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Mar 24

Get The Map. Join The Journey. Accomplish a BIG Dream!

By Ryan Avery Motivation 2 Comments

Chelsea and I are so excited to announce our new project that will help people around the world accomplish their BIG dreams!

We have put together a free resource for you called, The Map to Dreaming BIG. It is a one page formula that shows you how to get started on your big dream, maintain motivation and finish strong!

It is an amazing feeling to see something we have been working on for so long come to life and I am so proud of what we are doing.

I am proud because for almost a decade I have been reminding people to Dream BIG and now, I am doing more than telling, I am showing people how they too can accomplish their BIG dreams! I am proud because I get to do this with my wife and I feel proud because I have found another BIG dream that fits my core values and helps others in the process!

You can download the Map for free now and find out what our next BIG dream is and how you can be a part of it!

In addition to the Map, we have a series of unique webinars scheduled in 2015 where we show you how to take your big dream and make it real. The webinars are going to be awesome (yes I said awesome) and filled with tangible insights, strategies and stories to help us become more successful.

Plus, we have built an online community for people to join for those who encompass the “Dream BIG Mindset.” In this community, we provide resources to keep you on track by offering proven strategies for accomplishing a BIG dream!

We hope you get the map, join us on the journey and take part in the community because the world needs more dreamers and doers than ever before!

Remember, it’s the dreamers who take action that change the world! As always…

Dream BIG,

Ryan

Mar 16

Love0

St. Paddy’s Day Giveaway

By Ryan Avery Motivation 20 Comments

Ah, yea. It’s almost St. Paddy’s Day. That means it’s time for another AveryToday giveaway!

HOW TO ENTER: In the comments below, share why you like or don’t like St. Paddy’s day, and you will automatically get your name put into the leprechaun hat for picking!

PRIZE: One lucky winner will receive from either Door #1- a $10 Amazon gift card, or from Door #2 – a secret surprise in the mail! The winner gets to choose which option and will be selected in 48 hours with an announcement in the comments below!

Good luck, and I am looking forward to reading your answers! As always…

Dream BIG,

Ryan

Mar 09

Love0

8 Blogs Speakers Should Pay Attention To

By Ryan Avery Motivation, Uncategorized 2 Comments

Here is a list of blogs I follow. I read some more than others, but they all provide me with excellent content on how to be a better speaker, leader and champion!

Brendon Burchard: He is one of the most followed personal development trainers of our time, and a global Top 100 Most Followed Public Figure on Facebook. He is a #1 New York Times bestselling author whose books include The Motivation Manifesto, The Charge, The Millionaire Messenger, and Life’s Golden Ticket.

Ted: TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages. Meanwhile, independently run TEDx events help share ideas in communities around the world.

Six Minutes: They are a public speaking and presentation skills website. They offer regular feature articles on speech writing, delivery techniques, PowerPoint and visuals, and speaker habits. In these articles, you will find tips, insights, and strategies which help you become a confident and effective speaker.

Public Words: Dr. Nick Morgan is one of America’s top communication theorists and coaches. A passionate teacher, he is committed to helping people find clarity in their thinking and ideas – and then delivering them with panache. He has been commissioned by Fortune 50 companies to write for many CEOs and presidents. He has coached people to give Congressional testimony, to appear on the Today Show, and to deliver an unforgettable TED talk.

Seth Godin: He is the author of 18 books that have been bestsellers around the world and have been translated into more than 35 languages. He writes about the post-industrial revolution, the way ideas spread, marketing, quitting, leadership and most of all, changing everything.

Storyline: We believe that your story matters. Storyline is a community of people living a better story. Started by Donald Miller, Storyline is not only a blog but a conference .

Marie TV: Her mission is to to empower you to experience happiness, love, fulfillment and prosperity in every sense of the word.

Check out one of these eight blogs today and start improving the way you communicate and operate! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Mar 04

Love0

Seven Religions to Grow Your Spiritual Side

By Ryan Avery Motivation One Comment

Religions can be complicated! Wars can be born from people having different beliefs, miscommunication or a lack of understanding about one’s religion.

Many religions and spiritualities teach similar things and share similar stories about what it means to be a good human being. Of course, there are differences we should discuss.

To help move the religious conversation forward, I thought a good place to start would be to learn what people believe and to direct you to places where you can learn more about the subject! The more we learn about each other, the better of an opportunity we have to get along with one another!

So many wars, deaths, and the world’s major problems are caused from misunderstandings caused by religious beliefs. I thought we could learn where other people are coming from and to understand that people are not difficult – they are different!

So according to my friends BBC, Google and Wikipedia, the simple definitions are:

Christianity: An Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and oral teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament.

Islam: Began in Arabia and was revealed to humanity by the Prophet Muhammad. Those who follow Islam are called Muslims. Muslims believe that there is only one God. The Arabic word for God is ‘Allah’.

Judaism: One of the oldest monotheistic religions and founded over 3500 years ago in the Middle East. Jews believe God appointed the Jews to be his Chosen People in order to set an example of holiness and ethical behaviour to the world.

