can't ask for any more than that. Yeah, but you CAN ask for a better phrase, Dopey! ONE phrase changed your life and THAT was it? How about "Give me liberty or give me death!" or "Just Do It" or "It's not clean unless it's OxiClean!" You're right about one thing: This ain't perfect.
  7. That my wife will read this and greet me at the back door with a different kind of look on her face. Won't be the first time... Shut UP! You really CAN'T stop me, can you?
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Astound Yourself Today

Brian Hicks - Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Welcome to my new blog at the online home of Brian Hicks, The Tinderbox Tapes, and the "Astound Yourself Today™" Nation! I'm glad you stopped by.

My plan is to make this a weekly endeavor, so be sure to sign up for the mailing list & we'll shoot you a quick note when the blog is updated. You'll also be in the loop for books, audio programs & upcoming events.

TODAY'S TOPIC: Astound Yourself Today™

"If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves."

Thomas Edison spoke those words. And as profound as they are when you HEAR them, imagine how much MORE profound they are when you LIVE them.

My AYT keynote (Yes. I just created my own acronym. It's a WHOLE lot easier to type "AYT" than "Astound Yourself Today™," right?) has taken on a life of it's own and is quickly becoming a pop culture phenomenon!

Yeah, you're right... That's only true in my head.

But still, I'm excited about the response I've been getting around the country. People are waking up to the fact that you really CAN dream of creating a new world and then GO DO IT! And the best part is, you don't have to do anything over-the-top, out-of-this-world extraordinary. You simply do what you're capable of doing.
If it worked for Thomas Edison, it will surely work for you, right?

In his book, Innovate Like Edison, Michael Gelb points out that:

"The horse was still the fastest means of transportation when Edison was a child, growing up in Ohio, but in the course of his life railways were introduced, then automobiles, submarines, airplanes, helicopters & rockets. Edison witnessed the introduction of blue jeans, Coca Cola, jazz, Corn Flakes, the pop-up toaster & Mickey Mouse. While he was developing world-changing inventions, other innovators brought forth the typewriter, telephone, radio, x-rays & penicillin.

Charles Darwin, Sigmund Freud, Mohandas Gandhi, Marie Curie & Albert Einstein were among his most extraordinary contemporaries.

Of course, when Edison was born, candles, torches & gas lamps were the only sources of light for homes, public buildings & streets. If you wanted to hear a speech or musical performance, you had to be present when it was delivered. And the only “moving pictures” were the ones people conjured up in their heads.

But Thomas Edison’s imagination changed all that.
 
He dreamed of a new world, and then he created it."

I contend that we all dream of creating a new world - some on par with Edison or Gandhi or Lincoln or Mother Theresa or Martin Luther King, Jr.; but most of us simply dream of creating a new world for ourselves and our family. That's what America is all about.

The Astound Yourself Today™ keynote will have you imagining that new world all over again and leave you with the surprisingly simple secret for creating that very world.

It's also the first lesson you'll receive when you subscribe to The Tinderbox Tapes monthly audio series.

Stay tuned, AYT Nation! The launch sequence has been initiated. No turning back now...

 

 

 

 

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December 2008 - "When the 'new' wears off"

Brian Hicks - Friday, December 26, 2008
I swear, that sounds like a Country song - "And debuting at #9 on the countdown, George Jones' new hit single, 'When The New Wears Off.'"

ANYWAY...

It's a couple of days after Christmas and I'm witnessing firsthand what happens "when the new wears off".

I have 3 boys, ages 11, 7 & 5... which means my house smells like the men's room at the local park, but I digress...

You see, they loaded up on the usual Christmas take for boys their age: Video games & accessories and various action figures - mostly of the Star Wars variety. Personally, I was most excited for them to open the steering wheels (used to play their driving games on the Nintendo Wii) and the light sabers (also used on the Wii for their Star Wars games). Funny thing abut those accessories, though. You see, the boys almost instantly complained that their new toys weren't as cool as they thought they'd be.

This is to be somewhat expected. After all, sometimes those kinds of things just get in the way. They're too cumbersome & make it harder to play the game effectively. I certainly get that, so no harm/no foul in my book. No need for lectures about the virtues of being grateful & no discussions of how we were lucky to get a pack of Juicy Fruit when I was their age.

No need to verbally assault them with stories of how their uncle & I would anxiously await the Sears catalogue and find the ONE THING we wanted for Christmas & then wait ever so impatiently for something like 60 days for the big event, never once asking for anything during that time & praying that Santa would come through. No need to contrast that experience with their own, pointing out that they get a new toy or game WEEKLY & that it's almost reached the point that Christmas is simply the day you get a few more things than you get on a typical day.

No need to mention that, although we celebrate "The Reason for the Season" in our house, we'd still like the Christmas morning experience to be fun and exciting, and that's becoming increasingly difficult because of the aforementioned.

But then it happened.

All three of them walked into my bedroom & with one voice asked, "Dad? When can we go to Toys R Us and take our gift cards?"

I'm still picking up the pieces of my skull, which exploded almost before they finished speaking. If I had a nickel for every time I uttered the phrase, "Honestly fellas..."

Approximately 48 hours... That's how long it takes for the "new" to wear off. And it occurred to me that adults are the same way, and I'm not talking about how we get tired of that new plasma after the big game is over and we make the mistake of walking into Best Buy a week later... when the NEW models just came in...

I'm talking about our hopes & dreams.

What happens when "the new wears off?" What do you do when things aren't exactly what you expected in the pursuit of your dreams? How do you handle the realization that after the initial thrill comes the daily routine?

One of my heros, and the most famous person you've never heard of, Jim Rohn, says, "You can get all excited about lifting 300 pounds until you get to the gym. Then you need a new excitement." What do you do when the new wears off? How do you maintain your passion, enthusiasm, excitement for your future?

That's what my site, my blog and indeed my career, will seek to discover. I hope you'll sign up to receive updates about new entries and new releases, and I especially hope you'll join The Tinderbox Tapes to receive monthly motivation delivered directly to your door.

Thanks for stopping by...
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