What is your attitude like today?

If you noticed we are on number 6 of my ten keys of how you can be the “BEST of the BEST”. Each key builds off the previous one. To make them work for your life you have to make changes in your habits. The sixth action to live by: “I CHOOSE TO HAVE A GREAT ATTITUDE. I AM A HAPPY PERSON AND I WILL HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD OTHERS.”

Have you ever heard the saying? “Attitude will determine your altitude in life”.

Take a daily reading of your attitude level and it will determine your value of the day. We hear every day what a difference attitude can make in our lives but only one person can determine our attitude and that’s YOU! So get up every day and look yourself in the mirror and make the choice to set your attitude on POSITIVE! Remember you have to choose to have a positive attitude.

I could talk all day on this subject but I picked up this story about attitude and I think it says it best:

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures and successes, than what other people think or say or do.

It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break an organization…a company…a church…a school…a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.

We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have. And that is our attitude.

I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it.
And so it is with you…we are in charge of our attitudes!”

- This was written by Charles Swindoll

Remember we have a choice each day, each hour, each minute, each second what my ATTITUDE will be. The question I ask you today is what do you choose?

I tell you what I choose: “I choose to have a great attitude. I am a happy person and I will have a positive attitude towards others.

Have a GREAT day!

Gary Wilbers

What do you do with your time?

Get this….I heard this morning on the radio that scientist have discovered they actually believe that the world has 25 hours in each day not 24? What would you do if you had an extra hour every day?

Answer this question before you continue…..

Take sleep off your list…how about exercise, work, study, read, spend time with family, learn a new skill, and spend time with friends?

NO we don’t have 25 hours in a day, but do we spend the time we do have on truly the most important things in life? So the question we have to ask ourselves is how will we define our life?

The best method is for us to create a personal mission statement on how I want to live my life. A personal mission statement is a written proclamation of who you are and what you’re about. It should express the contributions you want to make during your lifetime, the things you want to do and the kind of person you want to be.

I find it interesting that most people buy life insurance to protect their life but very few create their own personal mission statement on how they want to live their lives! Your personal mission statement is an affirmation of your highest priorities, which you have determined by your roles and values in life. It is your “Dash”, if you will. That little mark between the dates you were born and the date that indicates when you leave this earth, an extremely important icon.

I would like to share with you my personal mission statement to give you a better understanding and give you encouragement for you to write your own mission statement if you do not currently have one.

“My God is the path I will follow. My family is my number one priority to care for and love. The person I am is made by my integrity as a person. I am a creative individual always looking for ways to be innovative in my life and career. My health and fitness gives me the strength to prepare for the daily challenges of life. I will always share my talents and knowledge with others who are important to me.”

I wrote this on July 17, 2006 and I can tell you since I have determined my highest priorities I have been spending more time in the areas that I mention in my personal mission statement. Now, I don’t profess to be perfect but when you have a roadmap to where you are going it is amazing because you normally follow the right path. You see it wasn’t always like this for me. I was always growing the business and I almost missed out on some of the most important things in life like my children growing up.

I think I have succeeded today in sharing with you some knowledge that I have gained over the years. I will admit I feel great today because I have followed my mission statement.

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

Spend time with people important in your life. Show those people you love and care for them. Time is a gift from God, use it wisely.

Great quote to think about:

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself”
- Leo Tolstoy

Have a GREAT day!

Gary Wilbers

What is YOUR Unique Ability?

As we continue our path of creating our fourth action to live by, this week we will discuss, “My life is about loving and helping people. I have a caring and decided heart.” As we progress in life we sometimes forget the people that are the closest to us and how much they mean to us. As we progress through life we all want to find our purpose in life. I was asked in a training class this question? “What is your Unique Ability in life?” First, let’s define Unique Ability? Unique ability is the essence of what you love to do and do best. There are four characteristics of unique ability:

1. It’s a superior ability that other people notice and value; you are passionate about using it and want to use it as much as possible.
2. It’s energizing both for you and others around you.
3. There’s a sense of never ending improvement---you keep getting better and never run out of possibilities for growth.
4. Because your Unique Ability is fueled by tremendous passion, it can be a very powerful force in the world and create enormous value for you and others.

Now, when you combine talent and passion, you have a recipe for never-ending improvement, energy and excitement and higher and higher levels of achievement.

I will tell you when you answer for yourself what your Unique Ability is; it is very powerful for your continued growth as an individual. My Unique ability is motivating others to find their true passion in life and helping them find what matters in their lives. Over the last several years I have had the pleasure of working more in my unique ability within my life. I have helped others find their unique ability by giving them the opportunity to start a business that they have the passion, skill and drive to make it successful. I feel my unique ability is motivating others to find their direction to reach a higher level for themselves.

