How Character is Forged according to Og Mandino

This Og Mandino Group quote was taken from page 159 of "Aspire" book from Kevin Hall (review here). I think it properly illustrate how Character is formed. See below:

"Our character has been forged in the furnace of adversity. We know what pain feels like. We cannot change the past. However, we can choose to use these reference points as a rich resource to assist us in better understanding and connecting with people. When we use our life experiences in the service of others, we will finally find purpose in our suffering, joy in our journey and much needed healing in our souls."
-Og Mandino Group

After a quick Google search, turns out "Og Mandino" is an ex military turned public speaker with a few books under his sleeves. If interested, check it out here.

"Competition" of Canadian Carriers = Boring!

I've had my mobile phone for 3 years now and I started shopping around for a new contract. Turns out that all Canadian carriers offer pretty much the same services for the same fees. Nobody offer anything that stands out over the other in terms of internet, cable or mobile. Here's an example I took on the apple website that clearly illustrate this:

My mom called me recently to let me know about a "99$ a month cable/internet/phone deal" from Bell which is an almost exact copy of what Rogers was offering at the time. Where do they take these monthly fees? Most importantly, why would I choose Rogers over Bell or vice versa?

The entertainment providers have grown stale in terms of offering - it's time for them to stop copying each other and truly compete for clients. If they don't, another company will rise up to the challenge and steal the show.

Is the Internet a Need or a Want?

I've been disconnected from the internet at home for more than a year now and people seem surprised to know about that fact. Is the internet a need or a want?

The answer depends on what you do with it. If most of your time is spent updating Facebook or watching movies, then really it's not a needed.
The internet is only a need, or required, when it's for work or to pay bills.

Entertainment is, and always will be, just a want. It provides little to no value so stop pretending that it's needed.
If you're in debt, your money should go towards repaying that debt rather than cable or internet (or expensive phones, clothes, cars...etc).

You want happiness? Start living below your means.

The No Complaining Rule

Whenever I'm in a new office, I start the day by printing the "No Complaining Rule" taken from the book "The No Complaining Rule" by author Jon Gordon. The rules help me keep things into perspective and are just good rules to live by. See below:

The No Complaining Rule

Employees are not allowed to mindlessly complain to their coworkers. If they have a problem or complaint about their job, their company, their customer, or anything else, they are encouraged to bring the issue to their manager or someone who is in a position to address the complaint. However, the employee(s) must share one or two possible solutions to their complaint as well.

-Page 96 from “The No Complaining Rule” by author Jon Gordon

Five Things To Do Instead Of Complain

1. Practice Gratitude. Research shows that when we count three blessings a day, we get a measurable boost in happiness that uplifts and energizes us. It’s also physiologically impossible to be stressed and thankful at the same time. Two thoughts cannot occupy our mind at the same time. if you are focusing on gratitude, you can’t be negative. You can also energize and engage your coworkers by letting them know you are grateful for them and their work.

2. Praise Others. Instead of complaining about what others are doing wrong, start focusing on what they are doing right. Praise them and watch as they create more success as a result. Of course, point out their mistakes so they can learn and grow, but make sure you give three times as much praise as criticism.

3. Focus on Success. Start a success journal. Each night before you go to bed, write down the one great thing about your day. The one great conversation, accomplishment, or win that you are most proud of. Focus on your success, and you’ll look forward to creating more success tomorrow.

4. Let Go. Focus on the things that you have the power to change and let go of the things that are beyond your control. you’ll be amazed that when you stop trying to control everything, it all somehow works out.

5. Pray and Meditate. Scientific research shows that these daily practices reduce stress; boost positive energy; and promote health, vitality, and longevity. When you are faced with the urge to complain or you are feeling stressed to the max, stop, be still, plug-in the ultimate power and recharge.

-Page 114 from “The No Complaining Rule” by author Jon Gordon

If you haven't done so already, be sure to pick this book up. Get it here!

*This post can also be found on Men 2.0

Jim Carrey Graduation Speech

Jim Carrey is a great actor/comedian and has recently been honoured in Fine Arts after he gave a speech to a class of 2014 university graduates. The speech was both inspirational and humoristic which made Jim Carrey shine. See it below:

Others See in Us What we See in Ourselves

It as been said that others see in us what we see in ourselves. Tony Gaskins said "You teach people how to treat you by what you allow, what you stop, and what you reinforce."
Meaning that you have a level of control over how you're treated by other people.

