It’s 6:26am, Saturday morning I’m sitting in the lobby of the beautiful Gaylord Hotel Resort and Convention Centre, and I’m still on a high after opening up the Blogalicious 2011 Conference with my Keynote address yesterday morning.  The energy at this conference is next level, and I was truly honoured to be blessed with this opportunity.  Got a chance to speak to so many incredible people, build with them, and share with them.  It’s been a great time here in DC.

Wanted to take the opportunity to post the key take aways from my talk as future reference tools and discussion points in order to keep this stimulating conversation about passion finding going.  Don’t hesitate to reach out to me, I’m always down to engage.

Thanks to everyone in attendance, and please know that I appreciate every single one of your incredibly supportive and wonderful comments.  You all helped contribute to one of the most magical experiences in my life thus far.

Cheers.

#keepgoing

Jesse

“Connecting with U” – Key take aways from #Blogalicious11 opening Keynote address w/ @iamjessejones

Main Thought: Before connecting with the outside world, it’s important that we take the time to figure out who we are, and what truly drives us as those findings can directly dictate our paths. “the most important and most masterful connection we will ever make, is the one with ourselves.”

UNCOVER IT
-          SACRIFICE: Take the time to focus on uncovering the true reasons for why you do what you do. It may take some sacrifice and a trip back to the drawing board, but “It’s never too late to take the bus.”

TALK ABOUT IT
-          COMMUNICATE YOUR INTERESTS: Share, share, share, share, share! When you meet people, make sure they know what you’re about. You never know who will share your interests and who could potentially be your next partner.  If you don’t let people know what you’re up to, who will?

THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS
-          RELATIONSHIPS ARE LIKE PLANTS. THEY NEED TO BE WATERED: Develop earnest and honest relationships, not for what they can do for you in the instant, but harness them and develop with people you genuinely believe in, subscribe to, and like. That’s where the best scenarios stem from.
-          It’s important to always ask ourselves: Who and/or what are we surrounding ourselves with day in and day out?  And are these people and/or things contributing to the uplift and betterment of us as individuals?  Or are they doing the opposite?  Will Smith said that the 5 people we spend the most time around can directly affect where we’re heading.
-          Don’t get caught up on # of followers.  Build with those that have made the decision to build with you.  Create an army with them.  Work with and harness the relationship with the 50 followers that you have, rather than being concerned with how to get the 5000. Cultivate and develop your relationships and allow your brand the opportunity to grow.
-          No need to focus on trying to convert those who haven’t made an effort to build with you. Focus energy on the ones that do.

WE ARE THE BRAND
-           “WE ARE WHAT WE TWEET” – How are we handling ourselves on social media? Is our timeline truly representative of who we are, and what we want to convey? We are what we tweet.
-          Your next tweet could directly reflect your next opportunity. Positively, or negatively.
-          EMBRACE YOUR DEFINING DIFFERENCE – This is what makes you, you.  One should never shy away from this.  It’ s not about what your competitors are doing.  It’s about understanding what your true brand dna is, and working that to the fullest.

IT’S OKAY TO BE HUMAN
-          Mistakes are part of the game. Keep playing.
-          Character is shown, not through the mistake but from how we come back from the mistake, and how we learn from the mistake.
-          You’ll never hit the pitches that you don’t swing for.  Don’t stand in the batter’s box waiting for the “perfect pitch”. Keep swinging. #keepgoing.
-          “DONT LET THE PERFECT BE THE ENEMY OF THE POSSIBLE”

BE UNCOMFORTABLE
-          UNCOVERING WHAT ONE IS TRULY CONNECTED TO AND MAKING A LIFE OUT OF IT IS TRULY A JOURNEY
-          EVERY EXPERIENCE IS A PART OF WHAT EVENTUALLY SHAPES US
-          THE PAINFUL MOMENTS ARE WHERE GROWTH LIVES. Embrace the tough times. Lean forward if only a little bit, and #keepgoing
-          LOOK WITHIN YOUR DAY TO DAY LIVES AND CONSIDER THE PASSION AND LOVE YOU HAVE FOR WHAT YOU DO
-          AND IF THERE’S DOUBT, MAKE A STEP TO FIND OUT WHAT YOUR TRUE PASSION IS
-          Don’t fear stepping into YOUR “yoga class” of new opportunity.  You may not know everything from the get go, but learning is growing.

