The Challenge!

I have accepted the challenge of running in the St. Jude’s marathon on December 7th of this year; that’s right, a FULL marathon.  I decided to challenge myself to see if my body is as strong as my mind in accomplishing this journey.  I have run 2- half marathons but I have never pushed my body to the limit of running a full marathon, 26.2 miles!  I am asking YOU to join my journey by becoming a “Marathon Hero”.  Your support, cheering me on, will ensure the completion of this goal.  All I need you to do is click on this link,

http://Marathonlandingpage.pepperpage.net

provide your name and email address, then once a week I will send you an update on my progress towards the goal of completing the marathon!  On December 7th, I will forward you a video message after I cross the finish line.  Please become a “Marathon Hero” and share this blog and link with your friends and family so they can join the journey!  Will you help me reach my goal of having 1,000 Heroes cheering me on?

The training program I am completing is an 18 week program with 5 days of training every week.  I have broken down those 18 weeks into the 90 days of training and have planned out my daily activity for each workout.  I track my miles, time and the weather to see how my progress is going during the training program.  Each week I will send you a summary of my activity, sometimes this will be as a blog and other times I will send a video of the message.  One of the things about creating the “Marathon Heroes” I have now announced this intention to the world, so the pressure is on me to complete my goal of running the marathon!  Thanks again for signing up as a “Marathon Hero”.  If you haven’t clicked the link here it is again,

http://Marathonlandingpage.pepperpage.net

Remember please forward to your friends and family so I can reach my goal of having 1,000 Marathon Heroes on this journey with me! 

Thanks again for being part of this exciting time in my life!  I came up with this quote as my inspiration for the marathon:

“You can’t reach your destination, without first determining your journey”

 

                                                       ~ Gary Wilbers 8/13

 

Make it a GREAT day!

 

Gary Wilbers

Action

Let’s discuss the third Daily Action to Live By: 

“I am a person of Action.  I choose to seize the moment and I choose now!”

In the SAGE Leadership model we know that Action is what produces results in our life.  Action will be the key to reaching your dreams and goals.  That first step is the most challenging because we are visualizing what we want to accomplish and committing to ourselves to take Action.  Challenge yourself to take that first Action, whatever it might be.   Your action will create your habits and disciplines to make your dreams and goals possible.  Without action you will always say, “One day, I want to accomplish this or that!”

How can we use the 4 areas of the SAGE Leader to become the person of Action?

 

As you take Action and move forward toward your goal you will generate Energy.  When you set a goal and develop the discipline necessary it gives you the Energy to move forward.  The challenge you encounter will be making the discipline a habit.  For example, as you start to exercise you feel better about yourself, but you have to be aware of the negative influences around you.  You must develop the mindset of, I will achieve my goals.  Use the positive energy and dispose of the negative.

 

As you take action, create Connections that will help you achieve your goal.  Who can help you be accountable to the disciplines you have set in place?  When you have a trusted friend or associate holding you accountable you tend to stay on course.  I have a running partner and we hold each other accountable by running our long runs together as we train for a ½ marathon we are running.  Connecting with an accountability partner is the link to help you create action on your goals.  Who could be your Connecting link?

 

Have you ever noticed that a person’s circle of Influence grows when they take action on a project or goal? Your Influence grows as a leader when you are known by your peers as a person who gets things accomplished.  As we take action with our family and friends our Influence in those relationships grows because we impact their lives.

 

The best part is a leader who takes action gets Great Results in their lives.  As we learn how action affects our lives we create better results for ourselves and the others we impact along the way.  Results seem to be great because we are always moving forward in our life.

 

What action are you going to take today to move forward in your life?

 

Gary

Responsibility

As we look at the second of the Ten Daily Actions to Live By, it states:

“I take responsibility for who I am.  I am responsible for my past and my future.”

Let’s put this Daily Action into the context of a SAGE Leader, a profoundly wise person.  To be a SAGE Leader, you must be willing to take responsibility for your Daily Actions in every aspect of your life.  You MUST take charge of your life.  The daily desciplines you develop and your execution of those desciplines will determine if you are truly taking responsibility for becoming the person you want to be.  Leave the blame game in the past.  Phrases like, I would have….I could have….If only….are the beginning of negative thoughts and actions.  Imagine your life as a Bus, visualize who the driver is?  Did YOUR image come to mind or someone elses?  You want to be the driver of your life, a true SAGE Leader understands that!   Far to many people become a passenger only to regret that action later in life.

