As I write these words, I struggle to stay present. My mind wants to remind me of everything I have coming up, things that I should be thinking about, planning, and worrying over.

Yet, as I focus on the future it interferes with right now, with this very moment. In fact, I realize that thinking about the future while living in the present is not even possible.

I cannot live in two places at the same time!

The future distracts me, it leads me down a path where there is precious little under my control. While living in the future, I hear words such as “What if…  I should…  I need to.” There is very little positive or productive thinking in these words. The future is out of my control.

However, when I am in the present, really in the moment, things get done. Articles get written, art is created, goals are met, creative business ideas are achieved, and real life is experienced.

In the present, I am committed to my true, authentic self. In the future I connect with my fearful self, the one who anticipates, who becomes cautious and who ultimately lives in fear.

There are other times, however, when I let myself live in the past. I remember what I should have done, the choices that might have been better, the creative things I could have gone for. I begin to move from presence to the past, from this very moment that is under my control, to looking back on how I might have lived differently.

Even though I cannot in any way change or control my past, I allow myself to feel guilt and shame. I have plenty of material to feel regret, so instead of gaining wisdom from my past and becoming stronger as a result in the moment, I beat myself up, as if there was something I could do about it today.

For those who struggle with Speaking Anxiety, I was recently interviewed on the Brand & Blossom Podcast for entrepreneurs.

In this interview I discuss:

– How to overcome public speaking & presentation anxiety
– The science behind why you feel anxious
– How to address the physical and mental aspects of anxiety
– Simple steps to calm yourself during a presentation

CLICK on the image below to listen to the Interview

http://brandandblossom.com/episode47/

I hope that you find it valuable! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the Comments section.

“Change and growth takes place when a person has
risked themselves and dared to experiment with their own life.”
~ Philosopher Herbert Otto

In my 31 years of coaching and consulting I have had the privilege to work with world-class athletes, executives, writers, pastors, entrepreneurs and performance artists. During all of these years of working with thousands of individuals, I have never had anyone tell me,

“Can you please help me become a mediocre performer?”
“You know Dr. Nick, I am making way too many sales. How can I become a little less effective with my clients?”
“What are some ways to slow down my writing career?”
“I really don’t care if my art makes it to the marketplace.”
“I am perfectly happy staying afraid and playing it safe.”

Not once have I been asked to help someone stay on the path to mediocrity. Yet, we tend to define our lives in terms of safety, lack of risk-taking and just “getting through” comfortably. An outrageous life doesn’t settle. It doesn’t put up with things being just ‘okay’.

I want to make my blog better and more relevant to your needs and interests. To do that, I need to know more about YOU. As a result, I have created my 2014 Reader Survey.

Would you please take a few minutes to fill out the survey? By doing so, you will ultimately be helping yourself. Why? Because you will be helping me make my content even more interesting and relevant to you.

Your input is important to me. The survey is easy to fill out – just click below. The survey results are completely anonymous. I can’t tell who said what. And it will only take a few minutes of your time.

Yes, I’m happy to help. Take me to the Survey!

Thanks in advance for your help.

I am getting ready to head out on a Cruise with my wife to celebrate our 30th Wedding Anniversary. I thought I would post a fun clip of an introduction to a presentation I did as a speaker on a Cruise to Bermuda 4 years ago. It’s fun and a way to get me ready for my trip. I hope you enjoy it!

I’d love your thoughts on this! You can leave a comment by clicking the Comment Box above.

This is my new, personal blog. My mission is to help you perform fearlessly,
create outrageously and live boldly.

My goal is to create insightful, relevant and practical content that you can put to work in your professional and personal life. If you desire to approach your business, creative endeavors or relationships with less fear and more boldness, then this blog is for you.

I will be writing on personal development, enhancing your performance, productivity and becoming creative in the work that you do. On occasion, I will write about things that do not fit neatly into one of these categories.

I anticipate posting one to two times a week. I will send out an e-mail to everyone when I do, alerting you that a new entry has been posted. From there, it’s up to you. To make sure you don’t miss my newest posts, you can subscribe via RSS or e-mail.

Please do provide me with feedback. I want to hear from you! If you disagree with me or want to provide an alternative perspective, go for it! The important thing is to tell me what’s on your mind.

Question: So, leave a comment by clicking here and tell me what you think.