Do You Really Belong Here?
It is about to get REALLY REAL!
I rarely take myself too seriously, but right now, for the next few paragraphs, consider this my serious face, my serious tone and my serious message to you all (with love of course).
Before you spend any time watching the videos, reading the blog content, signing up for my newsletter or even scheduling a coaching session, we both need to know if this is the place for you.
This site, my videos, my values, my vision, my driving force…it is either yours as well (or at the very least resonates with you) or its not.
Here is how you will know for sure. I will tell you what I believe is possible, what I think we are all capable of, what is important to me and what makes me tick.
While I hope you share some of the same values and beliefs as I do, it is totally OK if you do not, it just means that this may not be a place you will feel comfortable or that you will benefit from. Like a vegan hanging out at a butcher shop…
BUT if what I say energizes you, feels like I am telling your story, describes what you are passionate about, paints the vision you have for how you want to live and speaks to the core of what you know to be true, then welcome welcome welcome!!! We are gonna have LOTS of fun together!
So here goes (deep breath):
in being authentic! Yeah I know the word “authenticity” strikes fear into so many (including myself)…what does it even mean?
When I’m living authentically, I am living a life that I believe embodies the person I strive to be(come). I am always looking for ways to have fun, to laugh and crack people up (like where you can’t breathe or you snort because you are cackling so hard), to celebrate, to be REALLY goofy and silly and dance in my car (extra points if someone catches me dancing and when they do, I dance EVEN HARDER, it makes their day!)
When I’m being “real”, it doesn’t mean I’m saying whatever the hell I want, whenever I want, to whomever I want (being authentic doesn’t mean being an “A-hole”). It means that I put myself in situations that align with my values, what energizes me, what allows me to be of service to others, to share love, compassion and to be truly ME in the process. It also means that I try not to lie or convince myself that I should try to fit in with people or situations that do not match up with who I AM.
I lived out of integrity and out of authenticity for a LONG time and while it can still be a struggle sometimes, I can tell you that this is a much happier place to be.
in living an inspired life! When I first started on this journey, I was SO concerned with inspiring others. But what I realized from helping other people, working with my coach and through personal reflection is that the BEST way for me to inspire people is to LIVE INSPIRED!
I want to live the wisdom I share (not just get on a soapbox and preach it like some wanna-be guru), talk about the things that I have overcome and how I did so, because I know that message is what will help those struggling with the same things to find the inspiration they need to uncover their true potential. I also believe in the ripple effect of an inspirational life. I believe that people often underestimate the massive power and influence that their own transformations can have on the people around them (spouses, siblings, children, friends, co-workers, community).
The easiest way I can sum it up that I hope will make it crystal clear for you is this: My goal is to live an inspired life that inspires others to inspire others. This is “pay it forward” on steroids and may be the key to changing our world! Remember, replace the “i” in illness with “we” and you get wellness!
in life-long learning and growth! I LOVE LOVE LOVE to learn! I have had tape wrapped around the center of my nerd glasses (metaphorically of course) for as far back as I can remember. Whether by talking to people way smarter than me (lots of those out there), reading, watching videos, listening to interviews, attending classes and workshops, I can’t get enough of the science of positive psychology, flourishing and well-being, the human brain, entrepreneurship, marketing and a number of other titillating (yeah I said titillating) topics. Beyond a deep-rooted love of learning, I also do this because I want to be able to integrate into my life, and share, hugely impactful ideas.
10,000 hours, that is what is said it takes to be a master of any particular subject or discipline and while I haven’t hit that magic number yet, I am committed to doing so because I know the only way to fulfill my true purpose (see the last section on living an inspired life) is to make sure I am constantly learning and growing to help others do the same.
I love (and am sometimes totally afraid of) learning, growing, stretching myself, failing, trying again, and getting even better than I ever thought I could be and then marveling at how much can be accomplished when you truly dedicate yourself and your focus to building and living an ideal life.
in going to bed fulfilled and waking up excited! I know what you are saying, “But JG, I hate my job/I am not in a healthy relationship/I don’t have enough money in the bank/I feel empty/I know there is more but its definitely not where I am now!”. BELIEVE me, I feel you, I’ve been there and even when it looks like you have all of those things in your outer world, it still may not feel like enough if your inner world is all screwy.