If you were not the driver, you are probably wondering  how to switch course from being a passenger to the driver.  Simple, the SAGE Leadership model,  it will walk you through the necessary components, allowing you to take responsibility for who you are!  To be your own driver you must develop daily disciplines to reinforce the following:

Energy is the first principle you must develop and learn to produce in your life.  When you create daily disciplines you create energy.  Each discipline feeds off the one before, allowing you to gain momentum or Energy with each discipline mastered.  Energy is necessary to accomplish your goals and help you take responsibility for the past.  Once you recognize the areas of your life that need disipline you can take responsibility and in turn harness the Energy necessary to succeed.

The second principle is to create the Connections necessary helping you achieve what you want to accomplish, your message.  Daily interaction with those you love and care about will strengthen your connection to them.  As you strengthen these relationships, you will be offered new opportunities to make additional connections, helping you along your journey.

Influence, the third principle, is often misunderstood.  Influence is not power or strength, but rather a sharing of knowledge or wisdom . . . influence through leadership.  By helping others achieve what they want in their life they in turn will help you achieve what you want in yours.  A true SAGE Leader knows that the more they help others, the more abundance they will receive in their life.

As we look at the final principle, Great Results, it reminds me of the phrase:

 

“You Reap what you Sow”

God seems to always share abundance with those who help others.  The greatest reward is to reach the top of the mountain and share the magnificent view with those important to your life!

Gary

Ten Daily Actions to Live By

If we begin dissecting my list of "Ten Daily Actions to Live By", it is easy to see how our SAGE Leadership model follows each Daily Action.  Let’s take a look at the first action:

“My life is a message, I will make it what I want it to be.”

As we look at our life we need to dream about what it will look like?  Who do you want to be?  What do you want to achieve?  When they write your obituary what do you want family and friends to say about you?  Another way to do this exercise is to think about your 80^th birthday, celebrating your life.   Imagine the setting, visualize who is in attendance. Do you see every person that is important and plays a key role in your life?  If they were each asked to stand up and say a few words about you and what you have meant to them, what would they say? Are you nervous or confident?

Some people live their life by the clock and not the compass.   The correlation is simple, the clock is to time as the compass is to direction.  So, which do you live by, time or direction?  Are you so busy completing tasks or watching the clock, that you have forgotten where you’re going?   If you live by direction, what guides you?  Do you listen for God’s voice to direct your message?  As a child we dream BIG dreams but as we become adults we supress our dreams.  Open your mind, BELIEVE that you can still achieve your dreams no matter how old you are or what has happened in the past.  The SAGE Leadership model can be your roadmap to establishing a message, YOUR message!  Determine where you want to go from here, and WHY!

SAGE, a profoundly wise person.  As we begin the journey of our life and strive to become a SAGE Leader we develop an understanding and appreciation for the different components. The first component, Energy; is the food for our mind, body and relationships.  The vibrancy of our life is directly related to the compass or direction we are headed, the message we want our life to be about.  Connections are key relationships, those that are most important to us.  Our connections are tools that help us stay the course, to achieve.  Let the "Ten Daily Actions To Live By", guide your compass, be a practical tool that will help you work through daily challenges.  Our influence will be with those individuals that are most important in our life.  We impact others not just by words but even more so by our daily actions. 

Great Results will be the development of strong relationships such as those with our family, friends, associates and God.  Great Results are not just achieved by reaching your goals, but in the journey itself.   To reach the top of a mountain, or goal, by yourself is very lonely.  The true measurement of a SAGE Leader is not how many goals you accomplish but how many others reach the top with you.

Now, view your life from the lens of the future.  It’s your 80^th birthday, imagine the setting, visualize who is in attendance at the party to celebrate your life, what will they say about you?  Did you live your message?

Gary

Attitude

 

When we look at the SAGE model and break it down into the components that comprise a SAGE Leader, I feel attitude plays a key role and affects each component.

 

How is it best to define attitude?  “Attitude” is the emotion we share with others either positively or negatively.  As we look at our own life think of one person right now that has a positive attitude and one that displays a negative attitude?  Which one are you more like?

 

Attitude effects everything around us, so lets look at how it relates to the SAGE Leadership model.  Energy is the first component toward becoming a true Sage Leader.  Does our attitude affect our energy?  YES!  Who has more energy, an optimist or pessimist? The energy level we have in life will be directly impacted by our daily attitude.  Are you a sunny or a cloudy person, cheery or dreary?  Charles Swindoll, while reflecting on attitude states “ Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” How do you react?  Does your energy reflect a positive outlook, or a negative one?

