I just got home from a meeting with a friend who's a fellow medical doctor and speaker. We happily brainstormed ideas for an event that we're putting together, until suddenly everything shifted.
This shift began when I said "We have to give them an experience that will be memorable."
"That's it!" my friend exclaimed. "We have to give them an experience that's guaranteed to change their lives forever."
Now we were excited. Now we had a vision. Now - we were finally thinking big. Our focus and energy shifted from conceiving something good to creating something great. When you have that kind of energy behind a project, idea, or dream, it changes everything, exploding your possibilities and dramatically increasing your probability of success.
I recently spoke at a conference and received Michael Port's book, The Think Big Manifesto ( www.thinkbigrevolution.com ), as a thank you gift. I finished it in one day. I was so impressed that I asked Michael if I could share some excerpts with you.
He said yes, so here are my thoughts on some favorite lines from his book:
"You will succeed at a level you didn't think was possible when you know what you stand for and you live it. You will be bold and extraordinary, just being you." (p.84)
What do you stand for? What might you be known for, already? (warning: it might not be a good thing!) Some example of things worth standing for (from Michael's book)include love, freedom, respect, green living, possibility or happiness.
I stand for hope. I used to be suicidally depressed, until I learned to think big and discovered that by being true to myself and pursuing my dreams, I could create a life that felt joyous and meaningful to me. Today I live to give people hope for a better experience of life, by teaching them how to improve their physical and mental health, supporting them in living their dreams, and so on. I try to encourage and uplift people, everywhere I turn, everywhere I stand, every time I open my mouth.
What would you love to stand for? How can you change your behavior and choices based on that, now?
"People who play small think they have to do it all themselves. What about you? Are you ready to play bigger by truly collaborating with others? Or are you shut up in ‘silo thinking'? ‘Only I can get this right. I can't rely on anyone else.'" (p.99)
Chip Wilson, founder of Lululemon, a billion-dollar company that makes gorgeous yoga-inspired active wear, spoke at the same conference that I did (and was probably also given Michael's book!). He failed at his first attempt at building a great company because his "winning formula" was "Don't trust - Don't Delegate." When he built Lululemon, he recognized that if he wanted to attain greatness, he would have to follow a new formula: "Delegate and Trust."
I'm a loner and a perfectionist, and find it hard to let go of control. Yet I'm learning quickly that if I want to do great things on a big scale, I need the collaboration and support of great people. Great ideas can't be executed alone, at least not to their full potential.
"As much as we influence others, so are we at risk of catching others' values and actions, of coming under their influence. If we surround ourselves with small thinkers, we will think small...to let a sad thought or a bad one get into your mind is as dangerous as letting a scarlet fever germ get into your body." (p.139)
Be careful who you share your big ideas or dreams with, and be careful who you allow to share their advice or opinions with you. Almost every great idea that has been conceived on this earth seemed outrageous or outright impossible at first. Seek the company, counsel and writings of those who have achieved big things and you will begin to see possibilities everywhere you turn.
"To work hard, which we'll need to do when we're thinking big, we must cultivate the warrior within us... we must train ourselves to be psychologically, intellectually and physically capable to withstand the hard work we'll need to do and yet still be able to relax into life, to find the levity, the fun, and stay foolish." (p.149)
To do what you were meant to do here on this earth and live to your greatest potential - which for me means developing your talents and serving others while living absolutely on purpose - you need to be in the best shape possible. Nurture and jealously protect your physical, emotional, and spiritual health, as well as your happiness.
I know a successful management consultant and inspirational leader who asks herself before she does anything, including putting a bite of food in her mouth: "Will this serve the empire?" She doesn't mean "empire" from a wealth/power perspective - she's referring to the tangible good that she intends to do on a global scale.
Whether your "empire" is your family home, or a sphere of influence that reaches to the ends of the earth, thinking big, standing for something meaningful, and taking exceptionally good care of yourself and your life will give you a sense of wellness and fulfillment far richer than any material riches this world can offer.
About Dr. Biali
Susan BIali, MD is an internationally recognized medical doctor, wellness expert, life coach, speaker and flamenco dancer. She has performed for and taught celebrities, and speaks and dances across North America. Today, Dr. Biali helps free others to live a happier, healthier life by unveiling the blueprint that they already carry inside. Dr. Biali blogs for PsychologyToday.com and appears regularly in media. Her opinions have appeared in Self, Fitness, Hello!, The Medical Post, Reader's Digest Best Health, Chatelaine and The Chicago Tribune. Watch for her upcoming book: Live a Life You Love! Seven Steps to a Healthier, Happier, More Passionate You (Beaufort Books, New York).
