“See the world through a child’s eyes and you’ll know it as the universe intended.” Darren Bocksnick

Life was intended to be a journey, not a destination! It was orchestrated since the annals of time that the human experience would be one wrought with adventure, mystery and wonder!

We observe this daily in the curiosity, fearlessness and vitality of our children. They are teeming with life because that’s all they know! To them, everything is new and each opportunity for learning something different is viewed with excitement and expectation. The world is still so fresh and flavorful, for it is all they know in their sheltered state of innocence.

Then somewhere along the way, life happens. The stress of daily living, of responsibilities, of deadlines and with peer pressure begins to erode at our newness. At this stage, many lose the zest and zeal for life they once exhibited and embraced.

Yet, even now amid the high tech gadgets, fast-paced living and over-extended lifestyles we’ve grown accustomed to, there is a call beckoning to us again. We are sensing the gentle wooing of our childhood to experience the wonder of it all once again!

We need not analyze, conceptualize, quantify or justify on why we should heed the call. We should heed the call because it’s who we are, what defines us and what firstly embraced us when we made our initial debut into the world.

The wonder of joy awaits us once again. The wonder of newness in experience and newness in perspective is beckoning us again. The wonder of beauty permeating the world all around is tugging at our heart strings and calling us up higher.

The wonder of it all awaits you.. It longs to welcome you back into the world so that you may partake of all its bounty and blessings. Welcome back… a wonderful life is ready to embrace you once again!

The Sweet Smell of Success

Written By: Darren Bocksnick © 2010

 Though I’m not a coffee drinker, I’ll admit the aroma of a fresh pot of someone’s favorite, savory brew welcomes the morning with pleasantness.   Scent is said to be the sense that has a direct correlation to memory over all other senses.   In pondering this, I believe there is some truth to this line of thinking.

This being the case, it would explain how the smell of coffee could incite memories of home while mom and dad rushed through the morning before heading off to work in a mad dash.   This logic would also explain how coffee could bring back memories of camping in Michigan’s back country where the scent of pine and a pot of the stuff could amplify nature’s wonder with a sense of longing.   Additionally, this would conclude how the scent of coffee could bring to mind the memories of various office jobs I’ve held where co-workers scrambled to catch the last drop so they wouldn’t be forced into making more.

If scent truly is the connector of memories, then there are some interesting parallels we can draw with other significant areas of our lives.   What if success, that seemingly elusive state of being- had a distinctive scent all its own?   Better yet, what if the scent of success could permeate the air around, inspire memories and saturate everyone in the vicinity with its influence?

Like the pleasant memories a fresh cup of fancy brew can instill, success does have a scent.   The scent of success is absorbed by being within near vicinity to its reach and influence.   As we associate ourselves with successful individuals, we begin to absorb their success into our own lives.  Thus, the saying: “we become by-products of who we associate with” has new found meaning.

Then, if we become successful by being within reach of success’ sweet scent and by associating with other success-minded people like those of Successful Thinkers, we through a process much like osmosis begin to take on the memories of success.   A transfer motif occurs and the success of our predecessors is filtered down to us through absorbing and remaining in the vicinity or the influence of success.  This is the sweet scent of success brewing in our midst!

Darren.Bocksnick@gmail.com

http://mySuccessfulThinkers.com/Darren-Bocksnick

 http://highercaliber.blogspot.com/

http://lifeascent.wordpress.com/

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Sowing the Seeds of Success

Written by: Darren Bocksnick ©2010

Speaking of seed-planting when it’s actually the time of harvest seems almost counter-productive.  The fiery reds and golden browns reflective of autumn’s splendor should remind us of season’s end and the time to reap the benefits of planting and labor from the earlier part of the year.  The abundance enjoyed from such a well-deserved harvest is much like the conqueror enjoying the spoils of victory.  He or she would find it easy to relax and ease up now that the arduous labor has come to an end.

Yet, every conqueror and every planter knows that enjoying the spoils of harvest may be well-deserved and long overdue, but it must not deter them from moving forward and preparing for the next season.   The wise planner knows that he or she must immediately set in motion those things that will ensure another successful harvest in the days and years to come.

