How have books enhanced your imagination?

Careful, one of your greatest assets may have atrophied; hopefully it is not dead.

Every free moment is consumed with scrolling through the social media feed filled with images and videos. A downside of this imagery influx, is now we see an actress as Little Red Riding Hood and her face becomes defined. If read, our imagination builds the image of the young heroine, and my image may be far different than yours.

Alfred Hitchcock said, "I can't read fiction without visualizing every scene. The result is it becomes a series of pictures rather than a book." Movie producers try hard to match or surpass our imagination and with computer-generated imagery, and they continue to gain ground. However, until they can read every mind and tailor the film to match; there will be a gap.

Most of my reading has been non-fiction. I have recently enjoyed several fiction books and appreciate how my imagination was used to sweep me away to another time and place. The description of the turtle crossing the road in the opening pages of The Grapes of Wrath prepared me for an enduring story of heartbreak, as I walked with the Joad family through the Depression.

Hearing Neil Gaiman narrate The Graveyard Book and tell the story of Nobody "Bod" Owens was incredible. I listened to the audiobook while stripping and painting the trim on my house. Often, during my approach to the front door, I will experience flashbacks of Bod's encounters with the living, dead, and those somewhere in between. The story quenched my parched imagination.

I do not enjoy math. I have heard that those who love the subject, are entranced by the symmetry, the beauty, and the eternal presence of the discipline. I am grateful many fall into this category. I read The Housekeeper and the Professor as a way to encounter and appreciate math's virtue, wrapped in a compelling story. Yoko Ogawa's descriptions engaged my imagination and began to bend my will favorably toward the discipline.

No doubt, you have favorite books that set your imagination ablaze. Embrace the gift that is not constrained by natural limits. Engaging this precious resource delivers solutions. Stoke the fire to see the impossible, then return and make it possible

Going Further: What books sparked your imagination? How do you consistently challenge your imagination? How have you used your imagination to solve real- world problems? What other imagination question comes to mind?

What book needs written?

The best books are written, the greatest songs are sung, and the end of the Internet reached. Put your pencils down; we are done.

One side of the brain declares this must be true; after all how many more books, songs and web pages are needed? The other side of the brain states that this is inconceivable, and there is much more to be created.

Who would have thought that a young wizard named Harry would turn the modern literary world on its head with massive book sales.

Apparently, the ways to set"I love you" and "I hate you" to music are legion, as each week new albums are released with the same themes, but new arrangements.

Google estimates the global Internet web page count at about 475 Billion today. There is a margin of error of at least 1; it depends on when I hit "post."

The concept of self-publishing has lowered to barriers to entry for getting your material onto the published page. Our excuses for not letting our voice be heard continues to evaporate.

So, what book needs to be written?

The answer may be your spouse, partner, friend, those leading your tribe, or the one whose teeth you brushed this morning. Asking this inquiry of your community may open up opportunities for a fresh perspective to be brought to bear, and change at least your little corner of the world.

No one ever has been able to bring the same perspective to a topic as you can deliver. It would be a missed opportunity to slip silently away and take your ideas with you. The public awaits to hear your voice as either a writer or an encouraging voice to those around you. Make your voice heard.

Going Further: Where is the literary world silent? What book do you need? What questions have not been answered? How can you contribute your voice? What voices around you need to be heard? How can you support those that need to be heard?

What is special about your local nature?

My jaw hit the floor when I saw my friends pictures of Lake Braies (#lagodibraies) in South Tyrol, Italy. The mountains are majestic. The lake is pristine, and the cabins, docks, and rustic boats make for stunning photographs.

After enjoying his family pictures, I wondered if every person that lives on the lake wakes up every morning and is awestruck by the beauty that envelops them daily. My assumption is no, we all fall into the same trap of taking the beauty around us for granted. Sometimes it takes an out-of-towner to ask about the beauty of our local area and remind us that tourists will come from all over the world to see sites we drive by every day without a thought.

I live in Montgomery County Maryland, and we have trees, lots of trees. Growing up in the Southwest, I was accustomed to seeing the horizon far off in the distance. The abundance of trees brings the horizon to either side of the road unless you are on an overpass or a hill. We enjoy the luxury of all four seasons and get enough snow to shut down the Federal Government a couple of times each winter.

