I had trouble sleeping last night.

I have lots on my plate this week and I was thinking of all the stuff I had to do. I know I'll be able to get my priorities done because I always do but the mind was working through all the negative outcomes.

I would read and slowly get tired but then wake back up once I put my Kindle down. It probably didn't help that the book I was reading was getting me excited and giving me more ideas. I also tried a technique where I start thinking about things I'm grateful for starting with each letter of the alphabet but that did not work either. The mind kept coming back to other thoughts.

So how did I finally fall asleep?

I'm not sure if it was one thing that worked or a combination but I first took a melatonin and moved to the couch so I wouldn't have to worry about keeping Natasha awake. I then put something funny on Netflix and had a small snack as I knew this would change my state and focus my mind elsewhere. I did make it through the entire show but I fell asleep shortly after this.

When I woke up to the alarm, I did my usual routine. As part of my routine I use Calm to meditate in the morning. After the mediation they always have a quote to share. Today's was perfect...

We received the following email in The Conscious Builder general inbox yesterday:

Looked at your website. I think you are caring people trying to make a difference, so kudos to you. However, you push so many bad products and processes that the conscious part is a no sale for me. Right out of the gate you use the dictionary to define conscious (cool I like that) and then drop the ball on what honour means. This is before I have a chance to look at what you offer and I am feeling that this is just a conscious-less sales pitch. Drywall, OSB, MDF, tinted windows, solar PV...and I am sure the list of poisonous unsustainable death products goes on.
You have a large learning curve ahead of you. The sustainability paradigm is not what you are in, that much is clear; but I think you might like to be. Reach out whenever you like.

This is not the first time we have received emails like this nor will it be the last. It did get me thinking though. He uses words that shows that he cares but then follows it up with a shot to the gut. Obviously we have done a good job at getting his attention but he's definitely not the person we're here to serve.

At any given time I believe that there's likely 10% of people who don't like what you're doing. Unfortunately this 10% of people who don't like your style are also the loudest people. This means that the larger your audience is, the more likely you'll get interesting people reaching out to share their thoughts. Why? It does not matter.

What matters is that you focus on the people that count. The people you are really here to serve. The Conscious Builder is not for everybody nor does not have to be.

If you try to please everybody, you'll please nobody.

What is money?

It's another form or energy.

If I have money, I have attracted it somehow.

If I don't, I have pushed it away somehow.

Becoming financially successful requires an abundance mindset. Believing that there's more than enough for everybody.

This is something I have struggled with for years but I have noticed a huge shift in my mindset over the last month. It has all come from one simple exercise.

That exercise is leaving a large tip whenever I have the opportunity. It feels good to give and I know there's a lot more where that came from.

What goes around, comes around.

At least that's how I feel if I don't jump on every opportunity that comes my way.

There is a term that has been coined FOMO which stands for Fear Of Missing Out.

In a day and age where we're more connected than ever, we see everything that's going on. The news gives us all the bad stuff but our "friends" all live on yachts, sit by the beach, have private jets and drive sports cars, right? There's always something going on that's "more fun" or has "more opportunity" than what we're doing right now.

The truth is that opportunities will always exist. If I miss one now there will be another tomorrow. Perhaps even in the next hour.

The challenging part is figuring which opportunities to pursue. Which ones serve me, my family and my team best? Which ones will allow me to have the most impact over the long run?

If you stick to playing the short game, you'll always be playing the short game.

A question my son asked me yesterday after spending the afternoon with my dad and his dog, Toby.

Expensive is a matter of opinion. 

Dog owners rarely complain about their dog being expensive. Some of them even spend thousands of dollars on their dogs for surgeries, haircuts, toys, food and everything else they feel their dog needs. Why? It's because they love their dog. It's not about the money. It's the value this furry friend brings into their life. You can't put a price on that.

Here's another example. $1,000 per night for a hotel may be expensive to me but pocket change to somebody else. The people who are willing to spend this see the value at hotels that charge this. It's cleaner, more prestigious, the service is better, the food is better, the bed is more comfortable, the bathroom is nicer and they feel good staying there. Are any of those things true? To them it is and that's all that matters.