 

The second component of a SAGE Leader is Connections, it is in this area that we really see how our attitude impacts those around us.  A positive attitude helps nuture, grow and develop these connections.  Where a negative attitude will kill a relationship.  When we allow our attitude to guide our connections our relationships will be either growing or dying. 

 

A SAGE Leader uses Influence to enhance relationships.  What kind of Influence would  you have if a negative attitude was what you were projecting to others?  That’s right, very little.  A negative attitude will drive relationships away, it is only through a positive attitude that we are able to truly enhance our connections. 

Attitude is vital to achieve Great Results in the SAGE Leadership model.  The question to ask yourself is:

Is your attitude worth catching?

Remember a true SAGE leader is a profoundly wise person.  Your positive attitude is a key piece toward helping you become who you were meant to be.

Gary

Extraordinary Results!

By following The SAGE model and combining your Energy plus your Connections, plus Influence, you will produce the Great Results wanted in your life. 

The challenge is balancing your personal and professional life.  We tend to focus on only one aspect of our lives but it is equally important to have well defined goals in both areas at the same time.  To achieve great results you must focus not just on professional but also personal goals.  We often hear that someone has become a great success only to have lost their family, friends and spouse in the process.  The SAGE model is about developing the wisdom to realize it is not about the destination but rather the journey.  Be present each day with those who are most important to you.  Life moves fast and you don’t want to look back and wonder; how did I miss that?  Two of my Daily Actions will help you live in the moment and enjoy the ride as you find the life you want to live. 

“My best preparation to live a good tomorrow is to live a Great today.”

 

Take each day and make it the best.  We don’t know how many days we have, so live life to the fullest.  Often we hear older people say; “If I only had known, I would have done . . . .” Live your life looking ahead NOT looking back.  As we grow daily in our faith we realize that God should be the center of our lives.  Our Faith will center us and provide clarity on the journey.

 

“I am a person of great faith.  I believe all my talents and gifts come from God.”

 

When we recognize that our gifts and talents are God-given we can overcome the challenges, obstacles and roadblocks we face daily.  The strongest leaders realize they need help to become their best.  Achieving great results in your life is the opportunity to become the person God is calling you to be.

 

Gary

How do we create influence in our lives?

As we transition through the SAGE Leadership model our next field of study is Influence.  Influence is an action!  Influence is created by the daily actions we show and do in our everyday life.  Let’s talk about ways in which we can create an influence on others.  

 

Have you ever noticed how easily people with a positive attitude can influence you?  Very quickly you realize the people who are optimistic or pessimistic, whether their cup is half full or half empty.  Influence is not power, it is more a sharing of wisdom or knowledge.  The SAGE Leadership model is about recognizing the wisdom within ourselves.  As we grow to be a leader it is by our actions and not necessarily by our words that we develop Influence.  It is not having power over others but rather having discipline over our thoughts, words and actions. 

 

Three of my “Ten Daily Actions to Live By” are directly associated with Influence, the first is:

 

“I choose to have a great attitude.  I am a happy person

and I will have a positive attitude toward others.”

 

I designed this Action to create a discipline of self; enabling you to influence others and share yourself within the community of people you impact daily.  My second Action states: 

 

“I know where I want my life to go. 

I have chosen my path to follow daily.”

 

True leaders lead themselves first before they ever try to influence others.  Do you have a plan for your life?  Have you created goals? Have you created a discipline to follow the path you have chosen?  I authored this quote and it has helped me;

 

“Goals are like having your headlights on,

because you know where you are going”

 

My last Daily Action impacted by Influence is choice; how we choose to live our life with others: 

 

“I will greet every day with a forgiving spirit. 

I will forgive myself and others.”

 

As we are able to forgive ourselves and others our influence grows and the people we impact daily expands.  Why is it so hard to forgive?  The main reason is pride, it gets in our way.  Whether we recognize our pride or not, others see it and it lessens our influence.  When we forgive openly we begin to create a deeper relationship with our self and others.

 

As we grow stronger in our faith we influence our self, enabling us to be stronger in all of our relationships.  Why?  Because, when God is our center, we develop greater clarity or understanding of self.  He then helps us visualize ways in which we need to grow in our relationships with others.

 

The first action we must take is to Influence our own life and then our impact will multiply, infinitely influencing others.

 

Gary

The SAGE Leadership Model

As we work our way through the SAGE Model we transition from Energy to Connections.  Looking at the connections in our life we begin the process of examining ourselves, evaluating our identity so to speak and the roles we play. 

First we must examine our personal identity; asking the question, Who am I? By examining ourselves emotionally and physically, we begin to understand our true identity. Self-examination allows us to recognize our strengths, weaknesses and unique passions for life.  Take an inventory of the roles you play in your life; like husband, father, boss, leader, son, faith leader, friend and business associate.  This process allows us to recognize the connections we have to others.

