attitude — JeffDrummer.com

Who’s Gonna Care When You’re Gone?

May 4, 2013 by Jeff Jones 2 Comments

After hearing the news of the recent passing of a fellow musician, it forced me to reflect on the lasting impact one has beyond their short existence on earth. Have you ever attended a funeral and found your mind wondering what food they were going to be serving at the house afterwards? I know that’s a terrible things to focus on, but my point is not to be overlooked. People occupy our lives due to physical space. Once they are gone, they cease to occupy that physical space. The only way their influence in our lives remains is when they offer us something more. Today I was challenged to question what else I offer and ask the question: How long will people remember me once I’m gone?

Since getting my insurance license in January I’ve been bombarded with horror stories of people who died too soon without the proper life insurance in place. The truth is, no one really dies on time. If we knew when we were going to die we wouldn’t live the way we lived.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been totally immersed in the news of someone being sick or involved in a tragic accident, only to continue with life as usual only a few days after their passing. That is a fact of life that everyone experiences because we all are focused on living life and doing our normal routine.

How do we have an impact in the lives of those around us long after we’re gone? How can we leave such an impact that our legacy lives on and on through the years causing people to remember us long after we’re gone?

Here are a few ideas that will help you leave a legacy beyond your physical space:

Invest in others-Stop living just for yourself.
Do what you were created to do so you are not robbing those around you of your unique gifts and talents
Be a giver-Allow yourself to be a vessel where your blessings can flow into the lives of others.

If you died today, how long would it be before you were merely a fleeting memory in the minds of those you loved? I’ve reflected on this and realized I am far too selfish at times. I want to be remembered as someone who made others feel important, not merely an obstacle that stood in the way of me getting to my goals and ambitions.

What about you? Are you living in such a way that others will think of you long after you’re gone?

Question: What is one thing you need to change the most so others lives will be impacted with your legacy?

****For more on my BIG announcement, click here: My New Home

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Filed Under: attitude, health, job, passion, work Tagged With: careers, job, relationships

How to Have a December to Remember

March 15, 2013 by Jeff Jones 8 Comments

calender I know, I know. We just started 2013. However, you know December will be here sooner than you think and you along with the rest of the world, will be wondering what happened to the time. As I get older I am reminded daily of how fast time goes by. It seems like just yesterday I was adjusting to writing 2012 on checks and other documents. Now I am having to adjust to writing 2013. The fact is, as we age, we become more aware of how fast time flies because we know we have less and less of it. Like anything in life, we cherish the sacred, and for most of us, our most prized possession is time. We can never get it back once it has past.

What will you feel like when December arrives? Will you feel like you accomplished what you set out to do or will you feel like you failed? Or will you not care? Most of us are compelled to achieve things in life. It’s the way we were wired. Think about how you felt the last time you mowed the lawn, or in my case, watched someone else mow your lawn. In any case, you felt a sense of accomplishment. Mowing the lawn is a relatively simple task, yet it does wonders for your sense of gratification. Wouldn’t it be great to have that experience in December, only on a much larger scale? Compare mowing the lawn to losing 50 lbs, writing a book, running a marathon, etc…You can imagine the feeling.

How do you want to feel in December? Now is the time to put the wheels in motion.

Below are a few tips for having a December to remember:

Create a list of things you want to accomplish this year
Create a list of things you need to remove from your life
Identify what is preventing you from achieving your goals
Put a plan into action broken down with the end in mind

Example:
1. Lose 42 lbs this year
There are 42 weeks left in the year
1 lb per week
2.29 ounces per day-This is a very achievable goal when viewed this way

2. Read 21 books this year for spiritual and personal growth
Read 1 book every 2 weeks
Read 18 pages per day based on an average book having 250 pages, again, a very achievable goal.

You can do anything you want to do if you will only make a daily choice to do so. We are what stands in the way of achieving our goals.
Remember, you must be W.I.S.E.™ to achieve your goals. It’s What I Sacrifice Everyday.