So, how do I discover my Unique Ability?
Unique ability shapes your whole way of being—it’s the “YOU” that makes you who you are. Your unique ability shows up in…

Your skills
Your talents
Your characteristics
Your activities
Your creativity and
Your habits

These are some of the means by which it comes out, yet it’s more than any of these: It’s also an expression of your values. If you’ve ever felt the excitement of doing something you excel at and others praise you for, something you’d happily keep doing all day long, you’ve probably experienced your unique ability in action.

Because you use it so naturally and willingly, it’s constantly evolving and improving as you move through life. When you give it room and focus your attention on it that evolution speeds up the value you create for others and yourself.

So as we look at our fourth action: MY LIFE IS ABOUT LOVING AND HELPING PEOPLE. I HAVE A CARING AND DECIDED HEART. My passion is that you will find your Unique Ability that will drive your life!

Have a Great Day!

Gary Wilbers

WHAT MORE CAN I DO?

As I start on writing my blog post, I am going to interrupt the “Ten Daily Actions to Live By” message. As many of you were fortunate to hear Mr. John O’Leary at our Tri-Annual training it makes me reflect back on his message. My hope is that each of you found something that you are using every day in your life from his presentation. They say if a speaker makes you stop and think and you take action to make changes you want to correct, then his message hit a home run. I have been pondering John’s message over the last week and asking myself: “What More Can I do?”

John talked to us about three areas that he framed for our discussion:

1. The Power of One
2. The Power of Why
3. The Power of More

The Power of One message was really the power of love. Love is not always exactly the way we think. In the work place, love can mean do we show others we care? Are we a good team member? Do we give each other support and guidance? This really brings us to our actions. He mentioned we normally respond in two actions: Either in fear or faith (love). Fear comes in many forms but my definition is False Evidence Appearing Real. Faith is the love we show to each other.

This brings us to the Power of Why? Remember him saying if we know our why? We can endure any How? Why do I show up for work every day? Just to get a paycheck? Do we want to make a difference in the people’s lives we serve? When we make a difference it gives us the fuel to overcome our adversities. He talked about knowing your why in each of these areas: Spiritually, Emotionally, Physically, Professionally, Financially, Relationships. When you know you’re WHY you can endure any HOW!

The last area he talked about was the Power of More! What more can I do? This question can be related in every area of your life. I want better relationships with my spouse? What more can I do to show her/him my love. I will be a better team member for my company? What more can I do to show my leader I am passionate about getting better? I want to get in better shape physically? What more can I do to exercise and eat a healthy diet? I want to improve my financial condition? What more can I do to budget and learn new ways in handling money? (This is plug: check out Dave Ramsey 13 week financial peace class coming up soon by Matt Cowell) I want to improve my Spirituality? What more can I do to take time daily for prayers and meditation? I could go on and on and on but you get the point. Ask yourself: What more can I do? This will work for any area of your life. To make changes make a commitment to discipline yourself on your new routine and over time it becomes a habit.

As I close this blog my prayer for each of you will be that you make the changes you want in your life. We are already half way into January; don’t allow yourself to go back to your old ways. Create new habits and keep asking yourself: What more can I do? A great quote I coined speaks to this action:

“It’s your life, why not live the life you want to live”

Have a GREAT day!

Gary Wilbers

Are you a person of ACTION?

Hard to believe we are saying goodbye to 2011 this week! This will be my last blog this year! Don’t worry I will be back in 2012 for more interesting reading. Do you just read my blogs or do you think of ways to implement changes in your life? I have noticed when I read great material it sticks with me longer if I employ them in my life. It becomes a habit when I take ACTION!

That brings me to a great point of my third action on living the life I want to live. “I am a person of ACTION! I choose to seize the moment and I choose NOW!” What do you want to get out of 2012? Do you want a new job? Do you want new career? Do you want to raise a family? What are you setting as your goals for 2012? Well, action is what will propels us to achieve these goals. When we want something in life we have to realize that the HABITS will be the guide we need to seize the opportunity. I have realized that the positive habits I create for my life will get me the success I am looking for. As many of you know I am a student and believer of the Franklin Covey “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” You may be familiar with or use the system also. I have implemented these 7 habits into my daily life. These 7 habits are a basis of the action I have created for my life.