Two of my Daily Actions directly deal with connections.  The first is,

My life is about loving and helping people.  I have a caring and decided heart.

 

As we develop this action in our life, it allows us to impact everyone we come into contact with.  Just think if your mindset for everyone you come in contact with was to love and help?  The key is we must have the caring and decided heart to make this happen. 

 

The second action is,

 

I make people and things flourish by the amount of time and care I give them.

 

Analyze the inventory you took of your roles.  These should be the people you connect with on a regular basis.  Do you give them your time and care daily to help them flourish?  If not, look at ways you can increase your time and care with those who are important. 

 

Story:  When our children were young my wife and I established a nightly bedtime routine.  We would read to our children and then put them each into their bed.  We then spent some one-on-one time with each giving them a back rub.  I never understood why my wife felt this routine was so crucial, but she explained that this routine gave her peace and she wanted to convey that peace to each of them as they went to sleep.  One weekend after attending a Cursillo weekend (a short course in Christianity) she heard of a person that also blessed her children before bed.  So, we added that practice to our nightly routine.  Still today our children want us to tuck them in bed, give them a back rub and bless them.  Over the last 6 months I have added a practice I read about at a conference, I say: 

 

I feel and sense the magnificence in you.

 

These rituals create a connection between mother, father, son and daughter.  Remember your connections are passed on and are a reflection of how others view you.

 

So, how do your connections view you? Positively or negatively?  Remember your emotions are also conveyed by your actions, are you mad, sad, happy excited etc…?  Your connections are directly linked to who you are.

 

Gary

SAGE Energy

In the Sage Leadership model we say SAGE is a very wise person.  How does a person become wise?  It starts with the mindset for a willingness to learn and grow, to be a Leader. 

The first area you as a SAGE leader, must consider is Energy.  Energy is the fuel required for us to become the Leader we want to be.  What are the sources we consider when we want energy?  Determining our passions creates energy. 

As we determine our purpose in life, energy begins to build.  Health and exercise allows our body to create physical energy.  The friendships we share in our lives and our faith will produce mental energy.  As we create disciplines and habits we produce the energy necessary for our life.  This energy allows us to grow our knowledge and learn new things which in-turn increases our energy. 

The second Daily Action is:

“I take responsibility for who I am. 

I am responsible for my past and future.”

As we accept responsibility and own our lives, it gives us the energy to make changes and live the life we truly want.  Take ownership today of what you want to achieve for your life.

The third Daily Action is:

“I am a person of action. 

I choose to seize the moment and I choose now!”

This discipline of choosing or choices will be the future energy in our life.  As we choose our direction, goals and faith; our energy will follow that path.  The discipline we create in our life through deliberate, focused choices, will determine the results.  As we create disciplines they become habits, as they become habits they become daily routines that allow us to grow to become the person we choose to become.  If you want to create more energy in your life, look at one way today you can choose to create a habit that will change something in your life in a positive manner.

Gary

What is SAGE?

You thought I was referencing a spice, didn’t you?  Well I wasn’t, Sage is also defined as a profoundly wise person.  So, my question is:

“How do we become a wise person?”

I believe wisdom comes from within, molded by our experiences, learning and growing daily in our lives.  We grow in our daily lives by increasing our knowledge in areas like education, leadership, faith and health.  As we want our life to grow, we must also grow the time spent within these areas.

A colleague and I have been working on a new Leadership model that I feel will walk you through the necessary steps toward becoming a true SAGE Leader.  The SAGE Leadership Model develops the wisdom from within ourselves allowing us to pursue our passions.  To develop and learn the skills we need in our life, guiding us in becoming the person we want to be. 

Wisdom is the first action we must seek to truly find our passions, giving us the energy, connections and influence necessary to get greater results daily.  As we become aware of this Wisdom, it allows us the freedom to seek different ways in which we can attain knowledge.  A true Leader does not always have the knowledge but they are always willing to learn and grow in the search.  This process follows the first of my Ten Daily Actions:

“My Life is a message.  I will make it what I want it to be.”

 

The person who discovers their message is well on their way to becoming a SAGE Leader because they have established what they want their life to be.  Over the next several weeks we will talk more about how you can incorporate the Sage Leadership model into your daily life.

