First Impressions, and Why They're Not All They're Cracked Up to Be

It is often that you hear people discussing how important it is to "make a good first impression." I have personally given this concept a great deal of thought over the past few weeks as I prepare to transition to a new position on another one of our company's properties. I will be working with an all new team, in an brand new place. Talk about the golden opportunity to make an outstanding first impression.

When I started working at my current post, I was warmly accepted and it seemed that everybody was happy to have me there. I was focused on making a great first impression, and I did. But reviewing the past year in my mind, I realize that the first impression is a skewed concept.

I will be the first to admit that I'm not perfect. Despite five years of experience in the customer service industry, if you get too comfortable, you'll slip. This happened to me. Over the course of the past year in my current post, I got lazy. I made that first impression and once it was made, I settled into a state of complacency. Why? Because I had made that first impression.

But it's not just about that. The first impression is a wonderful thing, but it can't be the entirety of how you portray yourself.

I would like to change this standard by tossing out the whole "make a good first impression" mindset and rather replace it with "consistently leave a lasting impression." Take a moment to think on the difference between these two mindsets. If you are actively trying to leave a good impression on people, then you would more often than not be treated well, and people will respect and appreciate the work that you do.

Why start strong and then let go? It's all about following through and ensuring that you not only impress people upon meeting them, but never cease to impress them once they know you. Whether you apply this in a business or personal aspect, the premise remains the same.

As I begin a new job two weeks from now, I plan to impress my coworkers and employers with my positive attitude and work ethic. But moreover, I plan to never let my standard of maintaining that constant amazement dwindle. I would much rather have people remember me well.

How do you want to be remembered?

Love, Peace, and Happiness,
Griff

On Love

Love takes your mood and your life in this direction.

Have you ever felt like you can’t do anything? I have. Most of us have felt worthless at some point – or at least helpless. Sometimes we feel like we’re not good at anything or we have no talents or abilities. But there is one thing that we can all do. We’re all good at it. You’re good at it.

Love.

Too often is Love regarded as simply a noun. In part, this isn’t wrong. Love is a beautiful state of mind, emotion, and attribute. We fall in love. We seek love. We appreciate love. But it’s so much more than just a noun. It’s a verb.

To love is quite possibly the most beautiful thing a human can do. I recently had a discussion with somebody I know about this concept. They mentioned that they were so happy to have found love – one of the “rarest” things on the earth. But I want to set a scenario for you that does not show love as a rarity, but rather the most central and unifying trait of our race.

            Each and every one of us loves someone or something. Whether it be a love of a

            sport, hobby, or game; the love of a friend or family member; the love you have

for the person who means most to you in your life – none of them are less or more important or valuable than the other. You may have all of these; You may have any combination of these things. Every human being is not only capable of loving these things – but does so.

There are more than 7,125,000,000 (roughly 7 billion) people on this earth. Each and every one of us has this love. Any kind of love. Many kinds of love. Think of the hundreds and hundreds – if not thousands – of things that you love. Multiply this by 7 billion. Don’t forget to take into account that all of that love is infinite and immeasurable. Now that’s a lot of love. We humans exist and thrive in an infinite and immeasurable amount of love. And you contribute to this.

Every single individual on this planet has the ability to uniquely love so many different people, ideas, and things. It is one thing that universally and equally unites us all, yet makes us each so unique. Each one of us can do this and I think it is exactly this that makes the human race so incredibly beautiful. We love.

If you’re reading this right now, then there are two very important things I want you to know.

Firstly, you can love. I know you can and I know you do. You’re good at it – I promise. Love the skies, the grass, the air, your parents, your siblings, your friends, your dog, your cat, your sport, your favorite game, your style, your home, your talents, humor, learning, books, movies, and the list goes on. Love it.

Secondly, I do the same thing. I love all of my hobbies, my family, my friends. And lastly, I love you. You live and love in the most beautiful web of coexistence to have ever been – and I hope you remember that, because I know it will better not only your life, but the lives of those you love as well as the lives of every single person who loves. Share the love.

Love, Peace, and Happiness;

Griff

Click.

Click.

Today while browsing in a popular book store, I saw a featured book called The Clicker: Think. Click. Be. The caption under the title read "Count your positive thoughts each day…How will positive thinking change you?" I stopped and looked at this for a moment, intrigued by the little click-counter that came with the book. The book poses a good premise. We should all look at life and recognize the positive experiences in life. We should all "count our blessings," so to speak.

Click.

I am often asked how I stay so happy - so positive - all the time. In all honesty, I'm not happy all the time. Let's face it, nobody is. We all have things happen to us that bring us down. The key is to not let those things remain in your focus. Being happy is all about choices and their consequences. How am I happy? I choose happiness. And by doing so I see all of the wonderful little nuances of life that often go unnoticed.

Click.

If we were to count how many positive experiences we had in a day, I think most of us would be surprised at just how amazing life really is. There are scores, if not hundreds, of incredible things that occur each and every day. Some would argue with me that there isn't anything positive going on in their lives - things that are out of their control. Some would argue that if they had a counter, they would have few - if any - occasions to click it. It is indeed true that many things are beyond our control, I don't dispute that. The number of clicks that show on your daily counter are dependent on you. I think that we would all do well to remember that.

Click.

