Category: inspiration

Past, Present, and the Future

by Matt Hand

The Past, The Present, The Future

Actions of our past do not make us who we are today. This is what I believe.

I do a lot of work in the start up field and when you look at what the successful startups are doing it is rapid prototyping and shipping products quickly. The quickly shipping products however is where the problems can be. Sometimes pride get’s in the way and the mistake of the past becomes the present. How we deal with this makes a mark on who we are and our long term code of ethics. We see a lot of companies make a choice to take the past and make it better. This choice leads to better businesses. When we make a personal mistake in life with those that love us we can do the same thing by owning up to it and trying to make it better.

If we are to be looked at who we are today then we need to take a look at the past and not dwell in it. Personal reflection is the mark of successful people. The personal introspection though can lead to self doubt and that is where the present comes in. This present is what we make of it today. Does this past create the reality of what a new future looks like, or do we choose to relive the errors of the past? It has often been said the definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting a different result. In order to change this we must realize that our future is predicated on choosing to change today and make a difference in tomorrow.

All of this is predicated on our priorities and our core values. What are your core values? Sometimes the value in the today is the moment and the stillness of the now. My own experience was helping my wife when her son was in the hospital recently with viral pneumonia. The drive for the future was suspended by the now and that is ok. My wife and “bonus son” needed me. My wife needed someone to make sure that she was getting what she needed as she took care of her son. What this says is my family is worth it and for all of us this should truly be the case. I feel life really is to short and that the stress of life gets in the way of the love of life. The experience of the day and those that love us that are around us.

Our future therefore is unwritten. We get to make a choice in how we make it better. Our values dictate something about those choices. I know for me I am choosing the ones around me that care about me.

This is even true in business as Rabbi Lapin puts it, every dollar you earn is a “certificate of appreciation” from your customers. Take a look at your business and if you are to serve instead of receive how would your business change? I guaranty customer service becomes priority number one and you get rewarded for it.

By looking and learning from the past, stepping out of the present, and serving for the future we will have a better life in business and personally.

The Beginning

by Matt Hand

Most of the time when we start something we don’t have a good idea where the end is. This is even more evident when most business owners begin their small businesses. We think I want to change the world or want to offer a product that is not being offered by anyone else. We possibly find funding, buy equipment, buy product to sell, and we open our doors. If we guessed right and there is a market we begin selling our product and in time we find ourselves “successful.” Well at least others judge us as successful because we overcame that start up hump. To us though we just keep on keeping on and in some instances we are just making it. We are not really feeling successful. We still are struggling. We are struggling because our success compass is off.

Money is supposed to equal success. If we have the nice home, the nice car, or the nice office aren’t we successful? We have the money to show it, but in reality we have a false sense of success. Well at least I did.

I have owned my own business for over 11 years now. I battled through so many bad years just making it. I did make it though. I made enough to put food on my table and that in reality is what mattered at the time. I however still measured success as not having more money. I wasn’t driven by it, but I was placing my own value in it. I was not valuable because I wan’t making more. My reality, I wasn’t successful because I didn’t have the nice car or the nice house or the nice whatever. I was simply passing through my business making ends meet and at the same time becoming more and more bitter about it.

Why don’t people know my worth was often the question I would ask. I felt powerless and in that question alone is the value. We have to find our success in a different way.

Here is the reality when looked at through a different lens. For the past 11 years I have been privileged to be a part of some of the largest events in the community of Bend. I have put together many videos that have helped raise funds to change peoples lives. I have with assistance of  an incredible team built and executed countless videos and events that have been the small ripple. So my value is greater than money.

Here is what I would encourage all of you. Take a moment when you are feeling the lowest, or are not feeling successful and reframe the question to what is it that I value. Success is in that value. Success is so much more intangible than money, Success is the change you make in the world today.

Begin with the end in mind, but start with values instead of success. If you stick to your values you will be successful by nature. Your nature is your legacy.

Don’t choose junk food for the mind

by Matt Hand

It has been said many times before that we are what we put into our minds and here in 2015 I challenge all of us to put better things into our minds. Do you wake up and immediately feed your mind with Facebook or news sites because this isn’t really setting you up for success. We all need to ask ourselves what is going into our minds is it what would be junk food for our minds or health food with healthy motivational thoughts.

I choose the health food variety and within that vain here is a list of 4 blogs that I read to take the junk food away and one bonus video to help change your point of view.

1) Life Hack (http://www.lifehack.org/)– Tips for Life
This is a fantastic resource to help kickstart your mind and keep you moving forward with very positive tips every day.

2) PositivityBlog (http://www.positivityblog.com/)- Positive & Awesomeness Tips That Work in Real Life
While not updated as often as some of the other ones there are some absolutely spot on in making our days better and more positive

3) Dumb Little Man (http://www.dumblittleman.com) – Tips for Life
I really don’t like the title of this because I always seem to be an optimist, but these are some wonderful daily tips to transform a dull day to something remarkable.

4) Lifehacker (http://www.lifehacker.com) – Tips for Life and Tech
While in the last year this site has become a bit more commercialized there are great tips on how to make workflows quicker as well as life changing tips.

BONUS:

Go start your day with positivity in mind. Choose mental heath instead of junk food.

5 Days of Inspiration – Day 1

by Matt Hand

Inspiration comes in many forms, and on this first day of inspiration I have found someone just following their dreams.

His name is Magnus Walker. One of his companies renovates Porsches, but he puts his own flair into them. I am inspired by his story because he does it his way and at the same time has given back to the art area of Los Angeles and has helped gentrify the area and redevelop it. He is being awesome and following his dreams.

If you have 30 minutes watch this excellent documentary on what he does with Porsches.

URBAN OUTLAW – THE MOVIE from Tamir Moscovici on Vimeo.

5 Days of Inspiration – The Beginning

by Matt Hand

Since this is my personal blog I can get personal right? For the past year I have been in a struggle to find the right direction of my business and for my future. In December I decided it was time to focus down and come back to my roots in media production and building great brands through video. I say this because I have been drawn to some great stories recently, some stories of inspiration, and this video really hit me this weekend.

So after watching it what are your thoughts? Mine are to go be awesome.

For the next 5 days I am going to share some stories of people being awesome and just living their passions. This is just the beginning.