 

Gary

PS.  My contact information is:

Gary Wilbers

Executive Coach

573-644-7300

gwilbers@ascendbusinessstrategies.com

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2013! As with any New Year it is a great time to make an investment in your life where you will spend your most time. This year it is different for me because we have sold Mid-America Wireless and now I am making plans on my new life without something that has been a part of me since 1990. As I look back I have a lot of fond memories of being in the wireless business. But, as I close one chapter in my life, it is an opportunity to look forward and move toward the direction I have a passion to pursue during my next journey.

Many of you know that I have been an entrepreneur all my life. One of the passions I have found along the way is coaching, training and sharing with others; enabling them to find their true gifts, to water and fertilize them along the way helping them grow in their own lives. I am a firm believer that if you are not learning in life you are going backwards. If we put energy into the things that we enjoy we find true happiness in our life. What one thing could you learn in 2013 that would give you energy every day this year? Answer that question and you will find that 2013 will be a great year. The one thing I want to learn is to be a Coach, helping small business entrepreneurs find their energy to create a successful business optimizing fulfillment in their work life plus finding a balance in their personal life. Everyone talks about work/life balance but to truly make it a reality takes work and accountability.

As I start this journey in 2013 my goal will be helping other business owners find their energy. As you find your energy for 2013, make a list of the things you will do to make your goals a reality. I guarantee if you put a CHARGE (Create Habits Around youR Goals Everyday) into learning about the area you are interested, you will grow in 2013! Remember no one can make it happen but YOU!

Remember the acronym CHARGE in 2013!

Make it a GREAT Year!

Gary

Preparation for Success Part 2

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We are in the most wonderful time of the year. (I think I have heard that before?) I hope you are able to enjoy these special moments with those who are the closest to you. My present to you is just one word, PRESENT! Remember to BE PRESENT in everything you do, enjoy this time with those you love the most.

As you remember from my last blog I talked about making 2013 YOUR BEST YEAR EVER! We reflected on 2012 and talked about the 5 steps or questions needed to help you craft your goals for 2013. Let’s review those 5 questions;

1. What did I accomplish?
2. What were my biggest disappointments?
3. What did I learn?
4. How do I limit myself? In which areas of my life am I not achieving what I want? What do I say about myself to explain these failures?
5. What are my personal values? Write a clarifying statement for each value.

So be honest, did you answer them? If not, take a moment and answer them, be PRESENT!

Now, let’s continue where that blog ended and finish the steps so you will be prepared to have YOUR BEST YEAR EVER! As we look at question 6, you need to ask: “What roles do I play?” Roles refer to father, leader, husband, friend etc. List all of the roles you can think of and then narrow your list to the top 7. Of those, rate yourself, your performance, from 1 to 10 on how well you are currently performing in that role. Next, identify the role that will be your major focus for 2013! As you finish, take an inventory of all the questions you have answered, and ask yourself this: What is the biggest impediment to my success and happiness right now? This will help you determine the answer to question 7: What should my Major Focus be for 2013? The answer may surprise you; it might not be what you originally thought! Now, that your roles have been established and prioritized you can move to question 8: What are my goals for each of the roles I have listed? Remember; write out all of your goals for each role and make sure they are SMART goals. (Specific, Measureable, Actionable, Realistic and Time bound) Goals are best when they start with a strong active verb. List more than one goal per role, you need to stretch yourself so find 3 goals per role. After you have listed all your goals, review and ask yourself if completed, would these help achieve YOUR BEST YEAR EVER? If you answered yes, then you know you are on the right path and ready for question 9: What are my top 10 goals for next year? Review your goals and prioritize them from 1 to 10.

You have now completed your goal list for 2013! Type or rewrite your goals and post them where you will see them every day. I have mine posted on the inside of my bathroom mirror and in the binder I carry with me every day. The last question you must answer for yourself is 10: How can I make sure I achieve them? This is crucial because you are confirming to yourself that you will accomplish your goals and establishing why it is important to you.

I wish you a Happy New Year and hope you make 2013 YOUR BEST YEAR EVER!

Gary Wilbers

“GOALS: Are like having your headlights on,

because you know where you are going.”

Preparation for Success part 1!

Can you believe we are in the last month of 2012? How many of you achieved what you set out to achieve in 2012? Did you reach the goals you set for yourself? Did you make progress towards those goals? Well, you cannot turn back the clock so now is the time to prepare for the success you want to achieve in 2013! The next two blogs will give you some tips to help make 2013, YOUR BEST YEAR EVER! In this blog we will talk about taking an inventory of what happened in the past year. In the next blog we will give you some steps to follow to set your goals for 2013.

