Beech Tree News Network

Life is good.  It’s a positive phrase, a mantra, even.  I got Life is Good, The Book: How to live with purpose and enjoy the ride, by Bert and John Jacobs.  The Jacobs brothers founded Life is Good in 1989.  At that juncture, they had no experience but were game for the adventure.  Today, Life is Good is a $100 million clothing company with one simple, unifying mission: to spread the power of optimism.  For WWE fans, they’re like the New Day of the clothing business. 
I won’t go through the book chapter by chapter.  That would take a while.  I will, however, go over the 10 Life is Good Superpowers, briefly.  1) Openness.  The only way to get somewhere in life is to be open, wouldn’t you say? 2) Courage.  Courage goes hand-in-hand with openness, I think.  It takes courage to open yourself up to strangers.  3) Simplicity.  Life doesn’t have to be so hard.  Tanya Tucker once sang “if it don’t come easy, you gotta let it go”.  Number 4 superpower is Humor.  Humor is relied upon in every part of life.  It can especially help in hard times. 
Superpower #5 is Gratitude.  Being truly grateful and expressing that gratitude is not only good for the soul, it keeps you humble.  Practice a little gratitude and I promise you’ll feel better.  Everyone has at least one thing in which to be grateful.  Superpower #6 is Fun.  It sounds simple.  ‘80’s two-hit wonders Wang Chung even had a song about it(“Everybody have fun tonight.  Everybody Wang Chung tonight”).  Carve out a little time in your day for whatever you consider fun.  You’ll be far less uptight, all the while staying in touch with the kid in you.
Superpower #7 is Compassion.  This is a pretty easy one to explain and to live out.  Superpower #8 is Creativity.  Do you play an instrument? Do you write? Sing? Are you a road worker? You’re creating whether or not you realize it.  Whether you’re writing a poem(creating a better feeling for someone), grating the roads after a snow, creating a path for vehicles, you’re using a superpower.  Superpower #9 is Authenticity.  That is, the quality of being genuine, bona fide, true to self.  This is a superpower because, well, you’re just being yourself.  Yes, being yourself is a superpower.  If you’re yourself, there’s nothing to worry about.  You have nothing to hide.
Superpower #10 is love.  I’m reminded of the quote from Alan Jackson’s “Where Were You (When the world Stopped Turning): Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us. And the greatest is love”.  Other things to share that this book teaches: it actually quotes Oscar Wilde with “Be yourself.  Everyone else is taken”.  Open your mind.  Youth has no age.  Take it slow and have fun considering all possibilities. 
Three ways to stay open: Follow the leader, Yes and…(meaning, expand upon someone’s idea.  Let’s say you agree but want to add something: yes and…  Everything is a once in a lifetime experience.  Treat it as such.  Don’t take anything for granted. 
Three ways to be courageous: join the try-athalon: give things a try.  It’s that simple.  Yet it’s complicated.  See rejection as your best teacher.  Didn’t get that job? Learn from why you didn’t get that job.  It doesn’t hurt to ask where you went wrong.  Look forward.  Live by two word: “get to”.  Instead of “I have to go to work”, go with “I get to go to work”.  Practice compassion in these three ways: Just like me: Just like me, this person wants to be happy.  Just like me, this person has known sadness, suffering and despair.  Give presence: be there, in the moment.  It’s the best place to be.  The final thing I’ll leave you with is this: 3 ways to tap your creativity: 1) mind your space.  Physical space is mind space.  2) Exploreate.  Explore your world.  That’s right, explore + create= exploreate.  Finally, 3) team up: creativity isn’t to be kept to yourself. 
What do you give and what does it give back to you? What I mean is this: what do you provide to what you’re doing? In your job or in any area of your life you can ask these questions.  If your answer is nothing or unsatisfactory, maybe it’s time for a change. 

I highly recommend buying Life is Good: the book by Bert and John Jacobs.  I believe you’ll get quite a bit out of reading it.  Find out more at www.lifeisgood.com Instagram: lifeisgoodco Twitter: @Lifeisgood and they also have a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LifeIsGood