Monthly Archives: November 2011

Nov 30 2011
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Business, Creativity, Imagination, Leadership, Marketing

Mud Puddles and Oceans

Utilizing our imagination reduces the chances for the mundane to creep into our lives.

The minute creativity and newness leaves our lives, businesses, and families we allow the water to get stagnant.

No matter the area of our live’s we look into, if “that’s how we’ve always done it” is the chorus in our music – soon that music will stop.

“That’s how we’ve always done it” puts us knee-deep in inescapable mud.

“What if we….? Could it be…? Imagine what the world would be like if……..” – These questions drop us in the deep blue waters of Capri.

Mud puddles are lame. Crashing waves, on the other hand – I can get lost in those all day.

The question is not how can I utilize my imagination better,  but where does imagination gets its spark from? I’m not too sure, but I tend to feel the rays of her warmth every time I question, every time I challenge the status quo, and every time I stop and listen.

An eager ear given to a small seashell just may be able to unlock the secrets of the ocean your trying to decode.

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Nov 29 2011
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Business, Leadership, Let The Music Play, Marketing, Real Estate

We Need You

“The greatest tragedy in America is not the destruction of our natural resources, though that tragedy is great. The truly great tragedy is the destruction of our human resources by our failure to fully utilize our abilities, which means that most men and women go to their graves with their music still in them.” Oliver Wendell Holmes

Music is my metaphor for successful living. When we get out of bed everyday, pursue our values, engage our passions, and challenge the status quo – the result is a a life of beautiful and unique music.

This comes in many forms: a job well done, a child well loved, a paper well written, a garden well grown, or actually – a song well written.

I don’t want to die with my music still in me, and I don’t want that for you either.

Your family longs to hear your music.

Your clients love to experience your music.

The world is waiting to be moved by your music.

No one else can write the music we need from you like you can.

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Nov 28 2011
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Business, Leadership

Daily Words off Affirmatio​n

Three things we must to say to ourselves everyday on the drive to the office:

 1) “I get to do this!”

Saying this will produce gratefulness.

2) “I want to do this!”

You have a choice in this life, but claiming this silences the enticing/mediocre dreams the world throws our way.

3) “I have to do this!”

You speak this in your gut…this is conversation with the soul. Imagining doing anything else feels like veering away from divinity.

Grab the steering wheel and say these affirmations with passion.

If you can’t say these words, then give your leader your two weeks notice – it’s not fair to you or them.

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Nov 25 2011
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Business, Leadership, Marketing, Real Estate

Human > Digital

The digital ecosystem is here to stay. But we were human before we were digital – we had soul before we had batteries.

We text and say “we talked.” We email and say “we wrote them a note”. While these digital avenues can accomplish the same exchange of information, the weight of the exchange is much different between the two.

There is a ton of beauty in this new digital ecosystem, but it will never be able to overshadow the spoken word or the physical touch.

If you think there will come a time when you can ask your girlfriend to marry you via text message – think again. If you try, you won’t find a fiance – you’ll find the man in the mirror to be single again.

Rule of thumb: If you can be human in an exchange, be human.

A thank you note given in your handwritten ink will always be remembered more than a text alert in the recipient’s pocket.

We all want to be told we are loved, not tweeted we are loved.

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Nov 24 2011
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Business, Leadership, Let The Music Play

Thankfulness

We feel different today because thankfulness is overwhelmingly present. Today it owns our conversations, tweets, and status updates. Feels good doesn’t it? Feels right. Feels as it should be.

Thankfulness gets all the credit today, but it’s really about awareness – stopping, seeing, and dwelling on all the good that surrounds us. Awareness precedes thankfulness.

A simple thank you gives fuel to the servant to go and serve again…AND it deposits a dose of gratefulness into the heart of the one who was served. Thankfulness is not a oneway street, it’s a roundabout.

What if we repeated this day over the next 364 days?

Happy Awareness Day.

-Ashton

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