The first thing you need to do is get a pen and paper. The first process is to acknowledge and appreciate what happened last year. This process is to get you to look back on your past year and write your responses to the following two questions: 1. What did I accomplish? 2. What were my biggest disappointments? After you have honestly and completely answered these questions reflect back on the last year and think about what you have learned this year? These life lessons will help you achieve the goals you set for this year. Answer the question: 3. What did I learn? These three questions are already helping you form the results you will want to achieve this next year. The next positive internal focus for producing results comes in thinking about yourself and your goals it will help empower you to succeed. You will create a transformation when you place your self at the center of your life, creating your world rather than letting circumstances dictate your success. You create a new reality and power to create a new you! The fourth question to answer is: 4. How do I limit myself? Also, ask yourself this question? In which areas of my life am I not achieving what I want? The last question to ask yourself in this area is: What do I say about myself to explain these failures? This is very difficult but when you are honest with yourself and put this information on paper it allows you to see what is stopping you from creating your best year yet! Just list each question and write, don’t over analyze the why, just let your conscious mind help you in answering each question. This is being true to whom and what you really are.

The last area to complete this week is to think about what’s most important to you in your life. What are the hidden drivers behind your most tangible goals? What values do you demonstrate in your life? When we identify our personal values they will provide the strongest motivation for change and achieving the goals we most want to achieve. These personal values should be the words that are most central to your life like: integrity, honesty, compassion, keeping my promises, loving, caring etc. 5. Write down your personal values? List all of your personal values and then review them and write a clarifying statement for each value. When we clarify our values we can see ourselves “living” those values and we increase our probability of making an integral part of our daily life. By writing a clarifying statement it gives us a verbal picture, becomes the vision or target and it helps us understand what we need to do. Let me give you an example of a clarifying statement.

Value: Teamwork

Clarifying statement: I work collaboratively with others and positively contribute in a way that will help move my team forward.

Take time this week and complete the first 5 questions, this will give you the foundation you need to set the goals that are most important to you in 2013. In the next blog we will give you the 5 questions that will allow you to draft the goals you will ACHIEVE in 2013! I am a firm believer people who set goals are more likely to achieve them because they know where they are going!

Have a GREAT day!

Gary

Here’s a quote I coined:

“GOALS: Are like having your headlights on,

because you know where you are going.”

What are you thankful for?

I decided since Thanksgiving is next week it would be wise to talk about Thanksgiving! But, I want to take a different approach today instead of the usual “what are you thankful for this year”. Let’s talk about the gratitude you have in your life. The definition I am going to use of gratitude comes from Dan Sullivan.

“Gratitude is an internally-generated capability that allows an individual to create and discover unlimited meaning and value in every situation and relationship in life.”

As we use this definition of gratitude let’s break it down in smaller segments and digest each part.

Internally-generated capability: This means we have the ability within ourselves to generate this capability. Gratitude does not come from possessions, things or others. We have the drive to find gratitude in the smallest areas of our life. The last couple of days I have been grateful for the sunshine that warms the day.

Create unlimited meaning and value: Gratitude allows the individual to discover why they appreciate something. Everyone values different things in life so for one person seeing the sunset is gratitude, for another it may be just another sunset. The challenge here is to search yourself and find what holds gratitude in your life? Most people live life but forget to live their life! Make a list of the things in your life that creates meaning and value?

Every situation and relationship in life: As you made your list was it easy to identify the people closest to you like spouse, children, mom, dad etc. These are people you should show daily gratitude, by your words and actions. The more challenging areas are interactions with a co-worker, your job, a challenging issue, someone you dislike. Also, don’t forget the relationship you have with your creator. God provides a backbone to give us the capability in our daily lives if we just open up our heart and mind and allow him to help us.

As you prepare for Thanksgiving I hope you take the time to make your list of not only the people but also the daily events that give meaning and value to your life. This list will help you realize we all have many reasons to be grateful in our lives.

I hope each of you have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Have a GREAT day!

Gary

Positive Attitude Part 2:

“The power plant doesn’t have energy, it generates it.”

~ Brendon Burchard

I heard Brendon Burchard speak this past week on ways to live a CHARGED life. He coined this quote and I think it applies to our topic of getting a Positive Attitude. In my last blog I gave you the definition of a positive attitude. My goal in this blog is to give you some strategies that can help you implement a Positive Attitude into your daily life. Of course, this is not an all-inclusive list but it will help you to get started adopting a positive attitude into your life.

Let’s start with our first strategy of showing gratitude into our daily lives. Gratitude is giving or appreciating something or someone for a contribution they have made to you or your team. Jon Gordon told us, “You can’t be Blessed and Stressed!” When we daily share our gratitude to our spouse, co-workers, boss, and children by our actions, you will see that your relationships will be more positive.