Catholicism: Along with its adjectival form Catholic is used as a broad term for describing specific traditions in the Christian churches in theology, doctrine, liturgy, ethics, and spirituality.

Buddhism: A religion with about 300 million adherents around the world. The word comes from ‘budhi‘, which means to awaken. It originated about 2,500 years ago when Siddhartha Gotama, known as the Buddha, was himself awakened (enlightened) at the age of 35.

Hinduism: The main religion of India and Nepal. It also exists among significant populations outside of the sub-continent and has over 900 million adherents worldwide. Unlike most other religions, Hinduism has no single founder, no single scripture, and no commonly agreed upon set of teachings.

Atheism: Speaking broadly, it is the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities. Most inclusively, atheism is the absence of belief that any deities exist.

If we can learn to understand that despite our differences we are all seeking to find happiness, wanting to be good to our neighbors, and are interested in helping contribute to the world, we can really improve the future of our species and the generations which follow.

It all starts with a better understanding of where the other person is coming from and creating a safe spot to communicate with each other!

As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

QUESTION: Why do you think so many people fight over religion?

Mar 02

Love0

The Three-Question Humor Test

By Ryan Avery Motivation 3 Comments

How do you know if your humor is appropriate for your audience? Here is “a test” through which I run all of my laugh lines and stories. If the answer to all three questions is “Yes”, then I have a stronger chance that people will laugh and not be offended!

Will two generations understand it?

Will two cultures get it?

Would I say this in front of my grandma?

Now, some of you might have some pretty cool Grannies (I know I do) who won’t fault you for saying something interesting but inappropriate. If you do, you need to pick someone you hold to the highest standards!

For example, here is a two-minute video of how I used the three-question humor test to make sure I was going to make the audience laugh. I knew two generations would get it, two cultures would understand it, and I would say it in front of my grandma.

If you don’t know if two generations or cultures would get it, you need to ask people in that demographic. Share it with them. See if they understand it or if they might be offended by it. Always test it out!

Enjoy creating your laugh lines! Remember that humor is important because it helps people remember what you are saying, builds likability, and gets you rehired! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Feb 27

Love0

How To Quickly Build Trust With People You Don’t Know

By Ryan Avery Motivation 4 Comments

A friend recently asked, “Ryan, how do you quickly build trust with people you don’t know?” No solid relationship can survive without trust. The faster you build trust, the faster you can build your relationship.

Trust is good for business, marriage, and friendships. Here are five ways you can quickly build trust with people you don’t know:

Brene Brown It: It’s time to be more vulnerable. Don’t feel like you have to know all the answers, look good, feel good and be good all the time. We are human. Show and share your vulnerabilities with the other person. As Brene reminds us, we see being vulnerable as a weakness when we do it, but as courageous when someone else does it. Be more vulnerable.

Oprah Winfrey It: Stop talking and start asking more questions. Get the other person to open up and get to the point. Ask open-ended questions to elicit answers other than “yes”, “no”, and “maybe”. The more you can get someone else to open up and talk, the more comfortable you will make them feel. This will ultimately lead them to trust you sooner. Ask more questions!

JK Rowling It: Who has a better fail story then the Wizarding author herself? I love her story, and so do millions of people around the world! We love to see people succeed who struggled at one point in their life. The bigger the struggle, the more we care about them and applaud their success. Share your failures and struggles before your successes and see the window of trust widen!

Brendon Burchard It: Every time I watch something of Brendon’s I learn something. Every time! I remember the first thing I watched from him. He taught me something in the first five minutes. I thought, “Wow, this guy is amazing!” I bought his books, I follow him, and I can’t wait to attend one of his seminars. Teach them something right off the bat that will help improve their lives and they will trust you even more.

The more quickly you build trust with someone, the bigger opportunity you have to make a difference in this world! Work hard to build and maintain your trust with everyone around you! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Feb 23

Love0

Five Ways To Be More Grateful

By Ryan Avery World Records 11 Comments

I sometimes go through my day thinking, “If I only had XYZ, it would make my life so much easier!” But when I stop and think about the access I have to things, people, and technology I realize my thinking is off. Instead of thinking, “If I only had XYZ” I need to do a better job thinking, “What can I do with XYZ?”

First, I can do a better job being grateful for the things I do have. To do that I need to be aware of the things in my life which make me happy and present me with opportunities.

Here are five ways to be more grateful in your everyday life:

Redefine your statement: When you find yourself saying, “If I only had XYZ, it would be so much easier!” try rewording the statement to be more positive and show gratitude for the things you already do have. Instead, say “What can I do with what I have, now?”

Give thanks for your senses at night: I used to do this before I went to bed every night. I would go through all of my senses one by one and think about everything that I smelled that day, everything I tasted, felt, saw, and heard. It made me appreciate the simple things more and to be aware of what I was experiencing in the now.

Make a list: This was the best thing I did recently. Write down everything that makes you happy and everything you have for which you are grateful. There will be negative things, but if you are reading this right now, then you might be surprised how many positive things will show up on your list.