In this respect, the end-of-year harvest party is really a pre-season planning session for the spring-time months of planting and sowing.  The success of the upcoming year’s harvest is made possible by the preparation and planning that goes into the spring-time planning.  In other words, the full success of the planter and conqueror’s toils cannot be realized without the planning and sowing of seeds early on when the season is just right.

The above analogy is also true of our success in business and beyond.  We cannot expect to enjoy the benefits of well-deserved success-harvest in our lives without firstly putting forth the time, effort and planning during the sowing months, prior to harvest.

We’ve all heard of the “pay-it-forward” concept of giving one’s time, resources and energy into a worthwhile endeavor without the promise of pay, but only the hope for a payout, someday.  The pay-it-forward concept is really, sowing seeds of success into your life and others’ that someday will produce a harvest.

You may not know when the harvest will come or how plentiful it will be but rest assured, the level of planning and planting one puts forth into the sowing, will determine the rate, quality and quantity of the harvest in due time.   So, go forth and sow those seeds of success into your life, your loved ones, your community and into your vision for one day soon, your harvest will come and it will be plenty!

Darren.Bocksnick@gmail.com

http://mySuccessfulThinkers.com/Darren-Bocksnick

 http://highercaliber.blogspot.com/

http://lifeascent.wordpress.com/

http://hubpages.com/profile/WordWielder

Facebook:  http://profile.to/darrenbocksnick/

http://twitter.com/wordwielder

Written By: Darren Bocksnick @2009

1) You May Just Be An Entrepreneur If you are driven by a burning, insatiable desire for something better and something more: The entrepreneurial spark innate within you is not doused by disappointments nor snuffed-out by setbacks; rather, it grows moment by agonizing moment until it completely engulfs you and the flames of potential consumes you to action. This pioneering seed latent within you may have been dormant, hidden and undiscovered or worst, it may have been covered by layers of neglect yet it fights for life and for the light of a new day to dawn.

Some may perceive or label you as overly-ambitious and others may be intimidated, even jealous over your drive but what they cannot perceive or possibly know is that you must act upon your entrepreneurial instinct to press on toward new heights. For, to the entrepreneur, to do anything contrary is tantamount to being stripped of his or her potential.

Such is the angst of an entrepreneur; they must continuously strive to satisfy that hunger for success until something gives and the situation turns to their advantage.

2) You May Just Be An Entrepreneur If you are never completely satisfied or contented working for someone else: To the entrepreneur, working for someone else is a temporal, transitional obstacle at best; and an utter, unresolved disappointment at worst. Entrepreneurs make both the best and worst employees. They are some of the best employees because they have a natural proclivity toward business and their modus operandi is fueled by principles of success that tend to place them in a category unto themselves.

However; they make the worst employees because they know what opportunities await them and what unfulfilled dreams still vie for their undivided attention. In this respect, they are never truly passionate about another company’s product, service or vision since invariably, it is not their own. If left unresolved, those with an entrepreneurial nature become indifferent and intolerable as employees, to the point they are difficult to deal with…

Such is the struggle of the entrepreneur; they are like square pegs trying to be fit into society’s round mold and are never quite able to adapt. They are forced by reason of job status to make the transition to mere employee but deep down know they must heed their heart’s calling to chart their life’s course and chip out their niche.

3) You May Just Be An Entrepreneur If you are a perfectionist or have a low tolerance level for ineptitude, incompetence and inefficiency: Entrepreneurs are by nature, achievers. The entrepreneur’s desire to achieve goals and see their dreams come into fruition is unparalleled. When dealing with individuals who don’t seem to possess the same drive or determination, entrepreneurs become annoyed and impatient to the point of being unbearable. Since seeking perfection in all they do is the gage by which they measure and thereby, scrutinize a matter or an individual, ineptitude and incompetence are indicative of failure and they will thereby, avoid or keep at bay those exhibiting such characteristics.

They will spend countless hours researching opportunities, reviewing start-up business ventures and interviewing other successful people in the hopes that somehow, amidst it all, to find that single product or idea that best embodies their ambitions. They are seldom satisfied though with what they discover and their search is never quite complete until they create their own opportunity or modify an existing one to their own liking.

Such is the lot of entrepreneurs; they are always seeking out that perfect situation be it in an opportunity or a relationship but are never quite able to find what they’re looking for until they create it for themselves.

