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
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
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
Monday, October 15, 2012
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!
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
Saturday, September 29, 2012
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!
Have a GREAT day!
Gary
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
Friday, September 14, 2012
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Staying Positive
Would you like to hear from a Best Selling author of the Wall Street Journal?
Jon Gordon (www.jongordon.com) is coming to Jefferson City September 12 & 13th and you have an opportunity to see him live if you read the rest of this post.
Jon Gordon’s bestselling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous NFL, NBA and college coaches and teams, Fortune 500 companies, school districts, hospitals and nonprofits. Some of Jon’s bestselling books include: The Energy Bus, The No Complaining Rule, Training Camp, The Shark and the Goldfish, Soup and The Seed.
Jon’s talks and books are based on everyday principles that you can incorporate into your life today. He says, ”What matters most is that I say something today that will inspire you to take action tomorrow.”
In this day of negativity it is rare when we hear the positive. To stay positive you must incorporate strategies to strengthen your daily discipline to be a positive person. We all know our attitude is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to the situation. But, today with the media giving us a constant dose of negativity we must find ways to overcome the negative. Have you ever realized if you watch a half hour news program only 2 minutes or less will be on a positive news story? So, how do we become the positive person in our life that we want to become? Well, if I told you that today, you would not make the time to come see Jon Gordon live and in person. So, I will recap some of his strategies in my next several blogs.
Here are the details on Jon Gordon’s appearances that you are invited to attend. Plan to arrive early and be prepared to make changes to become the positive person in your life.
Rickman Conference Center St. Stanislaus Catholic School
3915 Bennett Lane 6410 Route West
Jefferson City, MO 65110 Jefferson City, MO 65101
Sept. 12th at 2:00 – 3:30pm Sept. 12th at 7:15 – 8:45pm
Sept. 13th at 8:30 – 10:00am Gym doors open @ 6:30pm come
early for best seating)
I know we are all busy but I guarantee that if you take the time to come hear Jon speak you will view your life differently than before.
Hope to see you on the 12th or 13th!
Jon Gordon (www.jongordon.com) is coming to Jefferson City September 12 & 13th and you have an opportunity to see him live if you read the rest of this post.
Jon’s talks and books are based on everyday principles that you can incorporate into your life today. He says, ”What matters most is that I say something today that will inspire you to take action tomorrow.”
In this day of negativity it is rare when we hear the positive. To stay positive you must incorporate strategies to strengthen your daily discipline to be a positive person. We all know our attitude is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to the situation. But, today with the media giving us a constant dose of negativity we must find ways to overcome the negative. Have you ever realized if you watch a half hour news program only 2 minutes or less will be on a positive news story? So, how do we become the positive person in our life that we want to become? Well, if I told you that today, you would not make the time to come see Jon Gordon live and in person. So, I will recap some of his strategies in my next several blogs.
Here are the details on Jon Gordon’s appearances that you are invited to attend. Plan to arrive early and be prepared to make changes to become the positive person in your life.
Please RSVP which event you will attend to, thellmann@midamericawireless.com by September10th.
Rickman Conference Center St. Stanislaus Catholic School
3915 Bennett Lane 6410 Route West
Jefferson City, MO 65110 Jefferson City, MO 65101
Sept. 12th at 2:00 – 3:30pm Sept. 12th at 7:15 – 8:45pm
Sept. 13th at 8:30 – 10:00am Gym doors open @ 6:30pm come
early for best seating)
**Barnes and Noble will be on site to sell Jon’s books immediately following his presentation**
I know we are all busy but I guarantee that if you take the time to come hear Jon speak you will view your life differently than before.
Hope to see you on the 12th or 13th!
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Back to School!
It is hard to believe, but it is back to school time again. My children woke up this morning a little excited and little bummed because summer is over! Of course, for them that means sleeping in late and taking life easy is over for this summer. School and learning is part of a lifelong process, so what are we doing every day to become a better student of life?
I believe one of our personal greatest challenges in life is to continue learning throughout our lives. Every stage of life is a learning process. Think back, when you were young and learning how to walk and talk. As we started school we started learning how to write and learning our ABC’s. Then we moved on to high school where we were learning how to deal with our independence from our parents. As we progressed to college we got our independence and had to learn how to handle our own responsibilities and time. As we get married we have to learn how to live and share our life with another person. When we are blessed with children, career, and bills; we learn how to deal with all the challenges of life on a daily basis. It can seem overwhelming. But the people, who figure out how to survive these times, are the individuals who become the students of life in the world. As you look at your life, what is the one thing you need to learn to be a better person in your life today?
As my children head back to school today I am making myself a list of what I need to learn to be a better parent, husband and leader. I know one of my goals is to read more books that give me insight on how I can improve in these areas. I think in life we are given opportunities for a new starting point. I believe back to school time is a good time to review what priorities are the most important in my life. I hope you take time today to review your homework for your life. Remember you can live your life or let your life be lived. I choose to live the life I want to live!
I believe one of our personal greatest challenges in life is to continue learning throughout our lives. Every stage of life is a learning process. Think back, when you were young and learning how to walk and talk. As we started school we started learning how to write and learning our ABC’s. Then we moved on to high school where we were learning how to deal with our independence from our parents. As we progressed to college we got our independence and had to learn how to handle our own responsibilities and time. As we get married we have to learn how to live and share our life with another person. When we are blessed with children, career, and bills; we learn how to deal with all the challenges of life on a daily basis. It can seem overwhelming. But the people, who figure out how to survive these times, are the individuals who become the students of life in the world. As you look at your life, what is the one thing you need to learn to be a better person in your life today?
As my children head back to school today I am making myself a list of what I need to learn to be a better parent, husband and leader. I know one of my goals is to read more books that give me insight on how I can improve in these areas. I think in life we are given opportunities for a new starting point. I believe back to school time is a good time to review what priorities are the most important in my life. I hope you take time today to review your homework for your life. Remember you can live your life or let your life be lived. I choose to live the life I want to live!
Quote: “What is important in life is life, and not the result of life”
- Goethe
Have a GREAT day!
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