Blog
Fear Not Part One
December 16, 2014
“To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom” – Bertrand Russell As mentioned at the end of my last article, I believe “fear” to be the most pervasive and powerful deterrent to success! There have been times throughout recent history in which horrible epidemics have destroyed the lives of countless people. However, all of these combined have not victimized as many people as “fear.” Many historians have opined about the dangerous effects of success on a person. Success and power have brought many to their knees. At least when the house of the rich and powerful has burned to the ground, the fire actually had something physical to consume. Fear however, prevents the “House of Opportunity” from even laying it’s most basic foundation! The cemeteries of this world are filled with countless people who never even took the first step towards their potential. One thing stood in their way, fear. They were wrapped in fear of failure, fear of risk, fear of ridicule, fear of financial loss and yes, fear of success! How many cures for disease never came to fruition because fear kept their mind from chasing the dream? Imagine how many answers to some of life’s thorniest issues died and were laid to rest in the graveyard of fear? Imagine if Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison or Alexander Graham Bell hesitated and withdrew their brilliant ideas? What’s going to happen to the bold and risky idea that’s been incubating in your mind? Will you balk because of fear and abort the fetus idea? Or will you bravely birth it, nurture it, and nurse it to adulthood? Stay tuned. The next time around, I will address several “truths” that I believe you must know. That you must also understand in order to avoid fear ruining your path to success. ...
read morePep Rally To Kick Off 2014!
December 16, 2014
Football season is one of America’s favorite times of the year. Remember those chilly fall nights at your high school football stadium? In preparation for those gridiron battles, schools hold “pep” or “spirit” rallies to fire-up the team and their fans. The opposing team is often symbolized as an effigy who is attacked and destroyed, bringing the crowd screaming to their feet. The hope is the team and the fans will carry that “spirit” all the way to kickoff. Let’s take a moment to compare that with pep rallies in the business world: What are their tactics? What exactly are they attempting to accomplish? Are they trying to overcome “bad” spirit, or, are they trying to create “good” spirit? Or, is it just an excuse to scream at the top of their lungs, act like fools, and then convince themselves how productive the entire process was? When your team wins, be it in business or in sports, it’s easy to accept that the pep rally was part of your success. But what about when you fail? What happens to the up-beat spirit when everyone is hanging their heads in defeat? Throughout the game, any extreme shift in momentum can create a change in spirit that is felt among the fans and the players. What are those forces at work that appear to actually influence our emotions in both a positive or a negative manner and even influence the outcome of the game? I’ll start by addressing what I believe is most obvious: positive thinking will most often result in a positive outcome! However, there are times that we stay upbeat and the end result is still not positive. When that happens, it can be hard to keep the right mindset and push through the next project or deal. But, staying positive, even in the face of defeat, will always get better results. No one ever wins without first believing they can! Zig Ziglar got it right: “It is your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your altitude.” Here are a few tips for maintaining a positive attitude: Wake up early – this allows you to get a jump-start on the day. There’s no need to rush and you can get a head-start on projects and tasks before the rest of your peers have gotten up. Exercise – this helps combat depression and maintain a positive mood. It has significant benefits on both your physical and mental well-being. Plan your day and your week – in the words of one of my employees who learned about the (7) “P’s” in Marine Corps boot camp: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance! Understand that things won’t always go as-planned – things will go wrong! You must learn to improvise, adapt, and overcome. Be thankful – the very act of focusing on what you’re thankful for helps maintain a positive attitude. Surround yourself with positive people – the people around you impact how you think, who you are, and what you value. If you’re not a naturally positive person, you should begin retraining your mind to think positive thoughts…even when you don’t “feel” positive. If you do not create a pattern of positive thinking, you will always be ruled by negativity and fear. Next time,...