Volunteer once a month: My friends and I are doing this every month this year. We started with the food bank and planting trees in our community. This month we are volunteering with American Veterans. Volunteering will give you a greater outlook on life. Remind yourself that you do have a lot of things in life for which you can be thankful.

Remind yourself of the greats: Most of the greats out there – the ones we talk about, remember and admire – all struggled at the beginning. In fact, the bigger the struggle, the more we tend to like them and feel good about their success. Be thankful you get to work hard, are going though tough times, or don’t have everything you want right now; one day it will make for a better story that will relate to more people and ultimately inspire others to do the same!

Those of us who can improve our awareness of the things we have, let’s start today! Let’s make a list, reframe our mindset, volunteer, or think about the greats that came before us! Enjoy this awesome day, and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Feb 20

Love0

A Plane Story: An HIV+ Veteran

By Ryan Avery Motivation 6 Comments

Because of my job, I fly a lot. I get the chance to sit next to some interesting people, and some not so interesting people.

Every time I fly, I am reminded what lessons I learn and stories I hear, so I thought I would start sharing them here.

Volume 1, Person 1 – The HIV+ Veteran

His dark-rimmed glasses, skinny arms, and haberdasher hat catch my attention as I get situated into my seat and prepare for a long ride to the opposite coast.

I am being a typical millennial with headphones in my ear, and I am not in the mood to talk to anyone so nothing is playing in them. This is a decoy I use when I am in public and am looking to be an introvert!

I smile, and say “Hi” to the man, and he does the same back. We take off, and I take out my headphones because my introverted side can only last so long. We start talking, and after about five minutes of sharing things about our lives, it feels as though we have been old friends for 20 years even though I could be his grandson.

I learn about his time in Vietnam, his worldly travels and how he has lived the past 30 years infected with HIV.

We open up and talk about things like death, sex, drugs, life-partners, and most everything you wouldn’t talk to a stranger about (or your in-laws), but for some reason it feels right. To tell you the truth, it was refreshing to talk with someone who has been through so much and has such a positive outlook on life.

Here is a man who lives with one of the most stigmatized infections in the world, who has fought to protect our country, who has lived in more countries that I can count, and who has spent more time working than I have been alive. It makes me think, “How many other fascinating people like him are out there whom I will never meet?”

All of these people I judge before I meet them; yet – once I get to know them – I realize how much I could learn from them and how much we have in common. These people have so much advice, history, and story inside of them. So much opportunity to learn from and remind yourself that we are all human.

It was one of the most refreshing flights I have had in the past five years! We land and say our goodbyes! We exchange contact info, disembark, and he hops into a wheel chair.

“I will see you around, kid!” he says. Although our lives, ages, and professions are vastly different I believe we will meet again!

What stories, lessons, and history are you missing out on by not getting to know the stranger next to you? Anytime you fly it is up to a flip of a coin who will be seated next to you. It could be a kook, a cook, or even a crook; but, the rare times you find a gem like Jeremy makes it worth it.

Reach out to your fellow neighbor and get their story. Who knows what you will learn, what will wake up inside you, and what stories you will hear! As always…

P.S. Do you like the idea of a recurring article series called “A Plane Story” in which I share my stories of those people I sit next to on a plane? If so, let me know in the comments below!

Feb 18

Love0

Five Reasons Your Business Should Be Telling More Stories

By Ryan Avery Motivation No Comments

Since the beginning of time people have shared stories to teach, preach and get their points across. Since the beginning of our lives parents, teachers and preachers have shared stories with us illustrating life’s greatest lessons.

So if we learn through stories, why shouldn’t businesses use them to promote and sell products, services, and ideas? They should, and here is why:

People buy stories: Customers are constantly consuming stories. From books to TV shows, from trips to cars, we buy things because of the story that is attached to it.

People share stories: Whether it is the company gossip in the breakroom, or the stories of what happened during the weekend while you are in the classroom, people share stories.

People remember stories: From little Red Riding Hood to Robin Hood, from Pretty Women to that embarrassing moment that happened to you in middle school – people remember the lessons they learned from the stories they heard and/or experienced.

People like stories: Good stories can make you feel good, can make you experience several emotions, and can bring a smile to your face. People are constantly looking for stories to entertain, educate, or inspire them.

People learn from stories: The major lessons in life you live by were all taught through stories. Whether it was from the Bible or the Koran, from Disney or Grimm’s Fairy Tales, we know the difference between right or wrong because of the heroes and villains with whom we are familiar.

So why are you not using stories in your business?

Why are you not wrapping a story around your product, service, and idea? If you want people to buy, share, remember, and like your product start sharing stories around what it is you sell and offer. Those leaders who

Happy storytelling, and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Get The Map. Join The Journey. Accomplish a BIG Dream!

St. Paddy’s Day Giveaway

8 Blogs Speakers Should Pay Attention To

Seven Religions to Grow Your Spiritual Side

The Three-Question Humor Test

How To Quickly Build Trust With People You Don’t Know

Five Ways To Be More Grateful

A Plane Story: An HIV+ Veteran

Five Reasons Your Business Should Be Telling More Stories

Giveaway for Post V-Day

What Makes A Great Story?