Tag: learning

coaching, dare to be different

Mind Training

2chicksandapen

Can you train your mind to do things?

I think you can. We all have fears and sometimes our mind makes us think we can’t do something but if we are consistent, determined and persistent a lot can actually get done if we train our mind to think I can.

Let’s look at learning to ride a bike as a child. There is a fear factor involved for most, if not all. I’m sure it has to do with road rash and how much it hurts. I can’t think back to that age but my vague memories tell me it took practice, determination and trust. Trust in my teacher(s).

Then there is learning to drive a car. This fear may fall more towards the teacher rather than the student, but practice, consistency and determination play a part in success or failure. Even how long it takes to master the skill.

For some learning to swim is a challenge. Some don’t get the exposure in their youth and have to battle bigger obstacles to learn to swim or acknowledge they can’t swim as an adult. Kind of weird when you think about it. Nonetheless one has to train their brain to conquer the new skill. Consistent practice, patience, determination all play a role in success or failure.

Conquering fears is a lifelong challenge as fears pop up almost everywhere in life. We have to train our brain to think we can. Show our inner strength and power. Show our resilience and determination. We have to look fear in the eye. We need to train our mind.

What’s also crazy is we have to train our minds while people watch. Around us others are watching and learning too. Some may even be mirroring our behaviors to improve theirs. It could be your kids. It could be your grandkids. Maybe a coworker. Maybe a student in your class. Maybe a neighbor. Any day you could have one or more watchers. Those who watch you. Those who want to learn from you. Those who want to see what makes you tick.

Show them how you train your brain. How you do the things you may not want to. How you can strive to a new level of awesomeness with just a little extra push.

When you power up yourself and those around you great things happen. Strength, positive vibes, compassion and so much more is ignited.

Training your mind is a valuable skill to be able to harness. It’s an indirect form of communication. It’s even more powerful when you can spread that power to others around you.

Escape the ordinary today. Be that influencer. Be bold. Be assertive. Be decisive. Be authentic. Add a little sassy. Maybe some smarts. You will be one hell of a badass!

Just a little whisper in your ear from one badass to another.

inspire, partnership

Feel the Power

2chicksandapen

Recently I stumbled on a story. I can’t remember the origin but it caught my attention. A book was mentioned.

I wasn’t in a position to procure the book, read the book or anything really. However, I was intrigued. With the curiosity I garnered the help of my business partner, whom I trust as an extension of me.

I said could you do me a favor? Sure! Grab the book and give it a quick read. She is a speed reader luckily so I knew it wouldn’t take her nearly as long as me to get to it. Little did I know that book would bring up many similarities in my relationship with my business partner as is shown in the book itself. I’d called that highly coincidental.

Like an amazing partner, she not only read the book but she passed it with some footnotes. I clearly love footnotes from her as her take is often different than mine but valued just the same. This is an exercise we have done in the past but it’s been a while.

Now my turn to read. I’m pleasantly surprised. So many crossovers to my life yet different in many ways. One of the items I enjoyed most in the book were the quotes. Some I liked more than others but they all spurred thought in my mind.

The one pictured above has to resonate with almost anyone who reads this blog and for that I am happy to share it!

I even passed clips of this book on to friends as motivation and plan to rehome the book as soon as I’m ready to part with it.

Recently I wrote a post about take the class. Now I’m saying read the book. Read the damn book people.

Make the time. I didn’t really have time but I fit it in while riding my stationary bike or waiting in offices and other places I found a few minutes of down time.

Grow your knowledge. Stretch your limits. Inspiration and motivation can be hidden in the places we least expect them to be.

Be honest with yourself. You will grow into greatness when you reach the point where you can continually learn in any environment. This week alone I learned many things about myself.

Some pleasant some not so pleasant. Now what I choose to do with that knowledge will set me on fire or leave me sitting in the same spot I was yesterday.

I normally chose forward progress. What do you normally choose?

Today’s post goes out to two badass chicks who wrote High Heals. While I may not be endorsing their line of work I am however endorsing their forwarding thinking, creative minds, and all around badassery for leave their mark on the world.

hustle

Take the Class

2chicksandapen

When is it too late to take that extra continuing education class? Is there ever a too late time clock?