Question:
What are you going to do to have a December to remember?

Filed Under: Ambition, attitude, focus Tagged With: dreams, sacrifice

How To End Up On The News?

March 7, 2013 by Jeff Jones 3 Comments

Watching the news show a segment about someone robbing a bank, taking a hostage or shooting up a school reminds us there is power in our choices. Moments before the crime was committed, they were just another person living life like the rest of us, then they made a choice that affected their life and the lives of countless others. They did something big that would change the course of time forever.

We have that same power to influence the world, but in a positive way of course, without robbing a bank. The only difference is it’s harder because it takes time and discipline. If being featured on a newscast was your goal, you could take two different routes.

You could-

1. Rob a bank and hold a hostage

2. Start a movement to bring about positive change in the world and influence others to do the same.

I want to choose the second option, of course, but how? How do I change my own life much less the lives of those around me? The good news is that finding the answer to that question is easy, but actually implementing the answer is hard.

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This is what I believe are the steps to achieving change in my own life so I can ultimately change the world around me-

Identify what is wrong in your own life (this shouldn’t be too hard. My list is rearing it’s ugly head around every corner. However, there are several things that want to hide.)
Start chipping away at those things (for me, a biggie is being judgmental. So, I need to cut it out at the root. Quit pointing out what is wrong with everyone else.)
Start with a mission in mind. (you can’t just say, “I want to influence others”, or “I want to make the world a better place”. You MUST have a goal to work towards.) Ex. Wanting to bring about awareness in the area of human trafficking and reduce it’s hold on society. THAT is a goal you can work towards.
Follow examples of others. Look to others who have and are achieving greatness and change in life and begin to “do what they do”. Chances are they are doing things “on purpose”.

Question: Do you have a goal? Do you have a mission? What change do you want to bring about in life?
You may not want to necessarily be on the evening news, but the effects of your influence can be endless and impact the lives of countless others.

Filed Under: Ambition, attitude, dreams, passion Tagged With: dreams, goals, sacrifice

Is Time Travel Possible?

February 21, 2013 by Jeff Jones 5 Comments

Time Machine What if you could travel back in time? What if you could go back to one day in the past and relive any 24 hour period taking all of the knowledge you currently possess?

Imagine for a moment that day is today. What if 20 years from now you were able to travel back in time and come back to today. How would you want to spend your day? Buying up stock in a company based on future performance is off limits!

Would you treat your spouse differently? Would you love on your kids more? Or would you spend your free time watching another episode of (fill in the blank)?

We so easily forget the value of today and the effect it will have on tomorrow. Think of the savvy investor who sacrificed $100 per month for 40 years and now is reaping the benefits. Think of the spendthrift who squandered away every dime and now has nothing to show for it.

What about the parent who gave their heart and soul to the company only to gain a watch but lost their family in the process? It is so easy to judge them at the end of their life because it’s easy to reflect on the past, but what about predicting the future and preventing the heartache that is bound to come?

Imagine writing a letter and being able to send it to yourself twenty years earlier. What would it contain?

Practice it using 100 words or less. Below is mine:

Jeff-
Spend more time in God’s word, for it is never changing. Spend more time with your family and less time watching t.v.. Cancel cable, NOW! Read more non-fiction. Take more pictures. Start saving more and eat out less. Pray more, write more, keep journaling and memorize more scripture. Give up soda, eat less pizza, work out more and don’t sleep so much. Don’t get a serious girlfriend until after college. Spend more time with your granny. Set goals every year. Write it down = get it done. Care less about what others think. You will thank me, I promise.

Jeff

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We can implement these changes today. NOW is the time to start, not tomorrow or next week. Don’t waste another day, but begin living the life you want to have. What’s stopping you?

Don’t wait another 20 years.

Question: what would your letter to yourself be? Share it below. 100 words or less.

Filed Under: Ambition, attitude, dreams, focus, passion Tagged With: dreams, sacrifice

How to Be Rich?

