Week 13: Lessons from the Lotus

Have you ever learned something that apparently the rest of the world knew, but you didn’t? For me, that came in the form of a lotus flower yesterday. I’ve seen the flower all over. 

It’s about as ubiquitous as the zen Enso symbol in the business of mindfulness. I just never knew its story.

So when a new yoga instructor spoke about the lotus flower during class and an old friend shows up to a dinner party with a new lotus flower tattoo, I took this coincidence as an opportunity to learn more about the flower.

What makes a lotus flower so unique is that it’s a little beautiful bright flower that sits atop the water with roots that travel deep into the muddy muck far below.

Its symbolism represents the beauty that can grow out of the muck in our lives. What can it teach us? It turns out, quite a bit.

Two Simple Lessons from the Lotus Flower

1. Out of the Muck, Create Something That Matters

The muck in our lives can be life’s greatest teacher. As Pema Chodron reminds us, “If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy can be our teacher.”

When you put a microscope to the muck in your life, what can it teach you?

For Billy Starr, creator of the Pan-Mass Challenge charity bike ride which has raised over 500 million for cancer research, that muck came in the form of losing his mother to cancer.

After losing his mother to melanoma at the young age of forty-nine, twenty-five-year-old Billy hit a new low. It became hard to focus on anything other than the memories of his mother. So he went for a bike ride. Then another. And another. Instead of ignoring the muck in his life, he dug in deep and grew roots. These roots blossomed into one of the most successful charity race-like events to date.

Billy’s story is not unique, however. A number of people I’ve interviewed have turned the muck of their lives into an opportunity to create something that matters.

The formula? Multiply the muck times your unique talent and add in a big, hairy audacious dream that inspire you. The sum total will be far greater than anything you could have imagined before digging into the muck.

2. Bring Your Muck Into Focus

Yesterday I sat down to write with the full intention to continue work on a book I’ve been putting off. What happened instead, however, grew into over 2,000 words that I splashed in my journal like Jackson Pollock threw paint on a canvas. My stream-of-consciousness led me to discover that I have a bit of a problem with perfectionism.

Julia Cameron was right when she wrote in The Artist’s Way, “Just as a good rain clears the air, a good writing day clears the psyche.”

First, I wrote out all the things I really want to do in the near future, like getting my yoga certification. Then, I wrote out why I feel unable to do it. In the yoga example, I’ve had a deep desire for quite some time to immerse myself in an ashram in India for a two month-long yoga certification.

Since I can’t do this without sacrificing a job I love (psst -- that's teaching YOU), I’ve been putting it off until the timing is right.

All or nothing was my logic. And I’ve always been a “go big or go home” kind of guy. Perhaps it’s the snowboarder machismo in me. Compromise has always been a dirty word — a bit like sipping tea when craving coffee.

But this logic is perfectionism in a mask. And while perfectionism can be a beautiful trait, it can also lead to never getting anything done. So, I left it up to the power of intention. I literally wrote out that if a yoga certification class were to come to my attention that day in a timeline that allowed me to keep my greater responsibilities, I’d move to make it happen. It just so happened that an hour later I entered a new studio who just announced a yoga teacher training program that (at this moment) looks to fit in perfectly.

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If you can’t stand your classes and feel drained at school, identify what it is exactly that drains you. Is it because you’re not inspired or feel pulled down by negative classmates?

If you’re feeling held back, what is it exactly that’s holding you back? Is it feelings of self-doubt or a disempowering friendship?

But instead of just thinking about it. Pull the tangled ball of thoughts into a straight line by grabbing a pen or opening up a word processor.

Type.

Write.

Dig your hands in the muck.

Some other thoughts for your #20time blog post today...

Take a look at the final chapter in Start Something That Matters, then answer these questions today:

1. The first step is often hardest to take because it involves moving into unfamiliar territory. However the truth is that the challenges that occur later in an endeavor are often more difficult to overcome, but they don't feel nearly as hard. Why is that?

2. Think about all the people in your life -- your friends, family, and members of your school community. As you're thinking about starting something that matters, who are five people who you could reach out to for advice? How could each of these people help you?

