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Nov 04

November 4, 2020 – JOLT – Good Time, My Pretty?

By Darrell Gurney | Blog

“Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you have in mind.”
-David G. Allen

Keeping it short and simple today…

today it’s all about the quotes above and below.

Whether it’s the results of an election, the forward progress of society, the unfoldment of our careers, the growth and development of our hearts and minds, the pursuit of our dreams and/or the finding and fullest expression of our Self…

Patience is where it’s at. Today and every day.

          “All in good time, my pretty. All in good time.”
                                    — Wicked Witch of the West

Take appropriate action. Sow peace. Stay safe. Be patient.

Need help in planning for your current or post-pandemic career, business or personal life? Schedule a session here. Crazy as it sounds, what if there’s actually forward movement possible for you out of all this? You likely won’t discern that on your own. I’m here to help you see what you don’t.

Got all in good time?

“Patience is a form of wisdom. It demonstrates that we understand and accept the fact that sometimes things must unfold in their own time.”
-Jon Kabat-Zinn
Oct 21

October 21, 2020 – JOLT – One Little Difference Made

By Darrell Gurney | Blog

“I alone can’t change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”
-Mother Theresa

Fatigue is a weariness…

from bodily or mental exertion. Lots of folks are feeling it these days, termed “covid fatigue” or whatever other societal weariness may be numbing the senses.

Don’t let “difference-making fatigue” take over though…because it’s the one lifeline we all have that spans all peoples, conditions or affiliations.

Having no false expectations or visions of supernatural power, but in just sending this email today — even though I could tell myself it won’t make a difference, can’t cut through the email noise, will fall on deaf/numb ears, etc. — I might actually ignite a bit of hope in someone.

The quote above or below may inspire them. They may experience just a brief moment outside the morass of life as it’s now occurring. Heck, they may even take an action they wouldn’t have taken otherwise!

I claim no ability to make a profound impact on a massive scale with an email from little old me. But I don’t doubt for a second the difference you can make today with that bit of extra upliftment you may offer those who come into contact with you!

Like the story goes, when a boy throwing beached starfish back into the ocean was told by a passerby that his effort was fruitless and that he couldn’t possibly make a difference given all the starfish on the beach, he threw one more into the surf and said, “it made a difference for that one.”

Make sure “difference-making fatigue” doesn’t get in the way of little old you making a difference for “that one” today.

Need help in planning for your current or post-pandemic career, business or personal life? Schedule a session here. Crazy as it sounds, what if there’s actually forward movement possible for you out of all this? You likely won’t discern that on your own. I’m here to help you see what you don’t. Let’s play a big game to impact your results ahead.

Got one little difference made?

“We can change the world and make it a better place. It’s in your hands to make a difference.”
-Nelson Mandela
Oct 14

October 14, 2020 – JOLT – Gaming the Flow

By Darrell Gurney | Blog

“You cannot see the way out of a challenge if you are looking at it every day from the same level of mind, emotions, thoughts and feelings of the past.”
-Dr. Joe Dispenza

Even when the energy toward seductive…

boredom, resignation, “I’ve had enough”-ness, and no possiblity pulls, it’s our job to pull back.

A recent talk I attended served to remind me of the existential fact that everything brings with it its exact opposite and there will always be the ebb and flow in life. You can’t outthink, outrun or control the ultimate ebb and flow.

The good news of that is — without being Pollyanna — if things pretty much suck right now, there will be a flow in the days ahead. The danger is getting caught in the sucky feelings of the ebb and staying there until a flow proves itself. That’s reactive living.

Whether you believe in the idea that your thoughts and feelings create and attract your reality or not, if you’re entertaining sucky ones right now, you can choose to alter that proactively and feel better . . . if only for today.

Out of what might be a formless morass of covid/political/racial/economic/whatever muck you’re facing, pick a game to play today — if only for today — to steer your feelings in the direction of possibility.

Will it be the gratitude game?
Will it be the take-one-baby-step-toward-your-dream game?
Will it be the nurture your health and well-being game?
Will it be the uplift a friend game?

Philosophically, the basis of game theory is the completely manufactured designation of one thing as being more important than another, one result better than another. Your feelings results for today (this week, the rest of 2020 and beyond) are something you can influence.