Think more of you and people will do the same. Ever since I read that quote I seem to notice it more in my interactions with others. We have more control over things than we think!

Honour War Veterans

The Vietnam war was an American lost on all fronts. The lost of lives was so high that it created the "Peace & Love" movement throughout the country.

The sad part in all of this is the soldiers being booed at once they came back home. These people put their lives on the line and made sacrifices for their country and the very people they vowed to served were looking down upon them.

Nobody likes to loose a war but that's not a reason to hate on the soldiers who took part in it.

Honour your war veterans no matter which war they've fought. They're doing nothing but serve the country they love.

Make Fun of Yourself

"A man who can laugh at himself is truly blessed, for he will never lack amusement." -James Carlos Blake

Pride tends to kill the joy out of life. Life is more fun when we don't take ourselves too seriously and are able to laugh at "us".

The popular belief is that confident people laugh at other people when infact it's actually the opposite. Small men will laugh at big men in an attempt to feel better about themselves. The person who can laugh at himself is the bigger man of the two since he shows confidence by sharing his weaknesses with the world.

If you look closely enough, you will find things to laugh about yourself. Don't be afraid to share those with world!

Exercise Helps the Brain

Working out does just as much good to the brain as it does for the body. Having blood pumping throughout the body, from excercise, not only reduces stress, it also helps with mental clarity.

"The brain is the most powerful organ in the body. Its only weakness is that it needs the heart to survive." -Chantal Leclair

The brain has the power to help or hinder itself by giving you commands to do so. Which side are you normally listening to?

"The Winner Within” book from Pat Riley - Short Review

Pat Riley is a former player and broadcaster of basketball and started coaching what became the "Team of the Decade", Los Angeles Lakers, in 1980.

"The Winner Within" book is about Pat Riley's experience as a coach of the Lakers through the decade that made the team's achievements almost legendary.
Pat Riley isn't an author but he must of been a pretty good speaker to his team when he was coach due to how inspirational his writing style is.

I have little interest in basketball (we, Canadiens, prefer hockey) but found myself wanting to know more about the struggles and victories of the Lakers throughout the years.
The book is somewhere between auto biography of a coach and sports lessons applied to business. It's the first time I read something of this genre and it worked well in this case.

If you like basketball, then you probably know who Pat Riley is but might not of picked up his book yet and should (what are you waiting for?). If you don't like basketball, The Winner Within will still be of interest to you since the lessons learned in the sport can be applied anywhere. It is an easy read, inspirational and a good addition to you library.

The book can be bought here:

• Amazon.ca
• LIFE
• Chapters.ca

Business Vs Job

"It's crazy how some people feel that five to ten years being an entrepreneur is a long time to achieve a level of success and wealth but don't feel that 40 years at a 9-5 job is a long time to stay broke!" -Unknown

*This post can also be found on Men 2.0

Building an Utopia

If we were to build an Utopian city - I wouldn't be allowed in it. Why? Because I'm not perfect - nobody is! How is it possible for us to have an understanding of what perfection is when we know we're not, and will never be, perfect?

The earliest record of the word “Utopia” comes from Pablo’s Republic work and was later made popular by the “Utopia” book created by Sir Thomas More in 1516.
Some believe that our very ability of conjuring a perfect being (or society) in our mind is the proof that there’s a God. Why else, they argue, would we be able to have such thoughts?

Perfection is a good goal to thrive for even when we unconsciously know that we’ll never attain it. They say that if you reach for the star and land on the moon, you’re still further ahead than when you’re started.

Let’s build an Utopia!

Have Vs Want

Which group is the most productive? The ones that have to be there or the ones that want to be?

People who do the work because they want to are more productive than those that have to do the it. Those who want to do it exert passion. There's no passion when you feel like you have to do something.

"Aspire” book from Kevin Hall - Short Review

The “Aspire” book from Kevin Hall, which is about the “power (or meaning) of words”, contains a surprisingly low amount of words with their meanings. It was a tough book to review since on one side it's interesting/original and on the other it feels like it lacks direction by not holding its original promise.

