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Following-up can make all the difference. What you do with follow-ups can take you to another level or leave you stuck like superglue. It was a follow-up that helped me close a 40k+ project last year. Consistent follow-up landed me most of my jobs before running my business – this was huge since I was under-qualified […]

This past weekend I spent about a day and a half building a server that would become my dev environment for a side project. Prior to that, I had worked on a virtual machine that didn’t allow me to copy & paste nor have dual monitors. For people who don’t understand tech gibberish, let’s just say it […]

I got the chance to see and hear Stevie Wonder live at Summerfest last weekend. As I suspected, he lived up to his name and put on a good show. People of all types of backgrounds cheered, smiled, and sang his classics in unison. It was magical. Guess who I saw + heard live last night? […]

It’s been about three months since I last blogged. My apologies to my small list of subscribers. Life has been BUSY. Since my last blog post, here’s what has happened. Let me start with the good. I’ve been to 2 museum conferences (#MW2015 in Chicago and #AAM2015 in Atlanta) and worked like crazy on a cool project for […]

Today is the last day of the #RuckusmakersChallenge. It was a pleasure reading some the new blogs I followed during the challenge. Here are some of the wise themes I noticed through many of the blogs: Dancing with fear Picking yourself People like us do things like this The rewarding feeling of connecting and belonging […]

“Learn to predict your dips in advance and decide if you’re able to withstand them or not.” -Seth Godin at Ruckusmakers This is part 2 of giving my two cents on dips. I wrote about unpredictable dips yesterday. Today, I’ll be writing about the second half of Seth’s advice: “deciding if you’re able to withstand them […]

“Learn to predict your dips in advance and decide if you’re able to withstand them or not.” Seth Godin at Ruckusmakers That was Seth Godin’s advice. To be honest, it puzzled me. If you don’t know what a “dip” is, think of it as an obstacle that could potentially end your project. Every project has […]

This quick story should sum it up. When I first met Seth Godin, I embraced him with a “thank you hug”. It was long overdue since his work has helped me a ton. I go on to tell him about how he was a person on my “must meet” bucket list. Then he says “Really? […]

Four days ago, I challenged 80 people to blog for 8 days straight. We’ve been using the hashtag #RuckusmakersChallenge. We’re officially halfway through so for today’s post, I thought it would be nice to share some blogs I’ve been following during the challenge. Enjoy! Wino to Wine Know – Inga has done a great job of weaving principles […]

When I was packing for the Ruckusmakers event, I had no clue what type of clothes I should bring along. So I packed for both casual and business casual just in case. It took me a while to decide what I was going to wear. The reason it wasn’t an easy decision is because I was […]

It never occurred to me that we would eat such great food at Ruckusmakers. Hands down some of the tastiest healthy food I’ve ever eaten. It’s even picture worthy. Check it out: What I enjoyed the most about the times we ate was being able to break bread and have unexpected conversations with strangers. We exchanged information […]

I applied for the Ruckusmakers seminar because I wanted to meet Seth Godin. Little did I know that I would receive so much from the other attendees. Actually, I received more from them than I did from Seth. The fact that I read, listened, and watched most of Seth’s content last year probably had a […]

As some of you know, I attended Seth Godin’s Ruckusmakers seminar this past weekend. What a proper name for this seminar! It was a terrific event. So much to digest, solve, and implement. To ensure I receive maximum value from the event, I’m challenging myself to blog about my experiences at Ruckus Makers for 8 days straight. My […]

Just finished the book “Start With Why” written by Simon Sinek. What a great book! Start With Why is a perfect read for anyone who is looking to lead a movement of change, empower people, or simply run a business. With powerful case studies, Sinek breaks down the rise and fall of legendary companies. It […]

Early mornings when it’s still dark outside or late nights when there isn’t a soul in sight. Those are the times when my creative juices begin to flow naturally. No nudging required. There’s something about sitting in my home office with a cup of tea and a dim light while the city sleeps that sparks […]

