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This past weekend I attended SOBCon08 (the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers Conference) in Chicago, and today I had planned to write all about it. There were some fantastic messages shared, I made some great new friendships, lots of new connections, and had a blast with everyone I met.

Of course, writing about it was what I was going to do today, but… on the way home from dropping off my rental car, we had a tire blow up on the interstate. Knock on wood, we were fine, although the wheelwell got a bit ripped up when the tire’s tread flew off.

And, knock on wood, even though there were a bunch of cars around us, there were no collisions, no problems (except ours)… everyone was fine.

And, knock on wood, the tire actually still worked! The tread blew clear off, but the rest stayed on and inflated, so we could actually limp along in the shoulder until the next off-ramp. (And no, it wasn’t a retreaded tire… the guy at the tire shop said that what happened really shouldn’t have happened. But, of course, it did, so it just goes to show that improbable things actually happen all the time, just in case those of you out there with 100% normal lives were wondering.)

And, amazingly, we were able to drive on the busted-up tire all the way into the next town (over 10 miles), and then into the next town—ours—without incident. Why so far? There’s only one tire place on the way, and they didn’t have one in our size (it’s a truck tire shop, primarily). The shredded tire held its air for one last journey, and we made it all the way to Bob’s Tire Service…

… where, knock on wood, the guys were awesome. We were out the door in about fifteen minutes, with two new tires on the car (we needed two because we were driving on the spare, due to a previous blowout a month or so ago), and filled with gratitude.

And that is the reason I told you the entire story.

Because throughout the entire adventure, we were filled with gratitude about all the wonderful things that conspired to make it as easy a process as it could have been. There were so many places along the way where this story could’ve turned ugly, but it didn’t. There were so many ways in which we could have gotten negative, cursing life… but we didn’t. My girls even did fine with it, finding ways to play and look on the bright side through the whole thing.

And while it means I have to postpone the SOBCon review for another day (because I’ve got to take my daughter to our soccer practice—she plays, I coach—in a few minutes), I’m brimming with gratitude over how fantastic my day has been so far. And that choice—the choice to choose gratitude over whining—made all the difference.

So, can you cultivate a practice of gratitude?

I used to hear people talk about gratitude, and my answer would be, “psh.” I figured that gratitude was for people whose lives were going fantastically, and those of us with struggles might get there someday. But the truth of it is, gratitude is not a by-product of a fantastic life, but how you get to have one in the first place.

How?

Gratitude is not a by-product of a fantastic life, but how you get to have one in the first place.Try it. Even if the ‘fit is hitting the shan’ all around you, see if there’s something you can honestly be grateful for. At first, it might come out like, “Well, at least I’m still breathing…”, but hey, that’s a start. Start wherever you have to — that’s what I did. At the time, I was feeling a lot like Eeyore, moping about my circumstances, but I tried it anyway. And I kept trying to see the bright side, no matter how grey things were looking (and at the time, they were about as grey as an elephant wearing sweatpants in a London fog, let me tell you…).

And you know what? It works. Our lives have totally turned around in so many ways since then. And, just as in my story today, even when things aren’t completely optimal by your standards, you’ll be a lot happier about it if you can be grateful for all that’s going on that’s worth being grateful for. Because, really, there’s always something worth being happy about.

What are you grateful for? How can you, right now, see the silver lining that’s in your life? Add it to the comments below this post, please — because you never know how your words can spark profound change for someone who may read them.

I was interviewed by Michelle Vandepas of Divine Purpose Unleashed last week… and boy, did we cover the gamut of topics. Most of the time we talked about healing, and what it takes to make real change in your life, as well as life purpose, A Whole New Mind, and more. Check it out here.

Alex Shalman, of AlexShalman.com (Practical Personal Development) just posted a fantastic—and candidly honest—review of my Inner Peace Audio program. Check it out, and give him some Stumble lovin’.

Edna Mode, via Wikipedia

She lives so large, she makes superheros nervous.