Maryland doesn't have any natural lakes, only man-made reservoirs. Yep, it's true, go look it up, I'll wait. The soil is predominantly clay. The forests have a healthy mix of oak, maple, dogwood, birch, and cedar that explode in a wide array of colors each fall season. We have fireflies.

The Potomac River provides a natural border between Maryland and Virginia. The river provides an excellent place for fishing and boating; and supports a robust kayak community. Great Falls National Park lives up to its name and is a great spot for bouldering. The C&O Canal and towpath, border the Potomac and provide an easy path for running and biking. During my commute in the spring, wisteria blooms along the canal and demands I roll down the window to breathe in the fragrance.

Your turn.

Consider where you live, what nature is nearby, and what is unique about your area. Why do outdoor enthusiasts come to visit? What surprising nature fact have you learned about your current home? What are the stark differences in other places you have lived? What is one thing you appreciate about your local environment?

Give the community a chance to enjoy your local beauty and answer a question in the comments.

How has nature influenced you?

Our shelter protects us from the elements and is foundational to our basic needs. However, it is nice to know what we are protected from, in our world of lattes and air conditioning.

Tree, camel, cat, lotus, mountain, half moon and firefly are all yoga poses named after the nature outside the window. These names provide a subtle invitation to experience the reality on the other side of the glass.

Orville and Wilber Wright studied vultures to understand the concepts of lift and drag and changed the way the world travels.

Author, Janine Benyus, formalized the idea of intentionally looking to nature to solve problems in her book, Biomimicry. Now the Biomimicry Institute helps a broad range of organizations discover their needed solutions in the swamps, skies, forests, deserts, and oceans. Michael Pawlyn applied nature's solutions to the Eden Project through improved horticultural architecture, with remarkable results and recounted in his TED Talk.

The design solutions discovered in nature are straightforward and elegant. Albert Einstein stated, "the best design is the simplest one." As humans, we tend to brute force our way into a solution through more power and resources to get the desired result (thanks, Seth Godin, for pointing out the article).

AsSummer ends and the Northern Hemisphere heads into shorter days, awareness of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) start to take effect. The yearly cycle of the sun helps to regulate expectations of what is coming next.

We decorate our walls, clothes, artwork, and furniture with scenes of nature on the other side of the front door. The iceberg screen saver gives mental relief during the heat of Summer, and the pristine beach provides hope of warmer weather during the Winter deep freeze.

If we are not looking, the quiet influence will pass unnoticed and we will return to solving problems with brute force and the protection of bubble wrap. Unfortunate.

What has nature taught you?

One of the perks of being the random Internet punk that has the audacity to ask random inquiries on a daily basis, is that I get to dwell on the inquiry for a couple of hours while I write the posting. Your consumption of the picture, question, and 300-400 words may take a minute or two at best. If I have done my job, the inquiry will circle back around for further consideration throughout the day and prompt a bit more thinking. Hmmmmm (#selfie notice eyes looking up to the left and finger tapping on lip).

The two things nature has recently taught me is the following: 1. nature doesn't care I exist, 2. I have it better than the cicada that beat itself to death flying into my porch lights.

1. I have recently been around many objects that are old. Walking through ancient forests, strolling through old buildings and seeing 100+-year-old building footers uprooted for new construction has reminded me that I am here for a mere wisp of time. The time I spend anxious and worrying is a waste; the 500-year-old tree doesn't care and will be here long after I am gone. The anxiety my grandchildren experience while walking under its boughs will be equally insignificant.

The noticeable fingerprints of the brick maker are evidence of his existence; memorialized in the building façade for generations to admire. The bricklayers kin will point to the building and say that my grandfather built that building. The generations that review my name in the family Bible will question what comprised my dash, between birth and death. My intention is to make a greater impact than a stack of PowerPoint schedules with the milestone taco chips successively sliding to the right.

2. The 17-year cicada emerges for six weeks to sing, mate, and die. Unfortunately, the little guy buzzing around my porch lights is one of the last of the brood and is beating itself to death looking for some satisfaction. You and I have a longer life to make a positive impact on the lives of those around us. We have a greater purpose than mating, having 40 babies and dying.