Create your personal daily game, motivation, or inspiration. Don’t wait until better feelings are “warranted.” Put out a warrant for their arrest now simply because you want them!

And, whether or not  your personal game turns the external world’s ebb toward flow, it can have being over there where you are in your life feel a helluva lot better.

What game will you play, if only for today?

Need help in planning for your current or post-pandemic career, business or personal life? Schedule a session here. Crazy as it sounds, what if there’s actually forward movement possible for you out of all this? You likely won’t discern that on your own. I’m here to help you see what you don’t. Let’s play a big game to impact your results ahead.

Got game flow mastery?

“Let’s go invent tomorrow rather than worrying about what happened yesterday.”
-Steve Jobs
Oct 07

October 7, 2020 – JOLT – The Second Wave… of Rejuvenation Responsibility

By Darrell Gurney | Blog

“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.”
-Oprah Winfrey

It’s the last thing we want to think about, but…

a second wave of self-generated enthusiasm and zest for life is being called for.

We all wished 2020 would have turned by now, but rather than a light, there’s pretty much just more tunnel ahead.

It was “novel” for us to each find our ways to cope in the early weeks and months of pandemic times: family zoom get togethers, virtual Hamilton watch parties, or socially-distanced meetups in the park.

But, it’s gotten old. . .and we feel we have too.

Yet, as the old Jewish proverb goes, “If not you, who? If not now, when?”

As we move into the fall and winter months, there’s no white knight coming but ourselves to handle the boredom, resignation or frustration. Time to get creative!!

If YOU were the Julie/Activities Director on today’s Love Boat of pandemic coping, if YOU were the Tom Sawyer of today’s low spirits in need of repainting, what would you come up with?

How can YOU uplift yourself and those around you with some new, creative and not-yet-tried form of revuvenation of spirits?

–Zoom karaoke?
–Planning that Thanksgiving in the park?
–Daily WhatsApp gratitude chain?
–Exploration of areas of fascination while influencers are still home and available?

We can all succumb to the numbing effects of the times. . .or one of us in our sphere of influence can be that perky bluebird of possibility just when everyone needs it.

If not you, who? If not now, when?

Got rejuvenation responsibility?

“We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise, we harden.”
-Goethe
Sep 09

September 9, 2020 – JOLT – You’re on the Carousel of Progress… Even Now!

By Darrell Gurney | Blog

“There’s another part of getting older that’s just wonderful. Which is you see the way the stories turn out with people’s lives.”
-Erica Jong

“I remember back in the day when…”

is an opening that has preceded many stories from elderly grandparents, wise or not-so-wise mentors, and other folks who’ve been around the block a few times.

And guess what? Whether you wanted it or not, you’re now inducted into the “been-around-the-block” crowd when it comes to history.

Some generations had the Great Depression to wax on about, and some a particular war, and some free love, and some the Great Recession.

You now have 2020, replete with pandemic, racial discrimination reckonings, an ultra-divisive election, record-breaking hurricanes, once-in-a-generation wildfires, and Holloween trick-or-treating cancelled in Los Angeles County.

None of this is to be made light of, and yet knowing that stories were told about extraordinary times before and they will be told again.

“This too shall pass” in no way means that things will go back to the way they were. But it is a sage proverb reminding us that both rough and smooth patches always turn the other way.

Let’s never forget that a main, revered attraction of early Disneyland was Tomorrowland’s Carousel of Progress. What story of progress can you tell one day, even as you wax eloquently of these times?

If you’re a business owner or entrepreneur, in times like these, more than ever, I recommend the power of a Mastermind & Accountability Group.

The the power of coming together with your peers in a committed way has benefits we all need right now that simple surface relationships don’t provide.

To give you a sense of what a Mastermind/Accountability Group makes possible, check out “The Top 7 Benefits of a Mastermind Group.”

As you read, consider whether this kind of closeness could support you in these Covid times.

If you’re going to get zoom butt anyway, why not make it pay off for you and your business?

Need help in planning for your post-pandemic career, business or personal life? Schedule a session here. Crazy as it sounds, what if there’s actually forward movement possible for you out of all this? You likely won’t discern that on your own. I’m here to help you see what you don’t.

Got stories of progress?

