Off Balance On Purpose

This week's video will shed light on what is real, and how to better relate to those with different perspectives.

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Some days you just have to ask yourself: What is real? This week we're Off Balance On Purpose facing reality.

In recent weeks, two very different scenarios have merged into one. So much has stayed the same – and yet everything is different. We're still at home, and the days of similarity have blurred such that we often can't distinguish one from another. And yet, your perspective of the world, the future, and your foundational reality, may be altered from moment to moment. That's because we don't live a fact-based existence. We process the world through our emotions.

Reality is subjective. And understanding this can help you better navigate your uncertainty AND extend grace and compassion to those who see things very differently than you do. Keeping it "real" is less about finding a definitive answer, and more about managing the lens through which you see, question, and act.

So how do you actively manage your version of reality?

1. Control your inputs. Don't outsource your lens to those who will gladly push your buttons. How can you become informed without becoming inflamed? 2. Assume positive intention. Extend the benefit of the doubt and understand, this isn't easy for anyone. 3. Accept responsibility. No one is invested in your future more than you. 4. Activate hope. Believe that fantastic days are ahead, and start by improving this one. 5. Expand your influence. As your reality shifts, others may begin to see what you see. And this is more about projection than it is persuasion.

You cannot assign your reality to someone else. Or ever fully understand theirs. We all ultimately choose the world in which we live.

You don't have to make others wrong to stand tall in your truth. So don't waste vital energy negating others' realities. And as we emerge from these challenging days, which we will, understand that everyone will continue to operate with unique, vivid versions of what is "real." And that's OK. Extend empathy, as you actively shape an inspiring reality that is all your own. Until next week, stay Off Balance On Purpose.

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The audio for this week's coaching video is located under the "Get Inspired" tab in the Positive Playlist. You can click the link above to go directly to the playlist page where you can subscribe to the podcast and listen to other weekly messages for improving all aspects of your life.

Without a doubt, this is a time of enormous chaos and confusion. Yet even now, whether you realize it or not, you have been winning big! This week's video will help you identify personal victories and build momentum for even more.

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Your victories have been racking up lately! But have you been counting them? This week, we're Off Balance On Purpose and winning.

Today's reality is, in so many ways, extremely different than it was two months ago. The economy. Unemployment. Devastation of so many industries, professions, and people. Maybe you, or someone you love, is dealing with a health challenges or perhaps, a significant loss.

And yet, in the midst of all that, there remains an equally true reality. You are winning in very real ways – daily victories of all shapes and sizes. Overcoming low moments. Creating breakthroughs. Learning so much you never knew before. Encouraging others, and bringing joy and validation to those you encounter. Or some days, the "win" is just getting through discouragement, and taking one positive step forward.

It's critical that you recognize and count your wins. Celebrate them in real time, and understand that even the small victories are really big. They create motion, and direction, which leads to traction and trajectory.

Practice a new skill. WIN! Call and lift up someone who needs it. That's a WIN! Learn a new song. Get a good night's sleep. Cook a healthy meal. Help others, improve yourself. Create and follow a productive, disciplined routine. All WINS!

If you don't count your wins, no one else will. So stack the deck in your favor. Give yourself some extra credit. Because the more you succeed at something, the MORE you can succeed at anything.

Instead of listing your challenges or calibrating your fears, your homework is to track and count your wins, every day this week. Then just watch how your focus, attitude, and abilities will shift to keep your streak alive. Until next week, stay Off Balance On Purpose.

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO.

The audio for this week's coaching video is located under the "Get Inspired" tab in the Positive Playlist. You can click the link above to go directly to the playlist page where you can subscribe to the podcast and listen to other weekly messages for improving all aspects of your life.

If you've been hoping for and working towards a "new normal" then watch this video. You'll quickly discover the limits of that approach while you learn to unlock the power of what's happening NOW.

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If you're struggling to imagine what your "new normal" looks like, that might not be as helpful as you hope. This week we're Off Balance On Purpose, right now.

After being so incredibly disrupted, we have a deep and understandable desire to reclaim how it was was, or at least get to a "new normal." It's as if "normalcy" exists somewhere down the road, and we just have to endure, or struggle, until then.

But please understand, you don't EVER get to occupy your future. "Normalcy" doesn't exist! Because all we ever get is NOW. Living doesn't happen in your past or your future, but only in your moments. So if you desire MORE, or better, then your first commitment must be embracing and leveraging NOW. And if "now" ever feels "normal," you're missing the point!