Gary Vaynerchuk @garyvee recounts the fact that people are starting businesses with the phone in their pocket. The steps include; learning the technology, respecting the people at the other end, and working hard to serve these customers. By virtue of reading this post, you are better off than the cicada looking for satisfaction. Make it count.

What are your one or two lessons that nature has been kind enough to pass on to you? What were the circumstances? How else do you think you could you have learned these lessons? What lessons has nature taught those around you? 

What have you learned during the dark moments of pursuing your dream?

Each pursuit is different, but each follows the story arch of dream defined the struggle and completion. Not every dream story has a happy ending of a record IPO and the founders raising a toast on a faraway beach. The glossy pictures in the magazines make the idea of success a sure thing. After all, the rack is full of new stories each month. As the artist recounts their story; the ten years of anguished uncertainty, living in obscurity, and the families push for a 9 to 5 is all captured in a paragraph or two. 

The memes tout the benefits of the failures, setbacks and grind during the pursuit. The reality is, the trials suck. The dark days of the world not understanding what you are creating can be very dark. The creditors are calling, too much cheap pizza, the boot of responsibility to produce firmly pressed on your neck, the stress keeping the gut in a permanent knot, wreaks havoc on the mental state.

I am pursuing a vision and struggle with demands and responsibility of husband, father, and employee. At 46, have the possibilities passed me by, and I should expect to be a dust farmer, dancing on the razor's edge, for the rest of my days until the reaper comes? The unfulfilled and unexplored dreams buried with me. The resistance continues to fire the cortisol to ensure there is no relief and the dark clouds coalesce.

I

must

get

up.

I can do one more rep. I can write one more song. I can code one more string. I can submit to one more publisher. I can practice the fundamentals one more time. The injustices against the dark fingers typing the poetry will not stop the rhymes from changing the world. The slurs hurled because of my caste steel my resolve to upend the corrupt system. I must halt the cycle of drugs and poverty ingrained in the family tree, so I study another page of engineering.

What are the lessons this pursuit is teaching you and crafting your unique story of the one you greet each morning in the mirror?

"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." Theodore Roosevelt

How clear is your dream?

Time stops.

You did it; congratulations. Now breathe deeply.

The realized dream sits on the table before you.

Walk around and admire the achieved dream.
Does the backside of the dream meet the specifications?
What color is it?
Why did you chose this color?
What did you think when you first saw the color?
Does it shine like you expected or does the finish pull in the light?
Does your font bring the words to life?
When you pick it up off the table, do you notice a white "Made in China" sticker partially covered with a price tag on the bottom?
What do the labels say?
Does it need both hands?
Does it feel heavy in your hands?
Are you surprised by the real weight?
How is the weight distributed?
What do the corners and curves feel like as you run your fingers over the surface?
Does the plastic, glass, paper, steel, or fabric feel exactly like the factory samples?
How does the silk, copper, canvas, porcelain, or wood smell?
Taste?
What subtle notes do your senses discern in the dream?

Be still and sit with the dream.
Notice the intricate details.

Eyes see clearly.
Your dream awaits.
Open your eyes.
Time for action.

How do you encourage others to achieve their potential?

Don't believe the hype! I can't be anything I want to be; I will not be winning any Olympic gold medals in gymnastics. However, with the help of Coach Sommers at Gymnastic Bodies @gymnasticbodies or the team at Sports Fitness Advisor, I have a chance at making some seemingly incredible gymnastic moves given the time and effort. A coach goes a long way to bring specific encouragement, but what does it look like for those that we live with, work with, or bump into each day in the line for coffee?

This goes deeper than encouraging your buddy to down the entire Solo cup in one gulp. Encouragement is in short supply, and it is needed now more than ever. The FaceBook craze of tagging a friend to do 22 days of pushups to bring awareness to the loss of 22 veterans a day due to suicide is a recent indicator of the epidemic. 

Do you count yourself among those strong silent types that are not much for words? Expecting your kids to be at your bedside to hear your last words and the first time they hear "I love you, and I'm proud of you," may be a losing bet. You are going to get a bigger bang for the buck telling them now and being conscious of hearing their "thank-you."

