Thinking Out Loud...

Category Archives: Thinking Out Loud...

What’s Your Sentence?

Posted by Grant on February 18, 2010 – 7:23 am

In 1962, Clare Boothe Luce, one of the first women to serve in the U.S. Congress, offered some advice to President John F. Kennedy. “A great man,” she told him, “is one sentence.” Abraham Lincoln’s sentence was: “He preserved the union and freed the slaves.” Franklin Roosevelt’s was: “He lifted us out of a great depression and helped us win a world war.” Luce feared that Kennedy’s attention was so splintered among different priorities that his sentence risked becoming a muddled paragraph. (this was an excerpt from “Drive” by Daniel Pink)

When I read this recently, I really liked the idea. One sentence to summarize your life. One sentence to provide focus and purpose in your everyday world.

So…what’s your sentence?

When your time has come and all is said and done, what do you want people to say about you? Not some glowing biography or lengthy obituary…just one sentence. Just a few words strung together to describe your life. What would you want that sentence to say?

Would you want it to describe the kind of friend you were? How you treated others? What you did to make a difference in the world? Your accomplishments at work? The kind of family person you were?

One sentence.

What’s your sentence?

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The Power Of An Audience

Posted by Grant on February 10, 2010 – 7:24 am

Filed under Speaking, Thinking Out Loud...

As a youth speaker, I’ve seen a lot of different audiences. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some that just woke up and drain the life out of you and some of that have had too much caffeine and everything in between.

And while the speaker is the person at the front with the microphone, the audience really has a lot of power over how the “show” may go. I’ve seen this first hand in what I do, but I’ve also had two different experiences recently as an audience member that amplified this fact.

A few weeks ago I went to a Harlem Globetrotters basketball game. It was in an arena that seats somewhere around 10,000, and it was about half full. If you’ve ever seen the Harlem Globetrotters put on a show, you know it can be very entertaining and highly interactive. But this crowd was dead. There was no energy in that arena at all. Sure the Globetrotters did their part to engage the crowd and put on a good show but the crowd was lifeless. And as a result, it tainted the overall experience.

Last week my wife and I attended an improv show in New York City. It was hyped like the next big thing but we got to the theater only to discover we were one of only 20 people in the entire audience. So the show starts and if you’ve ever been to an improv show, you know it’s based on audience interaction and participation. Well, this audience wasn’t participating. I felt bad for the performers…it was like pulling teeth to get feedback or suggestions from the audience. And again, as a result, the show was very lame.

But the interesting thing was that while the performers in each setting did their job and worked hard at it, the “show” itself was mediocre due in large part to the audience. Even though the audience is not on stage and not performing, an energetic and engaged audience would have created a completely different “show” in both experiences.

Speakers, artists, performers all feed off the energy of the crowd. The more energy there is, the better the show will be.

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The Most Honest Car Buying Experience I’ve Ever Had

Posted by Grant on January 26, 2010 – 8:10 am

Filed under Personal, Thinking Out Loud...

Over the weekend, we bought a new van. Well, not a new van but new to us. (First of all, don’t judge me…I look cool driving it)

If you’ve ever purchased a vehicle before, you know it can be a little stressful. In the back of our minds, I think we all wonder the same thing: “Is this person trying to screw me over?” It’s like we like as soon as we sign the papers and drive off, all the lights on the dashboard will come on, the tires will automatically deflate, and a timer will start counting down saying the car is about to explode.

But thankfully, our transaction was one of the least stressful experiences (side note…we found it on Craigslist…still one of my favorite sites). Why? Because the seller was honest. Not just kind of honest, but over-the-top honest.

He told me about every possible little thing that was wrong with the van (which wasn’t much thankfully). Even little things that most people would leave out.

“There’s a tiny scratch here. There’s a little wear there. This button doesn’t work.”

You know what was weird though? The more negative stuff he told me about the van, the more comfortable I felt. Strange I know.

But it gave me reassurance that he was being straight up with me. He wasn’t going to hide anything. I knew that if we drove away and the bumper fell off, this guy didn’t know about it or he would have told me.

It just reminded me how important honesty is in our society. It’s one thing to be honest about all the good stuff but to volunteer to share the bad stuff too…that’s honesty.

Keep that in mind next time you sell something…you interview for a job…you turn in a paper…your parents ask where you were last night.

Be honest. It works.

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The Challenge Of Risk-Taking

Posted by Grant on January 21, 2010 – 7:54 am

Filed under Thinking Out Loud...

We know that taking a few risks in life is important, but some are more accepting of risks than others. Some people seek the thrill of adventure and are constantly taking risks. Others prefer the security and stability of staying where they’re at.

