A Fish That Thinks It Is Stupid

-by Matt Leedham

I love when pithy quotes smack you upside the head. Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet (Act 2, Scene 2) “brevity is the soul of wit,” which is in itself is both brief and witty. Bravo, Mr. Shakespeare.

Albert Einstein also said some interesting things in his day, but I saw a quote yesterday that really grabbed my attention.

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

How many times have you judged yourself for (pick one):

• Not being successful enough?
• Not being the ideal weight?
• Not driving the right car?
• Not being better at sales?
• Not being a good public speaker?
• Not being an extrovert?
• Not being ____________ (insert something you lack)?

What is the truth? I mean really…what is the TRUTH?

Need help? Ok, ok. The TRUTH is that you are a fish! You are a fish and you’re trying to climb a tree. Not only are you a fish that is trying to climb a tree, but you’re beating yourself up over your inability to climb that tree!

Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? It’s silly judge yourself for not being a great climber when the reality is that you are an awesome little swimmer.

The point is, quit living in a constant state of “lack.” You don’t lack anything. You have gifts and talents that are unique to you. If you’re good at swimming, quit trying to climb things and just go swim. If you’re good at developing relationships, quit trying to balance budgets and just go talk to others. If you’re good at teaching others, quit trying to sell yourself and just go teach.

Find the fish within you and discover your true self. Offer that gift to the world and enjoy the experience. After all, if you’re a good swimmer, it’s usually quite fun to swim!

Mastermind Groups

-by Matt Leedham

Napoleon Hill, author of the timeless 1937 classic Think and Grow Rich, proposes this concept:

“No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind [the master mind].”

Mastermind groups bring together 4-10 people that share some specific interest, opportunity or challenge. Through structured dialog, they share ideas, brainstorm, create solutions, and experience share with each other for both the collective good of the group, and more specifically the individual benefit of shared brainpower on an isolated challenge.

Velocity will soon be offering Mastermind Groups. The concept has been around for a long time, but some of you may still not be completely clear on what it is or how it can benefit you.

A Mastermind Group will form a trusted network of advisors that want to see you succeed. Confidentiality is a critical component, as is every participant’s full commitment. The environment of trust and respect is so high, that digging deep on business or personal challenges and opportunities will quickly result in some of the following benefits:

• Increased knowledge and/or new skill sets
• Instant and honest feedback on challenges you may be facing
• Group brainstorming and experience sharing around opportunities available to you
• A trusted network that believes in your success
• Accountability partners and challenge buddies that push you to the next level
• A facilitated, productive discussion that yields results

A Mastermind Group is not a lead-generating networking group. Naturally, connections and resources are shared, but that is not the primary intent of the group. A Mastermind Group is not a group coaching session or a training class. The facilitator will guide the discussion for the purpose of productivity, but the participants create the agenda and are the primary source of ideas and information.

Other perks and benefits from a Mastermind Group are guest speakers, books, articles, message boards, and other resources to help you continue to grow.

Mastermind Groups have been around for centuries. This is not a new concept, but it is clearly an effective one. If your interest is piqued by this model of self improvement and group growth, email us! We are particularly interested in those that are in the education space, small business entrepreneurs, and health and wellness providers (e.g. physical therapists, chiropractors, masseuses, etc.).

Is it a Dream or Is It a Goal?

- by Matt Leedham

“Vision without execution is hallucination.” – Albert Einstein

Albert speaks the truth although it may seem a little harsh to the un-indoctrinated. A lot of us think we have big goals in life, but are they really goals? Or are they dreams? And what’s the difference?

Dreams are lovely to think about. In many ways, it’s your mind’s way of playing. Set it loose and your mind will wander aimlessly most of the time, or down some specific path of some idea or fantasy you have about the future. Day-dreaming about what could be isn’t a bad thing at all and certainly has its place in developing big plans for our lives.

But a dream is not a goal. Goals can be executed. Dreams may come true.

How do you turn a dream into a goal so that it actually happens? Start with defining the dream.

Dreams tend to be vague and open-ended. This happens because our creative mind can’t be bothered with the details at the time. It’s also scary to commit to something so grand. Dreams tend to sound like this…
1. I want to start a business someday.
2. I want to lose weight.
3. I want to own a home.
4. I want to travel the world.
5. I want to spend more time with family and friends.
6. I want to write a book.


Let’s define one of these dreams. I am passionate about travel, so we’ll start there.

Dream: I want to travel the world.

Exercise: Fast forward your life 5 years from now and assume the dream had come true. What happened, what did it look like? What would have to happen, specifically, for you to look back and say, “yep, that definitely happened…I traveled the world.” Be as specific as possible – paint the picture. Where did you go? How much time did it take? How many countries/cities did you visit? Was it one big 6-month trip, or 10 trips taken twice a year for 5 years? Were you with someone while traveling? Did you meet people, or try new things? What exactly would you have to do to feel like you reached this vision?

Now, let’s design a goal based on the definition you just gave this dream.

Here’s an example: "I will travel to 10 countries on a least 4 continents by September 2015 and meet at least one person in each country that I stay in touch with via FaceBook, email, or Skype."

Now that’s a goal! How realistic it is depends on you. Variables include your priorities (note: see our post on personal values), your finances, your family, etc. If the sample goal is not realistic for you the way it is defined above, then redefine it to fit your circumstances.

Don’t just dream it, achieve it!