A Migratory Blog

There comes a time when it just makes sense to consolidate your efforts.  In the next several weeks, I am going to streamline my writings down to two places.

This particular blog will migrate over to Catalyzing Leaders. There you will find not only posts on leadership and personal development, but also posts to do what I wanted to accomplish with this blog. I will be incorporating more motivational and inspirational writings to encourage my readers to Dream BIG and LIVE their dreams.

I also will be posting on The Journey of the Rhino blog. This blog documents our journey of starting a professional speaking business from the ground up. The intent is to inspire people to pursue their dreams. This business is starting from scratch with very little money to jump start it. We want to show the world it is possible to create a profitable business doing what you are passionate about in life.

Join in the conversation, leave us your feedback. We would love have you come along this journey with us.

Dream BIG and LIVE your dream,

Greg Zander

CEO and Cultural Architect 
EPIC Journey. Inc. 

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by Greg Zander, the Cultural Architect on March 8, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Greg Zander, the Cultural Architect on March 8, 2012

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Lessons Learned in 2011

As another year comes to a close, a reflection of life’s lessons learned over the past year is in order. Some lessons were harder to learn than others, but each one had an influence that made an impact in life.

  • The narrower your view spiritually, the more likely you are to create walls and boundaries. The more open you are spiritually, the more doors that open into greater discoveries.
  • NO ONE has your best interest at heart more then YOU!
  • Nothing invested, nothing gained.
  • If your worth is not recognized, WALK AWAY.
  • There is more to life than a single focus on making money.

Those are the top five for the year that have made a difference in my life. As you begin 2012, what lessons from last year did you learn that will move you forward in this New Year?

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by Greg Zander, the Cultural Architect on January 1, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Reflections
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Posted by Greg Zander, the Cultural Architect on January 1, 2012

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The Deep-Rooted Motivation

Every person in the world has some form of motivation for their life. For some, it may be just finding food, water, and shelter to get through another day. For others, it may be to make more money than they did yesterday. Perhaps it is a cause that inspires, a passion that ignites a fire within, or a job well done. When a person loses a sense of purpose or motivation, living becomes meaningless and despair begins to become the dominant emotional state of being.

The person who has a deep-rooted motivation that comes from the very core of their being will be the one who will do all in their power to see their dreams become a reality. The popular movie, Gladiator, resonates with so many people, not because of the action and graphic nature, but because the main character’s deeply-rooted love for his family and for what is right. In the movie, Maximus had earned the respect of the soldiers under his command because of his concern for their well being. His relationship with the king was such that all power was to be transferred to him upon his passing. When the king’s son murdered his own father and Maximus’s family as well, this roused in the spirit of Maximus an overwhelming desire to see justice served. Maximus sought justice in the form of revenge to the point of losing his own life to accomplish what was deeply rooted inside of him.

Finding that deeply rooted motivation within is the story of heroes. People who act, live, and give their life to see something much bigger than themselves are the ones who are admired and followed. They become the legends who inspire others to rise up and live their dreams.

 

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by Greg Zander, the Cultural Architect on November 23, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Words of Encouragement
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Posted by Greg Zander, the Cultural Architect on November 23, 2011

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Whose Dream?

David walked into his office on a brisk, sunny Monday morning.  Sitting down behind his desk, he looked over his calendar for the week. The number of appointments for the week were few and far between. He knew that he needed to fill those gaps with more appointments, but there was just something keeping him from acting on what he knew he needed to do.

Over the weekend, David was reading about different people who were living out their dream jobs. People who were accomplishing great things and having fun while doing what they love.  He begin to ponder in his own mind whether or not he was doing what he loved to do. He was helping people in a significant way, and he could make a great living doing it. The people he worked with were fired up, seeing people every day, always encouraging him to pick up the phone and make those appointments. There was something just out of reach, something  he could almost put his finger on as to why he felt a longing for something different.

Contemplating in the quiet of the morning, David finally figured out what was the issue. He was living out someone else’s dream for him. He remembered his really good friend Stan approaching him while he was working a typical 9-5 job and telling him, “You are destined for greater things than this.” Stan shared with him all the reasons why he should partner with him in his business from his previous background, his heart, his leadership ability, and most of all, his desire to do something greater in life. So David began working on the side with Stan, learning all about the new business, excited about what the future held. It was refreshing working with someone who was a great friend and wanted the best for him.