But for all of us, the challenge of taking a risk is this…you don’t know how it will play out. You can’t see the future. You don’t know how people will react.

And so as a result, a lot of times we stay on the sideline.

But not knowing how it will play out is part of what makes it risky. If you always knew how everything would go, life would be boring.

So embrace the unknown. Take a risk today. Who knows? It could change your life.

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How You Can Help Haiti…

Posted by Grant on January 14, 2010 – 7:56 pm

Filed under Current Events, Thinking Out Loud...

I don’t know about you, but as I watch the news unfold regarding the tragedy in Haiti, I feel compelled to do something. My guess is you feel the same way. The challenge though is whatever we do, it feels so small compared to the great need of that country. But the bottom line is something is better than nothing. I’m no different than you. I want to help.

So here’s what I’m going to do…

On my website, I’ve got books, t-shirts, and wristbands available. For any purchase you make between now and Sunday, January 17 at midnight CST, I’m going to donate 100% of the money to the relief work in Haiti. That’s right. One hundred percent of it. I won’t get a dime of it.

START SHOPPING NOW

So not only will you get a copy of Reality Check, a sweet t-shirt, or a bunch of wristbands out of the deal (all with free shipping of course), you’ll sleep good tonight knowing every bit of the money you spent went to support the relief efforts in Haiti.

Sound good? Go here to get started…http://grantbaldwin.com/store.php.

But don’t be greedy and keep this deal to yourself. Spread the word. Tell your friends, neighbors, parents, teachers, co-workers…even that one kid who eats glue…he could use a cool t-shirt. Make it your Facebook status. Tweet and re-tweet it on Twitter. Post the link on your blog (http://grantbaldwin.com/store.php). Get the word out.

One other quick note…even if you’re not interested in buying anything (it won’t hurt my feelings), I hope you’ll do something to help out. Volunteer at your local Red Cross. Organize something at your school. Get your youth group involved. DO SOMETHING!

Remember…every little bit matters. Do your part.

VISIT OUR ONLINE STORE HERE

What else are YOU doing to support the relief effort in Haiti?

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Are You Willing To Commit To It Or Do You Just Like The Idea Of It?

Posted by Grant on January 11, 2010 – 8:07 pm

Filed under Thinking Out Loud...

There’s a lot of things we simply like the idea of. I like the idea of…

Making good grades.

Earning more money.

Writing a book.

Running a marathon.

Having a great relationship.

Traveling around the world.

Far too often though we simply like the idea of ______ but aren’t willing to commit to doing what is necessary to actually accomplish it. We’re not ready to make the sacrifice, investment, or overall commitment to actually doing what we’d like to do.

So for most of us, it will stay like that. An idea we simply like…but aren’t committed enough to accomplishing.

What a crappy way to live life.

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6 Ways To Make Your 2010 Goals Stick

Posted by Grant on January 11, 2010 – 7:45 am

Filed under Personal, Thinking Out Loud...

If you’re like most people, late on December 31st you came up with your mental list of a few “resolutions” you wanted to keep for 2010. And if you’re like most people, now that we’re 11 days into the year, you’ve probably already thrown in the towel.

Why do we do that? Because resolutions don’t stick. Goals do.

One of my goals for this new year is to run a half-marathon. I’m not some avid runner by any means, but I do want to stay in shape, so it seems like a solid goal to shoot for. So here are 6 things I’ve done to help make this goal stick for 2010…

Write It Down – Don’t leave it floating around your brain. You’ll forget it. Get a piece a paper, write it down, and stick it someplace where you’ll see it everyday. Your pillow, your mirror, that cute guy you stare at everyday (you’re stalking him anyway, you may as well accomplish a goal in the process!). I typed out my goals for 2010 and have them printed out and on my desk.
Make It Specific – Lose weight. Earn more money. Make better grades. Those are all good goals, but how do you know if you’ve accomplished them? For me, I could have set my goal as simply: run. But I wanted to make it specific: run a half-marathon. You should be able to tell if you accomplished the goal or not.
Set A Deadline – Are you going to accomplish that goal this year or could you push yourself a little more and accomplish in the next 60 days? The less time you give yourself to accomplish the goal, the more focused you’ll be on making it happen.
Tell The World – By simply sharing my goal to run a half-marathon, I feel like I’m really committing to it. Why? Because I’d look like a loser if I don’t do it. Tell your friends. Tell your family. Announce it on Facebook. Let the world know you mean business.
Make An Investment – Don’t waste money, but if you’re serious in accomplishing your goal, you’ll invest a few shekels in yourself. For me, I registered and paid for my entry into a half-marathon in Chicago. The best part: it’s non-refundable. What is it for you? Buy a book. Buy a domain name. Sign up for classes.
Be Held Accountable – It’s one thing to tell the world, but take it a step further and have someone hold you accountable. For me, I’m running the half-marathon with my brother-in-law. We’ve both signed up so not only do we not want to disappoint ourselves, but we don’t want to let the other one down.

