I learned in life it is good to surround yourself with motivational, inspirational and positive peers. As the saying goes "Eagles only Fly with Eagles", so on that note I tend to fly high. My friend Kobie Brown is working on a documentary about the importance of fatherhood and the impact it has especially in urban society. In the same breath he interview another close friend of mine Sha Money XL, who by the way is Senior VP of A&R at Def Jam. Please be sure to peep the documentary, support filmmakers, and most of all give back to family in addition to the world. I always say, we should always serve with a purpose in life. 2011 big things being done by my peeps!
FROM FATHERLESS TO FATHERHOOD
Shout to Sha, and Kobie both of you keep doing what you do!
Showing posts with label Advice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Advice. Show all posts
July 24, 2011
June 30, 2011
TOM KELLEY - FACTORS BEHIND SUCCESSFUL INNOVATION
Tom Kelley is all about innovation. Here he is talking about how we all need to think at the Nielsen's 360 Conference. regardless of your position, you should be thinking innovation, and in doing so collecting data. I truly believe the more you become a sponge for knowledge the more creativity is born. Kelley's outlook speak on observing the world continuously, become a anthropologist and that in life it's about the verbs, not the nouns. Remember folks it's about the actions that define a person and the height of success is driven by making things happen, not by watching.
Here another video where he speaks on creativity, and how to tap it!
Here another video where he speaks on creativity, and how to tap it!
June 24, 2011
TIPS FOR SUCESS AND HAPPINESS - VIA PUSHY DREAMERS BY DENISE VASI
I truly support people who promote positive productivity and giving back. My peeps Raeven Western is getting a movement going for a good cause. Pushy Dreamers is a inspirational push for people to pursue their dreams. These jewels dropped by this lovely woman is some Gcode Must Do's. I think the advice dropped by Denise Vasi in the clip will truly bring success and happiness, while others on the sidelines may observe it as LUCK! Ladies and Gentlemen always go for yours, if you don't nobody else will!
June 15, 2011
A GCODE - FOUR STEPS TO BEING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS VISIONARY
Here was an interesting article I came across via Alister & Paine by Erik Calonius:
About 15 years ago I had the opportunity to peek into the garage in California where Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started Apple Computer. Steve Jobs was with me at the time, giving me a personal tour of the place. He showed me where his desk sat in the cramped space; where Woz’s workbench was; where they stacked the boxes of finished personal computers in the corner.
At the time Jobs was still in exile from Apple. But in the years ahead Jobs would not only return to Apple and re-invent the place, but ride the success of Pixar’s Toy Story to heights that even he never imagined.
We’d all like to be visionaries. But how do we achieve that singular kind of vision? How do we develop that level of passion? How do we generate enough personal magnetism to light up not only an auditorium full of fans but hundreds of retail stores around the world?
What are the elements that distinguish visionaries? Here are a few:
1. Visionaries are awake to the ideas around us. Visionaries don’t invent things that have never existed before; they see what exists right before our noses—the things that the rest of us are missing. The iPod didn’t come down on a lightning bolt, for instance. It was the clever synthesis of technologies that already existed. The same could be said of the iPad. The parts were all there. In fact, the idea of the hand-held computer had been tried before—by Apple. Richard Branson created his award-winning airline not by reinventing the airplane. He simply took the standard-issue airplane business model and added the pizzazz of the music business. Many of the greatest products come to life from similar counterintuitive combinations. Suitcases. Wheels. Why did it take 2000 years for humanity to realize you could put the two together into the “rollaboard” and save yourself a lot of work? Stay awake to the great ideas that are right in front of us.
2. Intuition: By definition, visionaries have to be able to look into the future. But how do they do that? How did Jobs decide to produce an iPad (rather, say, than a new line of laptops). Or Branson, an airline, rather than a new string of recording studios. The answer is that they collect as much information as they can, and absorb as much as they are able to. Then they set their rational minds aside, and when it comes to the moment of the big decision, let their gut tell them what to do.
