Chris Steely

TURBULENT TIMES… AGAIN – Revisited… 10 Years Later

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 01:08:00 GMT

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Fri, 31 Jul 2020 22:06:00 GMT

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On TEAMWORK: The Imperative and Reality of TEAM in Today’s Business World

Sat, 25 Aug 2018 18:41:00 GMT

By Chris Steely

We’ve all heard that TEAM is an acronym for Together Everybody Achieves More , which is a fine description. We’ve also heard that there is no “i” in TEAM, which is actually a misnomer; in fact, the “i” is hidden in the A hole…

There’s a lot of rhetoric around teamwork… In its simplest form, teamwork is an activity in which members of an organization come together to work toward a common goal or set of goals. Every day, we are exposed to popular examples of what has become the common ideals of teamwork: football teams, basketball teams, baseball teams. In business, we see project teams, executive teams, and leadership teams. Yet, there’s also another unfortunate paradigm that’s typically consistent with these models: individualism.

Many people who WANT to play as team players SAY that they do, but don’t actually do it. We’ve seen team leaders paint a great picture of how they’re “in it for the team,” but are primarily driven toward ego aggrandizement, default to having power over their teammates (versus empowering them), and are afflicted with a scarcity mindset, which leads to team corruption, fostering a dysfunctional culture.

In today’s ever-evolving business climate, the ideal of teamwork to accomplish a business mission remains an imperative, yet the model of effective teamwork has become increasingly illusive. The image and reality of team in today’s athletic and business arenas shows a few key performers being recognized and excelling beyond the rest of the team, like one particular football quarterback or basketball center; in business, we see a particular CEO or other business leader being skylined above and beyond his/her team.

But that’s not what true teamwork is about. TRUE teamwork is all about pulling your oar, fighting the fight, or conducting business, with the common understanding that it’s not for YOUR sake that you’re doing it, it’s for the best interest of the team as a whole. We’ve found the most effective team leaders are inherently the most humble ones.

The foundation of every great team is leadership that provides direction that energizes, orients, and engages its members. Teams also need the right mix and number of members, well designed tasks and processes, and norms that discourage destructive behavior and promote positive dynamics and performance.

According to Forbes, “The leader is not intimidated in the least by the competence of his or her team. Rather, a robust, confident leader involves his or her colleagues in a conversation concerning exactly what high production and superior performance look like, and what is required to perform and complete the task.”

High-performing teams include members with a balance of skills. Every individual doesn’t have to possess superior technical and social skills, but the team overall needs a healthy dose of both. Diversity in knowledge, views, and perspectives, as well as in age, gender and race, can help teams be more creative and avoid groupthink.

A military fireteam is an example of an ideal team structure and culture. A fireteam is a small military sub-unit of infantry designed to optimize tactical doctrine and performance in combat. Depending on mission requirements, a typical fireteam consists of four members, each having a specific responsibility. The role of the fireteam leader is to ensure that the team operates as a cohesive unit. Oftentimes, it’s difficult to distinguish who the actual fireteam leader is, especially in tactical activities. In the military, the unit wins, not the individual.

A competitive rowing crew is another example of pure teamwork. When the boat crosses the finish line, ALL of its members cross the line together. There is no glory for one individual team member.

Here are Nine Rules and Requirements for Effective Teamwork:

Understanding the different personality dynamics of oneself, and of each individual team member. This can be done through personality profiling and assessments. The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) provides some key perspectives on behavioral habits and conditioning, and the DISC profile (and many of its derivatives) also provides key perspectives on individual strengths and weaknesses, and how they can be best applied to a specific team environment. 360 assessments also serve as a great reflection on how people show up in specific settings, based on how others perceive them.

The key with these profiles is to actually DO them, and apply the results. Too many people will do a profile, understand the results, then not actually apply these results to truly optimize their performance. It important to dissect ones self and the team’s personality and behavioral characteristics, applying them to be aware of and focus on optimizing team performance.

Trust is an interesting concept; it’s really about predictability. You can trust your enemy to work in opposition to your interests almost every time. Here is the question you need to ask: can you trust that your team mates will deliver what was promised? And can your team members trust YOU to do the same?

And watch out for people who say they can be trusted… These are often the ones that want you to THINK they can be trusted, but ultimately have their best interests first. Instead, test one another, and forge trust.