It wasn’t long after he started, David began to realize he loved learning the new information,  the excitement of what could be in this business, and he was building really good relationships from others who were part of the business.  But it wasn’t moving forward for him. He began to make excuses for his lack of success, conjuring up reasons he wasn’t put in the time he needed. For some reason, his heart was not fully into the “business,” though it did beat for the success of his co-workers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

David found himself living someone else’s dream for his life. There can be all the right reasons for David to be a part of Stan’s business, but if it isn’t in line with David’s dreams, there will be a void and lack of energy to make it a successful endeavor.

Whose dream are you living?

Dream BIG and LIVE your dream!

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by Greg Zander, the Cultural Architect on October 31, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in The Dreamer's Journey
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Posted by Greg Zander, the Cultural Architect on October 31, 2011

http://gregzander.wordpress.com/2011/10/31/whose-dream/

As A Child

Growing up as a child, we were told many things from many different people that have affected our lives today. Those words shaped and molded our outlook on life. Even though we may have said, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me,” we never believed it because words do hurt.

Several friends of mine have newborn babies. I begin to wonder what their child’s life would be like if they repeated positive statements of affirmation EVERY DAY of their life. What would their child accomplish in life hearing those positive statements from such an influential person?

What if you told a child every day –

You are an amazing gift to the world.

You are loved by so many.

You can do whatever you set your mind to do.

You are extremely intelligent.

You are a great leader.

You are wise with money.

You encourage so many.

You speak other languages with such ease.

You love reading.

You are able to make the most out of every situation.

You are wiser than your years.

You are a great writer.

You are an amazing artist.

You are a valuable friend.

You are able to handle adversity with such ease.

You are a world changer.

A child hearing these things every day would undoubtedly have an impact on the world.

Interestingly enough, each one of us has a child inside of us longing to hear words like those. What are you telling your inner child? How would your life begin to change if you started speaking those thoughts to you your inner child? Speak positive, life-changing thoughts to that child who is longing within you every day and you will change the world.

Dream BIG and LIVE the dream!

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by Greg Zander, the Cultural Architect on October 29, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by Greg Zander, the Cultural Architect on October 29, 2011

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Why Dream?

Living in a rut has been equated to living in a casket with both ends knocked out. A person who has been in a rut for a long time may have given up on living their dream or has succumbed to living in complacency. To step out of the rut appears to be too painful or frightening. Rut dwellers begin to ask, why dream?

Perhaps in their own lives, the rut dwellers have tried to do something out of the ordinary. They may have had a dream at one point and time and shared it with the world only to find that there are dream stealers in the world. The dream stealers arise from among  family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and so many others who verbally tore apart the dreamer’s dream. They all did it out of love and protection, not wanting to see the dreamer get hurt. The safety of the rut appears to be the least painful route to take, so why dream?

Occasionally there are those who escape the rut and pursue their dreams. They actually begin living a life of joy and fulfillment. They call out the rut dwellers to join them in their new-found life only to hear the many excuses as to why they can’t leave the rut. “Not enough money.”  ”Not enough time.” “Not enough connections.” “What will the others say?” “Too risky.” “Not the right type of person.” The rut dwellers gather around in agreement of all the excuses made and go back to their lives in the rut still asking, why dream?

After a while, a few of the rut dwellers begin noticing changes in their lives. Certain tasks become easier to do.  New products on the shelves they enjoy. Innovations that help them live better and longer. Things once thought impossible becoming reality. They begin realizing these things are there because of the dreamers who left the rut. Deep within their spirit, they feel a spark, a flame ignited that long ago was extinguished. Perhaps the dream that they had buried deep would bring benefit to the world. They start hearing stories of ordinary people doing the extraordinary. The realization that living out a dream makes a difference in the world fans into flame a desire to leave the rut. They finally realize the answer to the question, why dream?

Dream BIG and LIVE your dream!