I recently took up Yoga. Like, very recently. It’s been just under 2 weeks. I’ve done 3 classes to date and after intense muscle soreness and surprise I’m close to being hooked on a new (for me) form of both full body workout and relaxation that I didn’t know before. It’s something new for me that I’ve embraced, and surprisingly I’m loving it. But, it didn’t start there, in fact on the very first day I decided to go, I got to the room, saw a full class of women and almost chickened out, saying to myself, “there’s no way I’m going to put myself in this situation, not knowing what I’m doing and having to learn as I go along in front of all of them, no way!” (Note: I’m chuckling to myself as I write this because in hindsight the moment I’m describing is kinda humourous) My pride, whether at the time it be “masculine macho pride” or not, literally almost got in the way of experiencing something that has turned out to be pretty positive and beneficial to me.

The initial situation was incredibly uncomfortable. Even though I had already made my mind up about trying yoga out, I had thought about it for months prior, read and heard about all of its benefits and had decided that yes I am going to go try this thing out. Even with a prior commitment to it, I was there, looking into the room as the first class was about to begin and I was considering turning around.

Why?

Because I was uncomfortable.

I actually even walked back to the change-room and was considering doing my regular workout regimen for the day. As I was walking back to the change-room though something was speaking to me inside. Something was telling me that I came to the gym to take that class, and I should follow through on that commitment I had already made in my mind. Even though I was pretty uncomfortable about putting myself into unknown territory, and didn’t know everything there was to know about where I was about to go. There was also the group of people in the class I considered to be “experts” whom I felt I would look ridiculous in front of because I “didn’t know what I was doing”. All of these factors almost lead me to lose out on an experience that two weeks later I’m finding is contributing positively to me in ways I didn’t even consider originally.

I use the above examples to say this: How many times have we neglected to go in a direction in our lives simply because it felt a bit uncomfortable to do so? Perhaps pride got in the way, or maybe it was just the fear of the unknown that stopped us from pursuing that desire. What’s crazy is that, the unknown is only one step away from being “the known”, and even though there’s just one step between the two, one has to actually take that step, and make that leap. To illustrate my point, I’m making use of a simple yoga example, but my “yoga” story may be your “desire to start a small business” story, or it may be the new job opportunity you want to pursue, or that new place you’ve wanted to travel to for some time now, or that new project you’ve been meaning to start, or that passion you want to pursue. All things we’ve already thought about, considered, and decided in our minds we’d love to do at some point, but because the time isn’t perfect, just haven’t gotten to it.

My father once gave me a quote he heard that’s stuck with me forever and it reads: “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the possible.” And let me tell you, those words couldn’t be more true. The “perfect time” never comes. There will always be reasons not to start on your dreams. Always. In fact there quite often may be more reasons not to start, than to start! Comfort is a heck of a thing. It’s said to be the thing we should all strive for, and while I believe comfort is a great thing, I also feel that at times it does us a huge disservice. Because too much comfort, can sometimes lead to a lack of new experiences. We get comfortable with life’s “workouts” and we feel we are completely okay with just that. Thus we shy away from experiencing the new “yoga classes” around us. The unknown makes us, uncomfortable.

I know it’s hard sometimes to go out on the limb, but (at the risk of sounding a bit cliché) that’s where the fruit is. I’m experiencing this as we speak, as I embark on this crazy new chapter of my life as an entrepreneur where I’m literally putting myself out there with endeavors I’ve never before taken on. To be completely honest, most days I feel very uncomfortable, but that feeling doesn’t last and many great things have come and are coming from my decision to take a chance on things that I deeply believe in, and just go for it. I know I’m not alone on that either. Many of you can probably say the same for experiences you’ve had in your own lives. I’ve always said, two things are for sure. We will all die one day, and we’ll always be sure to fail from time to time. I can’t come back from death, but I can most certainly come back from failure. I’d rather try, and fail, than to not try at all.