Our second strategy is to daily read motivational material. The more you feed your mind, the more your mind will change. Zig Zigler tells people this about motivation: “Motivation doesn’t last, and I say…bathing doesn’t either, that’s why I recommend it daily.”

Keeping a journal is our third strategy. By writing your thoughts at least once a day it allows your mind to experience where you are at in that moment. You wouldn’t go hiking without a compass, so by keeping a daily record in one place it will help you change your behaviors.

The last strategy I am going to talk about in this blog is exercising. I know there are hundreds of other strategies you could implement to have a positive attitude. This is just a few to give you some habits to get started. Exercise means many things but I think the simplest strategy I could give you is to start exercising 4 to 5 times a week for minimum of 30 minutes each time. I know some of you are thinking? I don’t have the time! Do you realize that is only 2 to 2.5 hours per week? You do know we all get the same 24 hours every day and 168 hours per week. So, don’t tell me you can’t find 2 to 2.5 hours per week. Exercise will give you a more positive attitude because of the energy it will give your mind and body. The average American watches 4 hours of TV per day! So, cut out a TV show every other day.

As I told you in the last blog, we must first decide to create a habit of implementing a Positive Attitude. I guarantee you it will be worth the effort.

Have a Great day!

Gary

“Remember it’s your life; make it what you want it to be.”

~ Gary Wilbers

How do I get a Positive Attitude? Part 1

I thought it would be fun to talk about Positive Attitude for this month’s blog. Many people want to have a positive attitude but they go about getting it in the wrong manner so I am going to try to give you a few tips on how you can create a positive attitude in your life. Let’s first define what a positive attitude is: A positive attitude is a philosophy of approaching life with optimism and confidence. Developing a positive attitude requires replacing negative thinking with positive in an effort to create a successful outlook on life and experiences.

Let’s try to break down the definition, getting to an understanding that we can implement into our daily lives. The first part talks about a philosophy of approaching life with optimism and confidence. So, it is telling us we must first decide to create a habit of implementing the mentality in our daily actions to be positive. This is a hard one because it must become a habit to make this a reality. You have heard the phrase the grass is greener on the other side. Well, you have to make the grass green on your side. Optimism and confidence are emotions so they can be controlled by our brain. But, it must be a conditioned response not only a feeling. The next part of the definition talks about replacing negative thinking with positive thinking. Again, we have to change our mental wiring from how we look at things. You have heard from people the phrase: “the glass half empty or the glass half full.” Which way you view information will determine your result of negative thinking or positive thinking. It is said 10% is what happens to us and 90% is how we react to the situation, information or news. The last part of the definition is creating a successful outlook on life and experiences. This is done by knowing your roadmap and the purpose why you were put on this earth. God created all of us for a purpose. Spend time finding your purpose and I guarantee you, your outlook on life will become positive because you know why you are doing things in this world.

In the next issue we will discuss some strategies that will help you implement the positive attitude in your life. Some of those are showing gratitude, daily motivational reading, keeping a journal and exercising. I also wanted to end my blog by thanking Patrick, Trampus, Ginger and Kristy for sharing with their teams their positive attitude during the month of September.

Have a GREAT day!

“A positive attitude is not given, it is received.”

Gary

Creating a Culture of Greatness Part II

Thanks for all the positive comments about my last blog entry. Let’s build on creating that Culture of Greatness in your life and organizations. The root of that greatness is built on the behavior and the habits we create. Then we lead ourselves and our team with Optimism and Positive Energy. It is vital that we feed the positive dog every day or the energy vampires will zap our enthusiasm and energy.

The third principle Jon spoke about is building loyal relationships. These loyal relationships in the business world would be with our customers. In your personal life it would be those who you trust and help you become a better person. Show the people in your life that you care. I am currently reading a book that talks about in a relationship you have to be willing to have the 100/0 principle. This means you are willing to give a 100% without getting anything in return. Do we show our team, spouse, son or daughter we care about them? You MUST make relationships a priority! Have you noticed sometimes we are so busy and stressed, that our relationships are the last thing we give any attention to? When was the last time you sat down and just talked with your spouse or team member? Show the people in your life you care and communicate with them. Relationships are a key to feeling positive. Our passion and purpose on earth are what will help us find happiness not success. If I asked you to define success, I would get a different response from everyone. Instead, choose to find what your passion and purpose are in life and you will not only find success but you will also find happiness. I am a firm believer you will have to have faith in God to find your true purpose in life because he is the one who created us and knows what our purpose is? How do we find our passion and purpose? Slow down and pray, meditate and talk to those most close to you to find out what they think you are meant to be. Remember life is a journey not a destination.

