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I walked into the kitchen at work (I’m here through the rest of February) and one of my co-workers said “Hey Nathan, I heard you know about The Secret“. She was absolutely beaming and her smile went from ear to ear. She had just watched it yesterday and she feels like she now truly understands how to pursue happiness and overcome negative influences (i.e. “You can’t do this, it’s too hard…”). She told me about her plans to start her own business, how she’d always been scared of failing, but now she knows she can do it. Tonight, she’s going to have her son sit with her and watch it because she feels it is so important for him to learn it. I am so excited to hear stories like this, because I know she’s on the verge of making her dreams reality, just like I was after I watched The Secret. Last week, the book version of it went to #1. It’s the best-selling book in America! In addition, Oprah’s viewers had such a dramatic reaction to her special that aired on February 8th that she had to do a follow-up show last Friday. Her website almost went offline because there were millions of people coming to it to find out more and share their stories. That’s pretty amazing, considering how much bandwidth backs up Oprah.com. I truly believe The Secret is going to become one of the most ground-breaking phenomenons of our time. If you haven’t checked it out yet, what’s stopping you? Millions of people are gaining the courage to do what they really want in life after seeing the movie or reading the book.
I can’t wait for this… Last night, I posted the FedEx logo, and a simple question… Does the logo have an arrow?
You all answered “Yes”. That’s great! Now I wonder how many of you knew it before I asked? Had you ever noticed it before? Tom freely admitted that he hadn’t. Over 80% of FedEx drivers do not know there is an arrow in their logo. In fact, I didn’t even know it myself until it was pointed out to me. I see the FedEx logo all the time. I see the trucks on the road, I see packages, I see commercials. How could I see a logo thousands of times in my life, but never really see it? So let’s put that on a broader scale. If I didn’t notice an arrow in a logo, which I see every day, what else am I not seeing in my life? What other things are right in front of me, and I have no idea? What if there was a whole world that I was missing out on, because I don’t see it clearly?
Is there an arrow in the FedEx logo? Yes or no answers only, please.
Guess what? The color exercise had nothing to do with color. It didn’t matter if you were red, blue, green, yellow, or anything in between. You were really describing yourself. If I introduced myself, I might say “I’m Nathan and I’m a graphic designer.” But that’s not me at all. I am not Nathan. That is a word used to identify me, it is not who I am. And I am not a graphic designer. That is what I do as a profession. It has nothing to do with my character, my beliefs, my feelings, or my real identity. So when I had to pick a color, I said: I am green. I am bright, modern, and I get your attention!
Now that tells you a little bit about who I am. So let’s remove the color completely: My name is Nathan, and I am bright, modern, and I get your attention! There you have it. An inside glimpse to your true self, and I bet you never tell people these things when you introduce yourself. And I’m really glad you shared them with me because I learned a lot of new things about you that I had no idea of.
Now pick a color. It doesn’t have to be your favorite color, any color will do. Just pick a color that appeals to you right now. Don’t second guess yourself. You’re looking at this big box of crayons. Which one do you want? Do you have your color? Good. Now describe it in a few words or a few sentences. Let’s pretend I don’t know what the color red is, for example. Pretend you are red. Tell me what red is. For example, you might say “I am red. I am warm, cozy, and bold.” Or maybe it’s “I am red. I am wild, loud, and demand your attention.” Remember, I have no idea what the color means, so you have to tell me. Pick your color and describe it. I’ll follow-up on your answers tomorrow.
I try my best to not listen to the lyrics of songs. If I do, I often find myself laughing. Are people really saying these things? Let’s take “Fergalicious” for example. Is she really talking about how tasty her pussy is? That’s just scary. How does she know what it tastes like? *shudders to imagine* Hey, maybe I’m wrong. I’ve just heard it a few times. I know that song’s a hit. Is anyone listening to the words? Whenever I hear Beyonce’s song “Irreplaceable” I say “Uh oh, Beyonce’s directing traffic again.” When she sings “To the left, to the left” I just imagine her in a police uniform during rush hour traffic, directing cars away from a wreck. Oh, and what about Justin Timberlake’s “My Love”. Can we talk about the rap segment from T.I.? He’s saying this girl already has a boyfriend, but she can leave with him on a vacation instead. Or she can stay. It doesn’t matter to him. He “ain’t gonna cry” and if she doesn’t come he “ain’t gonna die.” Gee, that’s romantic. So you’re asking her to leave her boyfriend, but you really don’t care either way. Sounds solid to me. Am I the only one who notices these things?
I guess Valentine’s Day has always been bittersweet for me. The good news is that I’ve always had someone on Valentine’s Day. The bad news is that I’ve always had single friends who felt sad on that day. I don’t like that. The thing about Christmas is that we’re all supposed to spread love and cheer. No stranger should feel alone, peace on earth, and all that good stuff. But Valentine’s Day is pretty much a one shot deal. You’re either in or you’re out. How unfair is that? Personally, I think if you need a calendar to tell you that you should be loving your significant other, there’s something wrong with you. I try to make everyday Valentine’s Day and I think Rodney does too. So when February 14th arrives, it’s kind of like any other day for us. If you are single, please don’t get too caught up in it. Afterall, it’s just a date on a calendar. Seriously. And whether you’re single or not, I hope you have a great Valentine’s Day. [ By the way, my post on last year’s Valentine’s Day seemed to generate a lot of feedback. You might want to check it out. ]
I wasn’t completely aware of why I loved it so much. I knew that I felt a certain way about Rock Hudson, but I didn’t know how to verbalize it yet. It doesn’t matter that the film was from 1959 or that Rock had died in 1985. All I knew was that he was hot. A hot man is a hot man, it doesn’t matter if you’re talking past or present. Rock Hudson was and still is hot in that movie. Now that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, I think I’ll have to get out my DVD of “Pillow Talk” and enjoy it once again.
“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” If I want to get from Tennessee to Florida, I know that I’ll need to start on I-24, because it is the closest interstate to me. I don’t know what the entire road looks like, in fact I can only see a short path before me. But I know that if I take it one mile at a time, I will get to where I want to be. I know this because I have absolute faith in my journey. It doesn’t matter if I get lost or delayed, because I still know I’ll get there since I won’t be giving up. Life is the same way. Often times, we are scared to go after what we really want, because it feels uncertain. We can’t see the entire road ahead of us, and that scares us. It plants seeds of doubt. What has fear and doubt ever done for you? Nothing, except hold you back. Fear and doubt are worthless. They have never helped you be successful at anything, and they never will. If you want to do something, you must have faith, like Martin Luther King, Jr. said. You must take the first step. If I keep saying “Someday, I’ll end up in Florida”, then someday will always be someday. I’m never going to magically wake up there. It is the same with your life. The longer you put off your dreams, the longer it takes for them to happen. You must start with the first step. Do it today, because tomorrow is not guaranteed. After you’ve taken the first step, you will take the second. Eventually, you will reach your destination.
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Remember what it felt like when you opened up a new box of crayons? Remember the smell? Remember the excitement? A whole new box of fresh, sharpened crayons. There were no limits to where your imagination could take you with your new crayons.
Well, tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. An odd holiday, actually.
When I was in grade school, I loved watching “