3. Courage: While most of us say we want to want to be successful visionaries, very few of us, I would bet, would be willing to risk our lives and whatever fortunes we have to get there. But that’s what makes visionaries different. Regardless of the field—science, business, exploration, political leadership—the story of the visionary will always include points of crisis where they’ve had to wager their welfare, and that of their families, colleagues and friends—to make their dreams come true. Despite the glamour and glitz, being a visionary can be a harrowing existence.
4. Luck: You can’t get around the fact that in addition to their formidable skills, visionaries are just plain lucky. Steve Jobs wouldn’t be what he is today if he hadn’t bumped into Steve Wozniak, who designed and built the first Apple computers. Branson wouldn’t have been able to sell Virgin Music for a billion dollars if, years earlier, he hadn’t bumped into Simon Draper, who supplied the ear for music that Branson lacked. The list goes on and on. Luck is not random. Scientists they have found that “lucky” people bring an attitude to life that increases their odds.
What comes naturally to visionaries may take some work from the rest of us. And we can do that. We can learn more about intuition—how to use it properly. We can remember to open our eyes to life—to find new ways to look at the familiar. We can study emotional intelligence, and learn lessons that will make us visionary leaders. In the end, “visionary thinking” is not limited to the name-brand visionaries. We all have it. We just need to summon it up, and use it every day.
Erik Calonius. Erik is a former reporter, editor, and London correspondent for The Wall Street Journal and served as an editor and writer for Fortune, where he was nominated for the National Magazine Award. He collaborated with Dan Ariely on Predictably Irrational and is the author of The Wanderer & “Ten Steps Ahead: What Separates Successful Business Visionaries from the Rest of Us.”
About 15 years ago I had the opportunity to peek into the garage in California where Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started Apple Computer. Steve Jobs was with me at the time, giving me a personal tour of the place. He showed me where his desk sat in the cramped space; where Woz’s workbench was; where they stacked the boxes of finished personal computers in the corner.
At the time Jobs was still in exile from Apple. But in the years ahead Jobs would not only return to Apple and re-invent the place, but ride the success of Pixar’s Toy Story to heights that even he never imagined.
We’d all like to be visionaries. But how do we achieve that singular kind of vision? How do we develop that level of passion? How do we generate enough personal magnetism to light up not only an auditorium full of fans but hundreds of retail stores around the world?
What are the elements that distinguish visionaries? Here are a few:
1. Visionaries are awake to the ideas around us. Visionaries don’t invent things that have never existed before; they see what exists right before our noses—the things that the rest of us are missing. The iPod didn’t come down on a lightning bolt, for instance. It was the clever synthesis of technologies that already existed. The same could be said of the iPad. The parts were all there. In fact, the idea of the hand-held computer had been tried before—by Apple. Richard Branson created his award-winning airline not by reinventing the airplane. He simply took the standard-issue airplane business model and added the pizzazz of the music business. Many of the greatest products come to life from similar counterintuitive combinations. Suitcases. Wheels. Why did it take 2000 years for humanity to realize you could put the two together into the “rollaboard” and save yourself a lot of work? Stay awake to the great ideas that are right in front of us.
2. Intuition: By definition, visionaries have to be able to look into the future. But how do they do that? How did Jobs decide to produce an iPad (rather, say, than a new line of laptops). Or Branson, an airline, rather than a new string of recording studios. The answer is that they collect as much information as they can, and absorb as much as they are able to. Then they set their rational minds aside, and when it comes to the moment of the big decision, let their gut tell them what to do.
3. Courage: While most of us say we want to want to be successful visionaries, very few of us, I would bet, would be willing to risk our lives and whatever fortunes we have to get there. But that’s what makes visionaries different. Regardless of the field—science, business, exploration, political leadership—the story of the visionary will always include points of crisis where they’ve had to wager their welfare, and that of their families, colleagues and friends—to make their dreams come true. Despite the glamour and glitz, being a visionary can be a harrowing existence.
