To create a meaningful and engaging film or play the following questions must be easily answered by the protagonist - what does he/she want, how bad do they want it, and how are they going to get it. The plot then centers on overcoming the obstacles and challenges faced toward reaching the desired goal. Of course the higher the intensity of the protagonists want, the more powerful and convincing the actor will be. And the more challenges faced and overcome the more appealing the storyline.
The actors role is not that much different than real life. Our decisions to want something, and to want it badly ultimately dictates the roles and strategies we play in order to achieve them. Invariably life throws a continual series of roadblocks, challenges, and numerous obstacles on our path to our desires fulfillment. It seems as if a form of Murphy's law is continually in effect to obstruct the intended end result.
Any goal worth achieving will have countless resistances to overcome. That is a given. The most critical part of the whole scheme of things is the answer to the question: How bad do you want it? The more intensity you can associate toward your desired outcome the easier it will be to muster the will necessary to overcome the impending obstacles surrounding your goal. If you can't say with 100% conviction that you will do absolutely anything, that you will sacrifice anything to achieve your goal, then all obstacles encountered along your life path will scare you to death and leave you helpless and crippled; usually leading to acceptance of conformity and complacency.
The bottom line is this - to be taken seriously, to have the best chance of success, and be believable you must be convinced you can have what you want, and have an internal intensity that shows through your actions. Someone who actively is doing something to accomplish a goal is more believable and more certain of success than someone who only wishes or postpones. Lack of action means lack of belief in yourself.
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Persuasion & Influence
Persuasion & Influence
Category: Life
Persuasion, according to Wordnet (from Princeton University), means communication intended to induce belief or action. This very broad definition lends itself to general use in numerous contexts. For instance, getting your child to eat all of his/her vegetables would insinuate an act of persuasion by you. Asking someone out on a date would also constitute persuasion, since one individual is trying to induce an act of "going out" or "seeing each other." Furthermore, a sales team and marketing department can be said to base their jobs on persuasion. A sales team's intent is to induce action that would cause a potential client to buy. While the marketing team propagates material to induce belief in their particular service or product. From this small selection of examples we can begin see the extent on which persuasion is the lock & key to the portal of efficacy in our personal and professional lives.
Influence, according to the American Heritage Dictionary: A power affecting a person, thing, or course of events, especially one that operates without any direct or apparent effort. Influence also has to do with the power to sway, affect, move, or impel a certain condition. As I will use it throughout this work; I refer mostly to ones ability or power to affect. We are bound to influence by our very natures. From our deepest core, we wish to influence at first, our environment. As children we learn that we can influence our parents by several means to have our ways. As we mature we also become aware of the influence of others on our psyches, our actions, and our behaviors. Influence is a constant throughout our lives, from the influence of peers to the influence of ideologies and culture itself.
Persuasion and influence can be taken as a mutual force that feeds off of each other. Generally speaking influence has to do with the intention & power of a specific act or communication. While persuasion has to do with the process or system used as a strategy to follow through on the intended influence. They complement each other and synchronize to amplify each others force. As a natural and unalienable endowment these human attributes form a communication potential of immense proportions. The potential inherent in these functions of man are beyond the realm of comprehension. The only limit within these attributes is in our own abilities and capacities to develop and use them for life-affirming endeavors.
Our basic educational system teaches us very little about persuasion and influence. Unfortunately we are many times ignorant victims of these forces; yet, we have not a clue whence or where they came from. It is important to firstly realize that persuasion and influence are natural components of our social (and personal) lives. After all persuasion and influence also takes place within our own minds. We persuade and influence ourselves to act, behave, and be according to certain norms. Our own personal abilities to persuade and influence ourselves largely determines our level of self-esteem, self-confidence, and level of achievement in our lives. By allowing persuasion and influence to have life-affirming residence within our minds we can actively improve on these faculties to further benefit ourselves and others around us.
Category: Life
Persuasion, according to Wordnet (from Princeton University), means communication intended to induce belief or action. This very broad definition lends itself to general use in numerous contexts. For instance, getting your child to eat all of his/her vegetables would insinuate an act of persuasion by you. Asking someone out on a date would also constitute persuasion, since one individual is trying to induce an act of "going out" or "seeing each other." Furthermore, a sales team and marketing department can be said to base their jobs on persuasion. A sales team's intent is to induce action that would cause a potential client to buy. While the marketing team propagates material to induce belief in their particular service or product. From this small selection of examples we can begin see the extent on which persuasion is the lock & key to the portal of efficacy in our personal and professional lives.
Influence, according to the American Heritage Dictionary: A power affecting a person, thing, or course of events, especially one that operates without any direct or apparent effort. Influence also has to do with the power to sway, affect, move, or impel a certain condition. As I will use it throughout this work; I refer mostly to ones ability or power to affect. We are bound to influence by our very natures. From our deepest core, we wish to influence at first, our environment. As children we learn that we can influence our parents by several means to have our ways. As we mature we also become aware of the influence of others on our psyches, our actions, and our behaviors. Influence is a constant throughout our lives, from the influence of peers to the influence of ideologies and culture itself.
Persuasion and influence can be taken as a mutual force that feeds off of each other. Generally speaking influence has to do with the intention & power of a specific act or communication. While persuasion has to do with the process or system used as a strategy to follow through on the intended influence. They complement each other and synchronize to amplify each others force. As a natural and unalienable endowment these human attributes form a communication potential of immense proportions. The potential inherent in these functions of man are beyond the realm of comprehension. The only limit within these attributes is in our own abilities and capacities to develop and use them for life-affirming endeavors.