Edna Mode, referred to as "E" (analogous to Superman’s "S", or Mr. Incredible’s "I"), fashion designer and costumer of superheros in Pixar’s The Incredibles, packs so much juice, boldness, and raw energy into her tiny frame that she’s a force to be reckoned with, even for indestructible superheros.

If E can have that kind of effect on fantastically empowered champions, imagine what thinking like E could do for you.

Superheroes are easy, darling. Mediocrity is much more difficult to work with—and it is in such great supply.

Why You Should Think Hard About Thinking Big

Oh sure, every motivational speaker out there is going to tell you, "Shoot for the stars! Dream! Be all you can be!" And it’s good for their business to do so; after all, they’re in the entertainment business. They’re there to pump you up, and help you face the big challenges that go along with big dreams.

But "thinking big" goes beyond just priming your emotional pump. It’s damn good advice.

Take a page from Google

Thinking big has helped Google go from an odd-sounding startup to a gargantuan online empire, the size of which most of us can’t even fathom. Bill Weihl, "Green Energy Czar" of the Renewable Energy Department of Google (yes, you read that right), described plainly the practical genius behind thinking big:

Even if you don’t always achieve 100% of audacious goals, you’re probably doing better than if you set milder goals.

Think about it: why not aim for a BHAG? You could aim for "decent", and you’ll probably arrive. Hooray for you. Enjoy that big helping of decent pie. Tastes like vanilla cardboard, doesn’t it?

Passion Ignites The Soul

Whether you follow U.S. politics or not, and whether your blood runs red or blue, you’ve no doubt heard about Barack Obama. Why is this man sweeping the nation, igniting the fires in people’s hearts, and renewing faith where it was once lost?

Because Obama knows how to dream.
Because he knows that dreams and hope are powerful forces.
And because he knows, as Seth does, that hope and love are far more powerful than fear.

Enough Theory — How Do I Get There Myself?

Thinking big is sometimes easier said than done, ain’t it? When you’re gripped by fear and uncertainty, it can seem tough to think like an advocate for living ginormously.

If you’re finding it hard to rise up and go, guns blazing, remember the words of E herself:

You are Elastigirl! My God! Pull yourself together! What will you do? Is this a question? Show him you remember that he is Mr. lncredible, and you will remind him who you are! Well, you know where he is. Go! Confront the problem! Fight! Win! And call me when you get back, darling. I enjoy our visits.

• Remember who you are: When you’re thinking small, it’s because you’ve forgotten who you truly are. Read testimonials you’ve been sent. Or things your best friends have told you about yourself. Recall your strengths, your marquee talents, and above all, the content of your heart. No matter what you’ve done in your life, this much is true: you have a glorious, shining heart, and you can remember that at any time just by sitting quietly and getting in touch with it.
• Confront the problem: Resist the urge to procrastinate, to slink away from your challenges and hide within the comfortable (but diminishing) blankets of the known. (And if you need a hand with this one, I know a resource you may be interested in…)
• Fight! Win!: Anything worth accomplishing is going to be hard work. Otherwise, every lazy-butt sloth out there would be king. You’ve got to declare what you want, no matter how crazy it may sound, and go for it like there’s no turning back. That’s how champions are made.
• Look on the bright side: When E makes a super-suit for little baby Jack-Jack (who hadn’t yet revealed his superpowers), his mother, Elastigirl, says, "Jack-Jack doesn’t have any powers." And E’s reply is, "No? Well, he’ll look fabulous anyway."

Words are useless, darling! Gobble, gobble, gobble!

Planning has its time, but action is key. As E said,

Luck favors the prepared.

And yet, when the rubber meets the road, all the planning, theorizing, and talking in the world isn’t going to get you anywhere; you must act. Action is the liberator of intention, the champion of your thoughts.

Yes, words are useless. Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble! Too much of it, darling. Too much! That is why I show you my work. That is why you are here.

Never forget to act. It is in the arena of action that your mettle gets proven, that your brilliance will be realized, and your goals and dreams fulfilled.

Now Go! Fight! Win! And call me when you get back, darling. I enjoy our visits.