4. Luck: You can’t get around the fact that in addition to their formidable skills, visionaries are just plain lucky. Steve Jobs wouldn’t be what he is today if he hadn’t bumped into Steve Wozniak, who designed and built the first Apple computers. Branson wouldn’t have been able to sell Virgin Music for a billion dollars if, years earlier, he hadn’t bumped into Simon Draper, who supplied the ear for music that Branson lacked. The list goes on and on. Luck is not random. Scientists they have found that “lucky” people bring an attitude to life that increases their odds.
What comes naturally to visionaries may take some work from the rest of us. And we can do that. We can learn more about intuition—how to use it properly. We can remember to open our eyes to life—to find new ways to look at the familiar. We can study emotional intelligence, and learn lessons that will make us visionary leaders. In the end, “visionary thinking” is not limited to the name-brand visionaries. We all have it. We just need to summon it up, and use it every day.
Erik Calonius. Erik is a former reporter, editor, and London correspondent for The Wall Street Journal and served as an editor and writer for Fortune, where he was nominated for the National Magazine Award. He collaborated with Dan Ariely on Predictably Irrational and is the author of The Wanderer & “Ten Steps Ahead: What Separates Successful Business Visionaries from the Rest of Us.”
January 17, 2011
GCODE JEWELS FOR 2011, 2012, 2013, ETC
Happy New Year to all! I came across some jewels which I found could be beneficial to all adults. Often sometime we get caught in the rat race of chasing "cheese". "Cheese" could be money, love, success, and various things we crave in life. I learned in life we need to separate our "needs" from our "wants" in addition to always have a plan. Not long ago somebody said to me I keep young boy perspective of life, and I need to be more serious. Listen as I parent I know I ALWAYS prioritize, but I never forget to do only what I love, while doing actions with a whole heart. If I don't love it, i don't do it.
Well I came across some jewels which I found amusing and at the same time let me know I am not doing anything wrong keeping a young person's perspective.
We get one life, so always appreciate life, you will never fail in living!
13 communication and life tips that children teach us By Garr Reynolds
We can learn a lot from a child. Plenty of adults engage in childish behavior, but not enough adults allow themselves to truly become childlike and exhibit an approach and display behaviors that exemplify the very best of what being a child is all about. Obviously, the point is not that we should become literally like children in every way—a group of 4-year olds is not going to build the next space shuttle or find a cure for an infectious disease this year. But as an exercise in personal growth, looking at the innocent nature of a small child offers illuminating and practical suggestions for changing our approach to life and work as "serious adults," including the work of presenting, facilitating, and teaching. You could probably come up with 100 things children do that you'd like to be able to still do today—here are just 13.
(1) Be completely present in the moment. In the words of David M. Bader: "Be here now. Be someplace else later. Is that so complicated?" We adults are often living in the past (or have our heads in the future). Many adults carry around preconceptions, prejudices, and even anger about something that happened years ago—even hundreds of years ago before anyone they even know was born. And yet, very young children do not worry and fret about the past or the future. What matters most is this moment. “The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence," says Thich Nhat Hanh.
(2) Allow for spontaneity. We are often overly rigid and worry too much about what others may think or say, so we edit ourselves before we even try. I am not talking about anarchy, I am talking about bringing back some of that childlike behavior where you acted more on intuition and allowed your whims and momentary impulses to take you on all sorts of accidental discoveries. Our fear and our tendency to keep our minds fixed on the past and the future keeps us from being spontaneous in the moment.
(3) Move your body! To move is to live and to grow. When we were kids, no one had to tell us to get out of the house and exercise. We'd play football in the front yard until it got so dark we couldn't see the ball. Movement and exercise are how kids learn, and physical exercise improves cognition and memory for adults in both the short term and over the long term. Homo sapiens have evolved to move far more than your average person moves today. Moving is the most natural thing of all, certainly more natural than sitting on one's arse all day staring into a box or enduring lecture after lecture while remaining motionless on uncomfortable chairs. Move, and encourage others to do the same. "Our brains were built for walking—12 miles a day!" says Dr. John Medina.
(4) Play and be playful. To play is to explore and discover. Play helps us learn and discover new insights. You can be a "serious person" and play. NASA astronauts are serious, wickedly smart, and physically fit men and women of science. Yet, they're doing jobs they dreamed of as kids, and they are not above playfulness as Apollo 14 Commander Alan Shepard demonstrated by using his makeshift 6-iron to hit golf balls on the moon. Playfulness is a creative attitude that brings out the best in you and in others. Confucius said, "Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life."
