I visited Zappos last year when I was out there ( Las Vegas) on vacation.

Quite a unique and amazing place to work…just watch the video and you’ll see!

CEO Tony Hsieh has just released his book Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose *

I highly recommend the book…I’m reading it right now myself.

In this video you’ll see the Zappos Family Core Values and I invite you, if you haven’t already, to develop your own core values, both for your business and your personal life….or maybe they’re all the same!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

Ken Donaldson says, Marry YourSelf First…today!

* Amazon affiliate link

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to go directly to their website to register.

Today: Marry YourSelf First!

Want more passion, power, purpose and peace in your life?

Then make yourself a Vision Map…better, yet, join me for the next Vision Map workshop…scroll down for more information.

1.)  Your Vision Map will better define your life purpose.

2.)  Your Vision Map will keep you better aligned with your values.

3.)  Your Vision Map will reinforce your boundaries.

4.)  Your Vision Map will guide you to happier and healthier relationships.

5.)  Your Vision Map will give your career a boost…and maybe the change it’s needed.

6.)  Your Vision Map will add more balance to your life.

7.)  Your Vision Map will help you stay more focused on your goals.

8.)  Your Vision Map will help to make your priorities more clear.

9.)  Your Vision Map will get you better tuned in to your spirituality.

10.)  Your Vision Map will empower you.

11.)  Your Vision Map will help you pick better friends.

12.)  Your Vision Map will enhance your health.

13.)  Your Vision Map will get you more connected with your creativity.

14.)  Your Vision Map will help you get more fun in your life.

15.)  Your Vision Map is a great stress management tool.

16.)  Your Vision Map will remind you of your greatness.

17.)  Your Vision Map will give you a daily affirmation.

18.)  Your Vision Map will help you stay focused on your future (instead of your past).

19.)  Your Vision Map will help you embrace positive changes in your life.

20.)  Your Vision Map will give you the vision you need to get to where you truly deserve – and desire – to be in life.

 Click here for the official page of the next 201o Vision Map workshop at Yoga Village in Clearwater.

 And Marry YourSelf First!

Ken Donaldson Keynote at D.W. Waters Graduation

I had the privilege and honor on this past Thursday evening of delivering the graduation keynote for the D.W. Waters class of 2010.

Just to give you a little insight, D.W. Waters’ motto is “It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish that counts!”

No big deal, right?

Wrong!

This is a WAY special class…check out their enrollment criteria:
 • At least 16 years of age
 • At least one year behind in school                                                    
 • No record of severe discipline problems
 • Wants to focus on a chosen Career Cluster at DWWCC (D. W. Waters Career Center)
 • Willing to commit to workplace training (OJT)

These are the students who make “high risk” look like every day living. For whatever reason (pregnancy, emotional and/or learning challenges, abuse, etc.), these courageous young people chose to continue on.

Most of them were so far behind that they couldn’t even imagine catching up, much less graduating.

And it would have been easier to quit!

A group of about 12 students sang the musical selection for the ceremony, I Believe I Can Fly. A perfect song for the students, the school and the event.

Here are the lyrics in case you’re not familiar with song:

“I Believe I Can Fly”
~R. KELLY

I used to think that I could not go on
And life was nothing but an awful song
But now I know the meaning of true love
I’m leaning on the everlasting arms

If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there’s nothing to it

I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly

See I was on the verge of breaking down
Sometimes silence can seem so loud
There are miracles in life I must achieve
But first I know it starts inside of me, oh

If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there’s nothing to it

I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly

Hey, cause I believe in me, oh

If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there’s nothing to it

I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly

Hey, if I just spread my wings
I can fly
I can fly
I can fly, hey
If I just spread my wings
I can fly
Fly-eye-eye

Anyway, I thought long and hard about what to say to them.

So I decided to dare them…yes, I simply dared them…

I dared them to find and be the greatness that they truly are.

I dared them to find their unique purpose and live it every day in every way.

I dared them to find their own personal soul food and to continually, without fail, feed their spirit.

