Ready Set Go!

I've gone through some significant changes in my life this year and I was talking about them with a colleague recently which got us going deep on what stops us from moving where we want to go. For some reason, we often become our biggest hurdle. It also appears most people I know find it difficult to ask for help.

It reminded me of Manuel de los Santos.


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Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit

Manuel de los Santos

Inspirational People | Jay Platt

I thought it would be cool to do an ongoing series looking at smart people doing great work, publishing useful information, and sharing their passions for all to read. This is a chance to showcase those who inspire us through their leadership.

If you have someone in mind, send me an email.

There were three simple rules. Is the information valuable to my work or life? Is the author doing actual work to back it up? Do they challenge me, make me think, and/or make me move to do something?

Jay Platt | Mr. Unstoppable

Jay enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps when he was 17. It was going to be a career of public service. But 15 years later, as he was providing leadership as a Gunnery Sergeant, he was forced to retire from his passionate work because of the diagnosis of a rare form of cancer which cost him his left eye.

Instead of giving up and accepting this terrible news, Jay got treatment and then got back to work. His goals and dreams became even stronger and he has since dedicated his life to helping others see the value of living every single moment.

He has completed 2,000 mile hikes, swam from Alcatraz to San Francisco blindfolded with his feet and hands tied, and swam the Mississippi river again blindfolded, handcuffed, and shackled, all the while raising thousands for charities and causes dear to his heart.

Jay Platt is a gifted writer and speaker. He gives back constantly. And recently he announced that he is facing another setback but his attitude remains extraordinary.

Thank-you, Jay for your inspiration and courage.

Kneale Mann

Jay Platt

What’s Stopping You?

Manuel de los Santos is a baseball player turned golfer. He is an engaging and inspiring guy whose story just may remove those excuses that are in your way.


Kneale Mann

image: manuel de los santos

Shopping More or Less This Year?

As millions race around today to do their final shopping and preparations for the big day tomorrow, some interesting statistics were released last month from Nielsen.

Of the online survey participants from fifty-six countries, almost half planned on spending around the same on Christmas as last year and a quarter expected to spend less. Eleven percent claimed they will spend more than they did in 2010.

Some More. Some Less. Some Same.

Of those who expected to spend more in 2011 for Holiday gifts, the majority are in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions while Europe dominates the top countries where survey participants were planning to spend less this year.

Asia Pacific participants listed technology, apparel, books, vacations and jewellery. European participants listed books, toys, technology, apparel and vacations. Latin America included apparel, vacations, technology and bedroom/bathroom accessories.

Middle Easterners and Asians had technology, apparel, books and bedroom/bathroom accessories. North Americans listed toys, gift cards, technology, apparel and video games/consoles. And online shopping continues to increase which may surprise you if you are shopping today in the last mad dash so be careful out there!

If you celebrate, have a great Christmas!

Kneale Mann

image credit: Nielsen

Reflecting on Time

Fall Back and Think

The clocks fell back to standard time in many parts of the world today. It’s all part of an energy saving, sunshine increasing plan we call daylight saving time. It was devised by a New Zealand dude named George Vernon Hudson in 1895 who originally proposed a two-hour time shift.

There are all sorts of good reasons we still do it today from economic to environmental but let’s not forget how much we love the long stretch of sunlight from the end of March to the first week of November.

Tick Tock

Time is one commodity we cannot renew. Despite our denial, none of us has an unlimited supply. Yet often we use it like we do. We fill our days with busy tasks and stress as we look toward the weekend for a few stolen hours of rest. Then we fret about work, wish we had more money to buy that item and fight our way toward winning some sort of self-made race.

Projects need to be delivered, meetings must be attended, activities have to organized. Life can be hectic and we miss the important stuff though we seem to have gotten good at giving it lip service.

As we gain an hour today, here are some wise thoughts about time...

Time is the only thief we can't get justice against.
Astrid Alauda

In spite of the cost of living, it's still popular.
Kathy Norris

Men talk of killing time while time quietly kills them.
Dion Boucicault

Life happens while you're busy making other plans
John Lennon

Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.
Willaim Penn

Time waits for no one.
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards

Life is about the gift not the package it comes in.
Dennis Costea

Time is making fools of us again.
J.K. Rowling

Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day. Rich people can't buy more hours. Scientists can't invent new minutes. And you can't save time to spend it on another day. Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you've wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow. Denis Waitely

Cherish your time.

knealemann | email

Join me for Movember.

image credit: getty