It is about hard hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.

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Brighten, Easton, Cooper, and Cord;

This is the first of many letters that I am going to write to you.  I want the very best for each one of you.  I want each of you to have the best in life and be able to learn, grow, and develop.  I want each of you to gain the confidence and knowledge that will help you succeed at whatever path you choose for yourself.

One of the biggest lessons I want you to understand and prepare for is – that life is going to challenge you, test you, and provide you with opportunities to learn, grow, and make choices. How you respond to these challenges and opportunities will help define who you are and who you will become.

As you all know I love the  “Rocky” movies.  There is a clip in the last Rocky movie that beautifully illustrates what I so deeply want you to understand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z5OookwOoY

If life tries to beat you down, and tries to hold you down, please remember this lesson.

It is not about how hard you can hit, it is about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much you can take and keep moving forward. Each of you have the choice each day to respond in a way that keeps you down, or in a way that allows you to keep moving forward.

If you can respond to what life gives you with a positive attitude and in a way that allows you to keep moving forward, I promise you that your life will be so much more enjoyable, and you will develop an ability to live life as an ongoing opportunity to grow instead of an ongoing challenge that you have to survive.

love you all forever,

Dad

Break away from the pack!

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For those men who, sooner or later,
are lucky enough to break away from the pack,
the most intoxicating moment comes
when they cease being bodies in other men’s command
and find that they control their own time,
when they learn their own voice and authority.
– Theodore H. White

Independence of solitude

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It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinions;
it is easy in solitude to live after your own;
but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd
keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

You can do anything you decide to do

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The most difficult thing is the decision to act,
the rest is merely tenacity.
The fears are paper tigers.
You can do anything you decide to do.
You can act to change and control your life;
and the procedure, the process is its own reward.
– Amelia Earhart

Why do some people find themselves feeling so empty?

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I have been reading Victor Frankl’s book “Man’s search for meaning”.

It has been humbling and inspiring to hear all that this man went through.  I have been inspired by his resolve to maintain a positive attitude in every circumstance he found himself in.

The topic of  Why do some people find themselves feeling so empty was discussed in the pages I read this morning.  One thought in particular stuck out to me:

“It is a question of the attitude one takes toward life’s challenges and opportunities, both large and small.  A positive attitude enables a person to endure suffering and disappointment as well as enhance enjoyment and satisfaction. A negative attitude intensifies pain and deepens disappointments; it undermines and diminishes pleasure, happiness, and satisfaction; it may even lead to depression and physical illness.” Victor Frankl

I have seen this principle play out in my life over and over.  A positive attitude enhances all of life’s experiences.  A negative attitude holds a person down, enhances the negative experiences, and takes the power and excited away from the positive experiences.

It is amazing that we get to make the choice each day on what type of attitude we are going to have.

What does P.A.C.E stand for?

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P.A.C.E – Stands for Positive Attitude Changes Everything

I have been on a journey to test this principle over the last 10 years.  Throughout this journey I have learned over and over again that this principle is accurate.  Attitude is a choice, and this ability to choose can never be taken away from us.  We can’t control what happens to us, or the circumstances we find ourselves in sometimes, but what we CAN control is how we respond.

My favorite quote that illustrates this principle is below:

“Our lives are not determined by what happens to us, but by how we react to what happens; not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst…a spark that creates extraordinary results.” Anonymous

I have created this Blog to share thoughts and examples on how we can apply this principle.  This principle continues to change my life, and my hope is that it will be able to provide similar experiences for others.

Remember, we all have the opportunity every day and in every minute to “choose your PACE”.

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“Why?” is the most useless question in the universe.
The only question with any meaning is “What?”
Asking “Why is this happening?” can only disempower you.
Asking “What do I want to make of this?” does exactly the opposite.
– Neale Donald Walsch

Follow your Vision

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I have shared this one before, but I absolutely love this quote.  I have this quote on my desk and look at it each day.  this is a great reminder to never stop focusing on your vision.

“Advance confidently in the direction of your dreams and endeavor to live the life you have imagined.  The future is not just some place you are going to, but is a place you are creating, and the paths to it are not found, they are made.  Follow your passion as long as you live, and on this you will reach success.” – anonymous

Eliminate Three Words

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I received this email from one of the coaching newsletters and had to pass it along.  This is a great article and provides some great thoughts/ideas.

A Coaching Challenge

by Nan Einarson
Newsletter Vol XIII
Issue 32
Tuesday
August 12, 2014

I invite you to take my Challenge, and eliminate three words from your vocabulary.
Should is a very demeaning word. When using should with someone or with yourself, it is an aggressive tactic. When you tell someone they should or should not have said or done something, they immediately feel defensive, forced to explain their actions or decisions.
Try substituting could for should. By asking what could have been done differently, feedback turns the focus from a judgmental, negative past to a cooperative, positive future.
Why is a confrontational word, usually delivered in an accusatory, negative tone of voice. Why did you do that? Why didn’t you do this instead? Again, the person on the receiving end feels defensive, and compelled to explain their choices.
Instead, substitute what for why. By asking what happened, coming from a place of curiosity, judgment is suspended and conversation, rather than argument, ensues.
But is a condescending word. It negates whatever was said before it. If someone speaks, and you respond with but, you imply that what they said was wrong, and that you know better. Often, a butis anticipated because of the tone of voice preceding it. Have you ever thought or said, “I hear a butcoming on?”
I prefer and as a connecting word. It acknowledges what the other person has said, and allows a different perspective to be expressed, without any sense of competition or judgment.
Finally, I challenge you to ask only open-ended questions. Closed-ended (yes/no) questions have a place when seeking clarity. Otherwise, all other questions become open-ended when starting withwho, what, when, where, how, or tell me about.
Apply the Challenge in all of your conversations, not just in your coaching. Apply it with your family members (including children), friends, colleagues, strangers, and especially, teens. You might find it difficult at first, and you may slip many times. Once you utilize the Challenge in all of your communications, it will eventually become habit.
Notice the difference in how people react to your changed communication style. You will be surprised at how much easier it is to deal with difficult situations, once you eliminate confrontational words and ask open, non-judgmental questions. You may also be surprised at how much information people share with you when they are not threatened by your words or tone of voice.
Nan Einarson is a Mentor Coach and Trainer for CTA’s Certified Coach Program. She is an experienced veteran of coaching and author of the Do It Yourself Relationship Repair Guide.

The Optimists Creed

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What a great reminder of the power of positive attitude and positive thinking.  This is something I strive for each day

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

            -The Optimist’s Creed