[jaredkain]

The Brilliance of @garyvee

— How to Tell Stories in Micro Moments to an Audience Who Wants it on Their Time

[jaredkain]

My Family Received This Remarkable Letter . . .

For those of you who don't know me personally, it is necessary to preface this entry with the following:

DONALD L. FERGUSON Ackworth

Donald Ferguson, 86, passed away at home on October 11, 2013. He was born in Palmyra, Iowa to Glen and Dorothy Ferguson. Donald graduated from Indianola High School and then served in the United States Navy. Upon his return from service, he married his sweetheart Addalene Burgett in 1946. To this union of 66 years, three children were born; Donna Jo, Randall Dean and Debra Lou.

His family was his number one priority. He often told his kids how proud he was of them. He enjoyed spending time with his grand kids teaching them to hunt and fish.

He retired from Neumann Brothers Construction Company in 1989 after 30 years. He was a member of Local #106.

In retirement Don enjoyed raising cattle and was a familiar face at the Russell, Humeston, Colfax, Knoxville and Winterset sale barns.

Donald is survived by his wife, Addalene; children, Donna (Douglas) Wilhoit of Altoona, Randall (Deb) Ferguson of Swisher and Debbie (Randy) Kain of Carlisle; grandchildren, Michael Wilhoit, Jared Kain, Brad Kain, Krista Westphal, Hannah Ferguson; sister, Joanne Griffin of Bayfield, CO; and brother, James Ferguson of Danville, IN.

Donald was preceded in death by his mother, Dorothy and father Glen.

Back to present. . .

Just a few days ago, my Aunt Donna received a letter in the mail.  Nothing in her wildest imagination could have prepared her (or the rest of the family) for what was about to be discovered. 

The letter (below), accompanied by two pictures, was from a man by the name of Donald Ellis Ferguson, who also served in the United States Navy... with my grandfather, Donald LeRoy Ferguson. In fact, they were even bunkmates during boot camp.

Crazy, right? But it didn't stop there.

After reading the letter, we would go on to discover that the similarities shared by the former Sailors spanned well beyond their years in the Navy — so much, in fact, that words just simply can't explain.

Take a look for yourself:

We are all so grateful to Donald E. Ferguson for having the foresight to realize how much this would mean to our family, and to his nephew, Dwayne Ferguson, for doing the legwork in order to find us and make it all possible. Their time and efforts are both sincerely appreciated.

And to my grandfather: You are deeply missed by us all. Our hearts remain full. "Be careful" up there. We love you.

[jaredkain]

Be Confident In . . .

It is never your job to help someone see things 20/20. Be confident in who you are and what you bring to the table.

Value the sacrifice it took to become that person and find others who value that sacrifice as well.

You've earned the right and owe it to yourself to never settle. Ever.

[jaredkain]

Reflection and the Magic Of . . .

I believe magic appears in our lives each and every day — we just have to find it.

Every choice, every decision we make takes us in a direction exposing us to certain things and for certain reasons. It is ultimately up to us to ascertain the underlying message — the magic.

Reflect daily.

[seanmeverett]

I started this blog on exactly January 1, 2013. I’ve written at least one post per day, every day, even when I was sick, it was a holiday, or I just didn’t feel like it. I didn’t take the easy road either and just resort to quoting other people’s work. Nay, I forced myself to come up with purely...

[jaredkain]

On Spending Quality...

It should never matter where, when, what, or for how long.  True quality time is centered around how you are able to make another person feel.

Approach every encounter with a goal in mind of how/what you want to leave a person feeling once you part ways.  Then devise a plan as to how you will go out and make it happen.

Keep in mind: people won't always remember the things you do for them — but they will remember how you made them feel.

And that, is time well spent.

[seanmeverett]

I pushed this out on Instagram a few days back and wanted to explain my message a bit more.

It doesn’t matter who you look at, whether it’s a famous celebrity, an all-star athlete, a successful businessman or a politician of our time, absolutely everyone who is anyone started as no one. ...

[fastcompany]

12 Tools For More Mindful Living

[jaredkain]

Living a more mindful life is worth the effort, but remembering to focus and keep your mind in the moment is difficult. Here is a toolset designed to help you achieve your goals.

[fastcompany]

This Is What New York Looks Like From the Edge of a Skyscraper

Superheroes and window washers aside, most New Yorkers don’t spend much time leaning off rooftops 50 stories above the ground. But the view straight down is fairly spectacular.

It’s a side of the city most people never see in quite this way, which is one of the reasons Navid Baraty’s series of photos ended up on the walls of the Bowling Green subway station as part of the MTA’s Arts for Transit program.

[fastcompany]

Emotional Intelligence Predicts Job Success: Do You Have It?

[jaredkain]

The best salespeople and leaders have a high EQ. Daniel Goleman the man who coined the term pulls apart the aspects of emotional intelligence.

[fastcompany]

How Many Hours Per Week Should Freelancers Make Themselves Work?

[jaredkain]

With a bit of scheduling and a lot of strategy you may find you can be more productive working fewer hours.

[jaredkain]

"If people struggle to separate you from what you do, then your work isn't speaking for itself."

Above is a quote that I stumbled across that has resonated with me since the moment I read it.

— Unknown

[jaredkain]

"A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds."

— Francis Bacon

[fastcompany]

Nike's 5 Lessons On Innovation By Design

[jaredkain]

How Nike thinks about design helps the company find new ways of success before the old ways fail. Here are five takeaways that can be translated to…

[jaredkain]

10 Questions That Create Success

Want help focusing on what really matters? Ask yourself these on a daily basis.

Real success comes from the quality of your relationships and the emotions that you experience each day. That's where the 10 questions come in.

Ask them at the end of each day and I absolutely guarantee that you'll become more successful. Here they are:

Have I made certain that those I love feel loved?

Have I done something today that improved the world?

Have I conditioned my body to be more strong, flexible and resilient?

Have I reviewed and honed my plans for the future?

Have I acted in private with the same integrity I exhibit in public?

Have I avoided unkind words and deeds?

Have I accomplished something worthwhile?

Have I helped someone less fortunate?

Have I collected some wonderful memories?

Have I felt grateful for the incredible gift of being alive?

Here's the thing: the questions you ask yourself on a daily basis determine your focus, and your focus determines your results.

These questions force you to focus on what's really important. Take heed of them and the rest of your life — especially your work — will quickly fall into place.

Originally published by Geoffrey James of Inc.com on 23JAN2013.

[jaredkain]

Master A Skill

Be the best at one thing rather than good at one hundred others. Being the best means no one out there can do what you do.

There is great value in that.

[jaredkain]

“All men dream; but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.”

— T.E. Lawrence