We don't want our now to be normal, predictable, ordinary or routine. Because in truth, your NOW is extraordinary. Original. Uniquely yours. And infused with infinite possibilities. So rather than hoping to discover a "new normal," how about choosing a NOW normal? Make a commitment, informed by your recent past, that you will, starting from right now, engage with your moments in very intentional ways.

1. Pay attention. Don't let the moments slip by you, when in fact, they are ALL you ever get. 2. Give your all. Don't hold back. Contribute useful ideas. Make extra effort your personal brand. 3. Appreciate what IS. Rather than focusing on what isn't, default to appreciate the good things while they happen! 4. Honor others. Elevate those who share your moments, and your life. 5. Celebrate. Laugh, smile, play, pray. Give thanks for this beautiful life and it's unpredictable nature.

Make this concept your own. Adjust your normal settings for how you engage with NOW. Demand more of yourself while capturing the magic and beauty around you. Because life is a gift to enjoy as it happens! Until next week, stay Off Balance On Purpose.

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO.

The audio for this week's coaching video is located under the "Get Inspired" tab in the Positive Playlist . You can subscribe to the podcast and listen to other weekly messages for improving all aspects of your life.

Do you have clarity about your next move? This week's video will help you see the opportunities and go "all in" with more confidence and purpose.

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For more than a month, we've all been inside our homes, and inside our heads, contemplating the unknown. And what is required now, is a different kind of commitment. This week we are Off Balance On Purpose and All IN!

If you're like me, during these quarantine days you've marveled, gratefully, at the incredible dedication of our health care workers, service employees, grocery store personnel, and so many more who worked harder than ever to provide what is needed. If you are one of these amazing people, THANK YOU, so much for bringing all of you to what you do.

And now it's time for the rest of us, if we haven't gotten there yet, to find the same level of personal clarity and drive to double down on our commitment to our life, our work, our loved ones, and go "ALL IN" to create a new and better future.

The forced reset of our world, our systems, and our economy has closed some doors, opened others, and enabled a brand new chapter for those who are willing to lean in and make it happen. What follows will be revealing and, I believe, liberating. You've often thought, "If I had a chance to start over, I would do some things differently." Well, guess what? You do!

My "all in" commitment, along with my wife and son, was to create a state of the art, digital LIVE broadcasting studio. Now, we can reach and help MORE people than ever before and provide essential education and encouragement clients around the world. And, truthfully, I haven't been this excited about our business in a long time!

Go "inside" to discover your unique and inspiring aspirations. And then go all-in to bring them to the world. Help people. Solve problems. Be dependable. Grow! Don't settle for a "less than," version of what was. The past is past. And you have so much more to do, give, and become.

We have been fixated on "safety," and that's a good thing. But when it comes to your next move please don't play it safe. Don't hedge who you are, or handicap your happiness. Go ALL IN to decide and create what is coming next. Until next week, stay Off Balance On Purpose.

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO. The audio for this week's coaching video is located under the "Get Inspired" tab in the Positive Playlist . You can subscribe to the podcast and listen to other weekly messages for improving all aspects of your life.

If uncertainty is all consuming, and you feel stressed, helpless and confused, what can you do? This week, we're Off Balance On Purpose for certain.

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Epic uncertainty feels like the new normal and has become our fixation. And when you are uncertain about something, you begin to feel uncertain about everything. As if your past is irrelevant. And that is simply illogical, false, and self-defeating.

There exists a "Spectrum of Certainty." Some things you know absolutely, and others you could not possibly know right now. And that's how it always is.

Uncertainty IS reality. So if your goal is to eliminate uncertainty, you will always be miserable.

We live in a perpetual state of "some certainty." So if you're anxious about what you don't or can't know, here are three certain strategies.

Number One: Claim your Certainties

What DO you know for certain? Your name, your past, experience, values, principles, relationships, abilities, for a start! Your life matters, because you are here! But it won't last forever – that's for certain – so you better get busy doing what matters.

Number two: Embrace the Unknown

Instead of seeing the future as "uncertain," think of it as "unfolding." There's some things you just won't know for a while, and that's OK. That's how it's supposed to be.

Imagine if you couldn't enjoy a movie unless you knew the ending in advance. Crazy right? And yet that's how most people LIVE.

Number three: Take Charge of Change

In the face of the unknown, you can improve your outlook by creating MORE certainty. Decide, irrespective of the unknowable future, what YOU will do to improve yourself and your world.