“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.”
-Oprah Winfrey

Sep 02

September 2, 2020 – JOLT – Masks-off Support in a Masks-on World

By Darrell Gurney | Blog

“Lean on me, when you’re not strong, And I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on, For it won’t be long, ‘Til I’m gonna need, Somebody to lean on.”
-Bill Withers

Dealing with uncertainties and abnormal times…

takes its visible and invisible toll. We’re all experiencing it.

I’ve personally found myself in one frame of mind one hour (or day, or week, or month) and then in a completely different one only one hour (or day, or week, or month) later.

I probably reach out, check-in, listen and absorb the available support around me more than I ever did in “normal” times…and am hugely grateful for it.

If “Rona” has blessed us in any ways, it may be a stronger appreciation of relationships and, ideally, a willingness to be open and listen in ways we didn’t before, when the world (and our personal world) seemed routine and steady-as-she-goes.

Today’s mostly virtual relationships give us the challenge to pull more value from what’s possible out of our human interactions than we used to when under the guise that physical presence meant intimacy.

Now, with the former out-in-the-world distractions removed, and truly more “face time” of actually looking one another in the virtual eyes, we can actually get more real and intimate. We can take our masks off.

And more of that is needed as we head into a continued uncertain fall season with a lot of moving (and, hopefully, moving soon) parts in play.

Though your zoom-flattened backside may sometimes ache, I challenge you to find someone you thought you knew well in regular times and go deeper in Covid times.

What are their real dreams? What are their perceived challenges? And how might a created structure of mutual support to not only get through the week or month but to actually grow bigger in the face of these adversities support them…and you?

Reach out. Reach out and — masks off — touch someone. 

If you’re a business owner or entrepreneur, in times like these, more than ever, I recommend the power of a Mastermind & Accountability Group.

The the power of coming together with your peers in a committed way has benefits we all need right now that simple surface relationships don’t provide.

To give you a sense of what a Mastermind/Accountability Group makes possible, check out “The Top 7 Benefits of a Mastermind Group.”

As you read, consider whether this kind of closeness could support you in these Covid times.

If you’re going to get zoom butt anyway, why not make it pay off for you and your business?

Need help in planning for your post-pandemic career, business or personal life? Schedule a session here. Crazy as it sounds, what if there’s actually forward movement possible for you out of all this? You likely won’t discern that on your own. I’m here to help you see what you don’t.

Got masks-off support?

“…what I can do is offer myself, wholehearted and present, to walk with the people I love through the fear and the mess. That’s all any of us can do. That’s what we’re here for.”
-Shauna Niquist
Aug 19

August 19, 2020 – JOLT – Is That You In Front of That Zoom Butt?

By Darrell Gurney | Blog

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
-Helen Keller


OK, zoom butt is getting stiff…

but, if there was ever a time to welcome it, the time is now.

I spoke recently for a zoom meeting of entrepreneurs and business owners about the obvious challenges we are all facing in this new world of virtual (almost) everything.

What I proposed to them is somewhat of a contrarian thought…but that’s how I roll.

I say that we have blessings and opportunities brought about by these times that we would have missed otherwise. One of them is the opportunity to actually get closer than we ever have!

Now, how do you define close?
 Is it the body’s proximity to another body?
 Is it truly knowing someone and their story?
 Is it a feeling of caring for them and their well-being?
 Or, is it something beyond a feeling of caring, a real commitment to their success?

Speaking for myself, I think it was easy in the pre-Covid days for people to make an honest attempt and appearance of wanting to support others. But, the busy-ness of life always seemed to get in the way of really making a difference for one another.

Then, a lot of our busy-ness got taken away.

So, I think in these times when it’s not simply a given that you’ll be physically around others – but you really have to make the effort to connect – there’s an opportunity to go deeper and climb inside one another’s lives even MORE.

What if all of this, in some weird way, was the Universe’s challenge to get us REALLY closer?

I believe that a way to get truly closer and stay motivated daily in these challenging times is to really get in bed with each other. That sounds fun right?

But, I mean REALLY in bed with one another! Pick a few select folks, and get in bed with…
 Their business, how it’s doing, where it’s going
 Their life, the challenges they are facing outside of business
 Their dreams and aspirations
 Their blocks, fears and even psychological challenges that get in the way of their success

In times like these, more than ever, I recommend the power of a Mastermind & Accountability Group.