Effective encouragement is specific. Telling a co-worker the pitch went "great" leaves plenty of encouragement left on the table. Telling her, "the preparation paid off, the customer fully understood all the elements of the pitch and as a result of her effort, they filed a purchase order," is far more memorable and meaningful than just hearing "great." 

Warning, grasping this concept is like learning that Santa Claus is not real. When you receive a weak encouragement, it doesn't resonate, but when a specific encouragement is delivered, and it received as intended, it will provide courage for the future and help those encouraged to soar. What happened this week, where you can provide specific encouragement?

Going Further: Who gives specific encouragement to you? How have you experienced the difference between general and specific encouragement? What kind of encouragement do you provide? What can you change to start providing specific encouragement? What observations do you have about encouragement?

When is it your turn?

The overhead sign, on the way into Charleston, on Tuesday, read 630 traffic fatalities in South Carolina during 2016. As we left on Sunday, the sign read 645. During my vacation, 15 lives ended and countless families were altered forever. 

The statistics lead us to believe that it will never happen to us, and it is a longshot. We don't want our turn. However, over a lifetime, the odds are against us, and an accident will touch our lives.

When the U.S. Powerball lottery topped $1.6B, the odds of winning were one in 292.2 million. Finally, I am ready to announce publicly, drum roll please... one of my five tickets was not the winner. Yep, nada, bupkiss, nothing, zero and squat is what I took from the winnings; but it was fun to dream for a day.

The statistics lead us to believe that it will never happen to us, and it is a longshot. We do want our turn. However, over a lifetime, the odds are against us, and you won't win the lottery.

Yet, we spend time dwelling on the horrific, and terrific things that can occur in our lives that are outside our influence. 

What about those things that are within our influence? When is it your turn?

Society, family and internal expectations influence our belief about when it is our turn to follow our dreams, make an impact on the world or take a risk. Most often all these influences will scream "be safe" and "don't take any risk." The safe, secure job with good benefits is the best option, and for goodness sake, "forget those crazy ideas of making a significant impact."

Seth Godin provides a clear answer in the title of his last book, What To Do When It's Your Turn (and it's always your turn). Seth encourages the reader, you and me, to decide it is our turn and not wait to be picked.

Choosing to take your turn, requires bravery. The world will most likely ignore the ideas keeping you up at night and in the worst case, will hate them. This doesn't mean to pass on your turn; it is yours, and it is waiting.

How do you push through doubt?

The insidious voice that plagues a vision can be crippling. In his book, The Art of War, Steven Pressfield describes the lizard brain activity as the resistance. This resistance is always a voice in the back of our heads that wants to quit. It recoils from producing the good work we know our hand must release into the world.

There is no guarantee the world will respond with millions of followers or dollars, but learning to dance with the doubt, and still proceed, is where we will learn to crystallize the vision.

To complete another class, write another page, pitch another client, or compose another song is where the doubt is weakened. Incessant water drops will break a stone. Showing up to produce good work will shatter this stone of doubt and cripple the resistance. Climb to your feet and produce.

What was the toughest physical PR you achieved?

The elusive time, weight, score or opponent taunted you from just beyond your reach. The personal record (PR) was yours, and yours alone to achieve. Did it keep you up at night? Were you angry that it continued to dance beyond your ability? How did this drive you to train harder?

Saying no, to more sleep and yes, to rolling out of bed for the early morning workouts. Saying no, to the office donuts, bagels, and cakes. Skipping the late nights of drinking and movies to get up early for training. Rebuffing the families disbelief and wagging heads as you pursued the goal. Grateful for those that understand and support.

Confidence grows as progress is made. Plateau's are overcome. The points increase, the weights get heavier and the seconds drop. Feet move faster, mobility increases, muscles grow and lungs inhale more of the world. Ever closer, but not attained.

At last, the goal is achieved.

The accolades come. Be it a cheer from the FaceBook video post, or a medal around the neck. The loudest cheer is screamed internally as the heart swells with satisfaction.

Done.

Congratulations on your achievement, it is yours.

Going Further: How did you determine to pursue this PR? What were your particular struggles during the pursuit of this PR? Who did you count on for support? What were your darkest moments? What helped you get through the dark moments? What did you change during your pursuit to achieve the PR? What did you think and feel as you reached this goal? How did you celebrate?

How are you thriving in spite of aging?

