Keith JonesJanuary 25, 2016

I am filled with gratitude each day. I smile inside every time I think about how fortunate I am. I’ve been this way my entire life. I was raised by a mother who taught my brother and me to appreciate every thing we have and the people in our lives. If a neighbor gave us a ride home from school, we looked them in the eyes and said, “Mrs. Ford, thank you for going out of you way to take me home.” And if we stayed over a friend’s house for dinner, we cleared the table and offered to wash the dishes without being asked.

Acknowledging people for the many ways they contribute to me has stayed with me in adulthood. I talk to my mom often and thank her for being the most important figure in my life. She took no one for granted. She showed it in words and deeds. And the friends I’ve had over my lifetime have helped me achieve lofty goals and grow along the way. When I’ve needed motivation, they did something to inspire me. They’ve given me connection and love by inviting me into their homes and lives. And when I’ve stumbled, they stood by me and helped me back on the path. Not a day goes by that I don’t thank them when I think of them or see them.

I hope the people in my life know how much I appreciate them. I will continue to express it in words and show it in actions. With the one life we have, join me in choosing to live it with a grateful heart. It makes for a very happy life.

Keith

Keith JonesJanuary 23, 2016

As human beings, we are more powerful than we can imagine. Our capacity to create beauty in art, enhance experiences through invention and extend life with technology is awe-inspiring. It seems we can do almost anything if we put our minds to it. I am inspired by the people who conceive ideas that benefit humanity and work passionately and tirelessly to bring them to life.

The extraordinary human beings who do great things aren’t special. We all share the same capacity to dream and the potential to take action if we choose. What makes these individuals different is that they act. In the face of adversity, uncertainty and failure, they push through. They ignore naysayers who tell them they should quit. They silence negative thoughts and self-doubt. And they get really comfortable being uncomfortable.

I am drawn by people who courageously follow their dreams. I have two partners who are like this. Heather absolutely loves to learn. We are currently working on things none of us have any experience in. This doesn’t stop her. She reads and researches for hours until she discovers how to do something. And when she does, she shares about it and teaches me how to do it. My other partner, Amy loves helping people reach their goals. She will work with members of our community for weeks or until they have a clear understanding on how to eat healthy or master form for an exercise. My partners are amazing!

To get to the point we are, we have adopted the mindset that to grow, we must embrace uncertainty and being uncomfortable. On the other side of it is connection, growth, happiness and contributions to others. So if you want to be truly happy, partner with people who love growing, care about everyone winning and are committed to being unstoppable.

Keith

Keith JonesJanuary 21, 2016

I was in a business networking group years ago called BNI whose philosophy was “givers gain”. The president of our chapter, Joe Demarco, told new members that the key to our success was to help others in the group be successful. In giving fellow members business referrals, we win by developing deep and lasting relationships. What we get out of the business connection is secondary to what we give. Its about helping others.

I practiced “paying it forward” in my personal life, but I hadn’t applied it at the same level in my professional life. It didn’t take me long to get on board. I got so much out of connecting my friends with professional contacts who could respond to their needs. And along the way, I got referrals too.

I thought there were only pockets of truly giving people like this in the world. I was so wrong. When I partnered with a few friends to launch two new businesses, we did so on a budget. To bring our idea to life, we had to do most of the work which required learning new skills. This took us to YouTube. It was here that my partners and I learned how to build a website, edit images, shoot video and create our brand. This was all because the video authors were unselfish teachers who shared their knowledge for free.

My experience with my first business networking group and YouTube has introduced me to a broader way of helping others and supporting humanity. I’m inspired to give to others in a brand new way. Join me in paying it forward to more people. We all win!

Keith

Keith JonesJanuary 19, 2016

Motivational speaker Les Brown has a saying that “if you do what’s easy, your life will be hard. However, if you do what’s hard, your life will be easy.” This is so true. I have found that when I take the easy road of procrastination, avoidance or ignoring, the challenge only gets bigger. But when I take initiative and practice consistency, life is always easier in the long run.

When I experienced a financial hardship in 2003, I procrastinated on cutting expenses like the cable bill and a car payment. As a result, I suffered longer than I should have financially. If I’d applied Les Brown’s philosophy, I would have cut all unnecessary expenses and sold my car. It would have been painful in the beginning but financial stability would have returned sooner. Some people  don’t exercise or eat healthy with consistency. By ignoring their health, they gain weight and experience health issues that might otherwise be avoided. It’s hard to get up and workout. Putting it off until tomorrow is much easier. Inconsistency will cost you in the long run.