3. Now that you're finishing up your #20time project (or will be over the holiday break), how will you seize the day (carpe diem)? Are you interested in starting your own business after school or has this project helped you make a big change in your life? Where will you go from here?

It's a bird. It's a plane. It's an Ewok Poodle.

Week 12: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Failing Forward

It's that time of the week where you get to sit down, dig deep, and use the class time to work on your 20% Project. Use this time wisely to either work on your blog, contact your mentor, or work on your project. 

You may also use this time to look up new virtual mentors and write about how they influence you. For instance, yesterday I watched the documentary Slingshot on Netflix and am amazed at the inventions and personal drive that Dean Kamen commits to on a single basis. He once said, "My biggest worry is I'm running out of time and energy. Thirty years ago I thought 10 years was a really long time.'

Side Note: I know that some of you are stressing out about the project because you have a SMART goal and want to achieve it, yet reality kicks in and something takes too long or you get sick or...you get the picture. Realize that this is normal. This is your fight-or-flight amygdala kicking in and saying it's time to survive. That's why procrastination forces people to complete something they were putting off earlier on.

Here are some deadlines, just so that we are all on the same page:

1. TED-like presentations will start Jan. 11. You will have the Friday before to rehearse and write your final blog post.

2. You will need 14 blog posts in total by Jan. 14th at 11:59pmEST. 

What to write about today?

How about writing down 5-10 lessons you've learned so far from the 20% Project. These could be small lessons like "write blog posts in the morning because my mind is fresher then" or they could be on the larger scale, "SMART goals take consistent checking in because a long-term goal needs short-term check-ins". Explain the story behind how you learned these lessons.

Cheers!

P.S. Poodle Puppies Prancing and Playing in Puddles

P.P.S. What literary element is that!?

Week 11: Wrapping Up The Holidays and Presentations

Including today, there are only 3 more Fridays before holiday break. That means we only have three more days to work on the 20% project in class! Yowzers!

It's time to start thinking about your final presentation, where you will present to the class your project, much like a speaker does for a TED talk. 

The TED-like presentation is the final assignment for the 20% project and to properly be ready, you need time to reflect on what you did with the project and share this with the class.

Keep in mind that the TED conference is where brilliant minds from all over the world meet to share an insight they discovered after completing a project, doing a bunch of research, or creating something innovative.

Since most of you have only been in the thick of your project for a few weeks, it makes sense for you to have the holiday break to reflect on your project so that you can come back in January (the start of a new year) ready to share your reflection with the class.

Presentations will be between January 11-22 and you will be asked to sign up for a day. Just like you would in the real world, you are expected to be fully prepared and ready to go on the day of your presentation. I will give out more explicit guidelines, but here are the basic guidelines for a successful TED-like talk:

• Length: 7-10 minutes (no more, no less)
• Share the before, during, and after of your project idea
• Consider storytelling (show, don't tell) elements
• Use very few slides with only a few images or writing 

*You'll need to practice to get the timing down, so use your relatives visiting for the holidays to be your audience :) 

**I'm taking ideas for set design, so talk to me if you're interested in extra credit :) I need a set designer and someone to film the presentations for each class.

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What should you write about in this week's blog post? Cover two things:

1. Share specific stories and/or photos of your work to show your progress.

2. Give a shout out to another student's blog. Use this link to read other students' blogs. Make sure to write specifically about another student's project, how they inspire you to challenge yourself more, and include a link to their blog. In the "real world," online entrepreneurs (like bloggers and vloggers) use backlinks to help grow their own audience. This is usually done through guest-posting or having an entrepreneur with a larger audience link back to your work. Of course, both you and the entrepreneur with a larger audience should be reaching a similar audience. Take a look at Pat Flynn's advice for growing your blog with this video here to see more of what I mean. You can also listen to my interview with Pat here. 

Okay -- the ball is in your court. Create something awesome.

Oh yes....the poodle! Poodle yoga anyone?

Week 10: Keep it Simple and Get Out of Your Own Way

When we shift from being an observer to an active participant in our lives, something interesting happens. What's often found is that most of the time, we just need to get out of our own way.