So with that I ask this: is there a “yoga class” that you’re on the outside looking into? Are you literally standing at the door of life’s “yoga studio”, on the fence about whether or not to go in, simply because the unknown and uncomfortable nature of it all make you nervous? If so, open the door, walk in and take the class. Because you never know, you may gain a sense of flexibility you never even knew you had.

#KeepGoing

Jj

We are as good the energy that consumes us.  I know for myself, I’m at my best when my energy and my vibe are at all time highs.  It’s how I operate, and I understand this about myself.  Passion fills my days, and when that passion is flowing, it’s infectious.  I don’t think I’m alone though.  The same thing probably goes for you as well.  You’re also probably at your best when you’re in an incredibly positive frame of mind.  This positive frame of mind can be influenced in many ways and can directly be related to the people or energies we surround ourselves with the majority of our days.  So the question then becomes, who and/or what are we surrounding ourselves with day in and day out?  And are these people and/or things contributing to the uplift and betterment of us as individuals?  Or are they doing the opposite?  It’s amazing how a simple removal of bad energy, or an addition of some of the good stuff can immediately change our environment, both physically and mentally.  Will Smith said that the 5 people we spend the most time with can tell us where we are heading.  My mother always told me growing up, “Show me your company, and I’ll tell you who you are.”

I tend to assess my environments every so often, constantly reviewing what I’m surrounding myself with.  It’s a great self-check, and opportunity to regain control of one’s immediate space and development.

So today, ask yourself – Who are you running with?  And are they helping push you to the finish line, or are they holding you back in the race?

Jesse

Really excited about this – the first episode of Conversations with Jesse Jones is here! Check out U-ology101.com/Conversations to watch the Conversation with Tyrone ‘T-RexXx’ Edwards, host of MuchMusic’s RapCity! Or just click to watch below.

Ep #1 (Part 1) Guest – MuchMusic’s Tyrone “T-RexXx” Edwards

Ep #1 (Part 2) Guest – MuchMusic’s Tyrone “T-RexXx” Edwards

Stay tuned for more Conversations coming soon!

The below post is one I wrote for a microsite that had created a forum for identifying and uncovering the Maverick in all of us (www.marcustroy.com/mavericks).  I figured the messages were worth sharing here as well.  So here is the actual post.  Comment, share, and most certainly, look within.  I thank you all for your continued support of the U-ology101 movement.

Jesse

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Living Like A Maverick

With each and every passing day I’m realizing more and more how beneficial it is to focus on, identify, and understand the design of our DNA.  And when I say DNA I’m not speaking in the literal sense.  I’m speaking more along the lines of our Passion DNA.  The genetic make-up of our core Interests, inherent Ability, Dreams, Aspiration, and most important, life-long Happiness.  A real in-depth look, and study into the things we are innately great at.  The real seeds of our nature.

Life to me is about moving through this process.  But not moving blindly.  Rather, moving in and out of Experience, Opportunity, and Relationships built with a sense of direction, all based on the solid understanding of our core.  I sincerely believe that it is not until we understand the fundamental basis for who we really are, that we can truly move through this process, not only with Passion, but with Purpose.

Before even penning a piece of this I took to the dictionary to get a sense of what the word Maverick really means and what it was really rooted in.  I found two main meanings:

(1) An UNBRANDED range animal, especially a CALF that has become separated from its mother, traditionally considered the property of the first person who brands it.

(2) One that refuses to abide by the dictates of or resists adherence to a group; a dissenter.  Someone who EXHIBITS great INDEPENDENCE IN THOUGHT and ACTION.

As I read through these definitions something really dawned on me.  The first describes a Maverick as an “unbranded” animal, but not just an animal, a “calf”.  It’s not yet “owned” and is free from any one imprint.  The second definition describes a Maverick as one that thinks and acts on their own and refuses to be affected by Groups.  These definitions blew my mind because through going deeper into them you can really see why the understanding of our core and our DNA is so important and why it should be at the forefront of everything we do every single day.  A calf is young, and if you think for a second about youth, when we were younger we took everything in. We wanted to know,  everything.  Why the stove was hot, why our parents did what they did, what our friends were doing each day etc. As kids we just wanted to….KNOW things.  The first definition goes on to talk about the calf not yet being branded by any one person. I think this can be paralleled with our day to day lives being “labelled” and categorized, put into boxes so to speak.  The most important thing I draw from these definitions as it relates to us moving through the ups and downs of life is this:

