Monthly Archives: November 2016

Nov 16 2016
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Leadership

Locking our eyes…

…is the only way we’ll unlock our horns.

Locking eyes turns our labeling vernacular from ‘them’ into ‘us’ and from ‘those’ into ‘we’. How we desperately need this right now.

Until we understand the heart, the story, and the souls that we look into (not just look at from afar) we’ll forever be locked in our divisions of us vs. them, good guys vs. bad guys, and the other myriad of ways we dualistically define ourselves.

So may we begin to lock eyes and listen…and remember that we belong to each other.

Love sowers are peace reapers.

Nov 15 2016
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Awareness, Creativity, Focus, Imagination, Leadership, success

Small, quiet, & unseen.

Reflect on the words that have shaped you. Those small words spoken to your soul, over your life, and into your bones.

Your small words matter. They enlarge those you’ve been entrusted with.

Think of your heroes. Not the ones in sports or on tv. Think of the ones that, truly, made your path possible and opened the doors that you could have never opened yourself. I would imagine these people were tender, tasteful, and sublimely human. And probably quiet.

Love tends to be tender, human, and quiet. A billion @ mentions pales in comparison to your quiet role in someone breathing a little easier because of your quiet involvement. 

Now, can you recall some moments that are forever stuck in your head and burned into your memory? The unseen things that only you can claim were for you. A hug. A wink. A tear. A smile. A pair of hands raised in a crowd for you. The hands that caught your fall. The world didn’t see this. But you did.

99.9% of why you are here will be unseen for the rest of the world…but  .0000001% couldn’t do it without you.

Alas, you’re a really big deal. In your own small, quiet, and unseen way.

Namaste.

 

 

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Nov 14 2016
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Awareness, Business, Change The World, Creativity, Discipline, Focus, Imagination, Leadership, success

Episode 42: Procrastinate on Purpose with Rory Vaden

https://ashtongustafson.wordpress.com

vadenRory Vaden is the world’s leader on defining the psychology around modern day procrastination, called Priority Dilution™ – in fact, he coined the term. He speaks and consults on how to say no to the things that don’t matter, and yes to the things that do. His client list includes companies and groups such as: Cargill, The Million Dollar Roundtable, P&G, True Value, YPO, Wells Fargo Advisors, Land O’Lakes, Novartis, and hundreds more. His insights have recently been featured on/in: Fox News, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Inc, Fortune, and the New York Times.

Rory joins us in this episode at Let The Music Play Podcast as we discuss what it means to manage ourselves and multiply our time using The Focus Funnel within our lives, relationships, and careers.

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Be sure to click the image above to take Rory’s free online course at http://procrastinateonpurpose.com/.

You can also find more information on Rory at RoryVaden.com.

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As always, you can stream this episode and all others in iTunes or at AshtonGustafson.com. And remember to share this with those you love and those you lead.

Godspeed in your music making,

Ashton

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Nov 13 2016
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Awareness, Leadership

Lost & Found

When we’re lost in our thoughts we’ll never be found within our present moments.

Sure, we do have thoughts. But we’re not our thinking. And, of course, we do have emotions. But we’re not our emotions.

We are much more than firing neurons.

What if we had a ‘what if’ question to ask in the midst of navigating all of our thoughts and emotions? And what if that question was ‘What if infinite generosity, creativity, and Love was always mapping our steps?’

How could this serve our thinking?

What would this mean for our emotions?

Perhaps every time we “passed go” a little bit lost we’d find ourselves holding a little bit more beauty on the the next lap around.

This is how we must begin to redefine success.

Within every moment, hour, day, and year, we hold just a little bit more beauty than we did before we entered it. And from there, we enjoy it, see with it, share it, and gift it to another as often as we can.

 

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Nov 09 2016
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art, Awareness

Light…

…doesn’t boast.

…reveals the essence of the matter it touches.

…often isn’t noticed until it’s missing.

…warms.

…illuminates.

… is you.

…is me.

…is us.

You can choose to be love or you can choose to be light.

Choose one and you’ll be both.

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