I've seen it in the students I've taught who want to carve their own path instead of the ones that their parents or society say they should follow.

I've seen it in myself when it came to taking my first entrepreneurial leap. Heck-- I feel it in myself as I write this post.

I've seen it in the extremely successful entrepreneurs I interview who, before launching their business, came face-to-face with their fear of failure.

Often times all it takes to get out of our own way is just a subtle shift in thinking and focusing on the positive. Easier said than done, I know, but don't take my word for it. Listen to Jay Stolar: "If you get out of your own way, you can accomplish anything."

In his music video #MyOwnWay (which benefits the Love is Louder movement), Stolar spreads the message that happiness comes from how you look at your situation and your willingness to love yourself.

With a marker in hand, Stolar writes the word "Buried" on the reflective surface of his mirror. Others line up to share their deep seed of negativity and write their word, as well:

"Disfigured"

"Homeless"

"Dependent"

"Not enough"

"Depressed"

"Destructive"

"Broken"

Perhaps you too have a word that embraces your greatest fear. Being rejected. Failing. Go ahead, write it in your blog post ( or your journal to keep it private).

If you were to invert your word and focus on the positive, what would it be? Free? Beautiful? Human? Supported? Everything? Alive? Healthy? Tenacious?

As a teacher, an entrepreneur, and just a guy who wants to be the best version of himself, I've seen my fair share of destructive criticism (and something tells me you have too). 

There's a whole lot out there that tries to hold you back. Don't let yourself join that crowd.

Keep it Simple
Right now in your #20time project, you may be at the interesting point of making things too difficult. Too complicated. Perhaps you’re excited about your project and added on a few more items to make your project stand out from the rest of the #20time students creating meaningful projects around the world.

I get that.

That’s the competitive nature of being human, the excitement that comes from working on something meaningful, and -- of course -- your intrinsic need to live out the greatest version of yourself.

Keep in mind that some of the greatest ideas (that become actual real-world creations) are super simple.

Take a look at Chapter 5 (pg. 97) in Start Something That Matters. It dives deep into how to keep it simple and provides you with practical takeaways which you can apply to your #20time project.

After your read this chapter, use these questions to guide your blog post this week. You may answer them directly or tangentially bring them into your stream of conscious writing. 

1. Why is simplicity so hard to achieve? What’s the difference between achieving simplicity and merely being simplistic?

2. How is Google different from other search engines like Yahoo! and AOL? Is it possible for a product to be both simple and complex at the same time?

3. What is the 80/20 rule and how has Tim Ferriss used it to increase his productivity? How can you use it to better structure your time?

4. Jacob Davis -- the inventor of jeans -- solved a simple problem that no one else noticed for a long time: people’s pants kept falling down. The world is full of simple problems that no one is paying attention to. What are three problems in your world that could be fixed with a simple invention?

That’s it for this week. Go ahead and get started by chewing the fat from your project and simplifying. I’ll be here eagerly awaiting your brilliant creation.

Week 9: The Mentor Tree

As part of the 20% Project, you selected a mentor to help guide you in your project. Some of you have mentioned how you talk to or visit your mentor once a week. Others only chat via email maybe every other week.

Today, I'd like you to talk about how your mentor has been helping you. This is your time to publicly thank him/her for the guidance they have offered.

Why do you need a mentor? 

Having a mentor can be one of the most helpful habits to help you in the long-term. This is especially true once you leave school. After you have gone and graduated, there will be no 'teachers' in your lives: that is, people who are assigned to instruct you in a classroom. So having mentors to help you achieve your goals is one of the best habits to have.

All you need to do is choose a goal, find someone whom you admire for achieving a similar goal, and ask them for help. In fact, often times people take it as one of the highest compliments when you ask them for help.

In the extremely popular book, The Hero With a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell talks about The Mentor Tree. It's the stage in The Hero's Journey where you're down your path on purpose and struggle to keep going. Then a mentor shows up just when you need them and they help you create something incredible.

Remember that scene in Star Wars where Luke Skywalker meets Yoda? Yeah, that's the stage in The Hero's Journey that I'm talking about.

