Playful Defiance is a “bring it on” mentality that leads you to take action when others close the door on opportunity. This mindset helps breed solutions and triggers actions toward what you want. With Playful Defiance, you compete for the love of the adventure.

In business, Playful Defiance calls for you to find strategies to generate greater results, defying the standards of your industry. Tony Hsieh’s Zappos playfully defies conventional wisdom about customer service for online businesses empowering their representatives to build relationships with their customers without a script. Herb Kelleher’s Southwest Airlines playfully defies how airline attendants are supposed to act and behave, bringing a feeling of heart to airline travel.

When someone says, “It can’t be done,” hear your Call to Adventure. Roll up your sleeves, put a big smile on your face and dive in.

Adults can’t be playful, right? That’s for kids. Adults are supposed to be serious. It’s just not proper to act otherwise, or is it? As we enter adolescence, we’re taught to “behave” and “act your age.” Who dictates how your age should act? And is this behavior always conducive to achieving fulfillment in your life and growing your business?

Perhaps it’s time to make a change: Stop acting your age and start having fun. Don’t just be playful on the weekends or once in a while; be playfully defiant in your work, in your relationships and in everything you do.

Anyone can learn to break the rules, but only a true master can laugh and play along the way.

Adopt the mindset of Playful Defiance and live an extraordinary adventure!

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In our give-it-to-me-now digital world, it takes conscious effort to nurture these important virtues.

Patience: Why be patient when we live in the era of “Instant Downloads”? Living in a state of constant hurry cripples our ability to be patient. Impatience leads to anger. Learn to slow down in spite of the rapid digital current.

Acceptance: The “narcissistic generation” brought up in the Kindergarchy is committed to changing the world as it sees fit. Our way, right away is today’s rule. The virtue of accepting things (and people) as they are is lost. We, however, gain great power when we let go wanting to change everything and accept things as they are.

Focus: A torrent of digital information from continually expanding sources makes long-term focus and concentration nearly impossible to realize. Without focus, however, we become fragmented. From the Bhagavad-Gita: “The disunited mind is far from wise; how can it meditate? How be at peace? When you know no peace, how can you know joy?”

Calm: Emotionality takes us out of the present moment and shadows our perception with a distorted view of reality. In a Jedi-like calm, we are able to see things more clearly, gain perspective and maintain a more balanced way of being.

Perseverance: Our adventures—our own hero’s journey—can be challenging at times. It’s one thing to be reluctant to accept the call to adventure; it’s another to repress it, escape it or deny that it even exists. Perseverance and persistence are keystone qualities of anyone committed to living an extraordinary life.

Bring these virtues to the forefront of your mind and you’ll spontaneously discover ways to nurture them.

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1. Riding the Digital Wave
2. The Four Virtues of Old
3. The Digital Addiction

Here are a few thoughts to contemplate to help smooth your ride into your workweek:

1. You can be compassionate with EVERYONE you meet—especially those who give you a hard time. Despite appearances, everybody is doing the best they can. The inner and outer battles of human beings are great and many.
2. You can let go of unnecessary struggle. You can allow everything and everyone to be as they are—even just for today.
3. You can change your metaphor for life. Life doesn’t have to be a struggle, a series of problems, a Lifetime-channel drama or a pain in the ass. Life can be a divine comedy, cosmic entertainment, a wondrous adventure or a cherished gift.
4. You can realize the power of love. Love is everywhere—whether you currently see or experience it or not.
5. You can take control of your inner adventure. How you experience an event depends on your perspective and how you “hold it.” You can choose to hold it differently.
6. You can smile more often. Smiles and laughter are contagious gifts we share with each other. It’s a beautiful thing.

For a reminder of this last point invest six minutes and watch this:

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