February 17, 2013 by Jeff Jones 13 Comments

Think of the last time you gave someone a big tip. I’m not talking about an extra $5 or $10. I’m talking about the kind of tip where the waiter or waitress stops in their tracks and begins to cry because they have a sudden realization of how that money will change their current situation.

Last Christmas, I had the opportunity to give a struggling waitress a $40 tip on a $35 ticket. As my 8 year old was watching, we saw her tear up because she suddenly had hope in a tangible form. She was overwhelmed with joy. She saw the love of Jesus in the form of 2 $20 bills. People know that money is valuable. That is a fact. So, when others see you give up that which you value for their sake, they tend to pay attention. They tend to be more receptive to what you have to offer.

Have you ever wanted more money? Regardless of how you would use it, most people would like to have more. Think of all of the things more money would enable you to do, have and be. So, it would make sense to pursue more money with great effort and passion, not for the sake of money itself, but for the sake of what it affords. Not merely for possessions, but for the way it allows you to be a blessing to others. Isn’t that what we all want? To be a blessing to others?

After reading Proverbs 11 the other day, because it was Feb. 11th, I was reminded again in verses 24-25 about God’s economy. On paper, it doesn’t make sense, yet it works. It reminds me of my faith. When describing faith and the role it has in my life, I can’t write it out on paper, but I know it’s real. This is the exact same when it comes to the blessings of God and prosperity. God’s economy in not man’s economy. Society says to hold on to what you have. God’s economy says to give it away.

Have you ever been around someone who exuded generosity? I want to be like that. When people think of Jeff Jones, I want them to think of a giver. How about you? When others think of you, do they think of a giver? It is important to remember this will not come overnight. I have had to play cleanup for years of past mistakes. Holding on to what I am given is a constant struggle. Realizing that what I have is only passing through my possession is a lifelong journey.

How does being a giver make you rich? This has been a battle among theologians and scholars alike. I don’t pretend to have all of the answers in this area but I know one thing for sure. My experience is real. I have been in situations where I had to choose between paying my tithe and buying groceries. Guess what I choose? Thankfully, the tithe. What happened next was a sign to me that confirmed you can’t out-give God. I gave it on a Sunday night. The next day I got a check in the mail for the same amount from a drumming gig I had forgotten I played over three months prior.

THAT is how God provided. Take a step of faith and trust Him to provide for you. He will open the floodgates of heaven and pour out blessing you cannot contain.

So whether you are giving a tithe or giving to a waitress or someone else in need, don’t hesitate. Be a giver. Let others find you being generous. That is the key to being truly rich.

Remember this in all you do in regard to money-“If you are not a giver with only a $20 in your pocket, you won’t be when you have a $100 in your pocket”. Begin giving now with whatever you may have. Be faithful in the little things and God will bless you in much.

Question: Are you becoming a giver? What is the hardest thing about viewing money the way God views it? (for me, it is still knowing that He can pull money out of thin air, and not from only what I see before me).

Filed Under: attitude, finance, passion Tagged With: giving, sacrifice, tithing

Are You in Line For a Mid-Life Crisis?

February 15, 2013 by Jeff Jones 5 Comments

We’ve all seen it. The mid-forties man who trades in his family for a new woman, new children, new car, new wardrobe and a new conscience. Usually she’s a giant step down in character from his current wife, but he’s too blind to see it in spite of the obvious signs. He’s bored at work, feeling like his contributions don’t matter. He looks in the mirror one day and asks the question, “Is this all there is to life?” and decides to do something drastic, something different, something that is for him.

Why does this happen? People ask, “What was he thinking?” Everyone can see the destruction going on except him. He’s tired of living the same boring existence day to day and not having anything to show for it that he feels amounts to anything of significance. When looking at his life so far, he sees a life lived for others and he realizes his time is slipping away. When he checks the calendar, he’s reminded that he’s spent over half of his life doing the same thing with little to show for it. So, he makes a change, leaving a trail of destruction in his path.