Living is not reserved for the young. The marketers may pitch the line, once you have punched out of your 20's it is a slow decent to the grave. Just because it is pitched doesn't mean we have to buy it.

Strength and quicker hangover recovery time were nice; however living a few more years, installing some gray hair with a touch of wisdom has improved my view of the world. 

Last weekend I attended a Spartan Sprint. Interspersed among the 20 and 30-year-old participants, were plenty of seniors in fantastic shape, gett'n after it. Pushing their bodies to run, push, pull, throw and scramble through the battery of obstacles.

Model Carmen Dell’Orefice continues to rock the runway at 82. Philippe Dumas kicked off his modeling career at 60 when he decided to grow a beard. At 41, Oksana Chusovitina just completed her 7th Olympics and hadn't ruled out an 8th. Brazilian soccer star, Ronaldo, looks like he will be playing into his 40s. Elite marathoners peak at 29, before running into their 30s.

The boundaries of age continue to tumble for those looking to push themselves. This bodes well for those of us out of our 20s. We are more readily accepted into the active communities in our neighborhoods without being questioned if we are here to pick-up our children or grand-children.

The gray hair, frees us to push ourselves to achieve our goals on our terms because we are going rouge and don't belong. The young don't know what to do with us other than cheer. Go inspire them to cheer loudly.

Who's physical prowess inspires you?

Their posters covered your bedroom walls, and you would snap up any magazine that had an article. The time spent replaying the YouTube clips, and a quick check of your phone background is further evidence that these people inspire you. The first guy to catch my imagination was Lou Ferrigno as the Incredible Hulk; I couldn't imagine that a real man was that size.

Jordan's dunks, Pele's footwork, Tiger's golf, Ali's blurring speed, Tony's skateboarding, Venus and Serena's tennis, Babe's home runs, or Jerry's gridiron speed. These are many of the first faces that come to mind as we reflect on those that have spent the required thousands of hours to become experts in their craft and hone their bodies to achieve astounding results.

Much closer to home people that are doing amazing physical feats each day, much closer to home. Ask, the marathon running co-worker how training is progressing toward her next race, the wounded warrior about his next Crossfit Fran PR, or the neighbor about her yoga pose proficiency. Check with the guy at church, about his next Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu belt test, or the beast with python arms buying baby diapers in the checkout line ahead of you.

Sports Illustrated covers and Wheaties boxes are great places to start looking for inspiration, but don't limit your sources. The face time with these local examples will give your physical preparations a shot of inspiration, and besides, they probably won't charge for an autograph. Ask questions, deliver encouragement, and always bring a Sharpie.

Going Further: What are the world famous names that have had an impact on your physical training? Who are the locals that have inspired your training? Have you ever interacted with them and expressed your admiration? How did that come about? Who can you learn from locally?

Writing soundtrack: crickets, not the band. You know, the chirpy critters that come out at night.

What change are you driving?

What have you said or done that is worth memorializing in stone? This question regularly flickers through my mind during my commute around Washington D.C. I drive by the Lincoln, MLK, Washington, and FDR memorials daily. Each recounts noble words and deeds these men did with the few years they had on this earth.

While you may never be President or lead something as significant as the civil rights movement; we must expect to bring about change to the people and causes that are important to us. Our hands were not made to be graciously clasped in your lap or pressed between your butt and chair. They are at the end of your arms to manipulate, create, fold, press, and caress. These words are verbs and imply action.

Everything around us has changed, and humanities reach continues to expand into more of the natural world. The clothes on your back and the device you're using to read this post, were the result of a change someone decided to bring into this world.

Your influence is significant, and the world will be a better place because of your investment. Resist the temptation to search for another cat video or binge watch another season. The actors, directors, and costume designers created their art, and it is time for you to generate your art and drive your change.

I am grateful and humbled by your willingness to read these words. If you never make it beyond this sentence because you went to, as Seth Godin says, "make a ruckus," then that is the highest compliment.

If you're still reading, know that I am pulling for you to be brave, and drive your change. I look forward to reading of your exploits, engraved in Internet trons or carved in marble and stone. Post your project what changes you are driving in the comments. My change is this blog.

Writing soundtrack: @theglitchmob @MatiasPuumala @thescript (Hall of Fame)