So the next time you hear the word "uncertainty," hear it differently – it's just reality. And a reminder that all we ever have is SOME certainty, and these precious present moments, and you always have the power to claim what you know, embrace what you don't, and make something better.

Until next week, stay Off Balance On Purpose.

Have these recent weeks caused you to question the "essential" nature of your job ... or your life? This week's video delivers an essential lesson that will bring clarity, and show you how to turn disruption into transformation.

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Are you at home right now now, like me, or going off each morning to a very different workplace? The answer depends upon whether your job is viewed as "essential." Well this week we're Off Balance On Purpose, essentially.

First, let me set the record straight. You are essential. Your life, ideas, and contributions matter, to me and to many. Your words and thoughts are uniquely yours, and have enormous value. And even during times of lack, there is an abundance within you to become, create, and give so much more.

We will never forget these days. And, believe it or not, we will look back sooner than you think, with gratitude for what they gave us. The hardship and confusion will diminish. The uncertainty will transform into a clearer path. And the "gift" will be long lasting, especially if you claim it now.

Think of this as a "forced reset," the opportunity to honestly examine, the quality and condition of your life and discover what truly is essential. When the comfort and routine of your reality is obliterated, you are forced to face what really matters.

Maybe you've found the essential nature of rest, laughter, solitude, or companionship. You may have for the first time in a long time, immersed yourself in a passion, or indulged in a great book, without feeling guilty. Maybe, forced to live in close proximity with the people in your life, you've realized how essential it is to resolve your differences and extend love.

Perhaps you've discovered what you previously thought was essential really isn't. What seemed so important and took so much of your time and energy was never really working for you, and you need to let it go!

If you don't identify and capture these gifts of clarity now, you delay their implementation, or might lose them altogether. Please write them down as a reminder to your future self.

Disruption is a multiplying force. If you bring fear, it makes you more fearful. If you bring strength, creativity, love, and more of you, it multiplies YOU! You are essential, and so is the learning and growth you're currently experiencing. Own it. Claim it. Use it. Share it. Become the catalyst of your own transformation. And until next week, stay Off Balance On Purpose.

We have some challenging weeks ahead of us. You will be bombarded with negativity from every angle.

So how do you stay positive, for yourself and others? Here's a strategy to make HOPE happen.

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When your foundation is rocked and negativity abounds, how do you reclaim positive? This week we're Off Balance On Purpose and hopeful.

You've heard the expression, "hope is not a strategy." I disagree. Hope is the first, foundational step of any strategy. You must believe that "better" is possible. Otherwise, why bother? This means that you need a strategy to hold onto hope, or to reclaim it if it has slipped your grip.

People sometimes ask me, Dan, how do you stay so positive? And the answer: I don't. Just like you, my moods swing from mostly positive to, occasionally, experiencing doubt and fear. I don't stay in the place of "bullet proof optimism," but I know how to get back there. And the way you do it isn't "having HOPE," but "activating HOPE." Here's how.

H= Help – Shift from self-focus to help and encourage someone else. Assist and inspire them, and listen in to what you say. O = Open – Rather than seeing only one "closed" possibility, open your mind to infinite and better options. They DO exist!

P =Perspective – Distance yourself from the immediacy of what's happening. Imagine your circumstances from a distance and on a wider timeline.

E = Enjoy – Coming back to NOW, find something you can observe and deeply enjoy. If you can smile, laugh, and appreciate, then you have joy and can activate hope that the world is right and beautiful. You'll begin to see more evidence to support your case.

Remember how very different you felt just a few short weeks ago? Well, what if you could experience a similar shift for the better to feel more confident and stronger just a short few weeks from now? Or maybe much sooner.

These challenges can strengthen us and make us better. And HOPE IS the strategy.

Help others. Open your mind. Shift your perspective. Enjoy your moments. And hope will be yours, in abundance.

Until next week, stay hope FULL, and Off Balance On Purpose.

If you're in need of some certainty during this crazy time, please watch this two minute video.