Aspire started strong with impactful words such as “Genshai” (Hindi word), which means you should never treat another person in a manner that would make them feel small, and shorts stories explaining how the author came to know the words. The words chosen became less interesting as the book progressed and things started to feel randomly put together towards the end while still being hard to put down.

There’s a part in the book where Kevin Hall use the work of Masaru Emoto in an attempt to support how powerful words can be but it failed miserably. Masaru Emoto’s work on water crystals that forms differently based on emotions (The Hidden message in Water) has never been published in a scientific journal due to the inability for other scientist to reproduce it (and note that Masaru Emoto himself never gave much details on the procedures he took). It felt out of place and unless it can be proven otherwise, Masaru Emoto, is but a charlatan who developed a scheme to sell books.

Should you read it?
If you can get through the book’s randomness feel then there’s an interesting read to be had. It kept me interested throughout and put Kevin Hall on my list of authors to follow.

The book can be bought here:

• Amazon.ca
• LIFE
• Chapters.ca

Learning Following the Console’s Achievement System

If you’ve played games recently then you’re familiar with the concept of Achievements (Xbox) or Trophies (Playstation) that rewards the player when hitting milestones in a game. These rewards boost a player’s experience which sometimes unlock other things or create grounds for bragging rights.

The system was obviously designed to motivate players to play more but what would happen if it was implement in the educational system? Would it motivate students to learn?

Check out this “3D GameLab - The Power of Quest-Based Learning™” video and judge for yourself!

Learning is fun and it looks even more so with this system! What are your thoughts?

The Magic of Life

When we're younger, everything is new and magical. Our days are full of adventures and discoveries.
That inner fire, or magic, goes away when we're older and the routine of life sets in. We seem to forget (or loose interest) in the discoveries of life.

Life as a lot to offer and we must always be on the lookout for it.

"And Justice For All" book by Orrin Woodward

Orrin Woodward released many books over the years and is considered one of the biggest leaders of the 21st century. His latest work, "And Justice For All", is coming out this month and it looks amazing! See the trailer below:

Change the World

If you don't plan to change the world, the world will change you. While it's true that you will change either way, having a goal to thrive for will set a constant reminder of the direction the change needs to take. If you don't have a goal, you'll end up somewhere you don't want to be!

Other People's Problems Are Theirs Alone - A Self Analysis

I'm often emotionally involved in other people's problems and I'm not helping them by telling them what they "should" be doing.
It is almost impossible to give a right answer to someone else's problems since I don't see the issue the same way they do. It is best to help someone with their thinking on the problem rather than to just give them an answer.

At the end of the day, they're the ones having to live with their decisions. I am but a spectator in their experiences.

"An Enemy Called Average" book by John Mason - Short Review

Let me start off by saying that I'm not a fan of books with many small chapters. Some authors may argue that they do it on purpose so it can be read daily, by reading a chapter a day, but I say authors do it because they can't think beyond a couple of pages.

"An Enemy Called Average" is a Christian self-improvement book with 52 chapters. While it does cover a multitude of subjects, none of them are in depth enough to make it worth your time. If you've been reading self-improvement books for a while, you will likely come across things you've read before and it won't be expanded beyond what you remember.

With that being said, "An Enemy Called Average" would make a good introduction to the self improvement genre. Veterans, however, can skip this book unless they want to use it to remind themselves of important principles.

The book can be bought here:

• Amazon
• LIFE
• Chapters

"Wavemakers" book by LIFE Founders - Short Review

Wavemakers is the book of the month of May 2014 for those who are subscribed to the LIFE Leadership system and is currently only available to members. The book doesn't specify any author(s) but I assumed it was one of the LIFE Founders.

I was a bit skeptical when opening this book for the first time. I felt like my money should of went for a more "known" book like one from John C. Maxwell or Steven R. Covey but this feeling died out upon reading the first few words of the first chapter.

Wavemakers, like the name states, is about great men and women of history who created a ripple effect from their actions. Some of them were lesser known to me but their impact was big none the less and I felt inspired to read about their stories. I had a hard time putting this book down.

I always thought that everybody should be a LIFE Leadership member and it's even truer now that they're releasing exclusive books like "Wavemakers".

The book is available here for LIFE members:
http://www.lifeleadership.com/Shopping.aspx?Search=wavemakers