To help you out, here's an interview I did with Mark J. Carter where we talk about the value of mentorship and how to find mentors in your life.

Of course it helps if you can see them personally, but sometimes you can have mentors who you never actually talk to. Because we live in such a transparent world now, it is entirely possible for someone to model their actions off of a mentor just by watching a few TED talks, reading their Linkedin profile, and following their daily Twitter feed or blog posts.

All right, that's enough talk about mentors :) I think I made my point. But don't just take my advice, here is a list of other books and people who talk about the value of mentors:

1. Forbes Article on Mentorship 
2. Tony Robbins on Mentorship 
3. Mentoring.org 

P.S. Want to get more people to view your work? You can share your blog posts on Twitter using the hashtag #20time or #geniushour.

Oh yes....excuse me....the poodle picture of the week. How could I forget? I had to sniff around the internet for this one, but I think you'll sneeze with laughter at this little booger.

Week 8: Be Resourceful Without Resources

At this point in the game, you should be writing about what you are doing each week to work on your project. You will start your TED presentations in just several weeks, so that means you will need to have had some time to reflect on your project before speaking.

In other words, you should already be doing what it is you are working on. No more planning. This is the time for serious action.

For example, you should have:

a. Volunteered if you are volunteering at a center.
b. Created one version of your music video or dance tutorial.
c. Sold shirts to raise money for breast cancer.
d. Be doing what it is you're doing.

What to write about:

Besides reflecting on what is on your mind lately with your #20time project, take a look at Chapter 4 in Start Something That Matters. The chapter, called "Be Resourceful Without Resources" dives deep into how you can create something extraordinary with limited resources.

You don't need much to do incredible things. Just ask Michael Phelps. Most people don't know that Phelps doesn't train in an elite facility. In fact, his training pool is a beaten up simplistic pool, no different that a local YMCA's pool. Phelps trained with limited resources and went on to achieve several Olympic gold medals.

The same goes for J.K. Rowling. Before becoming a billionaire author, Rowling worked as an English teacher in Portugal and lived off a meager salary. After ending an incredibly unhappy marriage, Rowling moved back across the pond to England and worked a meager job at Amnesty International. In just a small coffee shop, no different than our local coffee shops, Rowling penned away her masterpiece, Harry Potter.

Key message: You don't need much to create something extraordinary. Not having enough money, not having enough time, not having that degree yet, not having enough (fill in the blank)...these are just excuses to give up.

Dig deep. Stay Simple. Create Something Remarkable.

After reading ch. 4, answer these questions in your blog post (or your notebook if you don't want this on your blog):

1. How can having limited resources actually work to your advantage? What products or services are must-haves when launching an idea into the real world (and perhaps making a business out of it)?

2.  What free resources do you have at your disposal that you could use to fuel your project? Which of your family members or friends could you reach out to for help?

3. If I gave you a cool $1 million check, how would you approach your project different?

4. Antione de Saint-Exupery once said, "Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." Is there anything about your project that is making it clunky or is just unnecessary? If so, strip it away.

In other news!

I had some fun tinkering with the stand-up desk idea I had, so I created a prototype and sent it out to my business-minded friends.

I put together a business pitch (click here to see it) and got some great feedback. Everyone was excited about the idea, but one friend, Tyson Adams, really helped put my idea on a realistic playing field. Here's a snapshot of what he had to say:

Okay, that's it for this week. I'm feeling inspired to create something extraordinary and I hope you are too. 

Week 7: So, How Did The Pitch Go?

So...you've done "The Pitch". You created a killer brochure and shared your genius project idea with an audience.

How did it go?

As you sit down to write a new blog post, consider reflecting on doing "The Pitch". You may answer any or all of these questions below:

• How did you decide who to speak with?
• What was the overall impression of those you asked?
• How will their feedback help you improve your project? 

We are close to the halfway point in our #20time project and it's time to see what everyone is creating. 

Take a few minutes and browse through your classmate's projects. Leave positive comments of support and if you can help them with their project, let them know. 

Use this link here to see all the projects. (HINT: If you don't see your blog on there, that means you didn't submit it. Do so here. 

