It’s fine that Memorial Day is backyards and barbecue and beer. It’s also fine that Memorial Day is parades and civic pride and veterans who honor their fallen comrades.

Wars happen when our institutions fail. When our ability to talk with each other, listen to each other, value the agenda of another and work with them becomes weak. When we go into self protection mode.

That happens between nations. And within them.

When we stop hearing. When a different group becomes “less than.”

When we have to make ourselves feel bigger by making someone else smaller by comparison.

If that’s where you are, then so be it.

But if you look closely, the consequences are in front of you.

Your life is poorer than it could be. Your relationships, your career, your finances, your health, your spiritual well being all decline when you operate in anger, fear and greed.

And if you walk down Memorial Blvd. in Bristol, Connecticut, or the monuments to war dead in many towns, you’ll see it there as well.

And if you listen to stories from generations past you’ll see it.

A grandfather in Normandy. A husband in Vietnam.

A son in Afghanistan.

A veteran’s suicide back and home. An average of 22 everyday. To my mind, those are also military deaths.

Memorial Day is a time we honor those who gave their lives for our freedom.

It isn’t enough to thank them and move onto a steak.

It’s time to make a commitment to living in ways that reduce the chances of lives taken needlessly and families suffering the ultimate pain.

Many of us have heard Success Loves Speed.

It’s a pretty standard quote.

Here’s what it also loves…

Accuracy.

Clarity.

Efficiency.

Commitment.

Because without these things, it’s easy to go fast at doing the wrong things.

Or to start out going fast, then get bogged down in confusion and indecision.

I don’t want that for you.

And the people who are waiting for you – your product or service, your opportunity, your example, your love –

They don’t want that for you either.

They don’t want to go somewhere else to get it.

They want YOU.

So give them speed. Get energized.

But also get Accuracy.

And Clarity.

And Efficiency.

And Commitment.

And while you’re at it, get enthusiasm and fun!

It’s not an either/or proposition.

When you get out of your own way, you can do lots of great things.

It’s time to lose your excuses.

This is actually my first pull up or chin up workout in about three weeks, while I try and manage shoulder tendonitis. It was shot at the playground near where I grew up, in Smithtown, New York.

For every excuse we can come with NOT to work on the things we want to do, we can come up with at least one way to get it done. An alternative, or a work around, or something that keeps our momentum going, even if we don’t totally make it happen.

Something that helps us stay true to the commitment we made to ourselves.

Something that helps us have faith in our own word.

Something that helps us to look back and say…

“Yeah, I could have punked out. But I didn’t.”

Something that helps you get the results you were looking for, instead of coming up with the next new grandiose plan to build your body.

Or your income.

Or lose weight.

Or get out of debt.

You don’t have to be so dependent on the methods that you lose sight of the bigger picture.

If it’s income, what can you use that you already know how to do?

If it’s weight loss, what you can eat that nourishes the body? What can you do instead of be in an environment full of junk food?

If it’s exercise, what can you use that’s free, and accessible?

Lose the excuses. Take back your life.

You’re not going to get anywhere if you’re not willing to get it wrong.

You’re going to stay stuck where you are if you’re not willing to make mistakes.

You’re going to stay broke and scared if you aren’t willing to screw up.

You’ll always live in fear if you never let people see you for who you are.

And when you get it wrong, and realize the world hasn’t fallen apart, you’ll get stronger. And more confident.

And better at what you do.

And more attractive to those you want to attract.

Let it go. Let it out.

You got this, Dude!

By the way, you can CLICK HERE to see the original I Was Wrong from 2015.

If you want to ask good questions, and make a professional income, try having a rampage!

So I’m thinking about all of the Facebook posts that have questions.

Of course their job is to get people to answer them. Answers equal engagement.

Engagement equals more eyeballs and possibly more sales or more sign-ups.

So you see some of the craziest questions.

I breeze past 90% of them. I don’t like other people filling up my time with stuff that doesn’t keep me on the path to my goals.

And the ones I do answer are thought-provoking, and occasionally really fun.

But I won’t answer, ” peanut butter and jelly sandwiches…crust or no crust?”

Sometimes I play the game.

Sometimes I ask questions on my wall.

The most common one is the “rampage of appreciation.”

In other words, who deserves a shout out?

Who deserves to be recognized for doing something really good, or being someone really good?

That is always a winner.

That’s something that points away from you.

That something that makes people feel safe, and strong and inspired…even if it isn’t about them.

It also gives people the opportunity to get out of their own heads.

And really, everything you want to do in marketing is about them, not you.

Getting inside the hopes and dreams and fears and desires of other people will improve every aspect of your life.

And it will make people want to do the same for you.

Personally, I like chunky peanut butter and whole blackberries or raspberries on 12 grain bread, with the crusts.

But I’m not going to try and distract people’s attention from their dreams.

I’m going to lift them up, and help them get what they want.

If you do the same, see what happens to your personal and professional life!

Yes, I said professional life. If you act like and think like an amateur, how do you expect
to grow your business to a professional income?

If you act like a professional…with the occasional rampage to go along with it, you’ll score.