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the number of opportunities you have? I feel that way about pizza. So many pizza styles to choose from that it’s hard to pick only one. As of late, I’ve felt the same way about business ideas. Being an optimistic person is normally a good thing but doesn’t help […]

That last extra push… wins the race. That last extra push… gives an edge. That last extra push… strengthens. That last extra push… hurts. That last extra push… separates winners from losers. That last extra push… makes you better. That last extra push… lets you know that you gave it your all. That last extra […]

Everyday brings something new to the table; a different challenge, opportunity, improvement, problem, solution, etc. The list of words can go on and on. Try replacing “_____” with different words. Everyday presents a new “_____”. Some people don’t like the fact that “_____” can be exchanged with “_____”. They want “_____” to be predictable and […]

Writing everyday is not an easy discipline. I challenged myself to blog for 90 days straight last year. Out of those 90 days, I failed to blog a total of 9 days (not going to lie, I was surprised!). It’s been about a month since my last post and I’ve debated if I should continue […]

Taking off for the rest of the year. Will start back up sometime in January. Have a great Christmas and New Year!

It’s time to start improving yourself but you delay it. It’s time to start increasing your productivity but you procrastinate. It’s time to finish what you started but you’re lazy. It’s time to move on in the process but you lack motivation. It’s time to change but you refuse to. Why do we put off […]

What on earth can negativity contribute to a dilemma? Some would say nothing but the truth is that it does contribute; it actually maximizes the dilemma. Has life beat the positivity out of some people? Perhaps that’s the case for some. At least that’s what they feel. It doesn’t have to be that way though. […]

Creating out of the love for your art or craft should be enough. When you view your work as a gift to the world, you’re not concerned about receiving credit or even getting paid. Ironically, creating out of your generosity will bring recognition and money – almost all by accident. Try forgetting about money and […]

What stops many of us from making an attempt is the simple fact that we might fail. People who lack ambition have a tendency to do nothing about their goals since the alternative may bring forth failure. They often say things like “I didn’t try my best or I didn’t have enough time” to ricochet any […]

I read this short 80-page book over the weekend. The information Seth Godin dispersed within The Dip is invaluable. Every person wanting to succeed in anything needs to hear/read what this book has to say on quitting and sticking. Seth describes the Dip as something we must go through to become the best. Identifying Dips ahead a time […]

Does “writer’s block” really exist? I’m not a seasoned writer or a best-selling author but I’d say that there is no such thing. Think about how many thoughts we have per day. I’ve read about scientist claiming that we think anywhere from 20k – 70k thoughts per day. That’s a lot of thinking! Unless you’re an expert […]

I finished the book Outliers last week. What a great book. It illustrates the idea of how circumstances and events play a crucial role in people’s success. In other words, many of the factors that allowed some of the most successful people in the world to succeed had nothing to do with any action they took. […]

Negativity plagues attitude. A bad attitude affects an effort. A bad effort produces bad work. Bad work leaves people unsatisfied and unfulfilled. The cycle repeats itself over and over until something changes. Switching from negativity to positivity will require you to work on your thinking. See things from a different perspective. View situations from different angles. Be […]

“Who we are cannot be separated from where we’re from”. -Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: The Story of Success Embrace what you’ve learned from past mistakes. Don’t forget the helping hands that helped carry you along the way. Remember the times of frustration or unfortunate events. Let yourself feel lucky and thank God for the crazy coincidences that were […]

Two weeks ago, I took a short evening nap. Most people would be okay with taking a short nap in the evening… Unless they’re like me and know that a 20-minute nap will inject insomnia juice into the brain and give the body another 8 hours of energy. To make a long story short, I […]

We may not believe it but that little progress really does count in the end. You’ll be blind to progress when you’re focused on what has yet to be accomplished. This doesn’t mean to not focus on your goals, this means to focus on the task at hand. What task needs to be completed today […]

