Writings Tagged with ‘Function with Gumption’
Thursday, November 15th, 2012
According to a Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey published on Sunday, November 10, 2012, forty-five percent (45%) of Likely U.S. Voters feel that America’s best days are in the past, but nearly as many (43%) think they are in the future. Twelve percent (12%) are not sure.
Or put another way, roughly one-half of the U.S. population sees the glass half empty, while the other half sees the glass half full.
I don’t know what the historical averages in the U.S. are for optimism/pessimism, but as an optimist, I find these numbers disturbing.
Clearly, we are a divided country politically. Now I learn we’re a divided country attitudinally.
So what can you do?
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Tags: America's Best Days, Function with Gumption, Gumption, Mindset, Rasmussen Reports, Steve Weber
Posted in Business, Gumption, Life Lessons | No Comments »
Thursday, November 1st, 2012
When you Function with Gumption, you take personal responsibility for the way you think, act, and interact with others.
A person who regularly teaches others has a special obligation to Function with Gumption at all times.
I’m not just talking about just those who have the title Teacher.
I’m referring to anyone who teaches others.
I’m referring to almost everyone.
Parents.
Bosses.
Siblings.
Neighbors.
Co-workers.
Fellow students.
Mentors.
Colleagues.
We all teach each other regularly.
I believe if we all teach with a Gumption mindset, then the world will be a better place.
So, what mindset is healthy for person who regularly teaches others?
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Tags: Function with Gumption, Gumption, Mindset, Steve Weber, teacher, teaching
Posted in Gumption | No Comments »
Monday, October 29th, 2012
When you Function with Gumption, you take personal responsibility for the way you think, act, and interact with others.
Elementary school students who Function with Gumption are just beginning to learn how to be personally responsible.
They are just beginning to understand the concept of being responsible.
They are just beginning to learn how to behave in social situations.
They are just beginning to learn how to follow rules and instructions.
They are learning how to get along with adults (other than their parents).
They are learning how to get along with fellow students.
They are just starting to go from being completely dependent to understanding the concept of being independent.
So, what mindset is healthy for an elementary school student?
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Tags: Elementary School, Function with Gumption, Gumption, Mindset, Montana Speaker, School Students, Steve Weber, Students
Posted in Gumption | No Comments »
Thursday, October 11th, 2012
On November 5, 2009, I wrote my first blog. On November 1, 2010, I posted my 100th blog. On October 20, 2011, I posted my 200th blog. Today, October 11th, 2012, I’m posting number 300 … Wow!
Here are three things I’ve discovered about myself from writing during the past year.
- Writing gets easier. At the beginning, it was a chore. I had to force myself. I still force myself, but it’s now mostly fun. Writing gets easier.
- Short and sweet. The pattern of my writing the last year has trended toward shorter posts. A single topic. A single idea. Less attempting to explain details – more focus on principles. Short and sweet.
- It’s a journey. Just as Forrest Gump’s journey has become an important part of my message, my evolution as a blogger and speaker is a journey. Writing helps me flesh out my message. Writing helps me decide what is most important, both as a person and as a writer/speaker. I’ve been given the opportunity to figure it out for myself – while still being a work in progress.
Want to see eleven of my favorite blogs this past year?
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Tags: 300th Blog, Cerebrate, Function with Gumption, gump-like, Gumption, life chapters, life journey, Real-Fake Matrix, Steve Weber, Writing
Posted in Gumption, Life Lessons, Steve's Journey | No Comments »
Thursday, July 26th, 2012
Chart from page 97 of Gilmore and Pine’s 2007 book: Authenticity, What Consumers Really Want.
Gilmore and Pine in their book Authenticity developed a 2×2 matrix that classifies all genres of economic offerings (i.e. commodity, good, service, experience, or transformation). Real and Fake are the vertical and horizontal markers. Each of the four modes of authenticity indicate a consumer’s perception of a product or business’ authenticity.
- Real-fake – IS what is says it is and IS NOT true to itself.
- Fake-fake – IS NOT what it says it is and IS NOT true to itself.
- Fake-real – IS NOT what it says it is and IS true to itself.
- Real-real – IS what it says it is and IS true to itself.
Over the past several years, I’ve wrestled with how I’m positioned in the speakers’ world. Am I a speaker? Or am I a Forrest Gump impersonator who speaks?
My blog of two weeks ago started the process of answering that question. I now feel confident in declaring myself a former Forrest Gump impersonator, or former look-like. While I still consider myself a Forrest Gump Tribute Artist – I mostly prefer to think of myself as a communicator and a creator of experiences. I communicate using both the written and spoken word. I create experiences by using my gump-like image combined with the words I speak. My purpose is to teach businesses and individuals to live a gump-like life … and specifically, to Function with Gumption.
That is my reality. That feels real. That’s how I will go forward.
