Gain Momentum for 2010 Today

Most people set new year resolutions at the beginning of each year but fail to follow through with them. Why is this? Most of the time it is because we don't see quick results and we lose interest. It's as if something magical is supposed to happen just because we make the resolution. The truth is, these new goals that we set require hard and continuous work and we may not even see the fruit of our efforts in the year we have set the goal. If you want to be a better business person, athlete, husband, wife, and overall person, you must sacrifice the time, energy, finances, brain power, and self to do so. Your labor will be rewarded, but maybe not in the time you would like it to be. Be diligent and lock onto your future rather than your bleak today. And don't wait until the clock strikes 12 and the ball drops for 2010 either. Start today. Map out your plan for how you are going to achieve greatness in the areas you are seeking it in. Include trusted friends and family in your plans so they can hold you accountable and encourage you. I personally am looking forward to becoming stronger and wiser; spiritually, physically, relationally, financially, and mentally and I started on this journey about a week ago. I encourage you my friends, get busy living today!!!

Adapt to Change Quicker to Become More Powerful

There is no way around it, change is inevitable. Rather than try to resist this insurmountable force, the wise learn to embrace it and use it to their advantage. People that get locked into routine and who are unwilling to change are close to the graveyard, while those that adapt to their surroundings and circumstances end up flourishing. Nothing was ever meant to remain the same, except the Almighty, and those who understand this run circles around those who don't. If you become dogmatic in your outlook on life, you won't be able to survive the bad changes that come your way, nor benefit from the good ones. If you let it, change helps you become more agile, wiser, quicker, and stronger. Treat life as a judo master does his opponent, use its own momentum against it rather than exerting your own force against it. As you prepare to embrace change, be sure to keep your values and priorities in front of you (life may change, but these don't have to and if they do, perhaps you weren't that committed in the first place). Know where you want to go and have a plan for how you will get there, but be flexible enough to adjust your plan if a change occurs (it most certainly will). Don't fall in love with the plan, fall in love with the destination, and even still, allow room for a mental shift of thinking if the destination presents itself as unattainable given your current circumstances (then make plans to help create better circumstances that will help you reach that destination another way).

Humility Before Honor

Yes, you are gifted, talented, and brilliant! Yet for the greatness inside of you to shine at its fullest potential, you have to go through the process of humility. What separates the talented from the great is character. You earn character by working hard, experiencing hardships while maintaining proper perspective, and being willing to follow (even when you don't like the leadership). The process of humility is not supposed to feel good (just as lifting more weights at the gym does not), but you will find that those that allow themselves to go through it have a much more balanced and healthy perspective(along with more mental fortitude). People tend to develop big heads naturally when they garner success (no way around this), yet the big head can be tempered by humility. Humility will help you make correct choices and prove a valuable asset when you reach greater heights. Humility gives you boundaries that keep you safe and it helps you to remain on those heights without falling. Honor will come (just continue to work hard), but for it to last, it must be coupled with humility.

Use Doubters To Your Advantage

People that doubt your abilities can cause you to do one of two things, either make you quit or push yourself to success. Chances are that you prefer the latter to occur. Doubters help you to create positive momentum if you channel your energy the proper way. I am not suggesting that your sole purpose becomes proving your doubters wrong, but rather using them to help you focus even more on what you are already pursuing. No other human being should have the power to control your destiny, but you can utilize their energy to propel you to it. Proving doubters wrong should never be your main objective, only the cherry on top of the cake at best. Your main objective is to realize all of your potential before you leave this earth, doubters are stepping stones that help you climb to that realization. Doubters keep you on your toes, keep you humble, and help you to continue to work hard. I personally love them because they present me with a challenge to conquer. If I prove to others that I am able to accomplish something, that further solidifies that knowledge that I already believed about myself beforehand, which makes me even more confident to pursue my goals. Don't become vengeful when using doubters to your advantage, think of the process as a game and have fun with it so you maintain a healthy perspective.

Plan For The Best, Prepare For The Worst

Life is a complex phenomena. Even the best strategist cannot see every variation that it will present. The successful are those who put a plan in place to get to their final destination as well as calculate how to get there, watch for possible detours and obstructions, and develop exit plans. People who just let life happen to them will never be successful in their endeavors. They will wake up one morning and their reality will hit them like a ton of bricks. They have created a mountain of negative momentum that will be very hard to get past (though it is possible). Make up your mind today to set specific goals on who you want to become in the future and be honest about what it will take to accomplish that. Cushion the blow of devastating setbacks by preparing in advance for them. Those who have a plan for their life and know where they are heading have more power over life than those who do not have such a plan and no direction.

50 Cent Vs. Jay-Z (Who would Win)

This particular blog post is inspired by the brewing feud between Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter. These two men are not only heavyweights in music, but in the business world period. Both have graced the covers and been mentioned in influential business publications such as Forbes, Fortune, and Black Enterprise. The possibility of a "battle" between these two moguls is an interesting and relevant discussion for the business world to have due to, in my opinion, that these men represent a battle between private and public companies.
In one corner of the ring, there is Shawn Carter, with an estimated 900 million dollar net worth, according to him, he runs and owns 16 different companies including holdings in the New Jersey Nets, a night club, hotels, and a world renowned clothing line. In addition he is considered one of the best, if not the best emcee, perhaps musician of our time. In my opinion he represents the public conglomerate companies. I get the feeling that he is a figure head for a massive movement that has been around longer than he has. There are perhaps people way more powerful than him behind the scenes that have a superbly large vested interest in Shawn's success and that is partially the reason why Jay has enjoyed as much success as he has. There you have it, the investor owned brand Jay-Z.
On the other side of the ring, you have 50 Cent, the bionic business machine with an estimated 400 million dollar net worth. Curtis Jackson has diversified his brand into clothing, film, beverages, books, and a social networking site that rivals myspace and facebook. 50 Cent has thrived off a career of warfare from the block to the boardroom and his presence is felt in all of music. He is self made, plays by his own rules, and is accountable pretty much only to himself (maybe Jimmy Lovine too). With that said, he is the representation of the private company with as much power as the public companies. Part of the reason he is just as powerful as the public players is that he has a severe competitive advantage. His business acumen and strategic mind is unparalleled, plus you get the impression that this guy does not sleep.
There you have it, the two biggest giants in the hip hop business world. Who do you think will win if the guns come out the holsters? 50 Cent himself said that if battle were to occur between these two, one of them probably one not survive it. Whether he is talking about it being career ending or life ending, I'm not sure. I think he meant both because the stakes would be so high if these two titans clashed. Let me know your thoughts.

Positioning Yourself for Greatness

Our lives are designed for a specific moment in time where all of the training we have undergone will be called upon to be used. This is the time where we are at our finest and our greatness is revealed. But we must live a life of preparation in order not to miss this most important time in our lives. You never know exactly when this time will arrive, though there are events that occur beforehand that show signs that we are near it. If you fail to prepare in advance, you will not be able to meet the demand that your training would have equipped to handle. Everyday that you wake up is an opportunity to become the person that future circumstances require you to be. You must develop the self discipline to prepare for that future event that will define your life long after you leave this earth. The books you read, the experiences you encounter, the relationships you develop, the failures and triumphs you experience, and choices you make all tie together and determine whether or not you will succeed once your defining moment comes upon you. Therefore it is wise to have a mind to position yourself in advance so that when destiny reveals itself, you will already be in place to fulfill it.