There’s a Map to Happiness within us, and it’s inherently there, we’re born with it.  The map is made up of our genetic skill, ability, traits and things that if tapped into will show us where our Passions lie.  Once we figure those out, we’re able to move through the process of Manifesting these passions and making use of our gifts each day of our lives.  Too often we let life get the best of us, and we stop Wanting to Know.  We stop being interested in difference, diverse opinion, learning, sharing, and we ask more questions of others, and less of ourselves.  We forget to pay attention to the most important brand we will ever manage, OUR OWN.

Mavericks to me, are Mavericks because they understand clearly or are hell bent on understanding clearly Who They Are, What They Stand For, and What Type of Mark They’d Like to Leave on The World.  I believe that true Mavericks are not simply concerned with just being Unbranded, and thinking independently free from outside influence.  They are also concerned with staying that way.  Staying “calf-like” and young in mind. Staying Optimistic.  Continuing to Dream.  A true Maverick in my mind is one that is not jaded but truly sees opportunity, Everywhere.  And the Opportunities they manifest for themselves and the relationships they cultivate are solely based on their core understanding of their Passion DNA.  The detailed map within us that lays out the direction we should take in life, if we just take the time to uncover it.

Life to me is way too short to live anything less than Maverick-like.  It’s too short to live in other’s shadows, or through the dreams and aspirations others have for themselves.  It’s too short to live a certain way simply to obtain the approval and adoration of others.  Life is too short to live without knowing or even trying to uncover and identify our Passions. Because once you truly tap into that DNA, paths seem clearer, and work is no longer work, it’s simply what you were put here to LOVE doing.   It’s my wish that everyone gets to tap into their true DNA, at any point in their life. To truly and whole-heartedly understand their most important brand and what it stands for.

True Mavericks move with Purpose.  But that is only because they first have taken the time to figure out what their true Purpose, Is.

Jj

I don’t ever want to become jaded in my career or life’s pursuits. Ever. I sometimes talk to people who’ve stopped dreaming. Stopped being optimistic. About life, about opportunity, and about the things they can do. And when that happens, I feel for them. Because to them, it’s not worth pushing anymore. They’ve become content based on how things have gone in the past. Yes there are roadblocks, systems & isms that keep things from being realized from time to time. But isn’t that when we are called to be most creative? I feel like once we’ve stopped dreaming, we’ve given up and thus….given in. My hope is that I never stop dreaming or feeling that anything’s possible. Man, I hope that for everyone.

Jj

“Why?”

If you follow me on twitter or have been around some of the conversations I’ve been having recently this title may trigger something for you, because you may have an idea of where I’m eventually gonna go with this. If you don’t, and you’ve come across this post by some other avenue, welcome. I hope you enjoy it, or at the very least it sparks and evokes thought. It’s again really early in the morning. It’s around 5am on a Saturday, and I’m feverishly putting these thoughts down into my blackberry as I was moved to write them.

Whenever we set out to chase something, seek something, and go after it with all our might, I believe it’s important to ensure we ask ourselves one important question. And that question is, “Why?”. It’s really important to ask ourselves this question because in the answer, therein lies our motivation, and through finding our true motivation, we can get a sense of the substance of our new undertaking. We can also get a sense of the level of commitment we may or may not have for this journey through determining the depth of our initial purpose for going down this road in the first place. Hope you’re still all with me.

Sometimes we chase “things” and have no idea what we’re really chasing. Sometimes we go after “things” and have no real idea why we’re going after them. Perhaps it’s for societal appreciation, or maybe it’s for fame, or to feel desired. Perhaps it’s to please others, or maybe it’s to “fit in”. Sometimes it’s for the desire to be rich, other times it’s an attempt to reach a level of satisfaction that’s almost mirage like. I use the word mirage here for a reason, and the reason is this: to design our chase based on a desired outcome, and NOT on our innate direction does us all a true disservice. We end up chasing something that looks so real, yet disappears once we finally, “arrive”.

