EXIT THE DRAGON

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Much of life feels like firefighting. We run around pouring water on flames and stomping out embers from past fires to prevent future flare-ups. These fires typically consist of relational issues, bills, lack of employment, anxiety, family, and an overall feeling of being unsettled.

The dragon in your life is happy to see you play volunteer firefighter. He laughs at our attempts to manage the heat with our bucket and garden hoses. He relishes the opportunity to keep you occupied while he hides in the corner.

The challenge for you all this week is to take a step back and find the dragon. We are spending too much time mitigating the damage when we should be picking up our sword and addressing the root cause of the inferno. Sure, some things may sizzle while you are on the hunt, but this may be your only shot to get to where you were meant to be.

Level Up,

Matt Davenport

C.E.O.

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WALKING ON SUNSHINE

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Today is the day! Today is the day you were made for! Go ahead, say it out loud… I was made for today! Recently, I spoke to a longtime friend who expressed a feeling of being lost and untethered. During the conversation, it dawned on me that disillusion is closely tied to need. The harsh reality is that when you have a need you have purpose.

So how do you stay needy? How do you maintain a level of humility that continues to push you down the track? It starts with your goals. Most people set goals that have temporal qualities. For instance, I want to make this much money, buy that house or retire at this age. These types of goals when accomplished feel like a sugar rush but ultimately lead to a flat feeling.

Your goals need to be bigger than your life! Our goals must require two key components:

– Our goals must require other people’s help to accomplish them. (Keeps you humble)

– Our goals must be about the next generation. (Keeps you hungry)

I recently heard someone say that you can’t be hungry when you have a full pantry. If your pantry is full today you are blessed. As your Chief Encouragement Officer, I ask that you empty your pantry by investing what you have stored up into the next generation. By doing this, you put yourself in a place of need and dependence that will surely give you purpose.

Stay hungry my friends,

Matt Davenport

C.E.O.

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SHARE YOUR BLOCKS

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I’m not an expert in human behavior but my life experiences have shown me that those who own the good, bad, and ugly outcomes of their life tend to be happier. I believe humility is the best soil for authenticity to grown in. Men and women that own their mistakes and celebrate their victories are nice to be around. They laugh at themselves; they work hard and at the end of the day they sleep well at night.

Pretending to be mistake-free is painfully obvious to the onlooker. Pretenders are those that when challenged blame others. Ownership requires courage and self-belief that the failures are necessary for where you are headed.  Pretending is the equivalent of working out and not being sore the next day. Aches and pains are part of the reward for pushing yourself. It hurts a little, but it also indicates that muscles are expanding, and bones are hardening.

As your Chief Encouragement Officer, I encourage you to start conversations with failures rather than successes. Sharing your building blocks with others is why we are here.

Own it,

Matt Davenport

C.E.O.

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