Our basic educational system teaches us very little about persuasion and influence. Unfortunately we are many times ignorant victims of these forces; yet, we have not a clue whence or where they came from. It is important to firstly realize that persuasion and influence are natural components of our social (and personal) lives. After all persuasion and influence also takes place within our own minds. We persuade and influence ourselves to act, behave, and be according to certain norms. Our own personal abilities to persuade and influence ourselves largely determines our level of self-esteem, self-confidence, and level of achievement in our lives. By allowing persuasion and influence to have life-affirming residence within our minds we can actively improve on these faculties to further benefit ourselves and others around us.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
GQ & Jordan's Insights
GQ Magazine
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes
"I never took a day off. If I took a day off, then Scottie was going to take a day off. And then Horace. The next thing you know the whole scope of what we're trying to do is being weakened. I never took a shortcut, and I never wanted anyone else to take a shortcut." - Michael Jordan, Interview GQ Mag., Oct. 07
Legendary icon in sports Michael Jordan was profiled among the 50 most stylish men of the past 50 years. Without a doubt a prominent figure in American culture; Michael rose to heights both on the court and off that redefined sports success.
This particular quote caught my attention. Talk about demanding. I see the similarity in this quote to legendary basketball coach Bobby Knights statement, "Everyone has the will to win, thats easy....but few have the will to prepare to win." Sports offer interesting insights into excellence. Especially results based excellence. Most of us in one way or another are engaged in a vocation that requires results....constantly. True, not all of us want to be the best at everything...maybe not even anything; however, for those of us who wish and strive to excel, Michael's words resonate through us.
When we look at the history of any extravagant and beautiful achievement we see the truth. The not so glamorous side of "preparation." This includes Jordan's marathon no days off practices. All the way to Mark Cuban's late night software manual reading. We can even go as far as to throw in Michelangelo. He once said that if people were able to see the long tedious hours spent messing up and honing this artistic skills the Sistine Chapel would not appear so amazing.
Its been said that when preparation meets opportunity it creates the offspring called luck. This seems to be so for many of the high achievers past and present. The formula follows: Goal= Preparation + Seizing opportunities...
So ask yourself this if you have goals..."Am I preparing myself to seize opportunities?"...
Angel Armendariz
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes
"I never took a day off. If I took a day off, then Scottie was going to take a day off. And then Horace. The next thing you know the whole scope of what we're trying to do is being weakened. I never took a shortcut, and I never wanted anyone else to take a shortcut." - Michael Jordan, Interview GQ Mag., Oct. 07
Legendary icon in sports Michael Jordan was profiled among the 50 most stylish men of the past 50 years. Without a doubt a prominent figure in American culture; Michael rose to heights both on the court and off that redefined sports success.
This particular quote caught my attention. Talk about demanding. I see the similarity in this quote to legendary basketball coach Bobby Knights statement, "Everyone has the will to win, thats easy....but few have the will to prepare to win." Sports offer interesting insights into excellence. Especially results based excellence. Most of us in one way or another are engaged in a vocation that requires results....constantly. True, not all of us want to be the best at everything...maybe not even anything; however, for those of us who wish and strive to excel, Michael's words resonate through us.
When we look at the history of any extravagant and beautiful achievement we see the truth. The not so glamorous side of "preparation." This includes Jordan's marathon no days off practices. All the way to Mark Cuban's late night software manual reading. We can even go as far as to throw in Michelangelo. He once said that if people were able to see the long tedious hours spent messing up and honing this artistic skills the Sistine Chapel would not appear so amazing.
Its been said that when preparation meets opportunity it creates the offspring called luck. This seems to be so for many of the high achievers past and present. The formula follows: Goal= Preparation + Seizing opportunities...
So ask yourself this if you have goals..."Am I preparing myself to seize opportunities?"...
Angel Armendariz
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Unified By a Threat
Unified By Threats?
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes
JFK's vision of putting a man on the moon unified a nation towards a goal. Unification can be created through a vision or a threat. Remember the 9/11 bombings of the Twin Towers? What happened immediately after? All of a sudden everyone was nice to each other in America, everybody was patriotic; flags soared throughout our nation. Why? Because, a threat was encountered.
This interesting facet of human behavior works every time in most any situation. Take yourself for example. Have you ever felt lost? Or felt fragmented? Or unmotivated? Probably because there was no vision beyond your current state, or no impending threat. If we can find ways to create compelling visions, or artificial threats we can unify ourselves, and act as a whole towards an objective. Ken Wilber, American Philosopher, said that we seek "self realization, through self-transcendence;" in a way this exactly what we're talking about here.
Competition in essence in its basic form uses this model. Especially team sports where you're working towards a goal beyond yourself. In team sports you not only have a compelling vision to win, but you also have a powerful threat - the opposing team.
How about sales? In a sales you can establish immediate rapport by finding a common vision or threat with your client. Some sales forces already do something similar. For example, some finance companies will have the sales agent play the role of "being on your side" against the corporate presidents that will either deny or approve you. The sales agent becomes a team with you against the threat of the fickle executives.
The ultimate utopian vision of world peace and harmony would easily occur spontaneously upon the threat from outside our planet. If we were suddenly under attack by aliens....wallah!...the world would unify and differences, inadequacies, beliefs, history, and everything else would vanish and we would come together.