As a business selling a service or product, what value are you bringing to your customer and what is your customer willing to pay for it?

The trick to getting the answer to this question is making sure you know who your customer is. The person who complains the loudest about you, your product or your service may not be the customer you want. The person who says "it's too expensive" is not your customer. If you have paying clients who love what you offer, talk to them. Get more of them.

Deliver more value than anybody else and you'll succeed in business and in life.

I was asked a very good question yesterday.

"How do you know when you have found the one?"

The first thing that came out of my mouth was...

"If that person makes you want to be the best version of you."

I found the one 14 years ago.

There is one thing that is the same for everybody on earth no matter where they are or where they come from. That one thing is time. We all have 24 hours in a day.

Yesterday I was on fire! I tackled my priorities for the day and then some. I even had less time than usual because I had to pick up Sullivan from a friend's house since he's on March Break for the next two weeks. I accomplished my work goals, played with Sullivan and even made dinner.

How did I get so much done yesterday?

You may be familiar with Parkinson's Law. If you're not, Parkinson's Law is the adage that "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion".

Yesterday I put this into action. I knew I had a lot on my plate and know I have a lot coming up over the next couple weeks. To be completely honest, life is only getting "busier". This means that I need to get better at managing myself and my time. As the businesses become more successful there's only going to be more demands on me. More emails, more phone calls, more lunch meetings, more breakfast meetings, more business trips, more team members, more bills, more, more, more...

I bet I have no idea what busy really means yet. In fact, I hate the word "busy". Busy is just relative. I'm going to delete that word from my vocabulary. How about this...

Am I being impactful?

Curiosity is a super power. When I'm curious the world opens up because my mind opens up. I start conversations and ask questions. Curiosity brings new opportunities, new friendships and new experiences. It changes the way I go through my day.

Do you remember being 5 years old? Better yet, have you hung out for a day with a 5 year old recently? They never stop asking questions. They're not worried about being embarrassed for not knowing the answer to the questions they ask. They just want to know. They don't stop at the first answer either. 'Why' is said more than any other word.

Why do we loose this curiosity as adults? More importantly, how do we make sure our children don't loose this curiosity?

If I think about it, I learned how to feel embarrassed about asking the wrong question or asking questions in general. I was not born knowing what embarrassment is. I would poop and pee in my diaper just like every other baby but eventually this was not the "norm". There's a point where this becomes embarrassing and not accepted by the general population and I'm not going to argue with this as it makes sense in this context. But being embarrassed about asking questions does not make sense. Somewhere along the way I was taught this.

How do I get my 5 year old curiosity back?

Writing this blog is one way. Hanging out with my 5 year old son is another way. Asking the important, yet simple, question of "why?" over and over again will also train my mind to continue to be curious. Things are not always how they seem.

​Captain Curiosity to the rescue!

Have you ever delivered a punch line to a joke only to have to say, "that was the punch line"?

Is that a bad joke or a bad delivery?

I'm not a comedian but I have a lot of respect for comedians. They put themselves on stage in front of people from all walks of life and are expected to make them laugh... No pressure.

Last night I was at the Toronto Comedy All Stars in Ottawa and had some great laughs. I also felt a little embarrassed at some points. Some jokes were great, others were definitely a miss.

One comedian in particular stood out. The person who stood out was the best story teller.

Whether you are looking to get attention on your business, looking to connect with somebody or just just looking to make somebody laugh, everybody remembers a good story.

I heard a quote recently, "The peak of attention is at the end of laughter."

This morning, Sullivan woke up a little earlier than usual so I said I would make breakfast for us after I was done my morning routine.

He replied, "Daddy, I want to make my own breakfast." Of coarse I was totally fine with this but told him that I would not be ready to eat when he was eating.

He then said, "But my cereal will be rotten if I wait..."

I knew that he meant that his cereal would be soggy. He just didn't have the words to describe what he was thinking. This had me pondering...

Where am I missing vocabulary in my life? Where am I being misunderstood?

Better yet, who am I misunderstanding?