I just got home from a meeting with a friend who's a fellow medical doctor and speaker. We happily brainstormed ideas for an event that we're putting together, until suddenly everything shifted.
This shift began when I said "We have to give them an experience that will be memorable."
"That's it!" my friend exclaimed. "We have to give them an experience that's guaranteed to change their lives forever."
Now we were excited. Now we had a vision. Now - we were finally thinking big. Our focus and energy shifted from conceiving something good to creating something great. When you have that kind of energy behind a project, idea, or dream, it changes everything, exploding your possibilities and dramatically increasing your probability of success.
I recently spoke at a conference and received Michael Port's book, The Think Big Manifesto ( www.thinkbigrevolution.com ), as a thank you gift. I finished it in one day. I was so impressed that I asked Michael if I could share some excerpts with you.
He said yes, so here are my thoughts on some favorite lines from his book:
"You will succeed at a level you didn't think was possible when you know what you stand for and you live it. You will be bold and extraordinary, just being you." (p.84)
What do you stand for? What might you be known for, already? (warning: it might not be a good thing!) Some example of things worth standing for (from Michael's book)include love, freedom, respect, green living, possibility or happiness.
I stand for hope. I used to be suicidally depressed, until I learned to think big and discovered that by being true to myself and pursuing my dreams, I could create a life that felt joyous and meaningful to me. Today I live to give people hope for a better experience of life, by teaching them how to improve their physical and mental health, supporting them in living their dreams, and so on. I try to encourage and uplift people, everywhere I turn, everywhere I stand, every time I open my mouth.
What would you love to stand for? How can you change your behavior and choices based on that, now?
"People who play small think they have to do it all themselves. What about you? Are you ready to play bigger by truly collaborating with others? Or are you shut up in ‘silo thinking'? ‘Only I can get this right. I can't rely on anyone else.'" (p.99)
Chip Wilson, founder of Lululemon, a billion-dollar company that makes gorgeous yoga-inspired active wear, spoke at the same conference that I did (and was probably also given Michael's book!). He failed at his first attempt at building a great company because his "winning formula" was "Don't trust - Don't Delegate." When he built Lululemon, he recognized that if he wanted to attain greatness, he would have to follow a new formula: "Delegate and Trust."
I'm a loner and a perfectionist, and find it hard to let go of control. Yet I'm learning quickly that if I want to do great things on a big scale, I need the collaboration and support of great people. Great ideas can't be executed alone, at least not to their full potential.
"As much as we influence others, so are we at risk of catching others' values and actions, of coming under their influence. If we surround ourselves with small thinkers, we will think small...to let a sad thought or a bad one get into your mind is as dangerous as letting a scarlet fever germ get into your body." (p.139)
Be careful who you share your big ideas or dreams with, and be careful who you allow to share their advice or opinions with you. Almost every great idea that has been conceived on this earth seemed outrageous or outright impossible at first. Seek the company, counsel and writings of those who have achieved big things and you will begin to see possibilities everywhere you turn.
"To work hard, which we'll need to do when we're thinking big, we must cultivate the warrior within us... we must train ourselves to be psychologically, intellectually and physically capable to withstand the hard work we'll need to do and yet still be able to relax into life, to find the levity, the fun, and stay foolish." (p.149)
To do what you were meant to do here on this earth and live to your greatest potential - which for me means developing your talents and serving others while living absolutely on purpose - you need to be in the best shape possible. Nurture and jealously protect your physical, emotional, and spiritual health, as well as your happiness.
I know a successful management consultant and inspirational leader who asks herself before she does anything, including putting a bite of food in her mouth: "Will this serve the empire?" She doesn't mean "empire" from a wealth/power perspective - she's referring to the tangible good that she intends to do on a global scale.
Whether your "empire" is your family home, or a sphere of influence that reaches to the ends of the earth, thinking big, standing for something meaningful, and taking exceptionally good care of yourself and your life will give you a sense of wellness and fulfillment far richer than any material riches this world can offer.
About Dr. Biali
Susan BIali, MD is an internationally recognized medical doctor, wellness expert, life coach, speaker and flamenco dancer. She has performed for and taught celebrities, and speaks and dances across North America. Today, Dr. Biali helps free others to live a happier, healthier life by unveiling the blueprint that they already carry inside. Dr. Biali blogs for PsychologyToday.com and appears regularly in media. Her opinions have appeared in Self, Fitness, Hello!, The Medical Post, Reader's Digest Best Health, Chatelaine and The Chicago Tribune. Watch for her upcoming book: Live a Life You Love! Seven Steps to a Healthier, Happier, More Passionate You (Beaufort Books, New York).