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by Greg Zander, the Cultural Architect on October 26, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by Greg Zander, the Cultural Architect on October 26, 2011

http://gregzander.wordpress.com/2011/10/26/why_dream/

The BURN

A weightlifter’s goal during a workout is to reach the state of “the burn” in the muscle groups being worked out.  This point indicates the achievement of the workout.  The muscle has been worked to capacity, and over the next couple of days, it will heal and grow more muscle tissue increasing the strength of the muscles.

The beginning stages of living out a dream begins with the burn, a burning desire. A dream that has no burning desire is more like a fantasy, wishful thinking. There is no intent to act upon the desire. However, when a person has a burning desire to accomplish their dream, the whole universe seems to conspire to see the dream fulfilled. There is a drive, almost obsession, creating momentum in the dreamer to see their dream lived out. The dreamer must continually push to feel the burn.

There are several key elements to help maintain the burn.  First, a burning desire needs to be definite. A runner who has a burning desire to win a race is too vague. There are all types of races a runner could compete. A runner who has a burning desire to win a marathon now has a definite desire. When one has a definite desire, the desire moves from wishful thinking to an attainable dream or goal.

A second key element is an understanding of what is going to be given to accomplish the desire. A runner who has a burning desire to win a marathon must be willing to give time daily to the habit of running. There may be a need to change of diet or time given up for other activities. Every dreamer must know what they are willing to give to see the burning desire come to be a reality.

A third key is to have an established date the dream will become a reality. This date must be specific and real.  A person who has not developed a love for running nor a habit of running should not set a date for winning a marathon next week. In setting the date, the dreamer must take inventory of themselves. What pieces of the puzzle are already in place to help reach the dream? What pieces are missing? Establish real, specific dates to achieve the dream.

The fourth key element is to begin planning out the specific steps to live out the dream. Smaller mini-goals that lead up to the fulfilling the big dream are important. The runner may start with a  goal to compete in a local 5k race. Next, they may move on to a 10k race and then on to a half-marathon. These mini-goals are the steps to fulfilling the big dream. Every dreamer needs to establish a plan to reach their dream.

Finally, one must write out the dream and read it out loud daily. When a person begins to see and hear their dream, the mind begins look for opportunities to make it a reality. The mind doesn’t differentiate between what is real and what is not.  The more the mind hears the dream stated with felling, the stronger the burn becomes.

A burning desire coupled with the key elements above will help more dreams become a reality. The dreamer must feel the burn.

Dream BIG and LIVE the dream!

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by Greg Zander, the Cultural Architect on October 24, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by Greg Zander, the Cultural Architect on October 24, 2011

http://gregzander.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/the-burn/

The Barrier

“The Traveler looked ahead as the path he was traveling became obscured.  The path looked like it was coming to an end.  The bramble had grown up along the path, choking out any indication the path continued any farther. The Traveler stopped.  He wanted to continue this journey as he was told there was great treasure beyond the mountain.

The excitement of the journey was slowly edging out of the Traveler’s mind. Fear began to creep back into his thoughts — a voice inside beckoning him to turn around and go back home where it was much easier and safer.  The voice of complacency was speaking loud and clear.”

Every person who sets out to follow their dream will encounter the voice of complacency. To not pursue the dream seems easier than all the “trouble” to go after the dream.  It is ironic because it was that stirring within in one’s spirit that there has to be more to this life than what one is living out right now that motivated the first step toward the dream.

Living the dream requires facing the barriers springing up from fear. They will continue to arise at different times and places along the journey. Every person who begins to pursue their dreams must realize these barriers, these walls of fear will threaten the pursuit.  It will only be sheer determination and courage stemming from a strong desire that will push one through the walls of fear.

Pushing through the wall of complacency will feed the courage needed to continue on a journey of  living the dream.  The dream needs to be clear, and the desire to live the dream, intense. These two things will keep the dream alive and help conquer the barrier of complacency.

Dream BIG and LIVE your dream!

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by Greg Zander, the Cultural Architect on October 18, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by Greg Zander, the Cultural Architect on October 18, 2011

http://gregzander.wordpress.com/2011/10/18/the-barrier/

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