The the power of coming together with your peers in a committed way has benefits we all need right now that simple surface relationships don’t provide.

To give you a sense of what Mastermind Groups make possible, check out “The Top 7 Benefits of a Mastermind Group.”

As you read, consider whether this kind of closeness could support you in these Covid times.

If you’re going to get zoom butt anyway, why not make it pay off for you and your business?

Need help in planning for your post-pandemic career, business or personal life? Schedule a session here. Crazy as it sounds, what if there’s actually forward movement possible for you out of all this? You likely won’t discern that on your own. I’m here to help you see what you don’t.

Got zoom butt payoff?

“People are 65 percent likely to meet a goal after committing to another person. Their chances of success increase to 95 percent when they build in ongoing meetings with their partners to check in on their progress.”
-American Society of Training and Development
Aug 12

August 12 – JOLT – Is That You Fomenting at the Mouth?

By Darrell Gurney | Blog

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…”
-Charles Dickens

Perspective is something we can’t really get…

until we’re looking back from a distance.

But, when “the worst of times” seems to be happening, it’s at least somewhat consoling to know that it’s opposite is also present: “the best of times.”

Anything evokes it’s opposite, as a possibility. And in these challenging times of seeming disarray, it’s helpful to remember that it has always been the challenges mankind faced that took us to the next level, so as to overcome.

That’s happening worldwide, for sure, in the race for a vaccine to combat the challenge of a pandemic.

It’s interesting to note that, in all areas of life, to the degree that things become “the worst of times,” more forces are garnered to meet a challenge.

Why is it that we have to wait for things to get so bad before we decide to change?

Because comfort is the elixer of the masses.

It actually takes extraordinary effort — and consciousness — to foment a crisis when one doesn’t actually exist yet.

Yet, if all forward progress depends on becoming bigger than our challenges — both personally and as a society — would developing the muscle of fomenting crises in your life serve you?

The cool thing is, you’re the one who calls it what it will be, and by speaking a crisis into existence around anything (e.g., your career, relationships, business health, purposeful direction), you get to then turn on the extraordinary capacity we have as humans to overcome it.

Care to foment at the mouth around something that’s critically important for you today?

To support you in whatever career or business challenges you’re facing, I recommend taking advantage of some absolutely free resources I’ve made available for you in the “CareerGuy in Your Pocket” support program.

For 7 days, enjoy the webinars, audios and special resources available at no cost whatsoever. And join me monthly for a LIVE webinar on the 4th Friday of every month to answer your personal questions in moving forward.

If you feel that this and more guidance provided on a regular basis is worth $10/month, great, become a permanent member of the community. If not, at least enjoy the wealth of career and business resources available for these 7 days. And use it to move yourself beyond your challenges.

In making the most out of these challenging times, be sure to avail yourself of free, no-strings gifts that may be around you in more ways than you know.

Need help in planning for your post-pandemic career, business or personal life? Schedule a session here. Crazy as it sounds, what if there’s actually forward movement possible for you out of all this? You likely won’t discern that on your own. I’m here to help you see what you don’t.

Got fomenting at the mouth?

“Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the ony time we’ve got.”
-Art Buchwald
Jul 29

July 29, 2020 – JOLT – Somewhere Do-Over the Rainbow…

By Darrell Gurney | Blog

“Life gives you an endless supply of do-overs.”
-Iyanla Vanzant

Enough can never be said…

about the value of “try, try, and try again.”

In my own life, and in observing the lives of others, one of God’s greatest gifts is the opportunity to give it another go, a re-try, a do over, a second chance.

However, I take issue with the generally accepted “wisdom” that the reason for do-overs is because we “failed” the first time (e.g., “If at first you don’t succeed…”), that we fell down or have “mistakes” to now correct.

That reasoning emphasizes a “bad” result that we now are turning around to a “good” one.

Sure, the “good” thing we want is to have the object of our desire: whatever it is that we are shooting, sticking our neck out, or putting ourselves on the line for.

But what if the journey getting there was only full of “good” too? In other words, we make no mistakes, we never fall down, and it’s completely impossible to fail.