1. Be Proactive- Choose your response to every situation.


2. Begin with the End in Mind- Start every project with a road map of what it will look like when done.


3. Put First Things First- What is the most important task to be done first. (today, for me it was this blog since I am on vacation skiing next week when this will be posted)


4. Think Win-Win- When everyone wins you get a better solution than compromising.


5. Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood- Are you listening to what the other person is really saying? Or do you think you know what they are saying?


6. Synergize- Real growth happens when everyone is working for the same goal.


7. Sharpen the Saw- Renew yourself regularly of mind, body and spirit. (Yes, that is what I am doing in the mountains this week)

Remember nobody does all these things every day but the people that make a Habit of improving themselves everyday are taking ACTION for their own lives. Set some goals for yourself in 2012 in some of these areas: Business, Financial, Health, Mental, Family, Spiritual, Lifestyle and Relationships. Take the time to write down your goals. Do you realize if you write your goals down you are better than 97% of the population? Only a meager 3% of all people have written down goals. So the question I ask each of you? What are you waiting for? If you want to achieve something you must start today! Action only happens when you make it happen! Are you ready to do something NOW?

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

Happy New Year!

Have a GREAT year!

Gary Wilbers

The Present

Since it is Christmas week I thought I would change the Blog this week and give each of you a present!

“The Present” is a book I read several years ago written by Spencer Johnson who also wrote “Who moved my Cheese? First, I would like to share with you a few messages from this book; then I have a special video message to each of you, just click on the link at the bottom to view.

My wish for you this Christmas season is that you live in the PRESENT! What I mean is enjoy the time you spend with your family and friends! Realize the real meaning of Christmas was the birth of Jesus Christ. As we attend Christmas functions make a point to enjoy the company of your family and friends.

THE PRESENT


Three Ways To Use Your Present Moments To Enjoy Your Work And Life, NOW!

BE IN THE PRESENT

When you want to be happier and more successful

FOCUS ON WHAT IS RIGHT NOW.

RESPOND TO WHAT IS IMPORTANT NOW.

LEARN FROM THE PAST

When you want to make the present better than the past

LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST.

LEARN SOMETHING VALUABLE FROM IT.

DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY IN THE PRESENT

PLAN FOR THE FUTURE

When you want to make the future better than the present

SEE WHAT A WONDERFUL FUTURE WOULD LOOK LIKE.

MAKE PLANS TO HELP IT HAPPEN.

PUT YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION IN THE PRESENT.

Please view the following link for video message from me: http://youtu.be/F25u-SgEucA

Merry Christmas!
Gary Wilbers

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR LIFE

As we continue on our journey of discovering my Ten Daily Actions to Live By, I want to express my appreciation for all of your emails on how this affects your life. Take the information in the blog, apply what fits and see what changes you want to make; starting 2012 off to being the success you want to create.

Remember, it first takes a plan. Then your plan takes a commitment and this is how my second action fits in: “I take responsibility for who I am; I am responsible for my past and my future.”

This action is realizing YOU are the ONE responsible for your life. Your life is not dependent on your childhood, family, parents or even your past events. Think about it. Everything in your life exists because you first made a CHOICE about something.

Choices are the root of your results. Each choice starts a behavior that over time becomes a habit. Choose poorly and you might just find yourself at the drawing board, forced to make new and even harder choices. You make choices, and then your choices make you. Every decision, no matter how small alters the trajectory of your life . . . kind of like “The Domino Effect.”

As we realize, our choices either benefit us or create consequences in our life. The challenge is what we do with the choices we make. The idea of personal responsibility can completely change your life. The question I ask you today is? “What percentage of responsibility do you have in making any relationship in your life work?”

A. 50/50
B. 51/49
C. 80/20
D. None of the above

How many of you said “D”? If you did you are correct. The correct answer is 100/0. You have to be willing to give 100 percent with zero expectation of receiving anything in return! WOW! Now make sure you understand this is NOT easy! I admit it is challenging but anything worthwhile has a price! When you are willing to take 100% responsibility for making the relationship work, will it work? I know each of you think you take personal responsibility for your life. But, you and I both know some people operate in the world of finger pointing (I always say if you point a finger at someone else, 3 are pointed back at you), victimhood, blaming or expecting someone else to solve their problems. When you realize, “I am 100 percent in control of me”, you will hit the jackpot of unlimited power to control your destiny. This is an empowering mindset to change your life!

I coined a quote a few years back that speaks to this issue:

“It’s your life, why not live, the life you want to live?”

Remember the second daily action is “I take responsibility for who I am. I am responsible for my past and future.”

Responsibility is the key to your success. Are you willing to be responsible, to create the success you want in life? I know God gives us all the power to achieve what we believe we can attain.

Start your journey today!

Make it a GREAT day!

Gary Wilbers