A couple of days ago, I wrote about finishing books and often write about productivity. I must tell you that I feel like a twerp when I think about Maria Popova. She writes the brain pickings blog and is extremely productive. Here’s a little taste of her workflow (found on Wikipedia): “Running Brain Pickings takes over 450 hours […]

Developing good habits can sometimes lead to developing bad ones within the same space. When that happens the proverb is true: “One bad apple spoils the barrel.” For example, a quiet and reserved person may want to learn to be more social. If the person decides that she can achieve this by talking more but forgets to listen, […]

I just finished reading “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” written by Stephen Covey. It’s a great book and it’s a must-read for anyone looking to do some serious self-improvement. Funny thing is that I read 3/4 of the book within 2 weeks. The last 1/4 of the book took me forever! It wasn’t […]

This year has flown by like a SR-71 Blackbird! December has arrived and that means we have a single month left until 2015. This is the time of the year where most people start to slack off due to the holidays. They throw up their hands and feel hopeless about what they didn’t accomplish. I […]

No daily thoughts until Monday due to the holidays (expect the same for Christmas). Hope you’re having a great weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! (short post today due to Thanksgiving)

No one accidentally becomes the best at something. You won’t accidentally become great just like you won’t just stumble into success. Even lottery winners who appeared to have stumbled into success never really did – especially after all the money is gone. There was clearly no success, just a lot of loot (which doesn’t equate to success). If you […]

In recent years, many fields have adapted minimalistic design principles. One of those principles says that less is more – this is a principle that is effective in life overall. Getting rid of unnecessary clutter in life can help you focus on things that truly matter. I’ve often caught myself trying to dabble into too many […]

There is a fine line between your ego and your calling. You can easily mistake one for the other and deceive yourself. That’s because you’re capable of producing the same results whether you’re driven by ego or calling. Your experience, attitude, and growth during the actual process of accomplishments is what will differ. It goes without saying that […]

Working on off-days is great but we also need rest. We can easily burn out which will then affect creativity, attitude, and productivity. There are some people who need a push to start work on a goal or project. Other of us need a pull to stop for a day to reflect. Which one are you? Do […]

Working on Saturdays can make all the difference in your accomplishments. You don’t even have to work full days. Let’s run the math (for those who have a different off-day, replace Saturday with your off-day). If you were to dedicate 4 hours every Saturday to accomplish your goal, you would have dedicated 200+ hours in […]

We can be unproductive in two ways: 1. By simply not working; procrastination, laziness, and lack of motivation all fall under this category. 2. By occupying our time with tasks unrelated to our project or goal; distractions, lack of focus, and getting ahead of ourselves all fall under this category. We’ve all been guilty of […]

The end picture of something you started is like a juicy piece of steak that you can’t wait to eat. For my vegan and vegetarian friends, replace “steak” with the fattiest most delicious piece of food you enjoy or simply a carrot. The end picture is the meaty reason why you started your project or […]

Circumstances change as we live on. This can be as positive as getting married and having kids or as negative as having a major illness. Regardless of the type of change, each of them requires us to adapt (which means adjusting ourselves). Not everyone has the skill of adaptation though… but everyone does have the […]

Motivational, self-improvement, and spiritual books are great reads for people who are serious about becoming a better person. Reading these books doesn’t mean that a person automatically becomes better. Knowing things isn’t enough. You’ll have to apply in order to achieve. There’s a time to dig into theory and there’s a time to apply. In many cases, […]

It’s a brand new week. What are you wishing to complete? When are things going to happen? Where are you hoping to go? Who are you becoming? How are you planning to do all the things above? No worries, I didn’t forget the last “W” question. I just left it for last since it’s probably […]

Today’s post has less to do with a thought and more with a launch. I’ve migrated my blog from luisvazqueblog.com to luisbox.com It’s a brand new site that contains everything I’m working on. Here’s my thought for today: Enjoy today more than yesterday. You won’t regret it.

