Tag: Coaching

ARE YOU THE CANDLE OR THE MIRROR?

It took me a while to truly grasp the power of this quote. The candle represents sources of light in the world. It could be good-looking and charming authors who double as postal workers, social workers, emergency workers, great parents and teachers, religious and spiritual leaders or anyone else who inspires us or makes the world a better place. In some ways I think we are all candles, or at least have the ability to be so. In being the best at whatever we do we set an example for the world to follow. Even the shyest and most reserved of us have opportunities to be kind to others.

The mirror represents those who promote those who are candles. This can range from sharing a motivational website that inspires you with others, to showing appreciation to wonderful people who make a difference in your life. Did a teacher or coach push you to be the best you can be? By telling others that story you bring to light how special they are. This holds true for talking good about anyone. Did your spouse do something thoughtful for you? By sharing the joy they gave to you it brings more light and positivity to the world. This is a double-edged sword. Imagine what we do when we complain and share with others the terrible things people do?

I find by both being a candle to inspire others as well as a mirror to reflect the flame of the fabulous people I come across is the way that I can bring the most light into the world. Starting today, do your best to not only be an inspiration to others, but to recognize and help share those that inspire you as well.

RUM AND FOOTBALL LEAD TO GREAT SUCCESS…WELL KIND OF…

While relaxing with a glass of rum and the NFL network the other night I caught a segment that really caught my attention. This is pretty amazing for two reasons. The first is that drinking and rum and watching television is usually something I do to relax although it can bring inspiration of a different nature to light. The second thing is it was a great example of how the secrets to success of any nature are all the same. Let me explain. This coach who won both a college championship as well as several super bowls was speaking to a group of incoming college freshman. When asked what his secret to winning despite different situations his answer was a very powerful lesson, not only in the world of sports, but life in general. He said it is not always the most talented team that wins. Not even always the team with the greatest will to win, but the team that is the best conditioning. It was the team who at the end of the game still has energy to keep playing while the other team is sucking wind. That the secret to success was not found on the playing field but at the dinner table and in the weight room. What does all this have to do with living a successful life? In short, everything. Our attitudes, and our minds are much like our body. They need conditioning. You cannot just work out one time and expect to be fit. you cannot eat one healthy meal and be able to eat whatever you want in the future. You also cannot expect to read one self-improvement book and have your life transformed. You cannot expect to have a grateful attitude for a week and to never work at it again. Like being down with seconds to go in the game life will often seem impossible it is not the time to try to develop a positive attitude no more than the final seconds of important game is the time to try to get in shape. This is why success conditioning should be a daily exercise. If you spend an hour in the gym five days a week. you could at least spend thirty minutes a day three days a week reading a book dedicated to Improving your life. Or spend your morning commute listening to success coaching cds. Think of it as a workout for your attitude and spirit. When the tough times come your mind and spirit will be in top condition while others are ‘sucking wind’ to maintain a positive outlook you will be busy winning the game!

THE TALLEST BUILDING IN TOWN

I was listening to a cd the other day.  I want to say it was one by Tony Robbins.  It reminded me of a situation that often gets under my skin.  Now I try not to let too many things get to me, but here is something that does.  Perhaps you know someone who does this.  Perhaps you, yourself are guilty of it as I think we all are at some point in our lives.  The question is simple, How do you get to have the tallest building in town.  There are two answers.  Which one you choose goes to show a lot about the kind of life you are living at the time and the kind you are going to live in the future.  The two choices are simple.  If you want the tallest building in town you can either knock everyone else’s down or you can work on your own.  Now I think the answer as to which is better is fairly obvious.  Still, how many of us hear people, or ourselves put people down, or minimize their accomplishments because we don’t feel strongly about our own?  This causes us three kinds of problems.  First, when people hear you belittling someone else’s life, they think, even subconsciously, “how are they talking about me when I am not around?”  This may lead to mistrust on the part of your friends, or at the very least, a lack of desire to share details of their life with you.  What that gets you is relationships that are not as close and beneficial as they could be.  Second, when we put down someone else, it is because we feel inferior to them in some fashion.  By putting them down, instead of forcing ourselves to work harder we provide ourselves an excuse not to improve our lives.  In other words work on our own building.  Lastly, when it comes to the law of attraction, when we celebrate our friends, and even our enemies victories no matter how hard that may be, it draws the same thing to us.  In simple terms, when you finally achieve a goal do you want everyone putting you down? Saying you succeeded just because “you were lucky” or “got all the breaks” I would guess the answer would be no.  So next time you hear of someone’s success. Cheer them on.  Celebrate as if the success was your own.  You will make them feel better and life will work better for you.  If we all just worked on own buildings we would build a far better city, and a far better planet.  We can’t control what other’s do anyway, so let us just focus on us.  Start the positive revolution one person at a time.