What if there’s only research and development, and anything and everything we pursue in our life is only a continual process of that?

Ever notice that when you actually “succeed” in getting to the pot of gold at the end of a particular project’s rainbow that there’s always another rainbow?

So, was it a “mistake” to pursue that first pot, even though you now see that there’s another pot that’s “better” and another rainbow that’s unclimbed?

Heck no! So, in the same way, there’s nothing but the opportunity to climb little rainbows within the bigger ones that we’re always provided…and you absolutely can’t do rainbow climbing wrong. You can only make right moves, all the time.

If you gave up the idea of mistakes or the possibility of failure in your life, what rainbow would excite you to start climbing today?

To support you in whatever career rainbow you have your eye on, I recommend taking advantage of some absolutely free resources I’ve made available for you in the “CareerGuy in Your Pocket” support program.

For 7 days, enjoy the webinars, audios and special resources available at no cost whatsoever. And join me monthly for a LIVE webinar on the 4th Friday of every month to answer your personal questions in moving forward.

If you feel that this and more guidance provided on a regular basis is worth $10/month, great, become a permanent member of the community. If not, at least enjoy the wealth of career and business resources available for these 7 days. Consider it me sharing my pot of gold with you.

In making the most out of these challenging times, be sure to avail yourself of free, no-strings gifts that may be around you in more ways than you know.

Need help in planning for your post-pandemic career, business or personal life? Schedule a session here. Crazy as it sounds, what if there’s actually forward movement possible for you out of all this? You likely won’t discern that on your own. I’m here to help you see what you don’t.

Got rainbow right moves?

“I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.”
-Maya Angelou
Jul 15

July 15, 2020 – JOLT – Got Less Taxing Options?

By Darrell Gurney | Blog

“Friends and neighbors complain that taxes are indeed very heavy, and if those laid on by the government were the only ones we had to pay, we might the more easily discharge them; but we have many others, and much more grievous to some of us. We are taxed twice as much by our idleness, three times as much by our pride, and four times as much by our folly.”
-Benjamin Franklin

Tax day again, even though it was postponed…

and it’s a ritual we endure for the sake of our freedoms.

Outside of any particular political perspectives the subject brings up, Benjamin Franklin points out the far more costly “taxes” we pay ongoingly.

Especially in these most interesting times, it’s easy to fall idle or numb given the back-and-forth of information, policies, hope, despair, and uncertain future we face as individuals, families, localities, the US society as a whole, and even the world community.

It’s also easy to let our pride, based on how things used to be, get in our way of moving forward TODAY.

As for “folly,” of course, mistakes can be costly…but a bigger mistake is not taking new and different actions TODAY because of the fear of making one. I believe it’s better to “fail forward fast” than to sit and try to dot every i and cross every t before getting on the playing field.

These times are challenging, for sure, and nobody can Pollyanna our way out of this.

But, if we use this time as an opportunity to quit looking outside of ourselves and, instead, turn to our own inner direction and guidance for how we want to come out of this, then something unique may be possible that wouldn’t have been had these times not come about.

Is it time to make that long-pondered career shift?

Is it time to restructure and point your business in a different direction?

There’s still more time on our hands right now than there used to be. Using it most effectively can be a far less taxing option.

To support you in wherever you want to go, I recommend taking advantage of some absolutely free resources I’ve made available for you in the “CareerGuy in Your Pocket”support program.

If you feel that this and more guidance provided on a regular basis is worth $10/month, great, become a permanent member of the community. If not, at least enjoy the wealth of career and business resources available for these 7 days. Consider it my tax-day gift to you.

In making the most out of these taxing times, be sure to avail yourself of free, no-strings support that may be around you in more ways than you know. It’s a far less taxing option.

Need help in planning for your post-pandemic career, business or personal life? Schedule a session here. Crazy as it sounds, what if there’s actually forward movement possible for you out of all this? You likely won’t discern that on your own. I’m here to help you see what you don’t.

Got less taxing options?

“I have lived by one crucial principle since I was 24 years old. I don’t blame or complain about things like the economy, the government, taxes, employees, gas prices, or any of the external things that I don’t have control over. The only thing I have control over is my response to these things.”
-Jack Canfield
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