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Jennifer Aaker on the Pursuit of Happiness
Enjoy this inspiring speech by Jennifer Aaker, a truly inspiring professor at Stanford University and co-author of The Dragon Effect. Here she teaches how to make a difference in the world and find true happiness:
Right Mental Attitude -- A Must Read! - March 22, 2010
Whenever you go out-of-doors, draw the chin in, carry the crown of the head high, and fill the lungs to the
utmost; drink in the sunshine; greet your friends with a smile, and put soul into every handclasp. Do not fear being misunderstood and do not waste a minute thinking about your enemies. Try to fix firmly in your mind what you would like to do, and then, as the days go gliding away, you will find yourself unconsciously seizing upon the opportunities that are required for the fulfillment of your desire, just as the coral insect takes from the running tide the element it needs.
Picture in your mind the able, earnest, useful person you desire to be, and the thought you hold is hourly transforming you into that particular individual...Thought is supreme. Preserve a right mental attitude-the attitude of courage, frankness, and good cheer.
To think rightly is to create. All things come through desire and every sincere prayer is answered. We become like that on which our hearts are fixed.
-Elbert Hubbard, Essayist and Publisher
Focus & Determination - March 12, 2010
The beauty of this moment is that we can discard everything from the past 
and let the future worry about itself while we dive into our capabilities -- here and now.
The secret to success is a single minded focus. Dare not to waste time and energy by:
1. Focusing on what you need to do in 5 min., 10 min., 1 hour, 1 day, 1 month. This takes away from the quality of your work at hand.
2. Jumping from project to project. This increases your chance of error and also takes away from the quality of your work at hand. Set a time frame for each project - even if it is five or ten minutes of 100% focus before jumping to another task.
3. Listening to negative thought that tells you that you are doing a sub-par job. Pour your passion & soul into your work...not your unfounded fears!
Remember that you are it! You are the hero you have been looking for all of your life. This doesn't mean that you need to be egotistical about who you are and your capabilities, but rather, be thankful!! Thank the universe for your ability to think, to envision, to create and be bold.
The difference between those who succeed and those who "dream" of succeeding is this: those who succeed have a single focus and work away without the thought of what they will gain out of it. And before they know it, they have created their very own masterpiece that they can share with the world for years to come.
- Jen of Project Be Bold
The Next Kobe?
See this inspiring video about an 11-year-old boy who wants to become an NBA player. He is an amazing example of what it takes to reach our goals -- it's all about hard work!!! You can't become the next Kobe without focus and dedication ;-)
Go out and make it a bold day!!
- Team Project Be Bold
In the Zone - February 12, 2010
"And again I paddled out and caught a wave. For a third time I hopped to my feet, swiveled my hips, and guided the
board, so I was not walking on water, but gliding on it, dancing on it, as the wave crashed into the white foam behind me, propelling me into the glassy water ahead. This was infinity of the brightest kind, and I slipped into that ecstasy that comes with losing yourself completely, with touching the wet fire churning at the center of the world, with getting all the way inside life, no longer a witness but right at the crux, at the point of maximum propulsion. Finally the wave dropped me off at the beach, where I rammed my lovely Indian into the sand like an amateur and stumbled back onto land, my whole body grinning in elation and exhaustion." - Frances Lefkowitz - from How to Have Not (MacAdam/Cage) -Book excerpt published in body + soul Magazine.
I read Lefkowitz's words last night before heading to bed and was reminded of how wonderful it feels to be "in the zone." Where none of the cares of the world are filling my mind...just the elation of being connected to a moment, an action...
We all crave at one point in time or another the days of youth where we were nearly always in the zone -- whether we were climbing trees, playing cops & robbers or watching a favorite cartoon. Our focus was single and because of this we were ALIVE.
Today, I'd like to encourage you to find a fun activity to engage in that will enliven your spirit and take you into "the zone"...there you will find freedom and revitalization abound!
- Jen of Project BeBold!
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