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Inspiration In Front of Adversity

March 13, 2013

Kristian AndersonRecently I ran across a YouTube video that had a young man, Kristian Anderson, doing a video for his wife’s surprise birthday party.  It was an emotional video by itself.  Mention the fact that Kristian had terminal cancer when he filmed it and it takes on a whole new level.

After the video I picked up a copy of his book (see the review here) about his journey.  His willingness to share about the condition and what he was going through was inspirational and can give hope to many others in similar situations.

In the book Kristian talks about going to the pharmacy and standing in line where a woman recognized him because he was on “Oprah” some time before.  Let me put in his own words:

“I arrived at the pharmacy and as I am standing in line a young woman approached me and, with an accent, proceeded to very timidly ask if I was “from Oprah”. I told her that I was and she smiled an enormous smile. She told me she had multiple sclerosis and that for a long time she had been battling serious depression. She told me that after seeing our story on the Oprah show she was so deeply moved and encouraged… and her depression left her. She then thanked me for my courage and for helping her… told me that without me she would still be suffering depression.” (link)

Kristian was battling cancer which is a horrid disease yet there was some light that he was able to shed for other people.  If we can spread inspiration in front of adversity then why can’t we do it when times are good?

Some time in the next seven days find a way to spread some light into someone’s life who is having a rough time.  Take them dinner, talk to them, or give them an inspiring book – just do something to shed some light.

Filed Under: Motivational, People Tagged With: , , , , ,

Self Education

February 27, 2013

self educationCollege isn’t for everyone.  I think it is obvious but we are still being encouraged to go to a traditional college after high school.  While I highly believe in education I think there are other ways of getting it.  20 years ago a traditional school may have been your best option, however, there is such easy access to material that self education can give you more knowledge than going to college.

If you want to go to college for the experience then go for it.  If you want to go because it is necessary for the path you want to live in life then go for it.  If you are going “because I’m suppose to” then do yourself a favor and take local classes and read books in the field that interests you.

Walt Disney didn’t go past his freshman year in high school but continued to educate himself through books and experiences his entire life.  Let me stress – FINISH HIGH SCHOOL, but explore all of your options for higher education and choose the best for you and not what is expected of you by others.

Filed Under: Careers, Goal Setting, Life Coaching, People Tagged With: , , , ,

Ask For More

February 13, 2013
The Way I See It - Starbucks Cup

Photo Courtesy of Linda Lane.

Want more from life? All you have to do is ask. Ask more of yourself and set your expectations higher. You might call this setting a goal but I think in this is a bit different. This is expecting more out of yourself.

Things will never just come to you. You have to want them, expect them, and believe that they are going to come to you. Napoleon Hill says that “No one is ready for a thing until he believes he can acquire it.” In other words, you have to have the confidence in yourself.

Whether it is money, fame, or the desire to change the world it all starts with asking yourself for more. I close with this poem by Jessie B. Rittenhouse (from the book “The Door of Dreams”, 1918).

My Wage
“I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay no more,
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store.
For Life is a just employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.
I worked for a menial’s hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have willingly paid.”

Filed Under: Life Coaching, Motivational, People Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Treat People Well

January 30, 2013
All Are Significant

Image Credit: Studio JRU

“You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place on the world, but it requires people to make the dream a reality.” Walt Disney

You need people.  You can call yourself a loner or say you don’t like people but we all need each other.  You need someone to hire you for a job or you need someone to buy your product if you are running your own business.  We are all connected in one way or another and we should treat each other well.

Next time you are in line at the supermarket during a busy holiday instead of getting frustrated at the lines and people take a minute to thank the clerk.  For that matter, thank the people around you in line for the few minutes you spent together – it might seem odd but you can brighten their day and you will be the person they are telling their family about when they get home!

It all comes down to the fact as humans we need interaction and connection.  Treat people well.

 

Filed Under: Customer Service, Leadership, Life Coaching, People Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Rest In Peace Zig Ziglar

November 28, 2012

Zig ZiglarZig Ziglar
1926-2012

“You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.”

Zig certainly helped people get what they want but I would doubt he would say that he helped enough.  He is an inspiration to millions.  I am grateful that I had the opportunity along with my dad to see Zig Ziglar in person about ten years ago.  He was then in his 70s and still full of motivation and had the audience pumped.

The great motivator will continue to inspire generations to come.  I will continue to study his writings and recordings and one day hope to see him at the top.