Angel Armendariz
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes
JFK's vision of putting a man on the moon unified a nation towards a goal. Unification can be created through a vision or a threat. Remember the 9/11 bombings of the Twin Towers? What happened immediately after? All of a sudden everyone was nice to each other in America, everybody was patriotic; flags soared throughout our nation. Why? Because, a threat was encountered.
This interesting facet of human behavior works every time in most any situation. Take yourself for example. Have you ever felt lost? Or felt fragmented? Or unmotivated? Probably because there was no vision beyond your current state, or no impending threat. If we can find ways to create compelling visions, or artificial threats we can unify ourselves, and act as a whole towards an objective. Ken Wilber, American Philosopher, said that we seek "self realization, through self-transcendence;" in a way this exactly what we're talking about here.
Competition in essence in its basic form uses this model. Especially team sports where you're working towards a goal beyond yourself. In team sports you not only have a compelling vision to win, but you also have a powerful threat - the opposing team.
How about sales? In a sales you can establish immediate rapport by finding a common vision or threat with your client. Some sales forces already do something similar. For example, some finance companies will have the sales agent play the role of "being on your side" against the corporate presidents that will either deny or approve you. The sales agent becomes a team with you against the threat of the fickle executives.
The ultimate utopian vision of world peace and harmony would easily occur spontaneously upon the threat from outside our planet. If we were suddenly under attack by aliens....wallah!...the world would unify and differences, inadequacies, beliefs, history, and everything else would vanish and we would come together.
Angel Armendariz
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Using Your Zoom Function For Success
How Do You Use The Zoom Function?
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes
The theme of seeing both the part and the whole runs the gamut of this manifesto. Holons as discussed previously, again referring to a thing being both a whole and a part allow efficient analysis of processes that are important to us. A second point in the thought process of efficacy is what can be referred to as zooming in and zooming out.
Zoom out to see the big picture, the forest, the future, or the goals; and zoom in to see the pieces, the steps, the details, the rectangles, to master the manifestations of your hearts content. To cultivate the ability to zoom in and out of scenes in your life is a basic necessity to establish proportion in your life and assimilate circumstances in the grandeur scope of things.
Many times we fail to include information in a particular circumstance in our lives because we fail to zoom out and see the big picture. We are at times so stuck on seemingly endless details that we take those for the whole of our lives and of our mock reality. I'm reminded of a Persian saying that goes " I cried because I had no shoes...until I saw somebody that had no feet." I've seen people with minor problems, especially financially, focus intently on those results, make a morbid picture, slump their postures, make their breathing shallow, and imagine these results producing even greater turmoil.
What do you think this does to your ability to act effectively? What kind of messages is your nervous system receiving? This creation of an imagined hell is manifested immediately, and you feel the effects throughout your body sometimes to cause your own pathologies; this additionally coagulates any mental abilities. Under such imagined danger you body instinctively shuts down cognitive operation, and you by this means create your own sabotage. This amazing display of what your mind is capable when you focus on something is an example of the degree of power disposable to you to effect yourself and circumstances...although this is clearly a negative use of such power.
In a scenario that produces an undesired outcome leaders have acquired the ability to use the zoom out function in some form and overcome obstacles. If you focus on a small piece, and have no awareness of any remedy or alternative, you've achieved learned helplessness. When an individual isn't able to "see" a positive alternative it creates an incredibly powerful effect of dissonance. Because of the fact that problems are incredibly beneficial to us, as you will see in the chapter on Artificial Problems, it becomes essential to be able to use the zooming out ability to grasp a more empowering reality. This can lead us to seize opportunities and use problems to our advantage.
One way of applying the zoom out function is to see your life in a timeline fashion...see the many obstacles you've overcome...see what valuable lessons you learned that you would have otherwise failed to acknowledge had it not been for a particular tragedy. The timeline or capitulation method allows you to see, feel, and hear how time flows...you're able to witness, at a very personal level the ebb and flow of life, the cyclic format of existence, the seasons of your ascension in life; and put things in "perspective" this exercise will free a lot of dissonant energy....you re-experince the reality that change is inevitable, and thank god it is that way. This is one form of zooming out of your current situation and seeing a larger perspective.
The goal of the visual zoom out function is two fold. To put yourself in a more resourceful state of mind, and secondly to have a visual display of pertinent information to allow you to see more empowering alternatives. In The Power of Impossible Thinking, by Yoram (Jerry) Wind, Colin Crook, and Robert Gunther, the authors, allude to zooming in and zooming out as a creative function that is used in progressive organizations to enhance their mental models. An example of this in business is related by the authors; a simultaneous method of zooming in and out is used in what is called "Extreme Programming" or (XP) and is used by such companies as Ford Motor Company, Daimler Chrysler, and UBS...
"The key is the definition of tasks for each programmer. One person, the "driver," is zoomed in on the details of the development of the code, while the other, the "navigator," is zoomed out, looking at the big picture as the programming is moving forward. This helps avoid the problems of well-written code that misses the bigger picture or becomes detached from user needs."
This is an example of using this ability to create more empowering alternatives...in the (XP) case more empowering software through enhanced code, using the simultaneous zoom in, zoom out with a partner.