I dare them to figure out, set and maintain the boundaries that will empower them, to say a resounding “Yes” to all they do want, need and desire, and say a resonant “No” to all they will not tolerate.

I dared them to realize that the world needs them today more than ever, and the answers to the world’s problems will not come from Washington or Hollywood, but rather, from each and every one of them.

I dared them to surround themselves with the people who love them, accept them and encourage them, and to step away from those who don’t.

I dared them to tell themselves, time and time again, that they are deserving, gifted and of great value, and to say that to themselves as their powerful and affirming mantra.

I dared them to realize that life is full of unexpected challenges (I mentioned this as a very young child in the audience began to express herself in a very assertive way!) and one of the greatest gifts we can all give to ourselves is the gift of humor, which allows us to be flexible and fluid as we navigate down the river of life.

I dared them to remind that person in the mirror of their greatness, their importance, their value and their purpose, time and time and time again.

Yes, I simply dared them to be great.

Them, their parents, their friends, the teachers, and everyone else who was there on Thursday…I dared them all.

But the greatest dare I addressed was the dare to myself…to live what I said; to practice what I preached; to be the model of the dare.

What about you…have you dared yourself lately?

I dare you…

PS I hope to have a video of the whole presentation soon…I think it’ll worth watching…stay tuned!

Ken at D.W. Waters with another Marry YourSelf First fan!

 Marry YourSelf First!

Feel free to leave a comment or two…

Here’s a short tribute to Coach John Wooden…enjoy and be inspired to create your own legacy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

P.S.: Always a perfect day to Marry YourSelf First!

Please leave a comment….

Do you have a Power Mantra?

Better yet, as you may be asking,
what IS a Power Mantra?

Think: An affirmation on steroids!

Several of you who’ve attended my
workshops asked about mine,
so here it is in its entirety:

Every moment of every day,
I get better and better in every way…
A better body, a better mind;
a better Spirit in all that I find…
Better friends and better work,
and at core:
I find better self-worth!

Every moment of every day,
I get richer and richer in every way…
A richer body, a richer mind;
a richer Spirit in all I do find…
Richness in my friends and richness at work,
and again at the core:
I find the richest self-worth!
 
Every moment of every day,
I get stronger and stronger in every way…
A stronger body, a stronger mind,
a stronger Spirit in all that I find…
The strongest friends and strength at my work,
and deep in my core:
I find my strongest self-worth!
 
Every moment of every day,
I get wiser and wiser in every way…
A wiser body, a wiser mind;
a wiser Spirit in all I do find…
Wiser friends and wisdom at my work,
and deep down in my core:
I find the wisest self-worth!
Now, go create one for yourself!!

And Marry YourSelf First Every Day!

And leave a comment below…

So here’s the deal:
Living my life as a story means that I’m the author of every day.
I can choose my thoughts carefully, as well as what I say.

I can make this chapter exciting, yes, to hurl the Mojo through the veins.
Or perhaps today the hero I’ll be, extracting all human pain.

Or I can write it bland and boring….it’s absolutely my choice.
I can be quiet and impotent or have a triumphant voice.

As the author of my story, I can play big or small.
I can manifest every great thing, or simply lose it all.

And if I don’t like the ending, I’ll write it again and again.
I’ll make peace with my enemies and everyone becomes my friend.

But in writing such a story, I risk being misunderstood.
My neighbors might make fun of me, and run me from the ‘hood.

But I now must ask myself, as another chapter elapses,
Did I live in discovery or add to my numerous relapses?

Yes I choose to write today, as big and bold as I can.
You see, it matters not what others think, this is simply who I am.

And since I must sleep tonight with me, myself and I,
I choose today to author my life as one uncommon guy.

Uncommon because, I say to you, I’m living outside the lines.
And that, my friend, now I know is Authoring by Design…

(And now, what will YOU write today?)

Love Yourself Before You Love Again

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to register!

I just want to know one thing: What are YOU aiming for?

Settling for the “easy” target?

Or are you one of the few (the 2%ers) who aims “too high”?

Either way, I’m here to support you.

I wrote “I Dare You” a couple years ago and I wanted to share it with you (again).