4) You May Just Be An Entrepreneur If your thoughts are constantly at work “brainstorming” and “master-minding” on ideas for helping improve existing processes or for the development of new products: In other words, the entrepreneur epitomizes the Japanese ideal of Kaizen or “continuous improvement”. When an entrepreneur-at-heart is present at a typical, company-wide or departmental brainstorming session, others sitting near will sometimes cringe with uncertainty and trepidation over what the entrepreneur among them will say or do next since, entrepreneurs are by nature, a bit unpredictable.

Yet, their ideas are over-the-top and revolutionary. Therefore, entrepreneurs typically visualize what others overlook or have not completely thought-through. Their imagination is constantly at work; analyzing and theorizing possible conclusions or solutions until a resolution occurs or a resignation follows. Though they are often criticized in public for their “wild notions”, it is the entrepreneur who is typically called on in private for his or her conclusions in such matters from an almost, consultative stand-point.

Such is the case with entrepreneurs; their minds and thought processes typically out-pace that of their peers in the discovery of new ideas or paradigms and as such, must slow down till others catch up or worst, separate themselves altogether until they do it themselves.

5) You May Just Be An Entrepreneur If you are constantly in “create mode”; conceptualizing new product ideas, dabbling in the arts, playing musical instruments and/or tinkering with gadgets in an effort to figure out how things work: It is no coincidence that the movers and shakers of society past such as the DaVinci’s and the Benjamin Franklin’s of their time were inventors, artists and / or proficient musicians. There is a direct correlation between the creative faculties of the mind and higher levels of intelligence. This creative stroke of genius is what beckons the entrepreneur forward in his or her quest for success and sustains them when all has not occurred according to plan.

Entrepreneurs by interpretation are creators; they create innovative products, they create companies from ground-floor on up to top-tier and they create opportunities for others to benefit from in terms of their effort and labor. Innumerable are society’s advancements and conveniences that could safely be attributed to the work of an entrepreneur. Their noted mark of influence is shared by all and is routinely experienced on an ongoing basis.

Such is the plight of the entrepreneur; their efforts often go unnoticed and worse, are accredited to others. Their crowning achievements are typically so frequent and routine that others capitalize off of their works and take credit for the entrepreneur’s efforts.

6) You May Just Be An Entrepreneur If you don’t accept paradigms as routine; but rather, you break them and create new ones: Paradigms are established patterns of thought that become the standard norm for how individuals function and carry out their daily duties. These paradigms are “safe-zones” for many since they represent a form of tradition that’s been accepted and adapted as standard rule. Yet, to the entrepreneur; their inquisitive mind questions the establishment, bucks up against tradition and compels them to map out a new set of rules; their own!

Since, the entrepreneur by instinct is a trend-setter, a rule-breaker, and in most cases, an over-achiever; he or she cannot be boxed in or made to fit into society’s mold. Rather than making the pivotal mistake of attempting to tame the entrepreneur to become society’s civilized pet, society rather needs to release the entrepreneur out into the wild where he or she can roam, rule and run their course, uninhibited.

Such, however is the role of the entrepreneur; to leave his or her indelible mark on society by setting certain changes in motion that usher in a new paradigm shift in forward thinking and yet, be forced in many ways to watch from a distance as well as to savor the satisfaction of what they’ve accomplished in silence.

7) You May Just Be An Entrepreneur If you live your life as if endowed with purpose and empowered by a higher calling from somewhere beyond… To some, the entrepreneur may seem indifferent, aloof or even a bit out-of-touch. This isn’t necessarily the case but their sense of quiet contemplation and reserve can be unsettling. Typically, people will mark them as different and place them in a category unto themselves. If the truth be told though, entrepreneurs ARE different in every sense of the word. Entrepreneurs are dreamers whose thoughts of grandeur and success keep them up long into the night and rising up early into the morning as if to seize the day. It is this desire for better things, this drive to break free from the status-quo that makes the entrepreneur stand out and easy to spot in a crowd.

Entrepreneurs may initially cause unease and unrest to those closest to them but it is the impact the entrepreneur leaves behind that often drastically improves circumstances for those same individuals, though entrepreneurs are seldom credited for doing so. In this regard, it could indeed be said that entrepreneurs do live their lives as if endowed with purpose and empowered by a higher calling because, by their mere actions- they break society free from the routines that have kept her at a stand-still and in doing so, usher in positive changes that improve the lives of those they’ve touched.