Life doesn’t mean much without hope. Think about it. If you were a health freak and were super fit, would that replace the drive, motivation, and peace hope provides? If you earned lots and lots of money and were super successful, what would your life be like without any hope? Robin Williams committed suicide recently. […]

When stress pays us a visit, it plays a mind game with us. Some battles we win, others we lose. Stress has a way of making us think that spaces are narrower and options are more limited when neither of those things are true. This is what skyrockets our anxiety levels and makes us behave […]

Writing things down on paper is a good way to remember and instill things. It helps decipher your mind and even formulate thoughts. I’m not talking about typing either, it’s not the same. Typing helps some but it’s not as effective as writing on paper. It’s a proven fact. Writing is an ancient art that we should […]

Don’t give up. If you’ve tried your hardest, you’re closer today than you were yesterday. Giving that extra push when you feel you have no more juice left is what separates failure from success, the good from the great, the fit from the fittest. Push forward!

We are constantly changing – for better or for worse. While many things about us may stay the same, we are never completely the same. Why? Because our experiences change us. We respond to every experience according to our paradigms. This is why you can read a book like the Bible over and over and capture different […]

Last week, I wrote two posts about habits. You can read them here and here. Try listing all your good and bad habits on a sheet a paper. Stare at the list and let your mind turn its gears.

Making an exception to a good habit can kill you in the end. Why? Because all it takes is one exception to break a good habit. Making exceptions to good habits will become your new bad habit. This works the other way around too though: Making an exception to a bad habit can save you in […]

Last night I bumped into a clip that made me feel like crap for past complaints and worries of mine. Watch it below (it’s about 8 minutes but well worth your time): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W86jlvrG54o I hope after watching that, we all feel a bit more thankful and understand that life can’t be as bad as we think […]

You stay up later at night and/or get up earlier in the morning to work on your project or goal. Maybe you even sacrifice some social time with friends which makes you feel dull. And If you really mean business, maybe you’re making self-improvements to be able to gain the accomplishment. Doing whatever it takes […]

Some claim that rising early increases productivity while others swear that going to bed a little later will help get things done. “Exercise is best in the morning” we hear, while others say that a workout in the evening works wonders. So what’s best in the end? Well, considering that we’re all unique and naturally dance […]

Habits. We all have them. They come in different colors and sizes. Each of them carry out a mission and produce a specific outcome whether we like it or not. Good habits and bad habits don’t get along. They actually war against each other like gangs in the hood claiming territory. Two of them cannot coexist in the same […]

The answer to just about any question you’ll ever have can be found in a book. What books have you been reading lately? What questions have you been asking lately?

Sunday is the day I reflect on my previous week and plan for the next. I’ll take 15-30 minutes and review my tracked progress on goals, projects, and myself. Listing what worked, what didn’t, and what I learned is essential to move into the next week. After writing that information down, I’ll plan the upcoming […]

“But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.” – Jesus in Matthew 23:11 The formula for achieving greatness is simple yet it entails hard work. It’s simple because once you learn to serve others, becoming great is totally natural. What I consider the hard work is the change of our heart, habits, […]

Why do we say trick or treat? Where does the “een” in Halloween come from? You can find the answers here. Either way, Happy Halloween!

Keeping track of progress is important. It helps with having an honest perspective about yourself, goals, and/or projects. You can easily see what needs improvement and what areas are solid. There’s plenty you can do with that information too, like getting creative with how you plan to tackle areas of improvement or learning what worked […]

Having a season of less work, is a perfect opportunity to invest in yourself. That might include reading an extra book, diving deeper and mastering a specific skill, or a season of deep reflection and self-improvement in areas that matter. Once the busyness picks back up, you’ll be amazed at how efficient you are. After […]

We’re all motivated by different incentives to perform great work, complete a project, or reach a goal. Eventually, the incentive won’t be enough to keep us motivated. So what’s the secret sauce that can carry you through unmotivated times? It’s called purpose. Why do you work hard? Why are you completing that project? Why are you […]