" There is a law in psychology that if you form a picture in your mind of what you would like to be, and you keep and hold that picture there long enough, you will soon become exactly as you have been thinking." - William James
- Excerpt, Untitled, by Angel Armendariz
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes
The theme of seeing both the part and the whole runs the gamut of this manifesto. Holons as discussed previously, again referring to a thing being both a whole and a part allow efficient analysis of processes that are important to us. A second point in the thought process of efficacy is what can be referred to as zooming in and zooming out.
Zoom out to see the big picture, the forest, the future, or the goals; and zoom in to see the pieces, the steps, the details, the rectangles, to master the manifestations of your hearts content. To cultivate the ability to zoom in and out of scenes in your life is a basic necessity to establish proportion in your life and assimilate circumstances in the grandeur scope of things.
Many times we fail to include information in a particular circumstance in our lives because we fail to zoom out and see the big picture. We are at times so stuck on seemingly endless details that we take those for the whole of our lives and of our mock reality. I'm reminded of a Persian saying that goes " I cried because I had no shoes...until I saw somebody that had no feet." I've seen people with minor problems, especially financially, focus intently on those results, make a morbid picture, slump their postures, make their breathing shallow, and imagine these results producing even greater turmoil.
What do you think this does to your ability to act effectively? What kind of messages is your nervous system receiving? This creation of an imagined hell is manifested immediately, and you feel the effects throughout your body sometimes to cause your own pathologies; this additionally coagulates any mental abilities. Under such imagined danger you body instinctively shuts down cognitive operation, and you by this means create your own sabotage. This amazing display of what your mind is capable when you focus on something is an example of the degree of power disposable to you to effect yourself and circumstances...although this is clearly a negative use of such power.
In a scenario that produces an undesired outcome leaders have acquired the ability to use the zoom out function in some form and overcome obstacles. If you focus on a small piece, and have no awareness of any remedy or alternative, you've achieved learned helplessness. When an individual isn't able to "see" a positive alternative it creates an incredibly powerful effect of dissonance. Because of the fact that problems are incredibly beneficial to us, as you will see in the chapter on Artificial Problems, it becomes essential to be able to use the zooming out ability to grasp a more empowering reality. This can lead us to seize opportunities and use problems to our advantage.
One way of applying the zoom out function is to see your life in a timeline fashion...see the many obstacles you've overcome...see what valuable lessons you learned that you would have otherwise failed to acknowledge had it not been for a particular tragedy. The timeline or capitulation method allows you to see, feel, and hear how time flows...you're able to witness, at a very personal level the ebb and flow of life, the cyclic format of existence, the seasons of your ascension in life; and put things in "perspective" this exercise will free a lot of dissonant energy....you re-experince the reality that change is inevitable, and thank god it is that way. This is one form of zooming out of your current situation and seeing a larger perspective.
The goal of the visual zoom out function is two fold. To put yourself in a more resourceful state of mind, and secondly to have a visual display of pertinent information to allow you to see more empowering alternatives. In The Power of Impossible Thinking, by Yoram (Jerry) Wind, Colin Crook, and Robert Gunther, the authors, allude to zooming in and zooming out as a creative function that is used in progressive organizations to enhance their mental models. An example of this in business is related by the authors; a simultaneous method of zooming in and out is used in what is called "Extreme Programming" or (XP) and is used by such companies as Ford Motor Company, Daimler Chrysler, and UBS...
"The key is the definition of tasks for each programmer. One person, the "driver," is zoomed in on the details of the development of the code, while the other, the "navigator," is zoomed out, looking at the big picture as the programming is moving forward. This helps avoid the problems of well-written code that misses the bigger picture or becomes detached from user needs."
This is an example of using this ability to create more empowering alternatives...in the (XP) case more empowering software through enhanced code, using the simultaneous zoom in, zoom out with a partner.
" There is a law in psychology that if you form a picture in your mind of what you would like to be, and you keep and hold that picture there long enough, you will soon become exactly as you have been thinking." - William James
- Excerpt, Untitled, by Angel Armendariz
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Gratification from Performance
Gratification from Performance
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes
"Precisely under conditions of reduction of tensions and gratifications of biological needs, novel forms of mental disorder appeared as existential neurosis, malignant boredom, and retirement neurosis, i.e., forms of mental dysfunction originating, not from repressed drives, from unfulfilled needs, or from stress, but from the meaninglessness of life." - Ludwig von Bertalanffy (General Systems Theory pioneer)
The quote above caught my attention the other day. The reason being is that I have frequently ran across people who have a mild case of what Ludwig is talking about. Especially "malignant boredom," and the meaninglessness of life.
Boredom can be, I believe, a symptom of life having a lack of meaning for someone. Additionally it can be a lack of self-esteem. Let me explain. When life has a meaning, or grandeur purposes beyond the current state; then a person's actions are usually in sync with what those grandeur purposes are. If there is no grandeur purpose; then there is no motivation to act towards something, hence boredom results.
Self-Esteem, creeps its head into the boredom picture when there is a lack of it. A lack of value for oneself, self-esteem, means that a person feels and sees themselves as unworthy of a more fruitful existence or future. Thus, if one feels unworthy, one will not have a belief in a grandeur picture; and if there is no belief there will be no action to grow and move towards a meaningful state of being.
Tensions in life are beneficial. For example, fitness is based on "tearing down" the body so as to allow the body to compensate and build itself stronger. Thus, no "tearing down" = no growth or fitness. To paraphrase Nietzsche - the feeling of power is what is felt when one overcomes some resistance. In a sense the function, action, or performance itself "is" the pleasure we seek as we grow.