And last but not least, I need your help. I need help creating my #20time Project and am in between two ideas:

1. Create an affordable stand-up desk alternative for students and get students from another school to use them.

2. Write the book I've been holding off on called "The Hero's Journal."

What do you think I should do? Last year, I raised money for Charity Water and this year I'd like to ask your help to decide on my #20time project. 

Use this link to vote on which project you think I should do. 

And, last but not least, here's the poodle picture of the week. After all, it is Halloween.

Week 6: Are You Inspired? The Pitch!

Some food for thought (and what you could write about for this week's blog post) before we focus on your #20time pitch. Ask yourself...

Are you inspired?

The word "inspired" comes from two words "in" and "spirit". The word literally means "in spirit." In other words, when you are inspired by something, it means that you are living in line with your spirit. 

Yes, I know this is kind of spiritual and may make you uneasy, but think about. Are you inspired by your #20time project? If not, you may want to shift into something that inspires you. 

The idea goes that if you are inspired, you are walking your spirit's path, and that is when things just click. Work is easier. Coincidences happen that help you move further down the road.

It's just that simple.

On to today's focus....

You've spent several weeks mulling over an idea and now know what you are doing with your 20% Project. Now, it's time to pitch your idea to the public and get feedback. This feedback is vital to your project. It gives you holistic feedback on your project.

What to do

Create a tri-fold brochure and print at least six copies. Give one copy to me and the other five to other people asking for their feedback through a questionnaire (can not be students in Mr. Guay's class). 

Criteria:

• A quick summary of what you are doing
• Why you want to do the project
• How you are doing it (write down the SMART goal)
• What you want to accomplish from it 
• Include a few photos to show 

Print this questionnaire and give it to the five people you share your project with:

What to hand in?

Hand in the brochure and the five completed questionnaires to me on October 30th! Please staple them all together and make sure your name is on it.

Here are some helpful links to make a tri-fold brochure:

• Using Word
• Using Google Docs 
• Google Docs brochure template

You can do it! Remember to stand tall and proud! Posture can often say more than words. 

P.S. Yes -- you are writing a blog post this week and completing The Pitch. Embrace your inner awesomeness.

Week 5: Take the Leap and Face Your Fears

Thomas Edison once said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” 

Going with Edison logic, let’s talk a bit about fear. 

Enter the resistance… that scoundrel of a plague that stops creators from creating, stops writers from writing, stops changemakers from changing, and stops student entrepreneurs from launching.

What is resistance?

- Self doubt

- overthinking

- not knowing where to start

- questioning your purpose

- fear

- feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities 

- time 

The resistance is the voice inside that says, “Well, that will never work” or “That’s just stupid,” or it’s the friend who literally says that to you.

Resistance is the fear of failure, of falling on your face, of being told no, of feeling stupid.

When I was at Stanford’s design school where I learned the design thinking method, they had us jump on a little trampoline when we were thinking of ideas. This helped us think more like a little kid and shut the resistance down because well, when you’re jumping on a trampoline, you look ridiculous already so why not spout out any ideas that come to your head?

To help you all get over fear and push through to create something extraordinary, I’d like to introduce the #20time text:  Start Something That Matters. 

For a few weeks, I will ask that in your blog post you answer a few questions which are based off this book. The book is written by TOMS Shoes founder, Blake Mycoskie, and it’s one of the best resources for teens to create entrepreneurial projects. 

Today, take a look at chapter 3, called “Face Your Fears” (pg 45), read through it, and then answer these questions in your blog post:

1. When has fear prevented you from achieving a goal in school or in your personal life? In what form did this fear come up? How did you react to it?

2. What’s the worst mistake that you’ve ever made? What was the end result? Were the consequences as bad as you thought they might be?

3. If you had no fear at all, how would you live your life differently? Would you dedicate yourself to a favorite passion? Finally ask out that special someone on a date?

4. What are some strategies for dealing with fear while you are experiencing it? In what way is fear a good thing?

One last thing: Consider what Hamlet once said, “Conscience makes cowards of us all.” Conscience, Hamlet argues, prevents action and I’d have to agree with him on that.

Take The Leap