Such is the legacy of the entrepreneur; he or she may positively impact the lives of many and improve society on a routine basis but will most likely, not see the full scale of their influence nor realize the part they have played in the grand scheme of positive change they have introduced to their world.

In conclusion, entrepreneurs have left their indelible mark on society through the roles they have played in the advancement of technology, scientific breakthroughs and in pivotal, paradigm shifts that have helped procure new phases in our development as a civilized people. No doubt, without the impact of the entrepreneur, society may very well still be stuck in the agricultural age or worst. In the final assessment of things, it will be said by future generations that the entrepreneurs; those daring enough to do differently than what society’s expectations had confined them to- were the true heroes and heroines of their day; not the politicians, the celebrities or the CEO’s of large corporations. Though they are few and far between, society can still breathe a sigh of relief knowing that there always has and always will be the entrepreneur among us working quietly behind the scenes; contemplating development, creating improvements and causing advancement in the world to which they’ve been assigned…

 Darren.Bocksnick@gmail.com

http://mySuccessfulThinkers.com/Darren-Bocksnick

 http://highercaliber.blogspot.com/

http://lifeascent.wordpress.com/

http://hubpages.com/profile/WordWielder

Facebook:  http://profile.to/darrenbocksnick/

http://twitter.com/wordwielder

The Secrets of the Successful

Written By: Darren Bocksnick ©2009

There is no secret to success but there are secrets to being successful in today’s economy.  Successful people and entrepreneurial minded individuals alike have learned not only how to survive in such conditions; they learn how to thrive!  For them, there is an age-old proven principle that is powerful enough to see beyond the present situation to envision future expectations.  So, even when things appear to be their bleakest, these forward thinking individuals appear to be un-phased.  

Some may ask how this is possible.  In answering, we learned some profound principles from the acclaimed documentary: “What the Bleep Do We Know” (www.whatthebleep.com).  Scientists studying the “neural network” within the human brain discovered the brain actually rewires itself in response to patterns of thought.  If a person is prone to negative thinking or a pessimistic outlook on life, the brain rewires itself accordingly and not surprising, these individuals always seem to have no shortage of trouble and negative circumstances occurring in their lives.

However, those same studies revealed the opposite holds equally true! If an individual decides to be grateful and have a positive outlook, the brain rewires itself again to accommodate this new pattern of thought and in turn, forms that individual’s “world” according to their new way of thinking! 

As a result, the grateful individual’s life seems to be replete with good things; health, family, prosperity, abundance, goals, etc. This is not to say they don’t encounter the occasional hardship but the positive things in their lives far outweigh the negative!  The intended lesson here is: we are what we think and our thoughts can in fact, determine our reality!

Though this is simple in principle it may appear difficult in practice.   Yet in all actuality, a little goes a long way in changing the way we think.  It starts by simply planting seeds of positive thought.  It may be refusing to be upset when troubling circumstances occur and instead, remaining positive through the storm.  Or it may be expressing gratitude over those things one does have even when faced with loss and despair.  These are simple ways of planting positive seed that one day will have fruition.

There’s another form of seed planting which encompasses the art of speaking positive “seed-words” into your situation, regardless of how dark and dismal things appear to be.  This can be as simple and unnatural as seeing yourself in the mirror and saying: “I’m a winner” or “I’m special”.  It is these small, incremental seeds that eventually yield a positive mental harvest which affects your attitude, outlook and whole worldview.

 This act of seed planting can also be as powerful as speaking out loud to your circumstances or making a bold exchange of positive “faith” words to a crowd, whether in a small group or large gathering.  In doing so, your words become a powerful, creative force that will eventually form the world you hope to see. 

 When you plant positive seeds, the harvest that eventually comes will not only benefit you but others as well.  This is wherein the true beauty lies.  By a few simple changes in the way we think, we can not only create the world we want for ourselves but we can also “speak” better things into existence for the benefit of all!  

It requires due diligence in both principle and practice to change your thought process so these better things can begin to occur in your life.  If you cultivate your mind and ready it for change; till up and free your thought-field of negativity and plant daily seeds of positive thinking,  you too will produce an abundant harvest!