Gratitude is something I practice daily. Part of the 10/10/10 morning includes gratefulness journaling, but this subject was something that required more than a few lines. Mom, I am so grateful for you. There are a million reasons why I appreciate you, and it wasn't just something to be put in a letter, this gratitude is something that needed to be shouted from the rooftops (or at least posted in my blog). Here are a few of the things I learned from my mom.

As a photographer, I have spent countless hours traveling to the most desolate and forgotten places in America. From the original Route 66 to Death Valley, and the Saltan Sea, I have tried to capture the beauty of these abandoned places before it's lost forever. This journey has taken me over 50,000 miles over the last three decades.

What if I told you that two simple lists could change your life forever. These are not mere to-do lists or even a guided checklist to follow for self-improvement; they are more focused on you. Make a list of things that you need to stop doing and another list of things to start doing today. The stop/start exercise will shift your life trajectory if you are honest in examining the positive and negative patterns in your routine. 

Many of us are struggling with prolonged isolation, while the pandemic continues to keep us trapped in a modified existence. We are social creatures that crave human interaction. There are things you can do to help counter the effect of social distancing. These same life hacks that can help now will supercharge your life if you make them a consistent practice.

The Princess Bride is a cult classic made over three decades ago in 1987 by Rob Reiner. Arguably one of the best movies of that year and of all time. We've had more than 30 years quoting "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." But the film is more than great one-liners, it is full of life lessons. 

Change is hard. Quitting smoking, losing weight, or working out require shifts in our behaviors. Making those changes is not easy because we are creatures of habit. Neuro pathways have been created from years of the same patterns. Those pathways need to be changed, but it's hard. Imagine a groove worn deep from a wheel barrel after years of the exact same path. It's easy to push the wheel barrel in the same way, but it's hard to get it out of the gutter to change direction because the rut dug by the repetition is deep.

If you ask any of my poker buddies, I am the luckiest guy they know. I do have some wicked good parking karma, but the truth is I get the same arbitrary cards as everyone else. If you dealt all the hands randomly without betting, it would result in a relatively equal distribution of winning or losing hands. So what is the difference between having a winning Year or being in the red?

A reporter interviewed Albert Einstein for an article he was writing. At the end of the interview, the reporter asked if he could have Einstein's phone number to call if he had further questions. “Certainly,” Einstein replied. He proceeded to pick up the phone directory, looked up his phone number, wrote it on a slip of paper, and handed it to the reporter. Dumbfounded, the reporter said, "You are considered to be the smartest man in the world, and you can't remember your own phone number?” “No,” Einstein answered. “Why should I memorize something I can so easily get from a book?”

Works of art impact us as humans. From paintings to poems, it can evoke emotions and inspire reflection. They leave a lasting impression on us that can change the trajectory of our life. A few verses have had that kind of impact on me.

The all-time greatest movie ever made is hands down Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I have tried to model my entire life after the classic John Hughes's character. In High School, I would ditch class to go to the museum, although it didn't have the priceless works of art Ferris saw at the Art Institute of Chicago, I didn't have a Ferrari either. In the film, Mathew Brodrick shared some wisdom on his larger-than-life day off.

What have you always wanted to accomplish? Do you dream of a new career? Maybe you want to change your lifestyle through a better diet/exercise. All of your aspirations are possible, but they will require dedication, time, and hard work. Just knowing what's necessary to reach your goal isn't' enough. If knowledge equaled results, everyone would have six-pack abs. The hardest part of getting on the path to achieving any goal is the beginning. When you think about the life you want to have, ask yourself this question; "Is today day one, or are you going to start one day?" The only difference is where you put a single word.

The flow state (also known as being in the zone) is the mental state in which a person is fully immersed in an activity creating a feeling of energized focus, full involvement with the ability to solve complex problems with ease. Finding your flow state can produce magical results. Music can assist the mind in entering this transcended state. The genres and artists are going to be a matter of personal preference regarding what you choose as background sound for your work. These five albums are my 'go-to' records when I want to spend 1-2 hours in my flow.