A good night’s rest is important. Recently, I’ve had terrible sleep due to some back issues. It has made me realize how much I take restful sleep for granted. Tonight, go to bed early, empty your mind, and get your good rest in for the night. For some of us, that takes some discipline but it makes […]

When you have a strong work ethic, it takes faith to rest. Hardworkers have a natural tendency to work when they’re bored, have nothing to do, or want to get a head start. Here’s where the faith part of the equation comes into play: knowing that you worked your hardest during the week can give […]

Counting blessings is a great exercise. Thinking about everything we take for granted does good in the long run. Gratefulness is at the root of it and it’s handy during times of frustration. Count, count, and count. List them, write them, speak them. Do whatever it takes to summon gratitude within you. You’ll thank yourself later […]

When things get rough and tough, our tendency is to reminisce about how things were before. We forget about why we asked for change in the first place. Following through and finishing what we started is important. It’s not only for completion sake but it has everything to do with the way we view ourselves. Hang […]

At first, you might not be confident to tackle something new. You might even be insecure about it. Heaven forbid that you have to perform the task in front of others. After all, you’re still a rookie and probably will fail. Even the best of the best had the same starting point. Wisdom and experience were their Senseis. […]

Feeling indecisive really stinks. Especially when the decision can be changed later on. It’s a waste of time to spend days researching and trying to decide something that will not impact work you’ve already done. It’s even worse if the decision is a stepping stone to work you have yet to begin. What this means […]

There are times in life when we feel bound to a situation or a bad habit. When we try to break free or improve, things seem to get worse. We feel handicapped because not only do we have the same workload as before, but now we also have to deal with our elephant of a problem. If we get angry and […]

Interesting fact: A coywolf is a hybrid between a coyote and a wolf. It’s bigger than a coyote but smaller than a wolf. Coywolves have teeth like wolves and they live among us like ninjas similar to coyotes. The coywolf is extremely intelligent and highly adaptable even in urban areas. So what’s their story? To […]

Your friend has a new goal and wants to accomplish something incredible. They decide to dive into their new goal which starts to consume most of their time and becomes a priority in their life. It’s been a year since your friend went all in. You bump into them and ask about their progress. They talk about […]

Recently, I saw the movie Defiance with Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, and Jaime Bell. What an impactful movie. Here’s the synopsis taken from IMDB: ” Jewish brothers in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe escape into the Belarussian forests, where they join Russian resistance fighters and endeavor to build a village in order to protect themselves and about 1,000 […]

Sometimes we think we can be two-minute experts. We think that a project will be a piece of cake, we’ll somehow have the skills to execute something new, and accomplishment is right around the corner. Fortunately, it doesn’t work like that – at least not for most of us. Yes, some people have natural talent. Yes, some […]

Over two decades ago and on this day, the kindest woman I’ve ever met was born. She grew up to be someone I could relate to spiritually, musically, and humorously. Happy birthday to my favorite person who also happens to be my wife.  

Being kind is an amazing thing when we truly think about it. It’s impossible for someone to be negative when being kind – even if it’s for a moment. What does that tell us? It tells us that every one of us could lead a positive life through kindness. If you’re a negative person, integrate kindness […]

“You have to be before you can do, and do before you can have.” The framework of success for everything explained in a sentence by our friend Zig Ziglar. Incredible. No need to expand on that thought.