read moreWho Are You Trying To Fool Part Two
December 16, 2014
“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘don’t quit, suffer now and live the rest of your life a champion’!” – Muhammad Ali Here are five suggestions for you to consider. You may not be able to “remodel” all five at once, but at least begin to work on one until completion and then move forward with the next: Choose the “financial vehicle” that will drive you to your financial goals and fiscal dreams! Stop wasting your time and energy “reading” about exotic destinations. Stop “looking” at those elaborate houses that are out of reach and stop complaining about and coveting things that you don’t have. We all have goals and dreams….the question is, “how am I going to get there?” Make a list of your options, choose one and then run with it! Make an inventory of your relationships and focus especially on those relationships that really matter: family, marriage, and friendships. If you’re religious or spiritual, inventory your relationship with God and with your core beliefs. Stop making excuses. Quit hiding behind the busy minutia of life by avoiding honest discussion about your time-management or lack thereof. Your life will eventually begin to fade into the sunset and you’ll realize all that remains is the love that you shared with those closest to you. Do not shortchange yourself in the long road of life! Do you need to make adjustments to your schedule that enable you to spend precious time with those closest to you? Maybe schedule a few minutes a week to make phone calls to your loved ones? You’d be amazed at how good you’ll feel when you write a hand-written letter! It feels almost as good as receiving one! Should you clear your Sunday or Sabbath to make room for God? Do you need to start “dating” your spouse again and rekindle those nearly-extinguished flames of passion? Maybe you need to forgo this weeks golf outing with your buddies so that you can attend your daughters recital or your sons football game? Will this be the year to finally pull yourself out of the debt-pit? Are you just going to “talk the talk” and kick the can down the alley like the sluggish US Government and it’s spineless politicians? Or will you “walk the walk” by seeking help from from brilliant financial teachers like John Cummuta or Dave Ramsey. I have spent countless hours with many successful people. One of the most common disappointments they’ve relayed to me were statements like, “I really wish I had more education”. Completing a bachelors or masters degree isn’t as easy as it was before you had a spouse, children, a mortgage or a car payment. But you can still take advantage of online universities or even weekend educational seminars that fit around your busy schedule. As a wise man once told me, “there is no such thing as too much education”! We all want to validate our existence. If you want to grow your life, you must first grow yourself. One of the the best ways to grow yourself is by investing your time with those who are less fortunate. Can you volunteer some of your time at a homeless shelter? How about visiting a nursing home? Or...
read moreWho Are You Trying to Fool Part One
December 16, 2014
“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one”. ― Brad Paisley I can recall when my wife and I first moved into our dream home. It was a modest house with a lot of potential and sat on a large one-acre wooded lot. It had plenty of personality and charm; so much so that our neighbors often referred to it as “The 3-Bears Cottage!” We eventually decided on an inexpensive remodel in the main bathroom…..”inexpensive” being the key word! We figured a new coat of paint, some “border,” and a new faucet-set would suffice. At this point, our story picks up a familiar theme. Work commenced as I peeled off the old wallpaper which in-turn, exposed rotten sheetrock. I dismantled the old fixtures and found corroded piping. I was immediately flustered once I realized that this “new” appearance/design would contrast with the old linoleum flooring, outdated shower tiles, and the well-worn toilet and cabinetry. Reality hit as I suddenly realized that my “cheap fix” was by all accounts turning into a significant (and expensive) remodel! My wife and I sat down and discussed the pros and cons: Sure, we could wait….but this was OUR home and we wanted to enjoy OUR bathroom without having to endure it’s obvious needs. Of course, we could just “bandaid” the problem by doing a cosmetic/superficial fix; the whole time knowing what lie underneath and that eventually we would have to deal with the problems we already knew existed. We could fool the guests who used it, but were we trying to fool ourselves? That last question answered all of the others. At that exact moment, we decided that any future remodels or repairs to our home would be done the right way. We would take the temporary hit to our pocketbook and to our schedules to ensure that the job was completed properly. We could then fully enjoy it and take comfort in knowing that we did not “fool ourselves!” As your reading this blog posting in anticipation for the New Year, may I suggest that you not consider those well-worn cliches and slogans of “New Years Resolutions?” For once, don’t just half-heartedly consider “dropping a few pounds,” begin a new exercise routine, or invest in something new in preparation for your retirement? After all, who are you trying to fool? Don’t just throw a coat of paint on the walls when there is rotten sheetrock underneath it all! Dig your heels in and deal with the real issues! Take a moment to have an honest discussion with yourself, your partner, your children, or your trusted friend/confidant. Get together with those closest to you and ask them to help you do a personal inventory and analysis of your life. Offer to do the same for them! If that doesn’t sound like something you feel comfortable doing or if you feel like you won’t receive honest feedback, be sure to tune-in for tomorrow’s special New Years blog posting! I will list five ways to help propel you into 2014! Happy New Year. Make it the best one ever! Cheers! ...
read moreVideo Intro
December 16, 2014
At our Ignite Expo this past November 23, 2013 at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta, GA, we were able to have celebrity designer Jeff Lewis speak at our event. We were even fortunate enough to have a Home Depot President speak to the crowd! We knew we wanted to make a lasting impression with those who attended. Therefor, we did our best to pull all the stops! We played a few videos to introduce the Ignite Expo, and played videos for Jeff Lewis and Andrew Cordle. Check out this video that introduced Andrew onto the platform! ...
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