Are you able to land in the present moment? Are you self-observing? Do you think about what makes you you? Have you consciously defined the values that propel and direct you? Do you have belief in what you do every day? Does it energize you? Can you be planful?
I can answer YES! to all these questions.
Since early childhood, I’ve been told that I have a vibrant, resilient, positive personality. Family, friends and colleagues always compliment me on my energetic and passionate approach to life. It’s helped me create extraordinary opportunities for myself and others . Reading my Linkedin recommendations reminded me of this recently. The best part is…it’s not just a show. I genuinely believe in myself, have a love of life and know that I can help others live happier, more successful lives and can help corporate and nonprofit leaders maximize their positive impact on society.
For the past 28 years, I’ve kept personal journals. My entries chronicle amazing and challenging life chapters. They cover the ups:
- Being the valedictorian of a major university. Go Jayhawks!!!
- Traveling the globe and moving to CA from a small Kansas town.
- Raising a healthy, beautiful son and daughter.
- Working for almost ten years at salesforce.com helping thousands of companies and nonprofits drive impact and training thousands of global sales employees
- Helping LinkedIn expand their LinkedIn For Good program by launching the LinkedIn Nonprofit Solutions group to help nonprofits more effectively achieve their missions.
- Helping over 9000 nonprofits and 70% of Box.com’s staff enable positive social and enviro impact via an entity we built called Box.org.
- Running a 50 mile trail ultramarathon over Mount Hood in Oregon.
- Marrying an incredible partner in 2016 and living with her in a dreamy home.
They also cover the downs:
- A nearly suicidal summer during my undergrad.
- Ending two marriages that weren’t serving their participants anymore.
- Nearly losing our son due to birth complications in 2017.
- Nearly losing my wife Amanda to Sepsis / Toxic Shock later in 2017.
- Experiencing professional “failure” or being removed from multiple high visibility roles.
Mainly, my journals contain lists and strategies for optimizing my time on earth. Eleven years ago on a shuttle bus between Lake Tahoe and Reno Airport, I started a journal entry that changed my life. I wrote down my peak personal and professional life chapters, then furiously listed what made them possible. With tears streaming down my face onto the page, the concept of BeliefEnergy (BEing) was born. I knew on that day that I needed to share my thoughts with people. I felt like I had the power of the sun at my disposal. My belief and energy were at an all time high!
Belief Energy (BEing) is the name I gave to my personal power source that day. It’s the framework I have lived by to sustain optimal living for the past 11+ years since it arrived. It represents the four key aspects of life that work together to power my happiness and success: Soul, Tribe, Capacity and Impact. It’s in these four areas that I land in the present moment, observe myself, house my values and priorities, overcome barriers, set plans and goals, make decisions, remain accountable and let go of things not serving me.
Whether we focus on it or not, all people have a central power source that propels and guides them. They have their own version of Belief Energy (BEing). Maybe they’ve never consciously thought about how they move through their life, but they know that something guides them. My goal isn’t to force people to adopt my power source. My goal is to give people the courage, inspiration and mentoring to define, access, expand and sustain their own version of BEing, despite all the perceived barriers that stand in their way…ideally without requiring a 30 years of journaling prerequisite.