Happy Friday!

Does it seem like you are always putting out fires. Are you dealing with constant life challenges? Who isn’t?

Let me share with you a secret that can end these constant struggles. Perhaps you have heard me speak about it before, it’s gratitude!

You are probably asking yourself, “how can being grateful help me overcome all the challenges I am facing?” It really is simple. It’s so simple that you will likely initially reject what I am about to tell you. If you do, this message is definitely for you.

Let me start by saying that when you give thanks for the obstacles and challenges you are facing, you immediately disempower all the negative energies you hold towards the challenges. When your perspective changes, so does the problem. Think about it, if you give thanks and acknowledge your obstacles as an opportunity to learn and grow, you immediately change your thoughts. When your thoughts change, so does your emotions. This leads to different feelings and in turn, result in different actions.

You become a problem solver. You become solutions based. You get stuff done. You no longer are a victim, but a victor.

It all starts with gratitude. Remember there isn’t a single emotion that will create more abundance in your life than gratitude. If you don’t believe me, give gratitude a try and see for yourself.

I am thankful for all of you who read this weekly blog. Together, we can make our world a better place.

Live inspired, be abundant and fulfill your destiny,

Happy Friday!

As we begin the second half of 2017, it is time to reflect on the things that worked for us so far this year and those that did not. How many goals have you hit? How many are you coming up short on? Do you even remember the goals you set at the beginning of the year?

If you are falling short of your goals, what will it take to make the second half of the year successful? The fact is, unless we act differently, nothing will change. If you look back with disappointment and sense of time wasted, then I would suggest you adopt the 7 Habits of the Super-Productive. This article was printed on Prevention.com last week.

None of these habits are new or unique, which reminds me that the fundamentals of success have not changed. What needs to change are our habits, actions, and behaviors. If you want new results, take new actions.

Habits of The Super-Productive:

Habit 1: They don’t believe in messiness. They recognize that success doesn’t flow into clutter. So they prioritize neatness, and avoid being distracted by side issues, literally and figuratively. They follow the one-touch rule, or at worst, pick one of the 4 D’s – they do it, delay it, delegate it or dump it.
Habit 2: They schedule everything. They prioritize their time and agenda so they squander as few resources as possible. They also plan family and personal time, so they play the right roles in the right balance. This structure makes their lives more efficient, and helps them get better results.
Habit 3: They follow through. As Yogi says, it ain’t over till it’s over. They understand that it’s not how you start the race, it’s how you finish. Their persistence, resilience and determination give them strength and power to get things done, to take them to completion. They learn to chunk their work into manageable pieces so they create momentum and drive.
Habit 4: They don’t check email more than they have to. They anticipate the typical flow of email, and check it only twice or three times a day, to limit wasted time and effort, and prevent getting sucked into online entertainment rather than using the web more responsibly.
Habit 5: They don’t forget about themselves. Like Stephen Covey recommends, they sharpen the saw. They select lifestyle behaviors and patterns that serve them physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. They listen to their own bio-rhythms, and rest enough, eat properly, and restrict their vices to a reasonable level, if at all. Their self esteem calls for good decision-making, and they accept the responsibility. They tend their own garden, and keep their energy high.
Habit 6: They like to sweeten the pot. When they face a challenging task, they look at it as an opportunity to reward themselves for their excellent performance. They’re not above a little self-bribery, or breaking up the difficult assignment into smaller, more palatable portions, with intermediary gratification along the way. They find a way to get it done and enjoy it.
Habit 7: They make technology work for them. They avoid getting consumed in trivial technological applications, and instead choose to learn those that streamline their day and make them more effective at what they do. They use the latest ideas and devices, while maintaining a grounding in the traditions that got them to where they are.

I promise if you adopt these habits, you will see better results.

The difference between those who achieve great success and those who come up short is those who succeed are willing to do whatever it takes and sacrifice immediate gratification for the long-term gain.
Create clarity, write down your goals, and review them daily. Start by taking massive action today and you will look back at the end of 2017 with a great sense of pride and accomplishment.

Live inspired, be abundant and fulfill your destiny,

Happy Friday,

I wanted to share a little lighter side to the message of the week (can’t be too serious all the time).

I found this article quite humorous and painfully true. For those of you who are over 30, you will read this and laugh out loud. You will quickly realize that if raised in today’s world you would have missed out on many of these endearing memories below. Our parents would have been publicly chastised or worse, arrested for neglect. Yet, times were simple and life wasn’t seen from such a fatalistic point of view.

For those of you who are younger than 30, eat your heart out. See what you missed out on? I challenge you to run around your yard today with a stick. It is not likely you’ll poke out your eye. . . do you know anyone who ever poked their eye out?

We wonder why people are risk averse. We have raised a generation of kids who are so cautious and live in fear of everything. Take some risks. It will feel invigorating.

From The Organic Prepper: With all of the ridiculous new regulations, coddling, and societal mores that seem to be the norm these days, it’s a miracle those of us over 30 survived our childhoods.

Here’s the problem with all of this babying: It creates a society of weenies.

Below, you’ll find 10 childhood activities no one used to consider “extreme” or illegal… but could get some parents thrown in jail in some places today:
1. Riding in the back of an open pickup truck with a bunch of other kids.
2. Leaving the house after breakfast and not returning until the streetlights came on, at which point you raced home ASAP so you didn’t get in trouble.
3. Eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the school cafeteria.
4. Riding your bike without a helmet.
5. Riding your bike with a buddy on the handlebars, and neither of you wearing helmets.
6. Drinking water from the hose in the yard.
7. Swimming in creeks, rivers, ponds, and lakes (or what they now call *cough* “wild swimming”).
8. Climbing trees (one park cut the lower branches from a tree on the playground in case some stalwart child dared to climb them).
9. Having snowball fights (and accidentally hitting someone you shouldn’t).
10. Sledding without enough protective equipment to play a game in the NFL…
You can read the full list of 25 at TheOrganicPrepper.ca.

Live inspire, be abundant and fulfill your destiny,

Happy Friday!

Recently, I was reviewing an article from the Harvard Business Review on the importance of corporate culture. Many of you have heard me present on corporate culture and its importance to your ultimate success. Perhaps you took my diatribe to heart or maybe it was a good time for a nap! Either way, the proof is in and the evidence is irrefutable. Corporate culture will determine your level of success.

If you are in business, you have a culture. Some cultures are intentionally formed, but most simply evolve over time without thought. The important question you need to consider is, “is my culture healthy or toxic?”

Does your culture empower your organization and team to succeed with a single-minded purpose that has clearly defined your WHY? Is there room for growth and advancement? Do your employees look forward to coming to work? Are the stress levels low and do your employees feel empowered and enjoy what they do? If your culture is toxic the answer to these questions is NO! A toxic culture will undermine all your organizational goals!

Culture is defined by the values, attitudes, behaviors and beliefs of the organization. A healthy corporate culture requires intentional action.

Start by defining your values and what you stand for. What can your employees expect by being a part of your corporation? What experience will your clients have? Are you congruent in your words and actions. Another words, do you act with integrity? Do we confront those who act incongruently with our values? What we don’t confront, we validate!

You have heard me say that the hardest thing to change is corporate culture. You need to be diligent with those you allow on our team(s). Then you need to ensure they work and live the values of the organization and serve selflessly with love and compassion. Anyone who is self-serving and is a “me” player will turn a culture on its head.

If you are just starting out, congrats! You are way ahead of the rest who are just figuring this stuff out. Those who have been in business a while, I hope you understand that you can no longer ignore your culture. It will determine your future success.

Line inspired, be abundant and fulfill your destiny,