Thank God it’s Monday,

When was the last time you thought to yourself, “I’m going to wait and see what happens” instead of making a decision? In other words, what have you been putting off deciding on?

Not to decide, is to decide. What are you deciding right now by not deciding? What are you choosing by failing to choose? Living this way is living your life by default. It is leaving your future to random chance. Random chance is the odds you get at a casino. How does that usually work out? Now, I understand some of you rather have a root canal then make a decision but the #1 attribute of success is decisiveness.

It is not always about making the right decision but making the decision RIGHT! There are no right decisions but the decisions we make right. This is not just a play on words but a real formula for success. When you decide and it doesn’t turn out, decide to do something different. It is the act of inaction where failure resides. “Doing the same thing and expecting different results is truly insane.”

Where is action required in your life to make 2016 your best year ever? Where do you need to decide? Do it now! Don’t wait any longer, your future is at stake.

Have an abundant and inspired week,

Thank God it’s Monday,

When was the last time a patient or client announced that they are done with your services?

“Hey doc, thanks for all of your help but this will be my last visit.”

I would bet you have never heard this from a client before.

So why is it that your patients don’t have this conversation with you? They fall off, never to be seen again. EVER!  It is simple, they think you will do everything you can to talk them out of their decision. They believe you will guilt and shame them for giving up on their health. Who wants to confront that? No wonder they make an appointment they never intend to keep.

Our job is to provide solutions to our patients’ problems, to support and encourage them to better health and well-being. If they choose to accept care or not, we should make it easy for them to leave if we ever expect them to return. We should make this known from the moment they start care. They should know you will support them in any decision they make even if the patient chooses wrongly, according to us.

Love your patients. Trust them to choose wisely and if the don’t, let them go so they can return.

Have an abundant and inspired week,

Thank God it’s Monday,

What can you learn from Maurice White the founder of Earth, Wind, and Fire?

This past week the co-founder and mastermind behind the legendary R&B funk band Earth, Wind and Fire passed away. He was 74 years old. When I heard the news I was very sad but not surprised. I knew he had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease for the past 24 years. It is the reason he stopped touring in 1994.

You might be wondering why I would be writing about this creative genius. First off, EWF is my all-time favorite band. I have seen them perform a dozen times. The picture above was taken at Summerfest in 2009 in Milwaukee, WI. My wife and I got to meet Phillip Bailey, Ralph Jonson, and Verdine White, Maurice’s brother. They were touring with the band Chicago. It was one of my favorite concerts I have attended.

The band’s style was very influential in my development as a musician, long ago.

EWF earned 20 Grammy nominations and have sold over 100 million records worldwide. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.

Things were not always easy nor was success a foregone conclusion. They struggled early on. In 1972, the band was in turmoil due to personality conflicts and a lack of a mutual vision. That is when Maurice cleaned house. He brought in new musicians, which was the catalyst for their future success. Without this courageous move, White would have never realized his dream of creating a transformative band that would turn R&B on its’ head.

His vision created a truly unique sound. It melded funky rhythms, melodic harmonies, with a powerful horn section that was a tapestry of music perfection.

There is a powerful lesson in how Maurice took control of the bands destiny. He would not accept anything less than excellence. For EWF to become iconic, world class, and revolutionary in the music industry, they required courage and bold action. Maurice also needed to be fearless in the face of adversity while striving for his dreams. He taught us when your team or in his case the band, does not resonate with your vision, get a new team. He showed us to believe in your vision even when the doubters are singing their own tune.

R.I.P. Maurice. Thank you for the countless hours of amazing music. You have touched millions of hearts with your music. You also provided us with a blueprint for success.

I would like to know, who are some of your favorite bands? Please list them below. It would be fun to see your responses.

Live inspired be abundant,

Happy Monday,

I was recently thinking about the goals I set for 2015. I am proud to say that I am on track to hit them all. I’m telling you this not to brag but to confess that perhaps I am playing it to small or to safe.

There is nothing wrong with hitting your goals. Lord knows I speak and write frequently on the subject. But I think there are times we play too small. We do so because we like comfort. As humans we are creatures of comfort. We do not want to be stretched to much because it will make us uncomfortable and that makes us nervous and fearful. Unfortunately to achieve anything truly worth while, we must push ourselves beyond our comfort zone.

The price we pay for playing it safe is a life in which we do ok, but we never reach the greatness we all have within.  The universe is an abundant place with abundant opportunities and infinite potential. The limitations we put upon our thoughts and actions results in small rewards. To think and dream big requires us to push the boundaries of our thoughts. To be willing to challenge our status quo and to set loftier goals. The cool thing is, when you step outside the zone of comfort in thought and action and dare to dream big, the rewards are significant.

So I ask you (and me) if dreaming big requires the same energy as dreaming small, why would we ever dream small?

As we begin 2016 and we are setting our goals, so lets push each other to set big goals this year. Lets think abundantly and dare to be great. The universe is waiting to reward us for stepping up and claiming the greatness within.  “It is better to dream big and miss our goals then to think small and hit them.” Marcus Aurelius

Have an abundant and inspired week,

Happy Monday,

Well it is week two of the New Year. How are you doing thus far? Are you reviewing your goals and executing your plan? Many of you are probably rolling your eyes at the process, thinking not another year of making lofty goals only to fall short.

So why is that? Well, there are many reasons but I would like to focus on one in particular and perhaps the most important, a lack of a clearly defined purpose. I can hear the groaning already. Not more about purpose? Yes, its all about purpose. The truth be told, numbers and goals specifically do not drive people. It is your purpose that drives you to achieve your goals.

A recent West Point study showed that those who had intrinsic goals, “I want to serve my country and make a difference” outperformed those with extrinsic goals, “I want to rise in the ranks and become an officer because it is prestigious.”

Goals may motivate you in the short term but they will not sustain you over time. Without a good or great reason to keep moving forward during challenges you either quit or go through the motions which eventually will result in another year of frustration and unaccomplished goals.

Please understand that this does not mean you shouldn’t measure your goals. I tell docs and their teams all the time that goals are a way to measure if you are living your purpose. When you see your patients as numbers and not as people, you are off purpose. Once your goals have been defined it is your purpose that drives you to achieving them. The greater your purpose the greater the performance.

Before you start defining your 2016 goals, define or redefine your purpose. Share it with your team and create a cross accountability. Purpose driven goals transcend any extrinsic motivator and will help you overcome any obstacle while enhancing performance that will far exceed any numbered goals.

Have an abundant and inspired week,