Set Higher Standards by YogiRavi

Out of all the holidays I enjoy this one the most. The shopping rush hasn’t <yet> begun. I get a few days of vacation from work and the weather has not yet turned super cold.

To me, it is about being thankful for being who I am right now, living in a free country where I am able to work and play in ways that I choose – without fear. I may not like everything that has happened to me or everything I have done or do, but at least I have a choice in the matter.

What does thanksgiving mean to you?

It is a choice we make. Perhaps the single most important choice in our lives. It is not something that happens to us, or a situation we stumble upon.

Consider that people can be happy in all sorts of situations. Subsistence farmers in rural India can be happy despite having few material possessions. Billionaires can be happy while riding private jets. Children can be happy playing with the silliest of toys. I often find myself happy just by watching animals.

If happiness is not predicated upon a specific event or situation, then it must be something that is chosen, consciously or unconsciously.

As such, if the ultimate pursuit of life is happiness….then we can all get exactly what we are here to get. We just need to decide.

Darri left a comment to my last post about “The Dip” asking what some of my favorite books are. This post isn’t about my all-time favorite books, but rather about books that I’ve read recently and have enjoyed. Here are five that I particularly like right now.

The Dip. I just wrote about it and I’m going through my own exercise right now to figure out what things in my life are worth slogging through the dip for, and which things I should cut loose from. A short and very good book that applies to personal development and business. It’s all about being deliberate in doing certain things well (and pushing through “the dip” that happens when times get tough), and quitting those things that aren’t bound to be productive to your life.

Made to Stick. I read this book as part of a marketing leadership development I’m in at work. It’s all about storytelling. While geared for business professionals, the book applies equally to how we talk about and present ourselves every day to family, friends or co-workers. The book is an easy read and there are quite a few case studies that bring the text to life.

Think and Grow Rich. This is a classic but I’ve put off reading it for many years. It’s the foundation for many other personal development books and systems that have come about over the years. Napolean Hill studied the success characteristics from the world’s most successful people for decades on behalf of his benefactor, Andrew Carnegie. It was written years ago but is highly relevant. Highly recommended.

Tribes. Another Seth Godin book, and also very short but very good (it is really hard to write short books, I commend Seth for doing this!). This book is all about communities, and how we are ALL empowered to lead a community (if we so choose). Be it a community group, church group, meetup group, peer group or any other community….the world needs leaders now. Are you up for the challenge? Best of all, you can download the audio version of the book for FREE from audible!

Journey to the Heart. This is a book of daily reflections/meditations that I use frequently when teaching my yoga classes. The readings are powerful and very well put.

Ultramarathon Man. I haven’t read this book <yet> but it is next on my list. Dean Karnazes likes to run…to the point of frequently running ultramarathons lasting over 100 miles (or longer) over rugged terrain. He also completed 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days last year (this is covered in his most recent book – “50/50″). Some people like to call him crazy, but I think we all can learn something from his focus, dedication and sheer tenacity.

What books have you read recently and really enjoyed? Please leave a note in the comments, I’m always looking for good book recommendations!

Source: Seth Godin’s Blog

I was reading Tynan’s blog and his recent post about Seth Godin’s book, “The Dip.” I just finished reading Seth’s most recent book “Tribes” <very short and very good> so this caught my eye. So much so, that I just headed over to the library to check it out.

Now, less than am hour after reading Tynan’s post, I have finished reading “The Dip”! Yes, it’s a short one.

The book is about being the best in the world at something, and the effort that goes into that pursuit. Being best in the world is itself subjective. It could be best in your town or whatever micro-market niche you are in. Regardless, being the best at something always involves some amount of effort and toil <the dip> before coming out the other side and seeing the benefits.

Most people quit in the dip.

The trick is to know when to push through the dip and when to quit. Lifting weights is a great example. It is the last few reps that produce all the gains. Most people quite before they break a sweat. Those last few reps are painful.

On the flip-side, quitting is also important since languishing in mediocrity is a sure-fire way to waste a lot of resources (time, money, opportunity cost of doing something great).

So in the end…we all need to decide what to stick with AND what to quit. The book is a great and very short. I highly recommend reading it a few times (I plowed through it in less than an hour).

Below are some random notes I took while reading.

• Being the best in the world is important. The best get out-sized rewards.
• Everyone wants the best, nobody wants the second best.
• Being the best in the world means quitting lots of things where it is clear that you won’t be best in the world….and sticking with things that do have promise, even when the going gets tough.
• Best in the world is subjective. It is the best in terms of the range of your customer. Best in the world might really be the best in your town in the price range that your customer can afford. It’s about being the best in your niche.
• The customer determines what the “best” is…not you. And their definitions may change.
• People who are the best in the world get really good at answering the questions that are hard, the things that they don’t know. That’s what they specialize in. If they skipped the hard stuff, their skills would not be valuable.
• Be exceptional in the areas that matter.
• Dips don’t last as long when you whittle at them. Successful people don’t just survive the dip, they lean into them.
• Jack Welch made the decision for GE to only stay in businesses where it was #1 or #2 in its industry. He was a great “quitter.”
• Quitting when you hit the dip is a bad idea.
• Quitting means deciding ahead of time that you are done.
• Write down under what circumstances you are going to quit! Don’t quit in the moment.
• Questions to ask before quitting:

1.    Am I panicking?
2.    Who <or what> and I trying to influence?
3.    What measurable success and progress is being made?

If you are making a decision about when to quit in the moment, you are probably making the wrong decision. – Ultramarathoner Dick Collins as quoted in Seth Godin’s book “The Dip.”

Source: Men's Health

I’m usually not a big fan of Men’s Health magazine, but this month there is a great article full of life lessons from inspiring people

Lance Armstrong, Michael Pollan (author of the Omnivore’s Dilemma) and even Barack Obama are featured! The more I read about Barack the more I like him and look forward to the change he is bound to bring to this country and the world. You can check out the portion of the article about Barack here, based on an interview he did back in August.

The article also has a link to download (for $5) a pdf with more content from the interview including lessons about leadership, health and parenting. I haven’t checked out this download yet…if you have, leave a comment and let me know how it is!

“When you think you are about ready to quit….you’re only at 40% of your potential” – David Goggins

If you like this video short by L-Studio, you can read more David at his website. He is an active member of the  Navy Seals and avid ultra-marathon runner and triathlete.

He took up endurance running fairly recently and as his first triathlon completed the grueling Ultra-Man (more than a double Ironman!). I love to see stories about people like David, who are shattering our limiting beliefs about the human potential.

Tynan has another great post about life simplification…this time it’s about fashion. Can you imagine only owning a single pair of pants? A little grungy sounding I agree, but can you also imagine how easy it would be to get dressed every morning!

No wasted time or energy deciding what colors to wear or having to avoid wearing the same thing too often.

Just last week I managed to fill up another trash bag with old clothes, and plan to do the same this weekend. I recently bought a few new things, and want to make sure I am not hording old stuff that I rarely wear. I want my closet to only be filled with things that fit me well and that I enjoy wearing.

Everything else must go to someone else who needs the clothing more than I do.