(5 ) Make mistakes. Children make lots of "mistakes"—that's how they learn. Even though we are professionals, we can learn from mistakes as well, if we're willing to risk making them. Even experts make mistakes. An old Japanese proverb says "Even monkeys fall from trees." (Saru mo ki kara ochiru — 猿も木から落ちる.) Worry not about mistakes—learn from them. "Failure is the key to success." said The Great Teacher Morihei Ueshiba. "Each mistake teaches us something."
(6) Do not concern yourself with impressing people. Eventually peer pressure will set in, of course, but from what I have seen, very young children are naturally able to be in the moment and unafraid about what others may think of their "silly" behavior. "Do not try to make somebody believe you are smarter than you are," says writer Brenda Ueland. "What's the use? You can never be smarter than you are." In the words of Benjamin Zander, “This is the moment — this is the most important moment right now....It’s not about impressing people. It’s not about getting the next job. It’s about contributing something." When you are in the moment and truly engaged with your work and your ideas, the idea of trying to impress others is an uncomfortable distraction.
(7) Show your enthusiasm. "Mere enthusiasm is the All in All," says Brenda Ueland. You do not have to tell little children to be enthusiastic about just about anything (save broccoli, perhaps). Many years ago when I used to visit numerous schools in Japan, I noticed the elementary schools were abuzz with activity and filled with totally engaged, enthusiastic students. This would even carry on into the first weeks of Jr. High School, but the level of enthusiasm took a big hit as they progressed through the exam-driven system of secondary education. That energetic elementary student is still inside of you — imagine what could happen if you combined that child you used to be with the skilled, knowledgeable and wise person that you are today.
(8) Remain open to possibilities and "crazy" ideas. This is related to the idea of beginner's mind. Shunryu Suzuki famously said "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few." You may be an expert, but in order to learn, your cup must be empty. But for many adults, their cups runneth over with excuses and negative close mindedness disguised as skepticism. Healthy, unbiased skepticism is a good thing, but too many adults can tell you a million reasons why it can't be done or that has never been done. Curmudgeons abound, but life is too short to hang out with chronic sourpusses and others with closed minds.
(9) Be insanely curious, ask loads of questions. We think of formal education only as getting the answers, but questions are often more important. Knowledge is important, obviously, but "what if?" and "I wonder why?" is the stuff of imagination and engagement with the material. First come the questions, then begins the exploration and the discoveries—that is, the learning. Children are kind of like miniature scientists in the sense that they are naturally and unstoppably curious about the world around them. An adult with an insatiable curiosity will never stop learning and growing. It is curiosity that pushes us forward. Yet, as adults, we may have become complacent. The best teachers and the best presenters stimulate our natural curiosity. "You never learn a thing when you get the right answer, but are rewarded for doing so in schools," says TED founder Richard Saul Wurman.
(10) Know that you are a creative being. Ask any first grade class who among them is an artist, and watch every hand go up. By the time they are in college, you can barely get a single hand to go up in a class when you ask "who here considers themselves creative?" Is this because they've been educated out of their creativity as Sir Ken Robinson suggests? Regardless of your profession or education — whether you are an artist, design, teacher, or engineer — you are a supremely creative individual. If you doubt this, you rob the world and yourself of your true potential and a great contribution.
(11) Smile, laugh, enjoy. Take your work, very, very seriously, of course. But there is no reason to take yourself so seriously. The genuine enjoyment you project with your smiles and spontaneous laughter are infectious. Your dispassionate solemness is a mood that is also infectious. Which mood is more engaging? Which mood do you want to see reflected back at you? Laughter and a smile are gifts to yourself and to others.