Sound familiar? Know anyone who has done that? Chances are you do. This scene is all too familiar. Countless families are torn apart because of a lack of significance. You may ask, “What does significance have to do with it?” I believe it has everything to do with it. The problem isn’t the decisions he made, in spite of his lack of wisdom, the problem is his method of measurement. He was measuring his life with a broken ruler. Instead of placing value on things that matter, he valued the things that are fleeting. Spending 5 minutes flipping channels will tell you what the majority of this world values in life. Look where it’s gotten them.

Do you feel significant? Is your current life going to be one that you can feel proud of? If not, you may want to replace your ruler. Below are a few ideas to help you realign your thoughts with a different definition.

If you are married, you are called to be a servant. (according to society, it’s all about getting what we want) Remember the words of the great Zig Ziglar: “You can have everything you want in life, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” This applies to all relationships.

If you are a parent, you are called to physically be there. Don’t forget, you are an instant leader. You have a built in audience ready to follow where you lead. Are you taking advantage of that or casting it to the side?

If you want to leave a legacy and be significant, be faithful in the little things. Think of the funerals you’ve attended where someone shared the memories of one who died. They usually speak of the common things in their life. “He was such a good man, he was so kind, or he was always there for me, etc…is more commonly shared than, “He was such a great business man, etc…”

How many people do you know who want to be someone other than who they are? How many people do you know who would love to have someone else’s life? Why? Because they often don’t feel like their life matters. Remember, Every little thing you do matters. Every single decision. Regardless of whether you think so or not, it does. You have the power to influence those around you whether you are tucked away in a cubicle for 8 hours a day or stuck in the suburbs with a wife, 2.5 kids and a 30 yr mortgage with a boring Ford.

Stop focusing on things that don’t matter. Open your eyes to those seemingly mundane, boring things in life and know that life is what you make it. You can’t trade in one set of problems for new ones because they will all become the same. It’s all about perspective.

Are you significant? Yes you are, whether you feel like it or not. Don’t throw it all away. You will spend a lifetime trying to fix the past.

Question: Do you have any words of wisdom for someone struggling with feeling significant?

Filed Under: attitude, careers, dreams, focus Tagged With: careers, dreams, sacrifice

Is Your Spending Out of Whack?

February 8, 2013 by Jeff Jones 10 Comments

Over the weekend my family and I went to the mall and I noticed the coffee cup I bought was a little pricy. With our 20% off coupon, it was about $12.50. I found myself baulking at the price and thinking it was a little much. Then I remembered we were about to head over to Starbucks for an afternoon snack where I would gladly spend $4.85 on a beverage I would devour in 20 minutes. This drink cost roughly one-third that of the coffee cup I will likely drink out of for a minimum of 1000 times. We often squirm at the thought of making an investment that will last and instead are willing to invest in things that will quickly fade. Where is the logic in that?

I’ve heard it said many times you can tell a lot about someone by looking at their spending habits. Whether you believe it or not, besides your time, money is probably the most important thing in your life. Before you deny it, think about this idea first. Time is limited to 24 hours per day. If we remove the time we spend sleeping, we have what’s left to do with as we want. We spend the vast majority of the remaining time doing things in exchange for money. Unless you are independently wealthy, you would not be getting up in the morning and going to work everyday for free. You do it in exchange for money that in return allows you to pay for life and all of it’s many expenses. Because your time is the most valuable thing you posses, by spending the majority of your time on work in order to pay for life, in essence, money appears to be the most important thing to you. We don’t like saying it, but it is more true than we like to believe. So, how we spend our money is very important. It tells us what we value.

Remember the days of paying $29-$59 for a video game you would play 500 times or more? I remember buying a PS 2 game for $39.99 that I valued and played almost daily. It costs a lot and I valued what it brought me: countless hours of entertainment. What about now? Most people balk at spending $4.99 for an app on their phone that they will play 1000 times or more. I have a friend who is a Real Estate agent who, based on her online stats, has played a particular game over 16,000 times. Wow! That is another blog post all together.