Angel Armendariz
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes
"Precisely under conditions of reduction of tensions and gratifications of biological needs, novel forms of mental disorder appeared as existential neurosis, malignant boredom, and retirement neurosis, i.e., forms of mental dysfunction originating, not from repressed drives, from unfulfilled needs, or from stress, but from the meaninglessness of life." - Ludwig von Bertalanffy (General Systems Theory pioneer)
The quote above caught my attention the other day. The reason being is that I have frequently ran across people who have a mild case of what Ludwig is talking about. Especially "malignant boredom," and the meaninglessness of life.
Boredom can be, I believe, a symptom of life having a lack of meaning for someone. Additionally it can be a lack of self-esteem. Let me explain. When life has a meaning, or grandeur purposes beyond the current state; then a person's actions are usually in sync with what those grandeur purposes are. If there is no grandeur purpose; then there is no motivation to act towards something, hence boredom results.
Self-Esteem, creeps its head into the boredom picture when there is a lack of it. A lack of value for oneself, self-esteem, means that a person feels and sees themselves as unworthy of a more fruitful existence or future. Thus, if one feels unworthy, one will not have a belief in a grandeur picture; and if there is no belief there will be no action to grow and move towards a meaningful state of being.
Tensions in life are beneficial. For example, fitness is based on "tearing down" the body so as to allow the body to compensate and build itself stronger. Thus, no "tearing down" = no growth or fitness. To paraphrase Nietzsche - the feeling of power is what is felt when one overcomes some resistance. In a sense the function, action, or performance itself "is" the pleasure we seek as we grow.
Angel Armendariz
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Can I Subordinate My Moods to My Commitments?
A friend of mine recently told me he wanted to start reading more. He always says he hates to read. I told him about the fact that I used to hate reading too. To me reading was a chore; or like force feeding bad vegetables because its good for me. I find it common among many people I meet or know; the agony at the mere thought of reading.
It seems to me that part of the reason has to do with an outdated and inefficient educational system. In school most all situations are presented in the "just do it, for your own good." We are in part forced to accept this quasi-explanation, and usually give in because of lack of sufficient power to revolt.
No useful or effective communication comes from the "just do it" camp. Ineffective communication leads to distrust and doubt in the validity of the exercise. It's commonplace to see people, who after being brought up in an environment that limited openness and used the doctrine of "just do it" or " just because," rebel; at least temporarily enough to explore the yearnings of curiousity and novelty.
Start where the audience is - should be the strategy of effective and sound guidance or communication. If my intent is to build trust and understanding with a group of people my best bet is to go to them. What I mean by that is learn about their situation, their way of seeing things, etc. If I start there and explore our similarities I build a bound and the channel to effective communication.
Furthermore, if my intent is to show them the benefits of anything in particular (say for instance reading) then I would find out what's important to them and why. From there I can show them specifically 'what's in it for them' how they will benefit now in their momentary wants, and how it will also bring them closer with their future goals.
If you do this for yourself, you can see how to leverage positive behavior and use them to manifest your most pressing desires and goals. There is no life-affirming desire or goal that is out of reach of principles. Principles, that you can apply at this moment to get what you want. Reading, isn't a chore...it's arming your battallion for battle...whatever that battle may be.
-Angel Armendariz
It seems to me that part of the reason has to do with an outdated and inefficient educational system. In school most all situations are presented in the "just do it, for your own good." We are in part forced to accept this quasi-explanation, and usually give in because of lack of sufficient power to revolt.
No useful or effective communication comes from the "just do it" camp. Ineffective communication leads to distrust and doubt in the validity of the exercise. It's commonplace to see people, who after being brought up in an environment that limited openness and used the doctrine of "just do it" or " just because," rebel; at least temporarily enough to explore the yearnings of curiousity and novelty.
Start where the audience is - should be the strategy of effective and sound guidance or communication. If my intent is to build trust and understanding with a group of people my best bet is to go to them. What I mean by that is learn about their situation, their way of seeing things, etc. If I start there and explore our similarities I build a bound and the channel to effective communication.
Furthermore, if my intent is to show them the benefits of anything in particular (say for instance reading) then I would find out what's important to them and why. From there I can show them specifically 'what's in it for them' how they will benefit now in their momentary wants, and how it will also bring them closer with their future goals.
If you do this for yourself, you can see how to leverage positive behavior and use them to manifest your most pressing desires and goals. There is no life-affirming desire or goal that is out of reach of principles. Principles, that you can apply at this moment to get what you want. Reading, isn't a chore...it's arming your battallion for battle...whatever that battle may be.
-Angel Armendariz
Monday, August 27, 2007
Paradoxical Progress & Failing Forward
All individual desires, goals, and dreams use the currency of problems. Problems are the answer, in a paradoxical kind of way. The entrepreneur will usually find an unmet need, and provide the service or product. The unmet need is a problem, and by assimilating this problem into the mind and using creativity you produce a result or answer. In this instance a person (entrepreneur) actively seeks problems (unmet needs) and the result of fixing this problem is a new business, service, or profitable idea.
Once a problem is experienced, the usual subconscious response is fear, worry, or doubt. The reason we experience this emotion is because we don't have the adequate information, knowledge, or experience, to confidently solve the problem. If you've ever been in sales think about the first time you had the responsibility of closing a deal. You probably were nervous, fearful, or doubted your abilities. How you handled this experience, whether you succeeded initially or not, either sparked growth and development opportunities; or caused you to quit and dislike selling.