 

 

Filed Under: Motivational, People Tagged With: , , , ,

You Are What You Say You Are

November 21, 2012
Main Street at Magic Kingdom

When you are a child you are always saying that you are a singer, movie star, or princess. Why do we lose this as adults and start focusing on the negative?

A lot has been written about this and I often wonder how many people pay attention and see how it really does effect their life.  What am I speaking of?  The story you tell yourself.

When you say you are something you tend to become it.  Those that say they are poor tend to be without money.  Why?  Because you head in the direction in which you focus.  If you focus on being poor you will stay poor.  Focus on having money and taking care of your money I know you will have it.  It may not be today or three months from now but try getting up every morning and instead of being broke to the point of being broken change your story.  Tell yourself that you are rich and say out loud the things that you have that make you rich.  Do you have a partner?  Children? A job? A home?

Why is it that as humans we have a hard time telling a good story when we as individuals are the subject?    Instead of “I failed” why not “I learned what not to do”?  When someone asks how you are doing why not respond with “Grateful for another day.”

Zig Ziglar says “A failure is an event not a person.”  Even the great motivator has spoken about it for decades.  The story you tell yourself is a major force in directing your life.  Saying “I am a failure” points you in the direction of failing.  When someone says “How are you?” and you respond with “Worn out”  it makes you fell more tired than before you said it (I am guilty of this).

A lot of people have talked about this but one of the more recent is Pastor Joel Osteen.  I have included his “The Power of ‘I Am'” sermon below.  Take the time and watch through it and take notes:

Filed Under: Life Coaching, Motivational, People Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Learn More By Leading A Group

February 27, 2012

Group DiscussionHas there ever been something you wanted to learn but you do not find it easy to learn out of a book? Try leading/facilitating a training session or group discussion and learn along with the rest of the group!

In December of 2010 I ordered and blasted through “The Total Money Makeover” and I wanted to learn more. I found out Dave Ramsey has a class called Financial Peace University and was amped to take it.  I lucked out and was able to put together a class with a lot of help from my friend Andy which allowed my to not only participate by to facilitate.  This allowed me to learn a lot more and forced me to put more effort into it.  I also learned how to be a better facilitator next time.

I was speaking to Dallas Page a couple of weeks ago and we were talking about the benefits of TeamDDPYoga which is a group site dedicated to his workout program and he discussed the importance of having this extra support.  He said when he was teaching at the Power Plant (a former professional wrestling school) that he learned so much more and got better the more he helped other people in his group.

Next time you are wanting to learn something or you are passionate about a subject find a way you can help teach it in a group setting.  It will make you better, learn more, and hopefully make the lives of those you are teaching better.  What can be better than that?

Photo Credit: Michael Coghlan

Filed Under: People Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The Other Perspective

November 19, 2011

Perspective - Disney's Hollywood StudiosHave you ever thought about what the other person is thinking?  Even if they are being hateful what might be going on in their lives?

When someone cuts me off in traffic my first reaction is to get agitated.  Then I calm down and often the way I do this is to think to myself that I don’t know what is going on with that person and maybe it was an honest mistake.  When we have knee jerk reactions we tend to do or say things that we don’t mean or, at least, don’t mean them to be as hateful as we said them.

When someone pisses you off do you stop to think about what they are going through?  Do you try and look at it from their perspective?

Each of us are individuals with our own thoughts and minds and three of us looking at a picture might perceive three different things.  If you look at the picture to the left you might see something totally different than me.  Let’s say three people are looking at it and these are their perspectives:

  1. A quiet street.
  2. A nice shot of San Francisco with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.
  3. A picture of a building.

All three people have legitimate perspectives.  It does look like a quite street (maybe it is early morning and the sun just rose.  You can see a bridge in the background which may very well be the Golden Gate leading you to believe this is in San Francisco.  And the brown building on the right tends to stand out a little so maybe that really is what this picture is of.

However, all three would be wrong.

This is a picture I took at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World.  This was a backlot like they shoot movies on.  Those buildings are fake and the sky and buildings in the background are plastered on a wall.

This is simply a rather long explanation to say when someone does something you don’t like, don’t agree with, or what have you take a moment and try and see their perspective on the matter.  You still do not have to agree but looking at it from both sides can help you understand where the person is coming from and in matters where a decision has to be made can help to make one that satisfies all parties involved.

Filed Under: Life Coaching, People Tagged With: , , ,
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