I don’t think so. I glance around and see many 40-55 year old guys wasting a lot of time playing what I call mindless video games. You know the ones with clans and farms and other stuff. (Sorry If this offends you). Maybe it helps with their tracking abilities or hand eye coordination?

But maybe it will hinder their vision in the long run. Or maybe it will separate them from loved ones since it’s a party of one activity.

If these same guys decided to invest in themselves via online courses, could they be better providers for their families? Could they be engaging or stimulating their brain to help ward off the aging process?

There are many ways to grow personally and professionally but how many actually take the time once they hit a cushy spot in their career or a certain age where one feels it no longer matters?

Teachers, hair stylists, real estate professionals, attorneys, among others need credit hours showing development after their career has launched. How many fields don’t have this requirement? Who holds you accountable to grow?

You my friend hold yourself accountable. All day everyday. If you want to excel or be noted as a top achiever in your field you need to evolve. Don’t just collect a paycheck. Push yourself. Learn something new within your organization.

Test your limits. You will never know how far you can go if you never try. This post is dedicated to all those middle aged guys and gals who think they are too old or set in their ways to step out of their comfort zone.

Take the class! It could be a photography class for a new hobby. It could be the real estate class to start a side hustle. It could be a scuba diving class to learn something you always wanted to.

Just take the class and do it again next year. You might surprise yourself and those around you. You might even inspire another and start a chain reaction.

As I wrote this blog I received an article about financial literacy in adults. It mentioned nearly two thirds of American adults would struggle to pass a financial literacy test. This is further confirmation of take the class!

Take a financial class. A budgeting class. Many are available online for free. You can’t beat free. Making self education a best practice sounds like a smart choice to make.

Take the class and let us know how it goes. We know it will be beneficial. Sorry in advance for picking on guys in this post. It may seem sexist and maybe it is but generally speaking guys play mindless video games more than women.

Think sharper. Work faster. Feel better.

Another health and wealth tidbit from 2 chicks.

dare to be different, friendship

A Little Chick Story

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I am sure some of you are looking for a flirty chick flick type of story, but this is just a chick story about where we got our start. Boring to some but memorable to us.

2 Chicks and a Pen met on the lacrosse field. One chick on each side of the fence which is so symbolic to our overall bond and relation in general. One chick was a coach and one chick was a spectator. A particular spectator who spent most days hiding under an umbrella avoiding the sun, the shade, people, and rain on any given day. The coach however was loud and in-your-face kind of coach which was what made the two most unlikely to be paired in the way we are today.

An unlikely duo developed a friendship first through their kids. Then quickly friends turned into extended family. From there the friendship developed into a deep-rooted partnership that took on the brand that we know today as 2 Chicks and a Pen.

3 children’s books published, a business formed, countless blog adventures documented, thousands of fans around the world, and so many memories made. From napkin scribbles at a local restaurant to book signings to field research destinations, we have experienced so much on our path and we have so more ahead of us.

The picture below shows us running a 15k together this month. We have also run a half marathon, some 5k extreme races and some 10k races together. I’m sure when we started writing together running races wasn’t even a blip on the radar. Now we schedule fitness events throughout the year. This is just one of the ways we have grown in love of fitness, friendship and ability to share stories with others.

The way the story goes, we launched in 3 days according to Chick 2, but that’s fairly inaccurate. We actually have several years under our belt currently. Originally we connected almost immediately but that’s not 3 days or even 3 weeks. We began using writing prompts as a way to get to know each other. We traded countless hours writing and chatting. Trust followed.

Soon after, 2 Chicks and a Pen hatched as a legitimate business entity. Goals were set. Timelines established. Projects mapped out on the horizon. We went on to naturally evolve as writers, motivators, athletes and so much more. Our story is unique to us. Nobody will be able to replicate our vision.

The creative spark we have is definitively categorized as amazing. Our timeline is limitless. Our zest for life and sharing it on a large scale is fearless. Our opposite personalities is part of the dynamic. We just do things the #2chx way.