What else can you do to make your 2010 goals stick?

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Making 2010 Great Starts Now

Posted by Grant on December 14, 2009 – 7:34 am

Filed under Thinking Out Loud...

As we begin to wrap up 2009, it’s a chance to start looking ahead to 2010. It’ll be the beginning of a new year, and we all get a fresh start and a clean slate.

So what are you going to do with your fresh start? What are you going to do that will make 2010 your best year yet? How are you going to improve on 2009?

If you haven’t started figuring that out, now would be a good time to do so. Because a year from now when we get to the end of 2010, if you’re in the same spot in life that you’re presently in, whose fault is that?

It’s not your parents’ fault. You can’t blame the government or the President. Stop whining about your circumstances.

If you accomplish nothing in 2010 and continue to settle for mediocrity, it’s your fault. So if you’re going to make 2010 your best year yet, it starts by planning now.

What do you want your life to look like in the next 30 days? 3 months? 6 months? What are you willing to do/sacrifice/risk to make that happen?

Create a plan. Write it down. If you’re taking a road trip somewhere, you make a plan before you set out on the journey. Why wouldn’t you make a plan for your year?

You won’t end up where you want to be on accident. You get where you want to be because of planning and hard work.

Making 2010 great starts now in 2009.

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Stop Saying “That’s My Goal…” When It Isn’t

Posted by Grant on December 8, 2009 – 6:59 am

Filed under Thinking Out Loud...

We’ve all been guilty of this before. We’re talking with someone and they make some type of comment related to something you want to do.

You should travel the world.

You should have your own business.

You should go to XYZ college.

You should do this with your life.

And if we’re even remotely interested in accomplishing that thing, a lot of times we respond by saying, “that’s my goal.”

I don’t know why we’ve programmed ourselves to respond that way, but it drives me nuts. Why? Because for most of us, it’s not a goal. It’s a dream. It’s a wish. It’s something we’d like to accomplish but will probably never get around to doing it.

Now I know I’m supposed to be a motivational speaker and you’re probably thinking, this guy’s not very motivational! But here’s why I say that…

Goals require planning. Dreams are supposed to just magically come together.

Goals require work. Dreams just happen.

Goals require an investment of time, energy, and resources. Dreams don’t.

Are you seeing the differences? Goals are much more difficult to accomplish. So here’s the deal…think twice before saying “that’s my goal.” Determine if what you really want is worth all the effort and energy to make it happen or is it simply a wish you hope will magically happen someday.

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Dear Tiger Woods…

Posted by Grant on December 3, 2009 – 12:38 pm

Filed under Current Events, Thinking Out Loud...

We tend to forget how often our actions can influence others (even complete strangers) without us even knowing about it. I’ve noticed this through something I’ve been try to do more of lately: running.

Let me explain…

At the beginning of the year I started running and had a goal to run a few races. A few months into it my knee started bothering me, and I eventually threw in the towel on the whole idea. So for most of the summer I was frustrated with myself that I started something but didn’t finish it.

Then I was influenced by a stranger.

My wife and I were on a cruise back in August and while at dinner one night, I found myself eavesdropping on a couple of guys at the table next to us. One of the guys said he had just run a race and it all started by simply walking each day. Keep in mind, this guy was an older, larger dude…he wasn’t some elite beast of an athlete. Well that got stuck in my head and I started thinking…

“If that joker can do it, then I can do it.”

So when I got home, I started walking and have got back into a running routine again.

Here’s another quick example…Last night on my flight I ended up seated next to an old friend. We were getting caught up on life, and he told me he recently finished the Chicago marathon. I was totally impressed and immediately started asking lots of questions. He told me a story about traveling out West and stumbling across an ultra-marathon being run in Death Valley. This wasn’t just any race…it was 135 miles through temperatures reaching 130 degrees…that’s freaking insane!

But my friend said he saw those people running this race and thought…

“If they can do 135 miles in these conditions, I can do 26 miles.”

Influenced by a group of strangers.

You have no idea how your words, actions, and attitudes influence not only your friends and family but also complete strangers who you’ll never meet or know how you impacted them. Therefore…

Think before you speak. Pause before you react. Be cautious how you treat others. Why? You have no idea how it will impact others…both positively and negatively.

Are you reading this Tiger?

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