The last principle Jon spoke about was to Pursue Excellence in everything we do in life. Be the best you can be every day. Zoom focus on 3 things you want to accomplish every day. Don’t settle for mediocrity. Strive to improve every day, every week and every month. Jon mentioned to live in the moment of today, you might not be where you want to be yet but if you make the best of that moment and place it will help you propel to the next opportunity that will come in your life. Jon also mentioned you must be willing to pay the price to work harder than anyone else. No one becomes an instant success! The ones willing to pay the price are the people who reap what they sow!

As I reviewed what Jon said, I have found we have a similar belief system. Everyone has the capability to be the person God meant them to be if they are willing to water and fertilize their own soil. I am a firm believer we all have one life to live, why not go out and make it the best life you want it to be. Yes, you will have obstacles, setbacks and challenges but those who find ways to overcome will become what they are meant to be. I have included my list of “10 Daily Actions to Live By” for you to review. My goal is that it will help you live the life you want to live!

Ten Daily Actions to Live By

1. My life is a message. I will make it what I want it to be.

2. I take responsibility for who I am. I am responsible for my past and my future.

3. I am a person of action. I choose to seize the moment and I choose NOW!

4. My life is about loving and helping people. I have a caring and decided heart.

5. I make people and things flourish by the amount of time and care I give to them.

6. I choose to have a great attitude. I am a happy person and I will have a positive attitude towards others.

7. I know where I want my life to go. I have chosen my path to follow daily.

8. I will greet every day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive myself and others.

9. My best preparation to live a good tomorrow is to live a great today.

10. I am a person of great faith. I believe all my talents and gifts come from my God.

Have a GREAT day!

Gary

Creating a Culture of Greatness Part I

WOW! For any of you reading this that missed Jon Gordon over the last couple of days in Jefferson City you missed an opportunity to inspire yourself and get a big dose of Vitamin C! But, it is your lucky day because I am going to talk about some of the principles he shared with us and if you implement them into your life you can still make changes that will impact you!

Jon talked about 4 ways in which we can help grow ourselves. In the business world we can create a Culture of Greatness in every company by each individual concentrating on the root of the tree versus the fruit. He said, “Culture is created at the root of the tree because it is what drives the behavior, behavior drives habits and habits drives results." When everyone on the team stirs the pot, the team improves the quality of the organization. You can determine the culture of an organization based on how strong their root is. The root is the people not the results. These same principles can be adopted in a family setting. The root will make a strong family.

The second way we can grow ourselves and our organization is by Leading with Optimism and Positive Energy! One message that resonated with me is we have to keep running. Which means never give up and stay positive. Everyone and every organization has challenges and obstacles. The one who overcomes and doesn’t give up will be the one who will have the most success in life. Optimism is a competitive advantage because those teams/people don’t make excuses they find ways to overcome no matter what! His book “Positive Dog” talks about “what you feel is what you get!” Think about that, if I feel lousy, I am going to think and act lousy. If I feel positive and show my enthusiasm I am going to be positive. Which would you rather show? Be a big dose of vitamin C or vomit on people so you make everyone around you feel sick? Our perspective which is the same as our paradigm is how we see the world. How are you viewing your world right now? Take time and answer this question? This is the key, if you feel abundance in your life; you see your world around you as having its best days ahead of you! If you feel and listen to all the outside distractions, you feel your world has a sacristy mindset. Everything and everyone in the world is going down the tubes. That is true if you watch too much TV and listen to the negative influencers in your life. Change the way you see things by changing your habits. Read a book, listen to motivational tapes, and go hear a motivational speaker or find time to spend quiet time with your faith. Jon asked, “What does fear and faith have in common besides they both start with F? The answer: They both believe in a future that has not happened yet.” Which one are you going to start a habit believing in? A good point to help with this new habit is, talk to yourself versus listening to yourself. When talking to yourself, tell yourself about the positives that are happening in your life today. Take a walk of gratitude or write down in a journal the positive focus you enjoyed today. At our home every night my children thank God for the day by praying and then they each give a positive focus for school and home for the day. Why do I feel this is important? When you go to sleep thinking about the positive you are more likely to wake up in the morning ready to make your day positive.

As I close out this blog it is vital to remember you cannot change yourself in a day, week or month but a consistent daily effort will lead you to make changes that will become habits. Keep watering and fertilizing your root and you will become the person that God wanted you to be.

Have a GREAT day!

Gary

P.S. Next time we will discover the other two principles Jon shared with us.