Our journey has had many twists and turns and ups and downs to say the least. We live life so it’s expected. Juggling families, careers, life and our own personal journeys. Somehow on our path Chick 2 joined the Crossfit movement and hasn’t looked back. We did some research and development on nutrition and used ourselves as guinea pigs. Some of these stories we share on this very blog. That’s just one of the side bars that spun off of 2 Chicks. One of many.

We took the road less traveled. We are a legal business entity. We register our business and pay taxes each year. We have a big online presence yet we are active in our community. We have an expensive hobby but we set out with a goal to improve lives through literacy. Whether we write on paper, print our stories in book form or write online we are communicating in our grandest fashion. We are succeeding at our mission and leaving a literal legacy behind.

Word wizards of sorts. We have so much to share some days that we are busting at the seams. While other days we may suffer from writer’s block and can’t string a sentence together. One chick may hold on to featured articles for days or weeks or even months on end until they reach perfection. One chick may write away fast in the moment but has to rewrite several times to correct typos. It’s a creative process for us. We do it over and over and love every opportunity we can sink our teeth into.

My favorite memory to date is reading our stories to kids and having them ask questions about us, our writing process and the whys behind the stories. When they realize what’s beyond the book itself their curiosity sparks. I want to be a writer! I want to be an illustrator! I want to make a cartoon book with my friend! Those innocent but curious minds are in growth mode. Exposing them to our stories lets them see opportunities for themselves. Infinite opportunities.

Chick 1’s writing process is notably different than Chick 2’s. Neither is wrong or right, just different. We are constantly evolving and choosing our path(s) as we mature in our creative minds. Keep watching.

We appreciate you joining in on our public ride or chickscapades whether it’s one post you read or many. We leave a trail of chick dust here, there and everywhere. You may see us on the web, maybe you follow us on Instagram, maybe you catch our tweets, maybe you are one of our local pals who knows us around town. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, we love you.

As Valentine’s week is upon us. We wanted to share a little of our inside story to you. As a sort of love story for the world. Our love of literacy. Our passion for serving others through words. Who doesn’t love a good back story.

Give us a like online. A social share. Be our Valentine this year. Send us a sweet note. A quick feedback note can let us know what you like about our brand. If you don’t like us it’s okay, we know we are not a one-size-fits-all model. That’s why you can choose to visit our page or invest in our books.

2 Chicks’ next public event is on 2/22/20, an event honoring Veterans and supporting suicide prevention efforts, which is near and dear to both Chicks’ hearts. If you are interested in getting involved check out this link. You can donate online.

http://www.official22wod.com/

Happy Valentine’s week!

celebrations

Happy Galentine’s!

2chicksandapen

IMG_5120

I am a fan of holidays and celebrations.  I get joy out of gift giving on special days and even sending “happy mail” on a random Tuesday for no particular reason at all (my favorite!)  On holidays, I try to go out of my way to think broadly about who I can celebrate.  For example, on Mother’s Day, I may send cards to my children’s aunts, people who have been like a Mom to me, and so on.  It’s a little different every year.

When Valentine’s Day rolls around, I love to deliver treats and special wishes to all kinds of people who fill my life with love.  Yes, this means my immediate family of course, but many of them are swamped with work at our family’s restaurant around Valentine’s, which can make for little time to celebrate each other.

A few years ago, I started delivering treats to my good female friends as well. I realized I wasn’t alone in this when I learned that Galentine’s Day is an actual thing (that has its roots in a fictional TV show, but has taken off).

And why not?  As I get older, I realize that the close friendships I have with women are some of the most powerful, nurturing relationships in my life. What better time of year to celebrate them than right around the ultimate holiday for love?

Each year my Galentine’s treat bags are different.  This year, my card is a Golden Girls theme to “thank you for bein’ a friend” (found at Always Fits). I have a group of friends that somewhat resembles the personalities of these Golden Ladies.  They’ll also get heart-shaped protein bagels (with their favorite sprinkles) and some other little trinkets and treats.  Maybe a chocolate or two but since we are all working on our health goals, I’ll keep that to a minimum. A little sweet can go a long way.

It’s all about making them smile and letting them know they matter.  Do you have any special friends in your life? Who can you surprise and celebrate this week? (Bonus points if you celebrate someone who may think no one will remember them!)  Who fills your life with love?