With Regard To Life

Happy New Year

Happy New Year. I write a letter on the first day of every month that I mail to 100 clients. I was looking at some of them this week and noticed the one I sent last January. It is still timely today. I thought I would share part of it with you. Happy New Year! Go boldly into 2011. BOLD . . . courageous and daring; not hesitating to breach the rules of propriety; forward; imaginative; beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action; brave; valiant; dauntless; fearless. Let that little adjective fuel you to even greater success in life and business. I did not know what 2011 would bring when I wrote that. I just walked boldly. I needed to be bold. We buried two fathers this year. And I walked beside a friend who dealt with six months of adversity. That is as timely today as it was one year ago when I wrote and sent it to my clients. Today's Winning Thought: Go boldly into 2012. Happy New Year.

Do You See A Need

I was reading an article in my trade magazine recently about a lady who is this year's recipient of an award. It was a humanitarian award. This lady was recognized for her passion for helping people in need. There are countless people who help others. This lady said the award speaks to the core of what she lives for. I took particular note of a quote at the end of the article. "I think you just have to look around," she explained. "You will see needs because need is everywhere. Just find the thing that tugs at your heart and go make a difference." Are you looking around as you go through each day? Look closely during the next few days. Today's Winning Thought: What burdens you? What are you doing about it? It is never too late to start.

Changes

These few days between Christmas and New Year's are useful for considering changes you want to implement in the year ahead. I have been reflecting on my life this week. I normally don't make a lot of resolutions, just to be better tomorrow than I am today. These changes will help me accomplish by objective. Simplify my life. Rest. I need to get more rest. Diet. It needs to be better and more consistent. Health. More rest and watching what I eat will go a long way in helping me to stay healthy. Today's Winning Thought: Those four things were easy to write. They will be harder to do. If I can do it, 2012 will be even better than I expect it to be.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas. I hope this is a wonderful and blessed time for you and your family. I am thankful for many things this Christmas. In many ways this was a challenging year. But I am blessed - very blessed. I am thankful for my family and my health, and for the freedom we have. I am thankful for the work that I have to do, and for you spending a minute to read this blog. You have memories of Christmases past. And you will likely create more memories this Christmas. Celebrate the love of family and the joy, hope and wonder of Christmas this year. Celebrate the real reason of Christmas, the birth of the savior of the world. He was born in poverty and rejected. But from that beginning, He became the hope of the world. Today's Winning Thought: "...they will call Him Immanuel, which means, "God with us." -- Matthew 1:23

Climb Your Mountain

One of the hardest things I have ever done was climb to the top of a mountain in Colorado. I made it but it took all I had. Author and speaker Harvey Mackay tells the story of a mountain that was a factor in a war between two tribes. One tribe lived in the mountains. This tribe conducted a raid on the group in the lowlands. They even kidnapped a baby and took it back up the mountain. The tribe from the lowland was enraged and were determined to get the baby. There was a problem their anger could not overcome. They did not know the lay of the land or where the trails were. They also did not know how to climb the mountain. They made an effort but eventually had to give up and turn back. As they were returning, they saw the child's mother - carrying her baby. We were not able to climb this mountain, they told the mother. How were you able to do it? She shrugged and said, "It wasn't your baby." What do you want to accomplish? How bad do you want it? Today's Winning Thought: "Keep your eye on the prize. If you focus on the struggle, you lose sight of the purpose." -- Harvey Mackay

Finding Wisdom

How did it go today? Finding wisdom, I mean? (See yesterday's post). Looking back on the day I have these thoughts. I attended a funeral today. The gentleman being remembered influenced many lives. That did not happen by accident. It took time - his entire life - and effort. On the way to and from the funeral I passed through a small community that had been totally obliterated by a powerful tornado just a few years ago. The citizens of that community are rebuilding. The town is better and stronger and more beautiful than one could ever believe. The people in the small town were down, but they did not stay down. Tonight, I attended a nephew's Christmas concert at his school. During the concert, two sixth grade girls played a piano duet. The wisdom: the youngsters have prepared and worked hard to get to where they are today. They are one their way to getting their education paid for, if music is the field they choose to study. Today's Winning Thought: There are lessons and reminders for us every day. We just have to look for them.

Look For The Wisdom

I read an article this weekend about former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The article was entitlerd The Courage to Lead. Wisdom is one of the keys to Giuliani's success as a leader. Giuliani said his experiences molded and shaped his wisdom. He said he was reminded of Solomon's words in Proverbs that urge one to listen to what our fathers teach us and do not forsake a mothers teaching. Wisdom, Giuliani learned, can be gleaned from every conversation we have, every interaction with every person we meet, and everything we read. He said you just have to stop and ask yourself, "What can I learn from this?" Today's Winning Thought: Reflect on your conversations and interactions this week. Look long and hard if necessary to find the wisdom. It will be there.

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

It is Friday night, as I write this. The news is over. Family is coming for the weekend, but they are not here yet. Just sitting here reading and watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Every week, I ask myself, "Where does Guy Fieri (the show's host) find all these places." I don't know how he does it but he finds them. My wife and I found one of the places he has featured last year while traveling on business. It was a place Fieri frequented often while attending college. He always has great stories to tell. He had a special connection to that bar and grill. It was a personal story from his life. Your story is different than Guy Fieri's, but you still have a story. You do not have the platform like his, but you can still share your story. I hope you are sharing it. If you are not, you should be. Your story can change a life forever. Today's Winning Thought: Part of my story is that I am married to a wonderful lady. Saturday is her birthday. Happy birthday, sweetheart.

WOW!

Recently I ran into an old friend who has made WOW! his signature word. My friend, sportscaster Dave Armstrong, is known for using the word during his play-by-play broadcasts. I saw my friend at a college basketball game a few weeks ago. It has been several years since we last visited. After returning home from the game I looked at his web site. I saw something that brought back many memories. It is something Dave calls The Dale Dynamic. It is worth sharing with you. The Dale Dynamic is a reflection on the early days of Dave's career in broadcasting, and the lessons he learned. Dale McCoy was one of the most effective and dynamic leaders Dave has ever met, he said. I believe that because Dale was also one of the most influential men in my life. I have meet very few men like him. Dave and I both had the privilege of working for Dale at a small town radio station several years ago. The Dale Dynamic is based on four points. Dale created an exciting place to work. He created trust. He created passion. He created results. As Dave says, we all broadcast a message every day, and to many people. What messages are you broadcasting? The Dale Dynamic taught us, and many others, how to broadcast success. Today's Winning Thought: Look back through The Dale Dynamic and reflect on what you are creating in your workplace, in your relationships, in your life.

No Ordinary Moments

I was browsing the internet this week reading a variety of blogs. I ran across one post that was entitled No Ordinary Moments. Live each one, the writer stated. I thought about that. I thought about how short life really is, regardless of how long you live. We have all lost loved ones, or we will. Our family lost two fathers this year. Enjoy the moments, especially this Christmas season. Don't take them for granted. Don't live them in an ordinary way. Make them special - now! One day you will not have any more minutes. You cannot hold them in reserve to be used to lengthen your life. Today's Winning Thought: I don't know what ordinary means for you. I just want to encourage you to be extraordinary. Many of us - most of us - are just ordinary Joes. But we don't have to live like it. Live differently. Live extraordinary. It will make a difference.