Less than 10 years ago, I was 25 years old, a director for a tech firm, making 6 figures, had a condo in an affluent city outside of Orlando and was driving one of my dream cars (a Chrysler 300C, the pimp-daddy all blacked out one, such a gangsta) and guess what…I WAS MISERABLE!
I may have failed to mention that I was also 300+ lbs., anxious, depressed, stressed, handcuffed by my paycheck and the “pseudo-security” level that my soul-sucking job provided. Plus on top of all of this I was damaging my relationship with my ridiculously wonderful wife because of my anger problems and total disconnection from anything that wasn’t work-related. It wasn’t until I decided that happiness was never really “around the corner” as I had tricked myself to believe, that it started to click for me.
Once I started digging into the study of positive psychology and people like Shawn Achor (his TED talk is one of my favs btw), I realized that SUCCESS comes from HAPPINESS, NOT the other way around!
My 100% belief on happiness is this: Happiness is not an outcome or a result, it is a choice! (cue the haters and doubters) Once I started studying and putting into practice the concepts I learned, I realized that being excited about my life was minimally dependent on my environment and was instead created, executed and reinforced by my mind set.
I’m not saying it has been smooth sailing ever since but, I can absolutely say that I now have much higher highs and more importantly, much higher lows.
in freedom! No, I’m not saying to just quit your job today because “the man” is on your back (though ultimately that may be the right path for you as it was for me), I’m really talking about autonomy. What is autonomy? It is a fancy word for life on your terms! Your ability to choose your journey, to take action to exercise your right and your obligation to yourself to live a life that promotes your purpose, your cause, the things that energize and empower you and that hopefully make you AND the world a better place. You can do this as an entrepreneur, you can do this working for a company regardless of size or industry and you can do this in your personal life. For me it is something I knew had to be done in order for me to truly feel fulfilled.
It took me spending nearly 15 years in the IT industry, fighting as hard as I could to ignore the full force jabs and uppercuts that my subconscious mind was socking me with to FINALLY give in and say “OK, I HEAR YOU, SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT AND IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX IT!”
Know that you ARE bold enough not to have to wait as long as I did to get the message and do something about it! If you know it has already been far too long, I hope now is the time you start taking the “mental slaps up side your head” seriously enough to decide that something has gotta give and to expect miracles and greatness on the other side of the change.
Your move!
Now its your turn, to make a decision and take action – (very red pill/blue pill, right?) – on whether we part ways friends with no hard feelings and me wishing you all the best OR if we embark on this journey together.
It is only as a strong community of like-minded people that we can build our ideal lives and best selves by learning the skill set and adopting the mindset that will lead to prosperity in our lives and businesses. You have a real partner here and now (and a much larger community of AWESOME people in the near future if this message really starts to spread) who is willing, ready and able to serve and support you, but it is your decision to take the leap and do the work that will dictate just how far you can go!
(relaxes serious face and shakes body out)
So what’ll it be?
If you are ready to be an official member of the MEometrist community (that is just what we call ourselves, there is no hazing, application process or dues to pay) and share in all the goodness we have to offer, leave a comment below to introduce yourself, even (and especially) if it is out of your comfort zone.
You could say “SH!T YEAH” or “LET’S DO IT” or “THIS ROCKS” or “WOW YOU ARE CUTE” (OK that one probably won’t happen) or ANYTHING else you want to say to let me and the rest of the MEometrists know that YOU are on-board with making life happen!
I’m so grateful you found us and please let me know how I can support you going forward!
Be You, Do You, Love You, Because there is ONLY one of you!
Authentically Yours,
Oh and if you REALLY want to read the more standard “about me” stuff with my full bio, I’d be happy to share it. Click here!