It’s long, yes, and usually only the 2%ers read it all the way through.

************
I Dare You

I dare you to read this ALL the way through to the end.

Then, I dare you to take the appropriate follow-up action.

Yes…I dare you!

I dare you to go stand in front of the mirror and ask the man or woman you see, “Who am I?”

I dare you to ask the question, “Who am I?”, until you answer it with a purpose for your life so rich and so deep it will give you chill bumps and adrenalin rushes just to think of it.

I dare you to then create a vision for your purpose so compelling that it will automatically pull you into it faster than the speed of light.

I dare you to ask yourself, “What is truly important to me?”, and not stop asking until you have determined all the values that are unique to you.

I dare you live in accordance with your values, your vision and your purpose regardless of  what others may say or do and regardless of what you think others may say or do.

Yes, I dare you to march to the beat of your drum even if you are the only one with that beat, that rhythm and that tune.

I dare you to be truly you.

I dare you to recall that this nation was build on the foundation of only a handful of people who had the values, the vision and purpose to make things different…yes, they did and because of them, we have the lives we live today.

I dare you to show up at your best when the rest of the world appears to be at its worst.

I dare you to pick and choose the people who will support your purpose, vision and values and let go of the others who won’t.

I dare you to never settle again for any level of relationship that is destructive, abusive and/or energy-draining.

Yes, I dare you to live a life of total integrity.

I dare you to let go of the fears of failure, rejection, change and, yes, even success, and instead, embrace the belief that Life is forever Loving and the Universe has unlimited prosperous abundance just for the asking.

I dare you to laugh at stress and see the unimportance of making mistakes, errors and/or failures to control your mood, your thoughts or your life in any way, shape or form.

I dare you to sing, dance, write, paint, draw or otherwise express your creativity without comparing yourself to others.

I dare you to be truly you…100%!!

I dare to take all this and live it every day, 24-7-365, and should you slip back into your old ways that you just simply come back and gently remind yourself of your commitment to your personal path of your personal excellence.

Yes, I dare you to be different.

I dare you to not allow yourself to be influenced by the “bigger, better, faster, more, now” machine.

I dare you to find your own pulse and simply follow it.

And when you walk past the mirror that you’ve been gazing into, I dare you to be reminded again and again of your unique beauty, your unique power, your unique calling and the unique path in this Life of yours.

I dare you to make a difference in whatever way you can, however big or small, globally or locally.

Yes, I dare you today to commit to be different…
to make the most important thing about the most important thing the most important thing.

I dare you to NOT allow outside influences to change who you are, where you are going, who you are going there with or what is truly important to you.

But the biggest dare I have today is to now stand in front of my mirror and do everything I have just challenged you to do…
to be a powerful role model…to practice what I say…
and to accept all my imperfections as just merely normal aspects of my humanness.

I dare us all to realize that collectively we have to power to make this place, this Planet Earth of ours, into whatever form we choose.

Lastly, I dare you forward this, cut and paste this and/or print this and give it to your loved ones, friends, colleagues and bosses. I dare you to forward copies of this to every newspaper, magazine and media outlet you know of or are connected to.

But better yet, I dare you to write your own version of this and send it to everyone you know…

I dare you to be a difference-maker in your family, your place of work, your community and your world.

I dare us all to start NOW!

******************
I Dare You…

**Love Yourself Before You Love Again**
Saturday, April 10th 9-5

http://www.youandmewe.org/node/258

**What is Truly I.M.P.O.R.T.A.N.T.?
The 9 Indisputable Winning Dynamics of
Health, Wealth and Happiness™!**

Tuesday, April 20th at 8 p.m. EST:
http://kendonaldson.com/teleseminar/

Please leave a comment below…tell me your thoughts!!

Yeah, that’s right, friends!

If you’ll take 10 minutes right now to watch and listen to my freinds, you’ll be reminded of your dreams and your greatness.

Then, go do that “thing”…whatever it is..go live your dream…and never give up!

Click here to view the embedded video.

And Marry YourSelf First!

So, what do YOU think? Leave your comments below…