WATCH THE VIDEO. LISTEN TO THE AUDIO. READ THE TRANSCRIPT. When life seems more uncertain every day, what do you know for sure? This week we're Off Balance On Purpose, in quarantine. First, I hope you're well, with your love ones, doing what's necessary to stay safe and positive. The world is off balance. Uncertainty has reached new, crazy levels for countless millions. It's personal. And because of that, your thoughts, words, and actions are crucially important! Step one is to "Own your Reality," which involves seeing what really is and taking responsibility for what happens next. And what we know for certain about your future is: You'll be there. Who you become will determine your future happiness, success, and contributions. So let's use this time, starting right now to ensure our future selves will be better than ever. Test yourself today in these three ways: 1. Do something harder. Instead of shrinking from change, commit to doing something you've not done before. Right now, I'm converting my video studio into a multi-camera, multi-set, live broadcasting facility so that I can be with my audiences and help them, even when "getting together" isn't an option. 2. Say something kinder. In my neighborhood, I've noticed people out enjoying the weather and sharing kind words with one another (from an appropriate distance, of course). The words we exchange can change one another. 3. Give something greater. When you're in doubt, or in need, it's a great time to give. The more you give, the more you get, in both great feelings and positive outcomes. Today, after I shoot this video, I'm off to the Red Cross to donate blood. Give what's needed of your time and resources. I promise if you will, starting today, do something harder, say something kinder, and give something greater, you will certainly become something more. You got this. So until next week stay Off Balance On Purpose.

When each day's intensity seems greater than the last, how do you find the perspective? This week's video offers a tool you can use right now to act with greater confidence and intention.

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When each day's insanity seems greater than the last, how do you find perspective? This week let's go Off Balance On Purpose to the future.

We're running out of adjectives to describe our days. Unprecedented. Unfathomable. Historic. All true. But what is also true is that these days and this time will come to pass. The world will get through it. You will survive, and when you do, you will be able to look back on what you've been through and tell the story.

Today let's use a tool I call "Future Hindsight" in order to find your footing and path forward. Here's how it works. Instead of fixating on the news, chaos, turmoil and uncertainty of these rapids we're currently running, I want you to look downstream to that calm pool that awaits at the end of the channel. Because it's there. Trust me. We will arrive at that moment. Now, however this turns out, whether the ride is easier or harder than you expect right now, you will eventually be able to look back with experience and process what happened.

Future hindsight will reveal what you did well, and what you wish you would have done differently. So today, using this mental exercise, you can capture some of those insights so that you can do more of what you're proud of and less of what you're not.

Looking back from the future you may wish that you had more carefully followed safety protocols. Or used this precious time more productively. You could have developed a new skill or completed a project. You could have worked on your health, or focused more intently on the people you love.

As the Coronavirus peaks in the next few weeks, things will get worse, before they get better. But they will get better. And looking back from then, you may may wish you had strengthened your faith, or forgiven someone who wronged you, or reached out to more friends. Or maybe you'll wish you had kept a journal, so that when you tell future generations about this incredible time, you lived through you can do it justice.

You don't have to know the exact ending to craft a better story. You can use future hindsight right now to rise above the fear and chaos, use better words, take wiser actions, be both the thoughtful observer and participant. And hang in there. It's going to be OK. Until next week, stay Off Balance On Purpose.

When fear is in the air, how do you choose to respond? This week's video respectfully suggests an alternative focus to help you transcend fear, act with confidence, and contribute what matters most.

WATCH THE VIDEO. LISTEN TO THE AUDIO. READ THE TRANSCRIPT. When fear is in the air, how do you chose to respond? This week we're Off Balance On Purpose back home. Traveling this week was far different than just a week ago. Airports and hotels are desolate. The virus is rising, the market is falling. Meetings and events are postponing, or canceling altogether. Let's face it, fear is all around us. Fear can be sudden or insidious. It commands our focus, strips away confidence, and constricts our personal freedom. This emotion, fear, is pre-installed to help us survive. But if left unchecked, it can prevent us from truly living. So what can do you when fear, real or imagined, takes hold of your psyche? Learn. Live. And Love. Learn. Fear is compounded by ignorance and diffused with discernment. When you find yourself on the verge of panic, put yourself on the path of learning. And remember, our news media can help us stay informed, but also thrives on creating conflict. Know when to find your info elsewhere. Live. Without intervention, fear can cause isolation, inaction and restriction. Don't relinquish the power to guide and shape your personal journey. You can be both cautious and joyous. Appreciate the beauty around you, and enjoy your personal freedoms. And Love. If anything, times of fear require more kindness, empathy, and love. Express your affection for cherished friends and family. Exude love to the strangers you encounter. And accept and appreciate the love that is offered to you. Every day is both a precarious miracle and an opportunity to create. So when fear is in the air, instead of fanning the flames, provide what is so desperately needed. Lean in to truly learn, live and love. Until next week, stay Off Balance On Purpose.