There is more than one way to skin a cat. Exploring different methods to complete a task is essential for our growth. The great inventions we’ve grown to depend on were born out of creativity. Today, people do not only get paid for what they produce but also for what they create. There’s a difference. […]

Although we consider Sunday the first day of the week here in America, it’s really more like Monday. Most people don’t work or go to school today and head back for them tomorrow. If you don’t work or go to school today, take some time to reflect on this past week. Study yourself and see […]

Have you ever stayed still long enough to observe a squirrel? Squirrels are a lot like us. They are busy animals who build homes, hunt, store, eat, play, and rest. They can do all of this while dwelling in a city. However, the squirrel beats us in one area: they are always fully present. When they […]

Have you ever wondered why you’re surrounded by certain people? Try jotting down the names of everyone you frequent the most and ask yourself these three questions: Why do I frequent them so much? How alike are we? Are we headed in the same direction in life? Your answers may vary but after answering those […]

This is a threefold truth for humanity. We are what we eat spiritually, mentally, and physically. We can’t ignore one or another since they are all interconnected and make us whole. Want to improve your physical health and fitness? Change what you feed your body. Tired of failing or having a negative attitude? Change what […]

Movies can be entertaining and impactful. They each tell us a story involving a set of characters. Most characters are based off of real life people. Sometimes a character will have characteristics that belong to a combination of people. Each of us can imitate and actually become like a specific character in a movie – crazy […]

The ancient named it oneness, the modern call it interdependence, and sportsmen refer to it as teamwork. Who are we if we don’t belong to other groups of people? Can a person navigate through life without others? At the moment of a baby’s first breath, she’s assigned a family (actually, she was assigned a family 9 months earlier). Teenagers […]

It’s so peaceful this morning. I woke up earlier than usual and sat in my CordaRoy sleeper chair and read in the dark. Once I migrated to the desk to write this post, my cat decided to join me. It’s a chilly morning so it only made sense that we keep each other warm. How will […]

Yesterday, I went to a memorial service at a roman catholic church. A cousin in law died in Mexico but most of his family lived here in the U.S. and could not make the funeral. After mass, the family gathered and said rosary prayers. As they mourn, the family plans to gather for nine days […]

It’s in our nature to want to pull someone else down due to our frustrations and failures. This happens all the time at work, in families, and among friends. People who are discontent with life look to harm others to make themselves feel better. It’s a sad thing. Unfortunately, many of us have been on […]

There are two ways people measure goodness: 1. by what we restrain ourselves from 2. by what we choose to embrace Those who measure goodness using the first don’t measure it at all. What they measure is our fallen nature. I think that we can’t go around… measuring our goodness by what we don’t do. By […]

What does that mean? It means to be in the moment. No distractions. Interacting with the moment at hand completely. Reading a paragraph and forgetting what it said a second later is not being fully present. Working on a project for an hour with no progress is not being fully present. Living with your spouse and […]

If we take a step back and think about that verb, we’ll realize how powerful of a word it is. It represents so many things that people want. Focus is often associated with success, skills and talent. Many religions throughout the world consider focus to be essential for everyday life. Today’s most influential leaders will […]

The other day I went for a walk at a nearby park. I felt the sun accompanied with an autumn breeze touching my skin as I walked through leafy grounds. It was one of those perfect days to take a stroll at the park. When I arrived to a bridge, there was a wedding party […]

I saw a good movie named “The Best of Men” last night. Here is a quick synopsis from the BBC website: Entertaining drama about the birth of the Paralympics in 1948. The remarkable Dr Guttmann comes to Stoke Mandeville Hospital and begins to transform the lives of his patients. They are paralysed soldiers, written off and […]

We all go through them. Not one of us escape from their visits. They come and go as they please and you can’t hang a “do not disturb” sign on your life’s door. Sometimes we call for them, other times they show up unexpected. Tough times mask themselves with the intention of ruining your life […]

Being frustrated is not an easy thing. Feeling stuck is no sunny day. No matter what you do, nothing seems to work. It’s easy to think that all frustrations will end once you’ve bought a new house, moved to a different city, or changed your look. While that may be a temporary solution, it’s not […]

I heard someone quote that during an uncensored actor’s roundtable interview the other night. Actually, it was John Hawkes who referred to the David Mamet quote. How much does fear tell us about a person? The person who fears a height has a dying wish to live for that moment. The woman who fears failure has a wish to […]