Here are some of the things from the past week that I’ve come across and felt were worth sharing. As always, feel free to leave a comment on the blog or on social media if you’d like to add to the discussion. And if you like what’s in here, please use one or more of those buttons at the bottom of the post to share with friends.
What I’ve learned:
- While taking my morning walk, I listened to two podcasts that focused on “Being Present.” It’s funny because sometimes, I’ll plan out what I’m going to listen to on my walk the night before. Other times, like today, I just grab the latest episodes from my favorite podcasts. This is the second time in two weeks that two shows we’re sharing similar messages.
- The first was from Andy Frisella, who pointed out that athletes, like Michael Jordan, are successful because they are able to live in the present. He raised the question of how different our lives would be if we could focus on the task at hand and not have our minds wandering. It’s worth a listen.
- Next on my playlist was Fr. Mike Schmitz, who began his program with a similar message. The world is full of distractions that divide our focus and attention. It’s a good message and I encourage you to watch the video below:
- I read “The Big Moo” by Seth Godin. This is a compilation of stories from over 30 different authors with the theme of how to be remarkable. Also, all proceeds from the book go to charity. I found it to be a good followup to “Purple Cow” as it provides some examples of how to stand out.
What I’ve written:
- It’s been a long time since I’ve done any blogging as I’ve spent three months getting the paperback edition of my novel ready. I’ve learned so much going through this process and have multiple “lessons learned” that I’ll be applying to my sequel. So keep an eye on my writer’s blog if you’re an aspiring writer.
- This week, I lost power for two days due to a wind storm. Unfortunately, it’s a common occurrence in my neighborhood so I bought a generator two years ago. I wrote a primer on generators to organize all of my thoughts on the subject.
- I started a new blog on my technical consulting site. If you’re wondering why I have so many blogs and site, it’s a long story that I will be sharing in an upcoming blog post here. The quick answer is that I have my primary site for my technical consulting work, an author’s site for my fiction writing, and https://blog.jvf.com/this site for personal development articles, products, and training.
- On my new blog, I’ve created two posts:
- Just yesterday, I wrote a post about making political posts when you own a business. While I have very strong political beliefs, I keep them to myself and my close circle. Given our current political climate, everyone is hyper-sensitive about every issue. While I’d love to chime in or rebut a statement that I disagree with, I don’t feel that me doing so would be for the greater good. Whether you agree or think differently, I’d love for you to share a comment.
- My first post on the blog was about whether your business needs a blog. Blogging is a lot of work and if not done right, can harm your credibility. But on the flip side, it can significantly improve your reach and customer engagement when done correctly.
Cool / Interesting / Retro Stuff:
- Like many others, I was saddened to hear the news of Eddie Van Halen’s passing. Eddie was an innovative musician who inspired others. He inspired me to learn both piano and guitar. I remember buying the music book for 5150 when I was in high school as it was one of my favorite Van Halen albums. Below are two of my favorite songs from the album, as well as “Beat it” from Michael Jackson (Eddie played guitars on the song).
Quote(s) of the week:
“Instead of thinking how hard your journey is, think how great your story will be.” – Andy Frisella
Joke of the week:
I’ll be publishing this list each week on my blog, Facebook, LinkedIn and via my email list. Please share this with anyone who might find this helpful. You can also click one of the buttons below to share to your favorite social media service.
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James Feudo owns the Boston Web Design Agency JVF Solutions and loves blogging about personal development and communication in his spare time.