Going forward, I’ll now be able to tell my story in conjunction with the wonderful story of Forrest Gump.
So why is being Real-real so important?
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Tags: Authenticity, Function with Gumption, Gilmore & Pine, Gumption, Live, Real/Fake Matrix, Steve Weber
Posted in Business, Gumption, Steve's Journey | 2 Comments »
Thursday, July 19th, 2012
When you Function with Gumption, you take responsibility for three things:
- The way you think (Mindset)
- The way you act (Behavior)
- The way you interact with others (Relationships)
When you Function with Wellness Gumption, you take responsibility for these three areas:
- Your nutrition (what you eat, drink, and additional supplements)
- Your movement (exercise)
- Your rest (sleeping)
Gumption is all about taking responsibility.
Wellness Gumption is taking responsibility for your health and wellness.
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Tags: Function with Gumption, Function with Wellness Gumption, Health, Health & Wellness, Personal Responsibility, Steve Weber, Wellness Gumption
Posted in Business, Gumption | No Comments »
Friday, June 22nd, 2012
And then Redneck had four chicks.
And then there were five.
In my last chicken update, I told you about Redneck being the superstar and hatching out seven chicks.
A few days ago, I closed the coop for the evening and Redneck had seven chicks … the next morning, she had only four chicks.
Where’d three chicks go?
What happened to them?
Did one of the other chickens decide they didn’t like all the little chicks around?
Did the cat sneak into the chicken coop?
Did one of the magpies who likes to visit the chick scratch snatch a chick or three?
It’s a mystery. Good thing I didn’t count my chickens while they were still only little baby chicks.
P.S. Thelma (or Louise) still has her one chick, so the total number of chicks is now five (from the original 24 fertilized eggs). See Part 1 here for the original story.
Next Blog Title:
Next Blog Date: June 25, 2012
Steve Weber is a speaker, Forrest Gump tribute artist, facilitator, blogger, and author. The three principles of Gumption are specifically designed to get you (and your team) to Function with Gumption. Steve uses the simple, yet powerful, life lessons from the movie Forrest Gump to bring positivity back into the workplace. Learn more at SpeakingGump.com.
Tags: Don't Count Your Chickens, Function with Gumption, Gumption, Motivational Speaker, Raising Chickens, Steve Weber
Posted in Steve's Journey | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 12th, 2012
What advice would Forrest give to today’s graduates?
The only time in the movie that Forrest gives a speech is at the Vietnam War protest in Washington, D.C. It was spontaneous. It wasn’t planned. It was just something Forrest said from his heart.
The irony is that the audience could not hear the speech because the microphone plug had been pulled. All they heard was Forrest’s ending, “… and that’s all I’ve got to say about that.” Abbey Hoffman was onstage with Forrest. He was obviously moved by Forrest’s words. He embraced Forrest on the shoulder and softly replied, “That’s so right on, man. You said it all.”
What if Forrest was to give a commencement address today? What would he say to the assembled group of graduates? What words of wisdom and Gumpisms would he share with the grads and their families? What advice would he give to those in the midst of their life journey who are transitioning from an educational life chapter to their next life chapter?
Here is my imaginary Gump Commencement Address.
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Tags: Commencement, Commencement Address, Forrest Gump, Function with Gumption, Graduation Speech, Gumption, Motivational Speaker, Steve Weber
Posted in Gumption, Life Lessons | No Comments »
Thursday, June 7th, 2012
Norman Rockwell’s Freedom Speech portrait is about intellectual honesty.
Forrest said, “A promise is a promise.” If we take integrity as a whole, it’s more than just keeping your promises.
While keeping your promises is clearly at the core of integrity, integrity is more than just keeping your word.
One important subset of integrity is intellectual honesty.
What does it mean to be intellectually honest with yourself?
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Tags: Advocacy, Advocate, Forrest Gump, Function with Gumption, Gumption, Intellectual Honesty, Intellectually Honest, Steve Weber
Posted in Gumption, Steve's Journey | No Comments »
Thursday, May 24th, 2012
The other day KJ asked me, “Have you ever seen it done that way before?”
The question stopped me momentarily, and I had to honestly answer, “No.”
That shook me a little as I started to question my strategy and myself. Was I making a mistake? Should I reconsider and do it the way others have done it before?
I decided to use my own three principles of Gumption to get myself regrounded. I need to follow my own instincts in pursuing this important project.
Over the past year, I’ve consulted with countless experts and read more than my bloodshot eyes can remember – it’s now time to take 100% personal responsibility and Function with Gumption … as opposed to following what someone else has done before me.
So here is what I’m going to do:
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Tags: Do it Your Way, Follow Your Instincts, Function with Gumption, Gumption, Motivational Speeches, Steve Weber
Posted in Business, Gumption, Steve's Journey | 1 Comment »