With that being said, do you think about what it costs you in regard to your time when you purchase an item? Most of us don’t. Dan Miller of 48Days.com taught me about making an investment in myself and my family. How many times have you not been willing to buy a book that could change your future based on the information inside, but been more than happy to shell out the same amount on a night at the movie for a ticket and concessions that will be gone in 2 hours? What about buying a song for $.99 you will listen to 300 times? What about going to a conference that could boost your income by 50%? It might cost $500 to go, yet we fail to see the impact because it in not immediate. We would rather spend the $500 on cable t.v. or going to the movies with concessions, Starbucks, etc…?

*****Place value on that which is valuable.

Question: Have you ever found yourself in this trap? (I am constantly having to question my habits. My biggest struggle is eating out too much. I will pay $15 for a meal, yet hesitate when buying a book. Solution? I could easily eat at home more, saving about $12, thus paying for the book.)

Filed Under: attitude, focus Tagged With: sacrifice

Are You Tired of the Mundane?

February 6, 2013 by Jeff Jones 4 Comments

Having just come off of the road as a full time musician/drummer for the band Big Daddy Weave, I am having to make big adjustments with my family in regard to our schedule. While on the road, I was gone an average of 140 nights per year, missing about 40% of life at home. I missed a lot of the normal, everyday things that others often take for granted in life. Friday night dates with my wife, Saturday afternoon bike rides with my girls and after-church naps on the sofa were just a few of the things I missed. I was traveling the country and getting to be a part of an amazing move of God, but I was missing life at home where life was continuing without me.

Most people feel their life is full of common activities, but I often longed for those activities as I was hurling down the road in a 45’ tour bus 1500 miles away from home. Going to church with the family, eating a home cooked meal around the table, tucking the kids in and dropping the kids off at school were just a few of those things I was missing.

Now, I am fully embracing the “mundane” things of life. Having missed so much reminds me to cherish the mundane. Having missed so much reminds me to take advantage of the “little” things. I’ve come to realize I must be fully aware of what is at stake in the day to day activities of life. In those activities I find that life is lived and most lessons are learned.

Lately, I have been reminded of the importance of sitting around the dinner table with my family. Most people are so focused on outward education and the influence of others on their children, but I am convinced our children are raised around the table. That’s where we talk about life, friends, money and everything in between. We have a standing rule at our house in regard to dinner time: We sit together and there is no T.V. on. I am focused on this because of the times when I was not there. Now that I am, I want to take advantage of it.

What about you? Do you ever get tired of the mundane? Do you ever lose sight of the importance of the common, everyday activities in life? Remember, that is where foundations are made. Relationships are built and maintained with consistent behavior. As I have become immersed in family life at home, I have found this to be true. Suddenly I am having conversations I didn’t have before and connecting in ways I could have never imagined.

Here are two tips to revive the mundane:

Take time to soak it up (I wrote about this recently here. Search out the teachable moments in everyday activities like car rides back and forth to school and meal times with the family).
Live as though it were the last time you do it. (Can you imagine how you would live out dinnertime if it were your last? Laughter would abound and there would be a focus on relationships like never before).

*Memories are created in the mundane. That’s where we teach/learn character and life long habits. How does a child learn about God? Think about the prayer time at the table and bed time prayers. It’s in the mundane.

Question: What have you learned to cherish that could easily be taken for granted? (I’ll go first – Car rides to school with my 5 yr. old. That first 20 minutes is the rudder that determines the course of her day. What a huge responsibility to be able to influence her).

Filed Under: attitude, focus Tagged With: sacrifice

What I Learned From Going to Jail

February 3, 2013 by Jeff Jones 13 Comments

If you have never been, I can promise you it’s not a vacation. Recently I visited a friend who ended up in jail by doing what he knew was wrong, yet he weighed the consequences and chose to take the chance. He made a bad choice and is now paying for it. The thing that struck me the most while visiting was the sense of being out of place. This was my mindset: I don’t belong here, but, more importantly, he felt the same way. He felt that he didn’t belong there either. I discussed this feeling with him and we both agreed that he didn’t belong here because jail was for other people.

