We see people do it all the time. We watch them in the movies, buy tickets to see their
shows, read about them in magazines…even watch them on TV (Super Bowl, anyone?)…

These people–who not only have the vision to think big, but the audacity to PLAY
big–are the champions of life. The difference between dreamers and doers is that
dreams sit on the couch and watch while the doers sit in the lap of luxury and conquer
the world.

It is one thing to watch and admire the champions of life; its an entirely different thing
to work at becoming one. It is easy to admire from afar and think, “Yeah…but that’s them.
I don’t have the time/money/assets/people/etc in my life to do what they do.”

But that’s a lie and you know it.

You have everything you need right now to accomplish anything you want. But it takes
belief. It takes commitment. And it takes work.

It takes blocking out the people rolling their eyes, laughing at your ideas, telling you
it can’t be done. It takes what it takes. And you have everything you need right now
to make it happen.

The difference between thinking big and going big is in the actions. Take the action
today and everyday.

GO BIG. Today.
~JT

December 20, 2010 was a day that many of us will remember if we took the time to experience an amazing phenomenon. Not only was it the Winter Solstice, but there was a total lunar eclipse; the last time a total lunar eclipse happened on the Winter Solstice was 1638…372 years ago! If you love looking at the night sky like I do, you’ll appreciate the footage I shot with my not-so-high-tech video camera. Staying up late to take this event in reminded me of the importance of taking time out of a bust life to enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime moments that slip past us almost undetected. Enjoy!

~JT

Last night, my “baby” sister Kim (she’s 27 but younger than me!) had her first baby, a handsome little boy. He came into the world healthy, weighing in at 8 pounds, 9 ounces. Kim and her husband, Lance, have not yet decided on a name for him, but he’s magnificent either way.

I texted one of my brothers, who lives out of state, to tell him the great news. Unbeknownst  to me his number changed and had been reassigned to someone else. I had inadvertently sent my text message to a total stranger! Here’s how the exchange went:

Me: “Hey, bro! Kimber had the baby! 8lbs 9oz…”

The response: “U must have the wrong number. Don’t know a kimber. Sorry bout that. But congrats”

Me (embarrassed and a little confused): “Sorry!”

At this point, you might assume the conversation ended. And for all intents and purposes it should have. But after a slight delay, and a bit of surprise on my end, here was the next text to come to my phone:

“Np. Congrats on the baby”

For some reason, that response struck chord with me. Not sure why, but it felt like genuine congratulations coming from the stranger on the other end of the line. It wasn’t so much what he or she said, but how the message was received.

I went on to explain my confusion, how I assumed he or she had the former cell number of my brother, and that we were celebrating the birth of our sister’s first baby. Rather than responding with “buzz off” or nothing at all, the final response was:

“Cool”

Now, I tell you this story because often in life, we overlook or underestimate the impact we have on others. We rarely consider the influence our words, or even something as simple as a brief response, can have on another person.

Too often in our busy lives we lose sight of just how important a simple gesture like holding the door open for someone, or saying “thank you”, or a pleasant smile can alter the other person’s day.

My electronic pen pal probably never will know how he or she lifted my already-high spirits. Or  how by simply responding to let me know I had the wrong number made it possible to share the beautiful news of our family joy with my brother. It was, after all, Monday night; there was a football game on and other things far more important than responding to an errant text message.

But not to my mysterious pen pal.

He or she took the time to respond. Took the time to have a simple, seemingly unimportant conversation with me. And perhaps as you read this, you may think, “big deal!”. But to me it IS a big deal. Because I appreciate how hectic the pace of life can be, and how the seemingly never-ending gush of emails and text messages can intrude at times when you just want to relax and unplug.

I also appreciate how a simple ‘congrats’ on the other end of a wayward text message can feel pretty good.

Thank you, whoever you are. I appreciate your simple gesture of kindness.

And welcome to the world, my handsome little nephew!
~JT

Sometimes in business, life…and mountain biking, we have to make adjustments to get to the top of the hill. Entrepreneurs, leaders, and high-achievers know what I’m talking about. Making small adjustment–gradual tweaks–can make a huge difference in your performance. Check out this video to learn the 3 things that help me get to the top of any hill.

No matter where you are in life, no matter what your background or upbringing might be, you have endured a lot. You are more resilient, more flexible and tougher than you think. If you are like a lot of high-achievers, you probably don’t give yourself enough credit for the things you do well, and probably don’t account for your strengths or your victories as much as you should. Check out this video and learn a major point of entrepreneur leadership: taking credit for your victories. Take stock of your strengths, outsource your weaknesses, and build momentum off the reality that you are stronger and tougher than those who dare not to endeavor.