But, what the problem does is bring you face-to-face with your limit, the edge of your personal ability. If you solve the problem you grow beyond your past limits, if you don't solve it you get information to better deal with the issue next time. The key to open your potential resides in you. You can embrace problems as calls to action and grow rapidly, or better yet the self-motivated individual artificially creates problems. The artificial problem is nothing other than the distance between your current limits and/or abilities, and your wants/desires.
When you, for example, have the desire to become a millionaire; that creates an artificial problem. If the desire is intense enough you will do practically anything to achieve it. This intensity to overcome the artificial problem to arrive at you goal is motivation, and by acquiring loads of information via books, seminars, experience, etc., you grow your current limit to bridge the gap between your current state towards the goal you have in mind. The speed at which you will reach this new personal pinnacle is directly proportional to the amount of experience, information, and knowledge you are able to assimilate.
So to speed up the results you would voraciously seek an abundance of information/experience per unit of time. If one salesman makes 100 phone calls to prospective clients daily; and another salesman makes 300 phone calls to prospective clients and reads one sales book a week, who do you think has a better chance of succeeding faster. Obviously innate abilities have an effect, but so what...everyone can improve anything.
If I have a raspy unruly voice, I can educate myself on how to change it, or hire a professional to help me (again a problem creates an opportunity). If I'm lazy I can learn how to motivate myself. If I'm fat, I can learn how to be lean. If I'm not articulate I can learn to be so...and on...and on. Everyone, including yourself, has reached his/her current level of development by choice.
As if by nature's thrust problems arise at times unexpectedly, this implores you to summon your faculties to find a solution, and if one isn't immediately available it forces you to adopt novelty and gather information to devise strategy and remedy the problem. Thus, our creator's way of gently kicking our behind to keep us growing and to manifest the glory of treasures that are within.
The key is to establish enough references to see, feel, hear, and realize that we can re-interpret or as some psychologists would say re-frame, these seemingly painful experiences, and associate pleasure to them. To associate pleasure to problems that present themselves, and pro-actively create artificial problems (goals), that will induce a willful evolutionary process and empower us. I'm not saying to be masochistic, just simply learn to establish detachment and interpret them in a manner where you can zoom out and "see," and experience the possibilities and hidden treasures that problems present.
Angel Armendariz
Once a problem is experienced, the usual subconscious response is fear, worry, or doubt. The reason we experience this emotion is because we don't have the adequate information, knowledge, or experience, to confidently solve the problem. If you've ever been in sales think about the first time you had the responsibility of closing a deal. You probably were nervous, fearful, or doubted your abilities. How you handled this experience, whether you succeeded initially or not, either sparked growth and development opportunities; or caused you to quit and dislike selling.
But, what the problem does is bring you face-to-face with your limit, the edge of your personal ability. If you solve the problem you grow beyond your past limits, if you don't solve it you get information to better deal with the issue next time. The key to open your potential resides in you. You can embrace problems as calls to action and grow rapidly, or better yet the self-motivated individual artificially creates problems. The artificial problem is nothing other than the distance between your current limits and/or abilities, and your wants/desires.
When you, for example, have the desire to become a millionaire; that creates an artificial problem. If the desire is intense enough you will do practically anything to achieve it. This intensity to overcome the artificial problem to arrive at you goal is motivation, and by acquiring loads of information via books, seminars, experience, etc., you grow your current limit to bridge the gap between your current state towards the goal you have in mind. The speed at which you will reach this new personal pinnacle is directly proportional to the amount of experience, information, and knowledge you are able to assimilate.
So to speed up the results you would voraciously seek an abundance of information/experience per unit of time. If one salesman makes 100 phone calls to prospective clients daily; and another salesman makes 300 phone calls to prospective clients and reads one sales book a week, who do you think has a better chance of succeeding faster. Obviously innate abilities have an effect, but so what...everyone can improve anything.
If I have a raspy unruly voice, I can educate myself on how to change it, or hire a professional to help me (again a problem creates an opportunity). If I'm lazy I can learn how to motivate myself. If I'm fat, I can learn how to be lean. If I'm not articulate I can learn to be so...and on...and on. Everyone, including yourself, has reached his/her current level of development by choice.
As if by nature's thrust problems arise at times unexpectedly, this implores you to summon your faculties to find a solution, and if one isn't immediately available it forces you to adopt novelty and gather information to devise strategy and remedy the problem. Thus, our creator's way of gently kicking our behind to keep us growing and to manifest the glory of treasures that are within.
The key is to establish enough references to see, feel, hear, and realize that we can re-interpret or as some psychologists would say re-frame, these seemingly painful experiences, and associate pleasure to them. To associate pleasure to problems that present themselves, and pro-actively create artificial problems (goals), that will induce a willful evolutionary process and empower us. I'm not saying to be masochistic, just simply learn to establish detachment and interpret them in a manner where you can zoom out and "see," and experience the possibilities and hidden treasures that problems present.
Angel Armendariz
Sunday, August 26, 2007
4th Grade Art Class - Business Lessons
I remember a creative art exercise my fourth grade art teacher showed my class. It was nothing less than magic when I was exposed to this technique. I was always into creating great works of art...at least compared with my classmates...so I wanted to learn how to become even better. It was a simple exercise that allowed any average artist become an excellent sketcher.