I encourage each of us to open our eyes and not only see, but comprehend. I hope that we will all not only hear, but listen. I know that you can do anything. And I promise it's just as easy as clicking the button on a counter…

Click.

As Fast as They Can

I see so many people posting or tweeting or hear people talking about relationship problems, not finding the right girl or guy, or just feeling lost with relationships. There seems to be so much struggle and concern going on among my age group about the future and the possible women it concerns. So many people aren't seeing any light at the end of the tunnel. But there's a certain wisdom to be found in that mess that we all go through.

Now, for simplicity's sake, I will write this from a male's viewpoint - but ladies, it applies the other way around too...

So many people are in a rush to find their "the one," and I get that. I can't wait to find out who my wife is going to be so I can spend the rest of my life spoiling her and how ever many children we are blessed to have. But try not to get impatient. My friends and I are single a good majority of the time. We're not that far in life, but we're old souls and I think we're all excited to see our future. But it's not as simple as flipping ahead a few chapters to find out what happens. In life, things have to happen in a certain order.  Life is a tremendous book filled with adventure and romance and incredible plot twists that color in each person's life. Love isn't excluded from this. There is an old story that goes like this:

"One summer I was headed home from college, doing like 90 on this country road. I get pulled over by this cop that was sitting there on the side of the road. The officer gets out of his patrol car and swaggers on over. He says to me, 'Young lady, I have been waiting for you all day long.' I looked at him and responded, 'I'm sorry officer, I got here as fast as I could!"

How does this apply? You are the officer sitting on the side of the road, waiting. And I promise that there is somebody special going 90 on the road of life - and they're getting to you as fast as they can. There may be other things they have to do, other people they have to meet first, but I promise - there is somebody. It may take a while, but the wait will be worth it. You may find out who it is. They may be with someone else. It might break your heart, I understand that. But your "the one" is out there. I hope that you find some comfort in knowing that despite all odds, and despite how you may feel, they're coming as fast as they can.

Peace, Love, and Happiness,

Griff

Finding Something You Want to Do - and Doing It

A U B R I E 

 You know, some people do the same thing day after day and don't ever chase their dream; I'm pretty sad that the American Dream has kind of died out and become lost in our generation! But it can still happen. Tonight, I want to give you all a piece of advice:

Find something you want to do - and do it!

I've spend this entire weekend in SLC working. But my "work" has really been play. Who's to say that work has to be boring? This weekend has been one of the most enjoyable I've had in a very long time - and it has all been work related.

Over the past two days I've been able to shoot with a fantastic model named Aubrie and churn out some stunning photos depicting one of my best friend's hard work - clothing. The both of us have spent a lot of time typing away on our laptops, contacting people, advertising, and interacting with people all over the valley doing what
we love.

You see, this weekend has been all about work, yet this weekend has been nothing but play. I can't even begin to describe how thankful I am to have such a great and dynamic job and amazing people to work with. There's nothing like collaborating with your best friends, getting to know amazing girls, and having a support group spanning multiple states.

If you have a dream, I urge you to chase it. Do what you can to achieve it. I promise it's worth it! I'm living my dream right now, and the more work I put into it, the closer I get to my end goal. A little effort goes a long way. But you need to start now. Go have an adventure! Make life interesting.

Find something you want to do - and do it! It's adventure time.

Taking the Higher Road

Bad things happen. That's just a fact of life. The key is to not point too many fingers, not start a big fight, and to not carry it with you any longer than you have to. The fact is, any of those things will just make you - and the people around you - miserable.

The other night something inappropriate happened in my hometown. Being out of town on business, I only caught all of it on twitter. While the thing that happened was definitely serious and definitely one group of people's fault, there was absolutely no reason to fill everybody's twitter feeds with negativity. Sure, it was "their" fault because of what happened. But the "victims" who decided to spread stuff all over twitter or yell at the other people are just as much to blame. Nobody wants to have to deal with people arguing over something where there really isn't an argument.

Moving on, when somebody disagrees with something you say - that's okay! But if you disagree with someone you have to politely let them know why. There is no point in arguing when the other person has no idea what they've done wrong. People always do things for a reason. Be sure to not let reasons get lost. Reason, a cool head, and a forgiving heart will take you a long way in life.

Just remember to take the higher road. If someone has wronged you, forgive them. If something bad happens, leave it in the past. If something in the past hurts, don't bring it up again because there is nothing you can do to change the past. Forgive, forget, and be happy. Take the higher road.

Love, Peace, and Happiness,
Griff

Adventure Time

"It's adventure time!"

It is often said that life is a journey. I agree with this completely. But life can be so much more than just a journey. It can be an adventure; by adventure I don't mean that life can be full of dragons, one-ring-to-rule-them-alls, castles, knights, and such... What I mean by that is that there is absolutely no reason to live your life in a way that is monotonous, boring, depriving, or lacking. There's always a silver lining or a positive thing to be found. There's always a laugh to be had or a smile to be shared!

Earlier today a friend and I got a bit turned around in a parking deck in Salt Lake City. And by that I actually mean we couldn't find our car for an hour. Though it was stressful, there were definitely laughs had and smiles shared. That mostly occurred when we couldn't find the outside of a set of elevators (that's a good story, but for another time).

Don't get bogged down in the stress and rush of the journey part of life. Get lost in the amazing adventure that life can be.

Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Griff