Bob and Susan are desk shopping at IKEA (where else?). Susan sees a desk with four drawers, a built in cabinet, and a keyboard tray, and starts swooning. Bob sees a minimalistic desktop and calls off his search for office-furniture nirvana. Two flat-packs, a boatload of twine, and two soft-serve vanilla cones later, and the happy couple speed home.

On the way, Susan thinks about all the ways she can organize her stuff in all her cute little drawers, and Bob waxes poetically about the wide-open expanse of nothing that will be his new desktop environment.

two desks, two different ideas of perfection (images by IKEA)

Question: Who’s happier? Who will be more productive? Who will have an easier time managing their workload?
Answer: Who knows?

To Each Their Own

That’s the funny thing with productivity; what’s good for one person isn’t necessarily the end-all, be-all solution for another. So, how do you know what to do?

• You have to experiment.
• You have to be willing to try, fail, and learn from the experience.
• You have to know yourself (which comes, of course, from doing #1 and #2 over and over).

Because structure is a funny thing. Bob would go nutso trying to work at Susan’s desk, because (in his mind) there’s way too many places for things to get put and forgotten, way too much visual clutter, and he’d feel cramped. Susan would loathe Bob’s new desk, because (in her mind) there’s no place to put anything. She’d end up piling everything on top of the desk, and feel swamped every minute, unable to focus.

Are You A Susan, or a Bob?

Susan is someone who revels in having external structure. It’s easiest for her to be organized when she has many places to put things, because in her mind, thoughts tend to swim around like fish. Without the help of external structure, Susan’s unbounded creative impulses get scattered and lost. Once she has the help of those external boundaries, though, she’s free to let ‘er rip.

Bob, however, brings a lot of structure with him. It’s not that Bob’s not creative; he’s tremendously creative. But the way Bob’s wired, he brings a lot of structure to his thoughts. He needs a wide open space that he can impose his sense of structure upon in order to be productive; too many restrictions, and his flow slows to a trickle.

Knowing Thyself Saves Thee Many Headaches

Knowing which way you lean can save you so much time and energy, it’s flabbergasting. Take, for example, desk shopping (just kidding). Or evaluating software…

Say you need to organize your thoughts, or brainstorm ideas for a project. If you’re more internally structured (like Bob), you’d reach for a program like Curio (or Keynote) that gives you a wide open space to create in. If you’re more externally structured (like Susan), you might reach for a spreadsheet likeNumbers orExcel, or an outlining app like Process or Omni Outliner, or a mindmapping solution like iMindMap, Curio (again), or PersonalBrain (thanks to Kathy for mentioning this one).

The question, essentially, is: do you need structure, or will you bring your sense of structure to it? And you can ask yourself that in any situation, whether you’re organizing your computer, your personal information, your belongings, or a vacation.

I have a guest post/book review up at Joyful Jubilant Learning entitled, Law of Attraction, Michael Losier style, as a part of JJL’s month-long “Love Affair With Books.” Check it out!

I’m always amazed when I talk with people who haven’t heard of EFT. Of course, before I heard of it, I hadn’t heard of it, either…

You’re going to hear more from me about EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), that’s for sure; I’m a huge fan, and my wife is a practitioner. Even my 8-year-old taps, on her own, whenever she’s nervous or feeling ill.

What is it?

It’s a method of healing that’s based on balancing the body’s energy system, and it gets its history in large part from Oriental medicine. No needles, though; you tap with your fingers on the same points acupuncturists put needles into. And it works for physical symptoms, emotional issues, belief systems, you name it.

I love it. And, I’m not the only one… as I understand the story, the same filmmaking artists who worked on The Secret were so impressed by EFT, they worked with EFT’s founder, Gary Craig, to create this video to introduce people to it:

You’ve got to watch it, it’s well worth the few minutes.

If you’re interested in learning more, and want to experience it yourself, give my wife a call. She’s amazing. And if you have experience with EFT, feel free to leave a comment so we can hear your experiences, too.