Usually if you see a picture or an image and you want to replicate it, without being able to trace it, a less endowed artist would probably produce a horrendous rip-off. Now the process was simple, first choose a picture you want to replicate, secondly draw a rectangle around the image, third divide the rectangle into a grid of smaller rectangles. Then you would create the exact same dimension grid on your paper; if the image was divided into 20 small rectangles then your sheet of paper would have 20 small rectangles.
The next step introduced the real magic. To create an exceptionally wonderful copy of the original image all you had to do was focus on each little rectangle, and just focus on each shape and line in that little square. Every so often you would glance at the whole image just to see the progress towards the finished product.
But, gradually all you had to do was zoom in on each individual square, not thinking to much about, or worrying about the finished product...you realized that if you just focused on the small shapes and lines of each block you would eventually have an immaculate finished product, that if you followed the basic formula you would reach the desired outcome. Obviously every student, even the non artistic, was creating wonderful sketches of pictures and images. This was all well and good back then in elementary school, but what does this have to do with anything...its cool to copy a picture in art class, but who cares. Well many years later I realized what wonderful analogy this art method really provoked.
Goals, dreams, visions, and the future in general can be equated to the whole image as used in the art exercise just mentioned. After all, these are images, pictures; just the same as in the creative picture replication exercise. The mind's capacity to visualize is an unbelievable resource; i would suggest that it is largely misused, underdeveloped in most of us. Even in individuals with a high level of visual awareness still a largely unexplored arena.
From the realm of engineering it is common knowledge that a visual transmission conveys 1000 times more information than an audio transmission (video has a higher carrier frequency).
So keep this cool little art exercise in mind and use it as an analogy for your compelling future. Break up the picture into pieces, don't worry about the whole thing; just work on the little pieces focus on what you can influence. You'll eventually have your masterpiece complete.
Angel Armendariz
Usually if you see a picture or an image and you want to replicate it, without being able to trace it, a less endowed artist would probably produce a horrendous rip-off. Now the process was simple, first choose a picture you want to replicate, secondly draw a rectangle around the image, third divide the rectangle into a grid of smaller rectangles. Then you would create the exact same dimension grid on your paper; if the image was divided into 20 small rectangles then your sheet of paper would have 20 small rectangles.
The next step introduced the real magic. To create an exceptionally wonderful copy of the original image all you had to do was focus on each little rectangle, and just focus on each shape and line in that little square. Every so often you would glance at the whole image just to see the progress towards the finished product.
But, gradually all you had to do was zoom in on each individual square, not thinking to much about, or worrying about the finished product...you realized that if you just focused on the small shapes and lines of each block you would eventually have an immaculate finished product, that if you followed the basic formula you would reach the desired outcome. Obviously every student, even the non artistic, was creating wonderful sketches of pictures and images. This was all well and good back then in elementary school, but what does this have to do with anything...its cool to copy a picture in art class, but who cares. Well many years later I realized what wonderful analogy this art method really provoked.
Goals, dreams, visions, and the future in general can be equated to the whole image as used in the art exercise just mentioned. After all, these are images, pictures; just the same as in the creative picture replication exercise. The mind's capacity to visualize is an unbelievable resource; i would suggest that it is largely misused, underdeveloped in most of us. Even in individuals with a high level of visual awareness still a largely unexplored arena.
From the realm of engineering it is common knowledge that a visual transmission conveys 1000 times more information than an audio transmission (video has a higher carrier frequency).
So keep this cool little art exercise in mind and use it as an analogy for your compelling future. Break up the picture into pieces, don't worry about the whole thing; just work on the little pieces focus on what you can influence. You'll eventually have your masterpiece complete.
Angel Armendariz
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
The Visionary Returns
I was asked by a reader to elaborate on the Vision theme. Let me start by referring to the value of a vision. According to Jack Welch, legendary GE CEO, in his words, when asked what he most looks for when promoting someone, "You clearly want someone who can articulate a vision. They have to have enormous energy and the incredible ability to energize others."
To articulate a powerful vision start with yourself. In a sense you have to play with your mind until you see what clicks. I referred in my previous blog post to coming up with emotional "why's" that would give you a vision. Maybe I should give you some of my "why's." One of my why's is that I desire to help people realize the divinity, value, and uniqueness they harbor. Another of my why's is that I would love to help kids realize their potential, and improve educational systems to nurture a more powerful mind & body.
I have many why's, however, from these 2 why's you start to see how I create my vision. A vision as to what I must do. A vision as to what I must become. A vision as to what I must improve on personally; including abilities, capacities, and so on. The vision created allows me to create scenario's that I wish to become reality, say 5-10 years from now.
I then give the vision life by animating it with the actions I'll be taking, the people I will be around, and the service I'll be providing. This is incredibly compelling to me, because it is fused with my personal why's.
Now the thing is that my "why's" probably mean nothing to you...at least maybe not at an emotional level. Everyone has sufficient why's in their lives, that give them the resource to galvanize the internal fire of passion.
For example, Suze Orman, the financial lady on T.V. is an incredibly passionate person. This isn't merely a good acting job though; she is truly passionate about helping people w/ their finances. She relates a story from her childhood in an interview from Carmine Gallo's book, 10 Simple Secrets of The World's Greatest Communicators, of having the stigma and scars of growing up poor and watching her father fail at business.
In one particular incident her father ran into a burning building to retrieve a cash register w/ less than $100; he almost lost his life.
These emotional why's gave Suzy a vision of what she had to do...the emotion that feels when she tries to help people avoid the pain she went through as a child.