I have found that if I want life to be easy down the road, I have to be disciplined today and do the hard things. This includes saving money for the future, exercising, eating nutritionally every day and doing work projects that I don’t always feel like doing.  This shift in mindset and behavior requires sacrifice and discipline but ensures financial security and optimal health in the future.  I will be healthy, happy and have lived into my stronger being.  It’s that simple.

Pick three things in your life that are hard to do but require your immediate attention for you to live your best life. Make a personal commitment to a radical change in behavior to take these areas on. If you do, you’ll reach your goals sooner and life will be easier and sweeter.

Keith

Keith JonesJanuary 17, 2016

The first step to exercising is doing it. Don’t think about it. Do it. Oftentimes we think we need to be motivated to do something; especially if it involves physical discomfort. And exercise can hurt in a good way when performed correctly.

There are so many reasons to procrastinate when it comes to working out. “It’s too early, it’s too hard and not enough time” are some of the most used reasons for not exercising. While I haven’t allowed these considerations to stop me, I’ve certainly thought of them on occasion. You have to power through all the excuses and get moving. The motivation will follow.

In our community, we tell everyone to silence the voice inside that tells you why you shouldn’t go workout. We say, “Just show up.” The group will carry you through the workout. And we do! My friends have definitely pulled me through many times. And I am always glad I went.

Once you start moving, the internal motivation will follow. Most people think you need to be inspired and motivated to get going. You don’t. Science shows that movement wakes up the central nervous system and activates the brain. Soon after, endorphins are released and motivation shows up. Keep this in mind the next time you don’t feel like heading out for a run or lifting weights. Just start moving and the rest will take care of itself. Stay fit!

Keith

Keith JonesJanuary 15, 2016

I recently watched a  talk given by the motivational speaker Les Brown about unfulfilled dreams and goals. He told a story about each of us being near the end of life with family members around our bed. Also in the room would be the ghosts of our unrealized potential, staring down on us with anger for not giving life to the dreams, ideas and talents they gave us.  This powerful story stuck with me. The actor Denzel Washington shared how this same story reminds him to make his dreams come true. He puts all of his talents and energy into making sure he gives everything to the projects he works on. I am motivated to do the same.

My dream is to change the world by helping people be their personal best. And together we can support humanity and change the world. I know it’s a big goal, but I’ve been told and I believe, if you’re going to dream, dream big!

My biggest fear is dying with my dream inside of me. This cannot happen. In years past, I just worked really hard, often doing the same thing over and over again with few adjustments. I’ve since learned that because my goals are so big, they require more than an unwavering commitment to work on them. I have to give a lot more of myself if I’m serious.

For my dreams to come true I must bring the best I have to offer. Everyday I need to feed my ideas and dreams by listening, reading and viewing content that inspires my creativity to partner with me on projects. I have to exercise and eat in a responsible way so my body and mind are optimal and sharp to put in the work necessary to move forward each day. The people I choose to surround myself with have to be focused and committed to their dreams too so we inspire and help each other.

Every morning I feed my mind with books and podcasts that inspire me to focus and be artistic. I set aside at least 20 minutes a day to work on my ideas and skill set. By doing so, my progress has grown exponentially.

Your dreams don’t have to die inside of you. No matter what your life situation is, you can nurture the best parts of you that lie within. Don’t let anyone tell you that your ideas are no good or you’re too old. That’s simply not true. We are powerful, unique creatures with the capacity to create something amazing. Awaken your dreams. Unleash your creativity. And take care of your mind and body. Make a promise to yourself that you will take at least one step forward each day to realize your best ideas. This will ensure you live everyday learning and being passionate about your work. And it ensures that the ghosts from your past aren’t unfulfilled dreams.

Keith

I was taught as a child to forgive people for things they may say and do. I was able to do this for the most part unless my ego got involved. If that happened, all bets were off and I made the person an enemy. Once I learned that there are no enemies; there’s just the ego creating external ones, forgiving became easier. The next step in my growth was to do more than forgive. I had to forget.

Every person on the planet is imperfect. There are no exceptions. If we keep this truth at the forefront of our minds, we will take very little personally. Whenever I feel an urge to be mad at someone or beat myself up for a failure, I stop myself. Nothing good comes out of this type of thinking. It only leads to hurting yourself and others. And it’s a distraction from the present moment that life gives us to be loving and contribute to the world in a positive way. The more productive action is to forgive. And the truly powerful way forward is to forget. It’s really that simple.

