Project: Your Greatest Competition

Don’t let the competition dictate whether or not you will do something; unless that is to dictate that you will work harder to be better.

Suppose your alleged rivals are wearing black, do not be intimidated to wear black for fear there will be naysayers and other spectators that question why you are the runner up.

Be confident in what you do and even if someone is reaching for the same result, do the same thing, just do it differently. Do it your way. No matter whom you compare yourself to, The biggest threat to your ideas is yourself. Think big thoughts and be bold enough to share them. 

Three tips to feel confident against your biggest competition (that’s you):

Be Knowledgeable: Doesn’t it feel good to begin a conversation where you know what you are talking about? Don’t just pursue what you like in life; pursue what you love you will have the power to retain the knowledge and hold a passionate conversation.

Be Open to Knowledge: There is always something new to learn and always someone who can teach you something new. Confidence isn’t knowing it all, it’s knowing who you are in what you do. And if you want to improve what you do, you’re going to have to understand that that what you do might change.

Be Bold: You’re going to make mistakes, misunderstand and have miscommunications no matter how much your knowledgeable about something.  Keep growing your idea and sharing it boldly. A baby doesn’t stop walking no matter how many times it falls down. It looks for his or her destination point and runs for it until it grows into the proficient toddler walker. Learn to be like that baby. Don’t let shaky legs or a shaky voice shake you up. Set your eyes and heart upon your destination and don’t give up.

And if you’re lucky, just like a baby has loving people cheering him or her on, make sure you have your cheer squad. And make sure, as your greatest competition, you’re part of that squad! Because we definitely are!

-The Green Couch Project

Project: The Nation Starts In Your Neighborhood

In the last week, the nation has come together in solidarity. Not once but several times. And that’s just the times we have been able to catch.

What are we talking about? National Days.

• We took note of National Running Day

• Salivated over National Donut Day

• And stopped to appreciate those around us during National Best Friend Day

But there are national days for everything anymore.

• National Lefthanders Day

• National Punch The Clock Day

• National Eggs Benedict Day

• And. So. Many. More.

These may sound silly. But a nation at large is made up of individuals; of lefthanders; of people struggling to get up in the morning; of people at small mom and pop diners waiting to welcome you with your Eggs Benedict

To become a nation it takes each person at a time doing their job and perhaps all these seemingly inane holidays are just a way we pay tribute to those we take for granted and for ways we can let go –because remember International Panic Day is right around the corner.

Celebrating National starts in your neighborhood. And as a leader in your workspace and your community you have the power to make that happen. To celebrate a national holiday doesn’t mean you have to travel. It doesn’t mean you have to invest in all patriotic fanfare. It means you invest in your neighborhood. And celebrating national doesn’t mean you have to wait for Eggs Benedict Day. You can create your own. You can empower your town to rise above any negativity and ways to spotlight the individualism that makes the Google Map pinpoint on your town so special.

The nation is comprised of hundreds upon thousands of neighborhoods, and each one is kept alive through an economy of working people. It’s our job to ensure that these jobs can survive. Part of that survival is more than monetary. It’s office morale.

Sure, join the nation in solidarity in the occasional National Day celebration, but make every day worth celebrating in your community with your cause.

Happy National Hug Day,

The Green Couch