So the emotional why's can be from your life's experinces or simply a compelling imagined future that makes your heart race, and makes you feel limitless and passionate. It begins with learning more about yourself. Instead of simply following the old trodden paths for the sake of following something.
-Angel Armendariz
To articulate a powerful vision start with yourself. In a sense you have to play with your mind until you see what clicks. I referred in my previous blog post to coming up with emotional "why's" that would give you a vision. Maybe I should give you some of my "why's." One of my why's is that I desire to help people realize the divinity, value, and uniqueness they harbor. Another of my why's is that I would love to help kids realize their potential, and improve educational systems to nurture a more powerful mind & body.
I have many why's, however, from these 2 why's you start to see how I create my vision. A vision as to what I must do. A vision as to what I must become. A vision as to what I must improve on personally; including abilities, capacities, and so on. The vision created allows me to create scenario's that I wish to become reality, say 5-10 years from now.
I then give the vision life by animating it with the actions I'll be taking, the people I will be around, and the service I'll be providing. This is incredibly compelling to me, because it is fused with my personal why's.
Now the thing is that my "why's" probably mean nothing to you...at least maybe not at an emotional level. Everyone has sufficient why's in their lives, that give them the resource to galvanize the internal fire of passion.
For example, Suze Orman, the financial lady on T.V. is an incredibly passionate person. This isn't merely a good acting job though; she is truly passionate about helping people w/ their finances. She relates a story from her childhood in an interview from Carmine Gallo's book, 10 Simple Secrets of The World's Greatest Communicators, of having the stigma and scars of growing up poor and watching her father fail at business.
In one particular incident her father ran into a burning building to retrieve a cash register w/ less than $100; he almost lost his life.
These emotional why's gave Suzy a vision of what she had to do...the emotion that feels when she tries to help people avoid the pain she went through as a child.
So the emotional why's can be from your life's experinces or simply a compelling imagined future that makes your heart race, and makes you feel limitless and passionate. It begins with learning more about yourself. Instead of simply following the old trodden paths for the sake of following something.
-Angel Armendariz
Monday, August 20, 2007
Vision - The Secret Formula - For Sales/Communication
John Chamber, CEO Cisco Systems, is a renowned tech leader. He's been described as a "visionary," and his keynote speeches are annotated epics of mass hysteria. Alright I'm exaggerating a little, however, Mr. Chamber's is commonly described with adjectives such as "electrifying" and "passionate." I saw a video of him posted online, from Sept. 2006. I definitely saw a charismatic leader with a clear vision.
Vision is, according to many wise individuals, the power behind passion and results. Arnold Schwarzenneger said, "If you show people what's coming and how to get there, it changes everything." Vision is also what Arnold used to propel him to bodybuilding glory; he used to visualize becoming Mr. Universe as early as age 15, and by age 20 realized his vision become manifest.
I think we can start to see a clear pattern here. But wait...vision can't be everything...sure it sounds inspiring, but so what? Well, let me give you another good example. USAA is a privately held insurance company w/ its main headquarters in San Antonio, TX. They are ranked #1 or close to #1 in almost every meaningful business category; from customer service, to employee turnover.
Having worked their many years back, I got some insight into this highly acclaimed organization. USAA is, pardon the word, "cult-like," in the sense that it galvanizes and makes people feel as though they are part of a larger whole. The first 2 weeks of a new-hires orientation are spent in "corporate culture." They drill into the minds of every employee a vision that is so powerful, that their turnover ration is ridiculously low. They are a perfect example of what a properly used vision belief can do.
The science behind success is not to be forgotten; i.e., product development, self-discipline, etc. Vision, however, being somewhat intangible should be the underlying foundation of everything that intends on achieving great heights. A compelling vision is formed by having numerous "why's." This means having emotional ties to the vision...all the reasons why it has to be such and such way. Leverage the power of vision in your own self for your goals, leverage it to inspire the groups you belong to, and use it to lead organizational change if you're a leader.
Vision is, according to many wise individuals, the power behind passion and results. Arnold Schwarzenneger said, "If you show people what's coming and how to get there, it changes everything." Vision is also what Arnold used to propel him to bodybuilding glory; he used to visualize becoming Mr. Universe as early as age 15, and by age 20 realized his vision become manifest.
I think we can start to see a clear pattern here. But wait...vision can't be everything...sure it sounds inspiring, but so what? Well, let me give you another good example. USAA is a privately held insurance company w/ its main headquarters in San Antonio, TX. They are ranked #1 or close to #1 in almost every meaningful business category; from customer service, to employee turnover.
Having worked their many years back, I got some insight into this highly acclaimed organization. USAA is, pardon the word, "cult-like," in the sense that it galvanizes and makes people feel as though they are part of a larger whole. The first 2 weeks of a new-hires orientation are spent in "corporate culture." They drill into the minds of every employee a vision that is so powerful, that their turnover ration is ridiculously low. They are a perfect example of what a properly used vision belief can do.
The science behind success is not to be forgotten; i.e., product development, self-discipline, etc. Vision, however, being somewhat intangible should be the underlying foundation of everything that intends on achieving great heights. A compelling vision is formed by having numerous "why's." This means having emotional ties to the vision...all the reasons why it has to be such and such way. Leverage the power of vision in your own self for your goals, leverage it to inspire the groups you belong to, and use it to lead organizational change if you're a leader.
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