How do you become one of those other people. In most cases, it doesn’t sneak up on you. Becoming a person in jail is usually not a matter of one choice. It’s a matter of multiple choices that, when added up, equal to something you never imagined. This sums up life in a paragraph. We become someone 5, 10, or 20 years down the road who we set out to become, whether we realize it or not. If you make bad decisions on a daily basis, you will eventually become one of those other people. If you make good decisions on a daily basis, you will become someone else. Someone who is more in line with who you wanted to become.

I was on a jury a few years ago and ended up convicting a young man to prison for 20 years. I, along with the other jurors had no idea of his previous convictions, so we were shocked when we found out the length of his sentence. We later found out we were deciding the fate of someone who had two previous convictions and had a history of making bad decisions. The sad part is he was also a very talented basketball player who just threw away his shot at the NBA. It was tragic and I remember crying on my way to the car after we were released from our duty.

You may not be on the path of going to jail, but you are on a path. That is the important part to remember. The young man I visited would have never dreamed he would end up in a place like this when he was younger, yet there he sat. We often have the same discovery in our own life when it pertains to where we find ourselves. We are where we are because of a series of decisions, good or bad.

When you are on a ship out to sea, you set out on a straight course. You have to make corrections along the way as a response to distractions. Distractions are inevitable and come when you least expect them. You have to be prepared for them by keeping your ultimate destination in view.

Here are a few things to keep you on course in life:

Remember what is at stake. You don’t get to hit the rewind button. Although we can start over, we can never get back our most valuable asset: Time.
Be on the lookout for haters. In some cases, even friends and family will not be there to support you in your journey. Be prepared to go it alone from time to time. Only you can know what’s in your heart and where you’re headed.
Remember to enjoy the journey, but be sure and have a destination in mind. Keep in mind, if you aim at nothing you will hit it ever time.

Question: Have you ever ended up where you hadn’t planned on going? I once made a series of wrong turns in NYC and was in full panic mode within 5 minutes! I would love to read your comments below.

Filed Under: attitude, dreams, focus, passion Tagged With: dreams, goals

My Interview with Andy Andrews

February 2, 2013 by Jeff Jones Leave a Comment

It was an honor to be the guest on my mentor’s podcast this week. Andy Andrews is a 3 time New York Times best selling author who is, in my opinion the best public speaker alive today. He has served as a huge inspiration for me and my family over the last few years. He, along with author Dan Miller were powerful inspirations in my life in regard to my decision to leave as the drummer for Big Daddy Weave. Click here or the picture to listen to us talk about making the big leap to full time speaker from full time drummer. Listen as Andy shares about the difference in deciding to do something vs. actually doing it.

Below are the notes taken from Andy’s website:

On today’s podcast, professional drummer Jeff Jones, formerly of the band Big Daddy Weave, joins Andy and A.T. to talk about transitioning your life and career.

After reading The Traveler’s Gift and listening to the podcast, Jeff decided it was time to transition from being a drummer to becoming a speaker.

He had been the drummer for Big Daddy Weave, touring all over the country and the world, for 13 years.
He had been gone about 140 days per year for his family’s entire life.

Jeff came up with the acronym WISE, which has become the crux of his message.

It stands for What I Sacrifice Every Day.
The acronym embodies the choices you make in order to achieve the results you want in your life.
When he was a kid and decided he wanted to play drums for a living, he began making sacrifices every single day in order to achieve that dream.

Andy’s Storms of Perfection series also inspired Jeff to create a custom pair of drumsticks for camouflage company Mossy Oak.

The series inspired him to take action.
It taught him that almost every successful person started out overcoming adversity.
You don’t have to be “special” to be successful.
All you have to do is seek wisdom and take action.

To get a FREE eBook from Jeff, go to JeffDrummer.com, enter your email address, and he’ll send it to you!

Were you encouraged or helped by this podcast? Be sure to share this episode with a friend!

Questions for Listeners