Will Bowen Audio

Did you know that airplanes always take off and land facing in whatever direction the wind is blowing?

Resistance x speed = Lift

And yet, sometimes the pilot finds that winds have changed and must change direction for takeoff or landing.

We as individuals often find the winds of life changing and shifting and yet, rather than changing direction, we plod on as before even though we stand even less of a chance of success than a plane taking off with a tailwind.

A wise person knows when to change their approach.

A wise person knows that the winds will always change from time-to-time and simply changes accordingly.

Today, face the wind and plot a course for success!

Post questions and comments — I respond.

In this JumpStart, I take you live and behind the scenes at one of my speaking gigs to share with you an important principle of life.

Whether at church or at a conference, MOST people fill up the back rows first and only sit closer to the platform if there is no room at the back.

However, there are those brave and intrepid souls who break norms and sit in the front and these people tend to be not only more engaged but, overall, more successful as well.

At most of the events where I am the keynote speaker, people pay to attend — sometimes thousands of dollars each, and yet they put forth minimal effort to benefit from the experience by relegating themselves to the back.

In life, are you a back row person hiding out in the shadows or are you down front fully engaged?

Life’s too important and far too short to be casual observer.

Today, learn how to get in the game and make the most of every experience.

Post questions and comments — I respond.

Here’s a game: the next time you’re at the airport take a look around and count the number of people NOT on their smartphones.

Thanks to smartphones, we never have to be bored, we can never be lost, we are drowning in both information and entertainment….and we’re miserable.

Get away from tech on a regular basis.

Hand write notes for personal reflection and to other people.

Sit quietly and listen to life happening around you.

Dare to be BORED, which is the treasure chest from which nearly all great ideas have spilled forth.

Let’s talk about building parks of quiet inside the bustling city that is your life.

There are things in life that, let’s be honest, really frighten us.

And some of these things are super silly.

The other day I faced one of these ultimate, “OMG, what if THIS ever happened?” problems, and I was surprised at how easily it was resolved.

Have you noticed that problems are the INVERSE of mountains?

Mountains look small from a distance but HUGE when you get close; whereas, a problem is exactly the opposite -- it looks huge from a distance but up close it’s not so big.

Today, let’s talk about this silly ultimate problem I faced as well as your own problems and how we can relax knowing that everything will be resolved.

Here’s one of my pet peeves: hearing someone say, “I’ve tried everything.”

In almost every case, “I’ve tried everything” really means, “I tried one, maybe two things, and they didn’t work so I gave up. BUT, I don’t want to admit to being a quitter so I said I tried ‘everything’ while sighing exhaustedly for emphasis.”

If you tried and the problem still exists, you need to keep trying -- FULL STOP!

Today, let’s talk more about holding ourselves accountable for the outcomes we desire in live.

Consider this: researchers have found that fear in a society is directly proportionate to the number of “unknown strangers” perceived in that society.

In other words, the more people around you that you don’t know, the more anxious you feel.

This is why people in small towns where everyone knows each other are less fearful than people in big cities surrounded by people they don’t know.

Today, walk over and introduce yourself to one of your neighbors, a coworker, or someone you see around town.

Notice how simply introducing yourself and making a connection makes you feel safer and less anxious in all areas of life.

The other day, I heard a snippet of a sermon about The Good Samaritan given by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. King said, “The Samaritan chose not to do good by proxy.“

Wow, “chose not to do good by proxy.” That blew my mind.

How often are we guilty of “doing good only by proxy”?

We do great, noble, and wonderful deeds in our minds but when a real need arises, we have an excuse.

Be open today to opportunities to do good deeds – – however small, and see how it improves your enjoyment of life.

I just read about an amazing study that took place in Morocco.

Researchers gave local merchants money and told them that they could either keep the cash or give it to charity.

Remember, Morocco is an Islamic country and five times a day the call to worship bellows loudly on loudspeakers throughout the country.

Here’s what the researchers found: first, the merchants were far more generous than anyone expected, giving as much as half or more of the money to charity.

Second and most significant, whenever the Muslim call to worship could be heard ringing out, the merchants gave 100% of the newfound money to charity.

The takeaway is that simply being reminded of one’s religion causes one to act more ethically.

This is yet another reason to become an active part of a spiritual community – – it reinforces ethics within society.

Today, let’s remind ourselves of the universal good that exists and let it drive all of our decisions, knowing that we will impact those around us.

Occasionally, I will get someone who challenges one of my Facebook posts.

They don’t challenge its logic; they challenge its universality.

They claim that they are an exception to whatever I have posted, and they always have lots of reasons as to why.

These people simply don’t try, and their lives are one excuse after another, leading to self-pity and unhappiness.

Today, let’s crash your pity party so that you can stop making excuses and start making a life that is, wait for it – – legendary!

I learned something interesting the other day about the classic toy known as an Etch-a-Sketch.

When you draw on an Etch-a-Sketch you’re not actually drawing on the glass surface.

What you are actually doing is ERASING the glass surface line by line.

Here’s what I mean: when you shake an Etch-a-Sketch, you’re not shaking all the little particles off the screen, you are actually filling in the particles that you removed while drawing.

Life is like an Etch-a-Sketch -- there are lots of do-overs.

Today, let’s shake up your Etch-a-Sketch