Archive for the ‘priorities’ Category

Monday Morning MOJO

By Intero Real Estate | December 7th, 2008 0 Comments

What are the Big Rocks in my life…put those in the jar first

Good Morning MOJO,

One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of successful business people.  To drive home a point, he used an illustration they will never forget.

As he stood in front of the group of high-powered over achievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz" and he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouth Mason jar and set it on the table in front of him. He also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?"

Everyone in the audience yelled, "Yes."

The time management expert replied, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. He then asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?"

By this time this successful group of business people where on to him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!" he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?"

"No!" the audience shouted. Once again he said, "Good." Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?" One person raised her hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!"

"No," the speaker replied, "that’s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is if you do not put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all. What are the ‘big rocks’ in your life, time with your loved ones, your health, your faith, your education, your dreams, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you will never get them in at all. So, today when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are the big rocks in my life? Then, put those in your jar first."

Make it a powerful week!!!


Monday Morning MOJO

By Intero Real Estate | November 23rd, 2008 0 Comments

In every crisis and in every challenge there is an opportunity…we just have to find it.

Good Morning MOJO,

Why does life throw challenges and crisis at us, like the financial crisis the world is dealing with today?   Because that is the only way we will change…it is the only way we will rid ourselves of evil, bad habits, greed, ego and the wrong priorities.  Its human nature wanting to stay the course…not to rock the boat, and usually the only way we will change is if we are forced into it by some outside influence…i.e. financial crisis, death, illness, catastrophe.  We have to look at the challenges of today as an opportunity…as a way to reprioritize what is important. 

What is happening with most people today is they are focused…no, they are consumed by what has been taken away and not focused on being thankful for what we have and the opportunities of tomorrow.  Step back for a moment…the reason things get taken away…the reason life throws us challenges and crisis is because it is the only way we will wake up and quit overlooking those things which are really most important in life…our family, our friends, our health, our spirituality, balance, etc.  Challenge and crisis gets thrown at us because it is the only thing that will slap us in the face hard enough to get our attention.  Think back in your life to a time of crisis…yes you may have lost something or someone…there may have been a scare in your life of some kind, but with that a door opened…a new person appeared when you looked in the mirror…usually a better person…a more thankful person…a more humble person…a more caring person…a person with better priorities.

In every crisis and in every challenge there is an opportunity…we just have to find it.  But, until we let go of the pain and anger of what we have lost, and focus on all that we have which is really most important, the agony will not stop.  And, once we do focus on what we have, life will be even better than it was before.  This week and beyond, make a commitment EVERYDAY to give thanks and be grateful for everything and everyone you have in your life…quit being consumed by what you have lost, or the pain will not stop and we will not be able to move forward towards accomplishing greatness.  If we can do this, not only will the pain stop, but life will be better and we will be more at peace than ever before.

Like a muscle when lifting a weight, it does not grow and get stronger until that last rep when you strain, push and power through the pain…it is the short term breakdown which actually makes the muscle bigger and stronger.  In the pain is where the growth is.  Remember, life is about who we become and how we grow when faced with challenge, with crisis, with pain.  It is what life is all about…it is when we grow…it is why we are here.  Who are you becoming?

This week is Thanksgiving…be thankful and be grateful for all we have in our lives.  The rest is just “stuff”.

Happy Thanksgiving and kick some ass this week!!!!!!!!!!


Monday Morning MOJO

By Intero Real Estate | August 24th, 2008 0 Comments

Tell that to the engineer when the time comes…because we’re all on a train outta here. It could be tonight, or in the afternoon a week from Tuesday or three years from now. I don’t know…all I know is the days are passing fast…and now is the time

Good Morning MOJO,

It has been 2 years since my cousin Amy passed away from breast cancer at the age of 41.  In the final year of her life she received Monday Morning MOJO every week and loved it.  We shared thoughts back and forth via e-mail many times after I would send it.  This is the MOJO I wrote after she passed away on my flight back home from her Memorial Service.  I have made a commitment to send this out as a Monday Morning MOJO every year at this time as a tribute to Amy and her life.  I think there are great thoughts in this MOJO we can never hear to often.

Good Morning MOJO,

I got home on Saturday night from one of the most emotionally draining experiences of my life.  I attended and did a reading at the funeral of my 41 year old cousin, Amy.   She was beautiful and healthy…living the American dream in Salt Lake City…married to a great guy, raising her 2 beautiful daughters (12 and 14) when it all happened 16 months ago. 

In the words of her daughter: “It was a clear blue spring day…Well, at least outside…Inside it was raining…The feeling of sadness and disbelief…All this just from some bad news…Not just regular bad news…But the kind where your life can fall apart in just two simple minutes…Watching her whisper, “it’s cancer.”  Shock…Anger…Fear.   Hearing the light sob, “Just never lose faith”…Nobody knows what it’s like…Until it happens to them…and with a mom you see things differently…You look at the mountains and see Pure beauty.  …and seeing her smile…That’s everything to me…I appreciate life so much…Looking at the stars and hearing her say, “I love you more than all of the stars in the Sky”…Just looking back at how it used to be and how it could have been…How it’s going to be without her by my side…It will never be the same.”

Those words clawed their way into my brain, it felt as though someone had walked up and ripped the blinders from my eyes and forced me, again, to take a cold, hard look at the ultimate truth none of us really wants to know or admit…the truth that, strangely, has the power to wake us up and make us live before it’s too late.

"Amy is gone," the truth told me quietly, “and you will, too, and so will all the people you love and everyone else…it’s just a matter of time.” So tell me…given that, are you doing what you want to do right now with your life?…or are you putting off living your hopes and dreams because you think there’ll always be tomorrow? If my cousin were here she’d tell you different… she’d say there’ll come a time when tomorrow doesn’t show up, and you’re wasting your time if you’re not loving and laughing and enjoying your days now, while you can."

And that leaves us with a choice…we can punch the "delete" key and dump this message because we find the whole "death thing” too depressing…or we can let it be the force that finally pushes us over the line and into the life we want. Because that’s what it takes for most of us…something so strong it carries us past our fears and doubts and the terrors that come when we think about finally doing the things we’ve been dreaming about for soooo long.

Yea, I know it’s scary to think about dying, but you know, I think it’s even more scary for most people to think about living…and getting out of their old box, the one they really don’t like, and getting on with living the life they really want.  But that doesn’t have to be us.

Think about Amy this morning, and know this about her…she had a great life, doing the things she loved…with the people she loved…and she’d want you to do the same.

I know…you can’t…it’s "just not possible!”,  I just don’t understand, you’ve got obligations, responsibilities, the economy’s in the crapper, and "My God man, I can’t just DO what I want…I’ve got a job, bills, yada yada yada…"

Tell that to the engineer when the time comes…because we’re all on a train outta here.  It could be tonight, or in the afternoon a week from Tuesday or three years from now.   I don’t know…all I know is the days are passing fast…and now is the time to do what you know you need to do.

Don’t put if off, or you may just be too late.

We will miss you Amy!!!!!

Make it a GREAT week!!!!!