A Disciplined Life

Last night I watched the movie "The Last Samurai." Now, I remember watching this movie when it first came out in 2003 and thought it was really good but I have not seen it sense. I had planned on working while watching it but shortly into the movie I found that I could not take my eyes off the screen. No it was not the incredible fighting senses that had me mesmerized, it was the lessons embedded into the story that kept me watching in amazement and admiration. This movie is all about the Samurai way of life which is centered around upholding certain principles.

The word Samurai literally means service. These men dedicate their lives to the service of their Emperor. But it is so much more then that. In their village Captain Algren notices that everyone (men, women and children, young and old alike) from the moment they wake up are devote themselves to the perfection of whatever they pursue. They follow a life of discipline, service and compassion. Honor, it is the principle that they believe is of the upmost importance. Honoring yourself, your family, your friends, your enemies and your values.

Everyone in that Samurai village knows the principles the value, do you know yours? What are those principles that you feel are nonegotiable? When you wake up in the morning, what area do you devote yourself to perfecting?

This movie is an excellent reminder of how we should all live our lives. Go rent it, buy it (Walmart $5), borrow it from a buddy...however you do it just watch it. Sit down and take some notes if you seen it before or if it is your first time just experience it but be ready when it is over to take a look at how you are living your life...Are you a Samurai?

"It's not an opportunity, it's an obligation." We have an obligation to strive for our full potential, to seek out and initiate change. Are you meeting your's?

MMM - Integrity

"Wisdom is knowing what path to take next...integrity is taking it."

Just simply knowing the right thing to do means little...we need to stand up for what is right even in the face of adversity.

Most People

Who are you? Are you like most people?

"Most people like the products they already have, so marketers ignore them.
Most people work hard to fit in, so others don't notice them.
Most people like eating at places where they've eaten before.
Most people think this book is a bad idea.
Most people would like the world to stay just as it is, but calmer.
Most people are afraid.
Most people didn't use Google until last year.
Most people aren't curious.
You're not most people."
- Seth Godin, Tribes

What do you want out of life? Are you content with just fitting in, doing only what needs to be done? Or perhaps you are someone who wants something more.

If we want to be leaders, if we want to be top performers in life then we can't be like most people. We need to go beyond. We need to challenge the norm.

Tribes is a book that is dedicated to the aspect of gathering and leadering a group of individuals with a common vision. Currently, I am a Wisconsin State FFA Officer. We have the 7th largest membership in the organization and we are alway worried about increasing our numbers so that we are bigger and.....better?

Is bigger always better? Seth's book posses and addresses this question. To often organizations feel like they constantly need to be growing in order to improve. The fact is that just isn't the case. When we focus too much on getting bigger we end up broadening our mission. This can create an organization that is "watered down" bringing itself closer to the status quo rather then challenging it, simply because the organization is trying hard to appeal to most people in an attempt to grow bigger.

Leaders don't try to please everyone. They don't adjust their message simply to help the organization get bigger. No they stick to their values and their mission realizing that a tight knit "tribe" is far more effective.


*Check out Seth's book at: http://www.sethgodin.com/sg/

Monday's Motivational Morsel - The Plate

"You can't hit a home run unless you step up to the plate. You can't catch a fish unless you put your line in the water. You can't reach your goals if you don't try."
- Kathy Seligman

The status quo...the ordinary...the average. It is what happens when we stop growing and changing. When we stop trying challenging those preconceived notions that already exist. But what keeps us from expressing and going after those innovative ideas.....a fear of failing? No, that is not it at all. We don't have a fear of failure, we have a fear of blame.

Criticisms. That is what keeps most of us from expressing our break through ideas, from creating the next techno wonder or writing a literary masterpiece. We are afraid of getting our feelings hurt by someone who says our book is a disaster or our gadget is flawed. But consider this, if you keep that idea to yourself and continue to do what you always have done...who notices you?

Criticisms is not always pleasant and sometimes it may not even be constructive but if a food critic writes about how off the wall your the food at your restaurant is at least that means that it was unique enough for them to notice and it is only by being noticed that you ever have a chance to be remarkable. Don't let fear hold you back. Pursue your dreams.

To often in life we are held back by our fears. We may have grand goals and big dreams but those mean nothing if we don't take action. We need to take that step. We need to not be afraid to leap. Now, step up to the plate and hit it out of the park.

Monday's Motivational Morsel - The Great General

* This story is taken from the book “Strengths Finder 2.0”

“Mark Twain once described a man who died and met Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates. Knowing that Saint Peter was very wise, the man asked a question that he had wondered about throughout his life.

He said, ‘Saint Peter, I have been interested in military history for many years. Who was the greatest general of all time?’

Saint Peter quickly responded, ‘Oh that’s a simple question. It’s that man right over there.’
‘You must be mistaken,’ responded the man, now very perplexed. ‘I knew that man on earth and he was just a common laborer.’

‘That’s right my friend,’ assured Saint Peter. ‘He would have been the greatest general of all time, if he had been a general.”


In life we can’t be afraid to seize opportunities because we never know where our true potential lies. This man had the power to be THE greatest general of all time, but he never pushed himself in order to find his full potential. Remember to: Harness the Fire to Soar Higher

Monday's Motivational Morsel

This first series is an extension of one started on my State Officer blog. Every Monday will feature a motivational post of some kind. This is a great way to get fired up and kick start each week.