(12) Slow down. Yes, of course focus is important, but not all distractions are a bad thing. Stop and notice the world around you. This stimulates your imagination. Says Brenda Ueland: "The imagination needs moodling — long inefficient, happy idling, dawdling, and puttering. People who are always briskly doing something and as busy as waltzing mice, they have little, sharp, staccato ideas...But they have no slow, big ideas." A small child walking on a path will stop and notice the novelty all around, while we impatient adults just want to get to our destination as soon as possible. Adults feel this way about happiness as well. Happiness is always in the future, over there, if I can just get "over there" to some place or situation in the future. This constant future-orientation causes many of us to step over the remarkable things in life that abound right here and now. Slow down and allow yourself to be distracted from time to time by the wonders of life around you.
(13) Encourage others. It is an amazing thing to see even very small children helping and encouraging others. Good teachers and good leaders inspire and encourage as well. Anatole France said "nine tenths of education is encouragement.” But what should you do when you yourself feel discouraged? An old Zen proverb has a simple answer: "Encourage others."
Well I came across some jewels which I found amusing and at the same time let me know I am not doing anything wrong keeping a young person's perspective.
We get one life, so always appreciate life, you will never fail in living!
13 communication and life tips that children teach us By Garr Reynolds
We can learn a lot from a child. Plenty of adults engage in childish behavior, but not enough adults allow themselves to truly become childlike and exhibit an approach and display behaviors that exemplify the very best of what being a child is all about. Obviously, the point is not that we should become literally like children in every way—a group of 4-year olds is not going to build the next space shuttle or find a cure for an infectious disease this year. But as an exercise in personal growth, looking at the innocent nature of a small child offers illuminating and practical suggestions for changing our approach to life and work as "serious adults," including the work of presenting, facilitating, and teaching. You could probably come up with 100 things children do that you'd like to be able to still do today—here are just 13.
(1) Be completely present in the moment. In the words of David M. Bader: "Be here now. Be someplace else later. Is that so complicated?" We adults are often living in the past (or have our heads in the future). Many adults carry around preconceptions, prejudices, and even anger about something that happened years ago—even hundreds of years ago before anyone they even know was born. And yet, very young children do not worry and fret about the past or the future. What matters most is this moment. “The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence," says Thich Nhat Hanh.
(2) Allow for spontaneity. We are often overly rigid and worry too much about what others may think or say, so we edit ourselves before we even try. I am not talking about anarchy, I am talking about bringing back some of that childlike behavior where you acted more on intuition and allowed your whims and momentary impulses to take you on all sorts of accidental discoveries. Our fear and our tendency to keep our minds fixed on the past and the future keeps us from being spontaneous in the moment.
(3) Move your body! To move is to live and to grow. When we were kids, no one had to tell us to get out of the house and exercise. We'd play football in the front yard until it got so dark we couldn't see the ball. Movement and exercise are how kids learn, and physical exercise improves cognition and memory for adults in both the short term and over the long term. Homo sapiens have evolved to move far more than your average person moves today. Moving is the most natural thing of all, certainly more natural than sitting on one's arse all day staring into a box or enduring lecture after lecture while remaining motionless on uncomfortable chairs. Move, and encourage others to do the same. "Our brains were built for walking—12 miles a day!" says Dr. John Medina.
(4) Play and be playful. To play is to explore and discover. Play helps us learn and discover new insights. You can be a "serious person" and play. NASA astronauts are serious, wickedly smart, and physically fit men and women of science. Yet, they're doing jobs they dreamed of as kids, and they are not above playfulness as Apollo 14 Commander Alan Shepard demonstrated by using his makeshift 6-iron to hit golf balls on the moon. Playfulness is a creative attitude that brings out the best in you and in others. Confucius said, "Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life."
(5 ) Make mistakes. Children make lots of "mistakes"—that's how they learn. Even though we are professionals, we can learn from mistakes as well, if we're willing to risk making them. Even experts make mistakes. An old Japanese proverb says "Even monkeys fall from trees." (Saru mo ki kara ochiru — 猿も木から落ちる.) Worry not about mistakes—learn from them. "Failure is the key to success." said The Great Teacher Morihei Ueshiba. "Each mistake teaches us something."