I make it a practice to learn from past successes and failures. When I achieve a goal, I review what I did well. When I fall short, I seek to learn what I can do differently next time. And when I or someone else breaks a promise, I think an apology is in order. However, if one is not given, I think it’s important to practice “accepting the apology you never received.” Then forgive. And most importantly, forget.

Forgiving clears a space for love to come in. Forgetting goes further by disappearing any perceived wrong committed so you can begin anew. It’s an acknowledgment that we are all human and deserve an opportunity to reinvent ourselves. It says, “By forgetting the act, I accept you and love you for who you are and where you are in your journey.” It’s an act of loving kindness. Give the gift of forgetting to others and especially yourself. Once you do, you will see everyone in a brand new light, starting with you.

Keith JonesJanuary 11, 2016

To realize short term and long term goals, you must be committed to a certain mindset. 2BeRe University provides tools to help you develop a strong mindset. One of the principles we practice is “be stronger than your excuses”.

In areas of my life where I produce consistently high results, there’s a commitment to do whatever it takes to complete the task. This is true in my health and fitness, commitment to help others reach their goals and daily ritual to further personal growth. These aspects of my life are non negotiable. I eat healthy every day and I don’t ever miss workouts. I go above and beyond to help friends and clients be their best. And I begin each morning with exercise, meditation and reading. There is no excuse that can stop me from keeping these promises to myself.

There are some areas of my life that I can grow in. One particular area is a relationship with a significant other. While not in a committed relationship now, I am working on myself to be the best partner I can be when the times comes. This requires me to eliminate the excuse that my work comes first. This is an agreement I made with myself a long time ago that negatively impacted past relationships. Moving forward, I will allow nothing to get in the way of this. My commitment to my partner and the relationship will be stronger than any excuse.

When it comes to optimal health and fitness, some people use the excuse that they’re “just big-boned” or they’ve been heavy their whole life. People who haven’t achieved financial independence sometimes say, “I’m just not good with money.” And people who don’t take risks miss out on fun adventures and learning opportunities because their go to reason is “I’m too busy”. All of these phrases we say to ourselves are merely excuses that prevent us from being our personal best and having greater success.

I encourage you to take a look at areas of your life that aren’t stellar. Perhaps it’s your health and fitness, job performance or relationship. Make a promise to give 100% to it. This means setting a personal standard to accept no justification for falling short of your commitment. Be stronger and produce bigger results!

Keith

Keith JonesJanuary 9, 2016

I have created daily ToDo Lists for a very long time. I work hard to complete all the tasks on them. On average, I finished 95% of the items each day. So from a production standpoint, I did pretty well. Where I struggled was with my mindset while doing the things on the list. I would sometimes feel down and overwhelmed about everything I needed to do.

I know it’s important to enjoy the journey no matter what I’m doing. That’s easy when it’s something I look forward to do. It’s been challenging when I wasn’t excited about the activity. That’s when I relied on brute force and will power to get started and see things through to completion. Things got done, but I didn’t enjoy the process one bit.

Then one day the daily fun factor started rising. All it took was a slight shift in mindset. Now when writing a blog or creating a new video that requires skills I haven’t yet acquired, I get excited. Here’s one thing I do now to get inspired by whatever is on my ToDo List. I make it fun.

I am currently working on creating great videos that inspire and motivate. To do this, I had to learn about lighting, shooting video and editing. I had little to no skills in these areas. Once I said I’m going to make this fun, my mindset changed. I no longer see it as a challenge. I see it as opportunity to learn something new that allows me to realize my goals and live my purpose to make a difference. Now I ask my friends to send me all the cool effects they see in videos so I can work on learning this. It’s so much fun.

When it comes to cleaning my house, I upload an inspiring podcast and get to work. I make it fun by seeing what new concept I will learn during that time that will take my personal growth to the next level. Without fail, I end up with a clean house and a new way to see life that helps me to be a better person.

The journey can be awesome every day by approaching things a little differently. Add new things to your ToDo List that help you learn new skills and grow as a more loving person. And when it comes to tasks like cleaning, make them worthwhile by listening to podcasts that motivate you while you’re working. Use your workload to inspire you. Have fun with it!

Keith