theDaily50 project

 

I’m writing a book on Thankfulness.

I want YOU to be in it.

If you are interested please read below and reply if you qualify.

(PLEASE SHARE)

For the past 6 months I have been experimenting with the idea and practice of thankfulness. I started saying out loud 50 things I was thankful for on my way to work or on a run. This soon became known as theDaily50.

What I found was when I was done I felt happier and ready to overcome anything that could and would happen in my day. I was more productive at work and I just enjoyed myself more.  After months of experimenting on myself  I want to test this on a larger scale so I created the Daily50 Project and I want you to be a part of it if you qualify.
I am looking for cool people to embark on a 21 day journey with me.

Do You Qualify?

You must…

• Commit to doing the tasks asked of you.
• Be willing to doing this in the morning.
• Have a facebook account or be willing to open one for this project.
• Share your experience with the group and allow for me to use it in the book.
• Be open to change and making their life happier and better.

Details:

• You will be asked to speak 50 things you are thankful for daily while on your car ride in the morning commute (if you don’t have a commute do it before you start working).
• Post on our private facebook group the one realization or thing you learned or felt as a result of doing this. Daily.
• Be on our conference calls.

Benefits:

• Look at life through a new lens of detail
• Be happier
• Be more thankful and appreciative
• Learn more about yourself
• Get to meet and connect with cool people doing the project
• Once the book is published you will get your very own copy

 

What to expect:

Most people can come up with 10-15 things they are thankful for pretty easily but the idea is to stretch yourself and get out of your comfort zone. To dig in and find appreciation and thankfulness in the simple things in life. If you do that for 21 days straight my experience says is your day will go better, make your relationships better, and make you more productive.

I applaud you for taking on this challenge and joining me in this new journey.

Cheers,
Armando

P.S. – If you qualify and really want to do this register here.

P.P.S. – To follow some thoughts on twitter search under #Daily50

 

What it means to be “A Real Man”

Be a Man!

What does that mean?

I am very fortunate that I have had my father as a great example to show me and tell me what being a man is all about.

I know that being a “real man” may seem pretty straight forward but the more men I meet the more I realize it is not so straight forward. I want to clarify what it means to be “A Real Man”. In today’s society too many of our men have grown up with no stable male figurehead. They learned “how to be a man” by watching TV (which is trash), learned by watching their friends (who often times are in the same situation as them or worse than they are), or they have have had to figure it out on their own by some other means.

I have a great role model who continues to show me and inspire me daily on what it means to be a real man and I want to share what he has taught me.

The purpose of this post…

The purpose of the post is to share the wisdom that my father taught me. I feel his example and wisdom has made me the man I am today. Also, as so much of what I write here,  I want this to serve as an archive for my son who is only 3 years old.

19 Virtues My Father Taught Me On How To Be A Real Man

(*NOTE: These virtues are in no particular order but I felt they were all important.)

• A Real Man says what he means and means what he says.
• A Real Man opens the door for a lady.
• A Real Man is honest in all he does and says.
• A Real Man has integrity that will not be compromised by circumstance.
• A Real Man takes responsibility for his actions.
• A Real Man helps and serves others who are struggling or want to be great.
• A Real Man loves wholeheartedly.
• A Real Man is not afraid to cry and show emotions.
• A Real Man must be strong and the head of his house.
• A Real Man communicates with his words not with his fists.
• A Real Man confronts his problems, not runs away from them.
• A Real Man demands and expects excellence from himself and those around him.
• A Real Man is a leader by his actions first, then his words.
• A Real Man values his family and spends time with them. They are most important.
• A Real Man focuses his time doing the most important things with the most important people in his life first then focuses on the rest.
• A Real Man works hard and doesn’t seek short cuts. That being said he also seeks to improve and make more efficient his methods and his work.
• A Real Man is a provider and protector.
• A Real Man says please and thank you.
• A Real Man seeks to make the world a better place.

 

Please share this with any man you feel may benefit.

I want to share one last thing that my father taught me. Never be afraid to fail. “If at first you don’t succeed try and try again.” None of us are perfect but striving for perfection is something we can all do. No matter how many times you fail get back up and keep persisting until you achieve what you want. Thank you for letting me share what my father taught me on how to be a Real Man.

Thank you Papi for your great example, for your love, and for your friendship!

Sincerely,

Armando

 

Lessons on the Run: Ep5-Shaved (Head) 4 Support

[youtube width=”600″ height=”355″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vME9jbJEZKE&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/youtube]

What an amazing run today.

First it was great warm weather not humid and clear blue skies. I ran in the Larry & Penny Thompson Park trails. This run I decided to see if I could do a full loop without stopping. As you know I have been doing intervals of 5 min of running and 1 minute of exercise. Slowly I have been inching it up and I had gotten as high as 16 minutes of running with 1 minute of exercise. Today I finally ran 1 loop, a 5K in 24:27 without stopping since my injury. I had no pain and it felt easy.

That is not even the best part…

The best part is what I thought about during my run. Last night I had a date night with my wife and we attended a TEDxMIA event at the Stage in downtown Miami. Now if you are not familiar with TED talks Google them, they are amazing. Essentially their focus is on “Ideas Worth Spreading”. So as I ran I was remembering my good friend Abdi which I had just seen a picture of her with her head shaved and one of her friends shaved their head too to support her.

Now this is important for 2 reasons…

1st – This triggered nostalgia of when my mother was going through chemo and I shaved my head to support her in a small way.

2nd – I realized that shaving your head for a friend or family member has long been an expression of support in our society.

What I decided to do was to unite us all through this experience and share these pics and share each others stories, and honor each of our loved ones that were taken by cancer. So I started the Shaved (Heads) 4 Support Movement.

But this is about relationships, community, support…NOT CANCER.

For every moment, every story we can capture and archive there lives a legacy never forgotten.

I was speaking to my friend Abdi currently battling cancer and she said a few things I want to share with you that really impressed me about her character:

“I’m not going say ‘I’ll do that maybe tomorrow.’ If I want to do something today and i have the energy, then I’ll going to do it. I don’t stress the petty things anymore life is too short to sweat the small stuff.“

“I’m smiling this cancer out of my body!! killing it with smiles and laughter instead of tears.“

Here is what I want you to do now:

1.  Go to the Shaved(Heads) 4 Support Movement website and [LIKE] this page

2.  Share a pic or a story there of how cancer has touched your life. Do you have it, a friend, did you lose anyone to cancer? Share their story.

3.  Help me spread this movement we are a part of and lets support our cancer fighters daily.

 

Cheers,

AC

 

Motivation Monday – Don’t be afraid to fail

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tjYoKCBYag[/youtube]

Thomas Edison created the light bulb. He made 10,000 different lightbulbs before he found the one that worked. When asked about his failures he stated, “I didn’t fail, I just found 10,000 ways not to make a light bulb.”

Perspective.

What is your perspective and how will you “fail” today?

Cheers,

Armando