Happiness can’t be bought, or brought to you in a package delivered to you by someone else. It can’t rub off on you from someone else who may have it or live next door to it. It can’t be surgically implanted in you. Happiness can’t be manufactured. I’m a firm believer that happiness comes through one’s ability to tap into their true passions in life. Happiness, to me, is getting up every single day, excited about the contribution we’re about to make to society and our world. Happiness, to me, is being able to design your life and your opportunity the same way architects design buildings, carefully constructed to meet the incredibly specific, desired outcomes. Happiness, to me, isn’t perfection, and it’s not free from failure and roadblocks. Rather, happiness is the militant commitment we have to pursuing our desires in light of the roadblocks because we know that our reasoning for pursuit is as sound as we need it to be. Happiness, to me, is doing what you love to do. But not what we think we love. Or what we feel we must love. What we actually, truly, deeply connect to.

As years go by, we change. We meet new people. Change jobs. Change schools. Change homes. Change styles. Change phones. Change cars. And as we change and develop, so do our thoughts about various things, including ourselves. Because we’re constantly evolving, it’s important that we also, consider the question in the title of this blog post every so often.

“Why?”

It’s important as we embark on this journey of life to ask ourselves not only what are we chasing, but WHY are we chasing it. For me, at the end of the day what I chase is the idea that when I lay my head down at night, and wake it up again the next morning, I’m excited and energized about what I’m spending the majority of my time doing, as well as who I’m doing it with. So in order to get to that I have to ensure that I have a real core understanding of what it is I love. What it is that truly stimulates me, down to my very fiber, influenced by no other thing but my innate likes, what I was born and put here to really do. There’s a journey to uncovering this passion, but we do ourselves a disservice if we do not critically ask ourselves they question, “Why?”, even if we fear the answer we may get back. The fear of the answer we may get back is something we ALL struggle with.

What are we chasing? And Why are we chasing it? A great question that we can all stand to ask ourselves from time to time.

Check out Jesse’s recent interview on Daytime Ottawa where he discusses how U-ology 101 came to be and the U-ology 101 3 Keys.

It’s currently 4:11am.  I was going to wait until a “reasonable” hour in the morning to pen this, the first, post for the new U-ology101.com blog, however I felt inspired to do it now as the thoughts around this new website and movement began to flow through me so intensely.  It’s been about 2 years since the concept U-ology101 (the study of you) was actually born and it’s really blowing my mind how much things can change in such a short period of time, especially when you believe.  It was literally an idea at one point, and now we’re setting up to launch the official new site, and put this movement out into the world in a pretty big way.  There’s a great team of individuals who really subscribe to what this message is all about and it’s incredibly heart warming to me.
Over the course of the past 2 years a lot has happened in my world.  There’s been a great deal of change, transition, and culmination of all the years of work leading up to this.  Thoughts definitely do become things, and I’m seeing that all come to fruition now.  This project is a testament to the fact that if you believe in your path, and your direction, you will, no doubt, see that path begin to unfold for you.  It’s also a testament to the importance of maintaining one’s relationships.  The amazing team of individuals surrounding this project as we go forward is made up of some of the people I worked with over 6 years ago.  During the past 6 years we all had various pursuits that took us in different directions, however the maintenance of the relationship and continued mutual respect for each other was held in tact, and thus in a great state for when new opportunity arose.  Cue the new opportunity.  What started out as a few emails to a few key people about a concept and potential logo ideas, is now a movement we’re taking all across this nation and internationally, simply because there was belief and action.

I am thrilled to introduce you all to the new U-ology101.com experience.  It feels amazing to wake up every day loving what I do. This feeling is something I believe everyone CAN have.  We just need to take the steps to get there.  This is what U-ology 101 is essentially about.  Assessing ourselves closely to uncover the things we were born loving, our natural talents and passion DNA.  We want people everywhere to know that you really CAN make your passions work for you.

Thanks for stopping by, and don’t be a stranger.  You can definitely look forward to a lot of engagement, updated blogs, personal insights on the go from the places we visit, and just an overall positive feel from which only great things can flow.  Make sure to follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/uology101 and my personal twitter, www.twitter.com/iamjessejones.
Welcome everyone to the U-ology 101 experience.

Jesse