I am an avid poker player. Many aspects of the game fascinated me. Texas Hold'em is an intricate combination of math, psychology, patience, and courage. So much of the game is being able to play your opponents instead of the cards you hold. Exceptional poker players can determine the possible hands their opponents hold based on their actions throughout the hand. Every tiny detail provides information in the form of 'tells.' These bits of data help an excellent player determine what cards the competition holds. If you know your opponent's hand, it's impossible to lose. One of my favorite aspects of poker is the terminology. Poker is full of great sayings, like the Poker Tell, that applies to the world outside the cardroom. Here are of some of my favorite poker sayings that are true in life also.

A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to see a presentation by David Rosenthal. He has been Billy Joel's keyboardist and Band Leader for the last 20+ years. David's keynote was about how he was able to accomplish amazing things, not by having more talent, but rather by out preparing his competition. The story of landing the gig with Billy Joel resonated with me. The tale illustrates how preparation can be the difference between success and failure.

I am an enormous advocate of continuous self-improvement. You can learn a lot from books and the classroom, but you can learn even more through a good coach or mentor. Having someone in your corner that understands your unique situation that can apply her/his experience is a game-changer. A good coach brings additional tools to your arsenal. They also share valuable knowledge earned via their own personal successes and failures. When my company Zenman adopted Traction/EOS as our business operating system, I hired Chris Hallberg to be our EOS implementor. For those of you reading this that don't know Chris, I will do my best to describe him. Chris is a badass intentionally. His first job out of school was at a maximum-security prison because he got a thrill that you could get killed at work. He is always the last man standing at any party, and in spite of being a warrior at heart, Chris is open to trying new things. He actually came with me to the botanical gardens for a Tibetan singing bowl concert... once. One of my favorite things about Chris is what we lovingly referred to as 'Chris-isms.' These are sayings that make a lot of sense, are humorous and borderline inappropriate, and always help his point resonate with you.

I had an enormous painting that was sitting in the corner of my living room. It had been there for several weeks since I brought it home from the office. This particular art piece was an oversized print of one of my all-time favorites by Roy Lichtenstein 'Drowning Girl.' Even though the print was so large that it blocked my bookcase, I had let it sit in my living room for almost a month. My good friend Kym was visiting from Melbourne, and he asked about the painting. "That's a very cool piece, what are you going to do with it?" I told Kym where I planned to hang the art and that it was an enormous pain to install. Since he was staying for a week, we could always do it later. I wanted to take Kym out to dinner at Luca and show him around Denver. "Let's just do it now," Kym replied. We stopped for only about 5 minutes, and the painting was in place. Life is full of lessons if we are paying attention. The time my friend spent with me changed me. Here are a few of the Kym-isms I took away:

Momentum is a game-changer not only in sports but in life. We have seen how momentum can shift from one team to another throughout a game or playoff series. This unseen edge can be the difference between success or failure. A big play or home-field advantage undoubtedly impacts momentum in sport. You can intentionally create that same invisible force to help carry you past adversity each day.

All humans have goals that we want to accomplish in our lifetime. Each of us have our unique dreams and aspirations. The difference between those that live their best life and the rest is in the effort. If you have struggled in the past to complete a goal successfully, here are a few simple techniques that can be the difference between crossing the finish line or quitting the race.

With the technology at our fingertips for communications, we have lost of art of writing a handwritten letter or note. This shift to electronic correspondence in our culture caused the magic of a personal message is lost in translation. When we physically put pen to paper, our emotions are transmitted to the page. That's why we treasure the fingerpaintings that are children created. It's not because these works of art are instant masterpieces; in-fact, they are worthless to everyone but you. I wanted to share a few exercises and best practices to regain the magic of writing a letter by hand.

It's possible to manifest your best life through visualization. You can attract a new career that aligns with your Ikigai, have connected relationships, and even the home you want. All possibilities in the quantum field exist in the present moment as electromagnetic potentials. Where attention goes, energy flows. By aligning our intentions and emotions, we create new energy inside ourselves that is the same frequency as the future we want to attract.

Clear intentions + Emotion = New Energy.