(6) Do not concern yourself with impressing people. Eventually peer pressure will set in, of course, but from what I have seen, very young children are naturally able to be in the moment and unafraid about what others may think of their "silly" behavior. "Do not try to make somebody believe you are smarter than you are," says writer Brenda Ueland. "What's the use? You can never be smarter than you are." In the words of Benjamin Zander, “This is the moment — this is the most important moment right now....It’s not about impressing people. It’s not about getting the next job. It’s about contributing something." When you are in the moment and truly engaged with your work and your ideas, the idea of trying to impress others is an uncomfortable distraction.
(7) Show your enthusiasm. "Mere enthusiasm is the All in All," says Brenda Ueland. You do not have to tell little children to be enthusiastic about just about anything (save broccoli, perhaps). Many years ago when I used to visit numerous schools in Japan, I noticed the elementary schools were abuzz with activity and filled with totally engaged, enthusiastic students. This would even carry on into the first weeks of Jr. High School, but the level of enthusiasm took a big hit as they progressed through the exam-driven system of secondary education. That energetic elementary student is still inside of you — imagine what could happen if you combined that child you used to be with the skilled, knowledgeable and wise person that you are today.
(8) Remain open to possibilities and "crazy" ideas. This is related to the idea of beginner's mind. Shunryu Suzuki famously said "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few." You may be an expert, but in order to learn, your cup must be empty. But for many adults, their cups runneth over with excuses and negative close mindedness disguised as skepticism. Healthy, unbiased skepticism is a good thing, but too many adults can tell you a million reasons why it can't be done or that has never been done. Curmudgeons abound, but life is too short to hang out with chronic sourpusses and others with closed minds.
(9) Be insanely curious, ask loads of questions. We think of formal education only as getting the answers, but questions are often more important. Knowledge is important, obviously, but "what if?" and "I wonder why?" is the stuff of imagination and engagement with the material. First come the questions, then begins the exploration and the discoveries—that is, the learning. Children are kind of like miniature scientists in the sense that they are naturally and unstoppably curious about the world around them. An adult with an insatiable curiosity will never stop learning and growing. It is curiosity that pushes us forward. Yet, as adults, we may have become complacent. The best teachers and the best presenters stimulate our natural curiosity. "You never learn a thing when you get the right answer, but are rewarded for doing so in schools," says TED founder Richard Saul Wurman.
(10) Know that you are a creative being. Ask any first grade class who among them is an artist, and watch every hand go up. By the time they are in college, you can barely get a single hand to go up in a class when you ask "who here considers themselves creative?" Is this because they've been educated out of their creativity as Sir Ken Robinson suggests? Regardless of your profession or education — whether you are an artist, design, teacher, or engineer — you are a supremely creative individual. If you doubt this, you rob the world and yourself of your true potential and a great contribution.
(11) Smile, laugh, enjoy. Take your work, very, very seriously, of course. But there is no reason to take yourself so seriously. The genuine enjoyment you project with your smiles and spontaneous laughter are infectious. Your dispassionate solemness is a mood that is also infectious. Which mood is more engaging? Which mood do you want to see reflected back at you? Laughter and a smile are gifts to yourself and to others.
(12) Slow down. Yes, of course focus is important, but not all distractions are a bad thing. Stop and notice the world around you. This stimulates your imagination. Says Brenda Ueland: "The imagination needs moodling — long inefficient, happy idling, dawdling, and puttering. People who are always briskly doing something and as busy as waltzing mice, they have little, sharp, staccato ideas...But they have no slow, big ideas." A small child walking on a path will stop and notice the novelty all around, while we impatient adults just want to get to our destination as soon as possible. Adults feel this way about happiness as well. Happiness is always in the future, over there, if I can just get "over there" to some place or situation in the future. This constant future-orientation causes many of us to step over the remarkable things in life that abound right here and now. Slow down and allow yourself to be distracted from time to time by the wonders of life around you.
(13) Encourage others. It is an amazing thing to see even very small children helping and encouraging others. Good teachers and good leaders inspire and encourage as well. Anatole France said "nine tenths of education is encouragement.” But what should you do when you yourself feel discouraged? An old Zen proverb has a simple answer: "Encourage others."
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