We are all human beings. It’s important to remember this as the team is being tested. We all have conditions and paradigms that have shaped up and allowed us to become who we have become, many of which are beyond the understanding of others. So it’s important that we respect one another’s situation – whatever that situation may be, where or not we completely understand it – and allow others the grace to live through their paradigms.

Respect is also about the platinum rule: “Do unto others as they want to be done unto.” If you only go so far as the Golden Rule, you’re doing unto others based on your projection of what you THINK others want, which may not be the truth of how others want to be done unto. In other words, even (and especially) in the face of conflict, maintain your bearing, and don’t condescend others. It’s important that you be aware of how your behavior may come across as condescending, and check in down before it is acted out.

This is a two way street. One must always have love and respect for oneself, and one must always project that love and respect outward as one communicates. When in doubt, assume that others have self esteem, and treat them accordingly.

Teamwork is NEVER about YOU, even if you’re its leader! If you are ever feeling grandiose and want to take credit for the achievement of an objective, remember this rule…

An overbearing team leader or personality clash between teammates can stifle progress and bring productivity to a halt. In today’s culture, it seems that an example of success involves having power OVER other people, when in fact, all this does is shut people down and paralyze them against effective communication and productivity. Realize that in hand-to-hand combat, the more powerful force most often wins, but this is not the case in intellectual engagements. An overpowering attitude only serves to paralyze people, who often just succumb to the power-monger’s overpowering behavior.

The typical, unfortunate paradigm of thought in society involves scarcity. Resources can be scarce, time can be scarce, and money can be scarce. But there is NEVER a scarcity of collaboration. It’s important to see your ability to integrate as a team to be an abundant ideal, separate from the conditioned paradigm of scarcity which can often exist in economic and business scenarios.

Nobody is entitled to anything! Neither athletic teams nor businesses are entitled to victory; it must be earned through discipline, diligence, and commitment. An entitlement ethic is like acid to the progress of a team. It eats away at the team’s essence, and strips muscle from bone.

Accountability is the linchpin associated with this rule. Everyone on the team (especially the team leader) must expect to be held accountable toward doing what the team agrees must be done to achieve its objectives. The leader must consistently set the example of team play, win-win, and doing MORE that is expected, thereby fostering the example of impeccability in performance.

Effective teamwork has never been easy, and in recent years it has become much more complex. And the trends that make it more difficult seem likely to continue, as teams become increasingly global, virtual, and project-driven. Taking a systematic approach to analyzing how well your team is set up to succeed – and identifying where improvements are needed – can make all the difference.

For more specifics on how to create and optimize a top performing team, go to www.GPSBusinessGroup.com . You can contact the author at csteely@gpsbusinessgroup.com .

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EASY LIFE

Sat, 25 Aug 2018 18:29:00 GMT

As human beings, we instinctively WANT life to be easy and comfy, based on the pleasure pain principal, which is a Freudian psychological tenant about how we instinctive seek pleasure and avoid pain in order to satisfy biological and psychological needs. Thing is, life was not meant to be easy…

The importance of Initiation ceremonies as markers of rite of passage in life and as recognition of the skills, responsibility and age of the individual within the community, has always been important and understood. It is part of our healthy psychological development, of the archetypal journey into maturity, which we individually and collectively all must undertake.

Unconsciously, we understand the value of trial and initiation. In my life, I hold several initiations dear to my personal development and self actualization. Whether it be initiation into a JROTC military organization in boarding school at the age of 16, collegiate fraternity imitation, athletic team initiation through disciplined, committed practice, initiation into the United States Marine Corps, or the initiation and deepening of myself in personal improvement seminars, fire walks, board breaks, and all the activities which forced me to confront my zones of comfort, and excel past them.

One of the problems in our society is that too many people are trying to be like other people, instead of powerfully, confidently, and authentically being themselves. In essence, they’re seeing the “path of least resistance” by copying others and cutting the corners of the trials that are required to hone the skills and character required to strengthen and advance their capabilities required to become their true, empowered selves.

Life becomes amazingly juicy when you understand, own, and courageously fulfill your true purpose, which is often fraught with challenges that test and instill the true capabilities required to be truly effective at what you do. So leverage & condition that unconscious awareness and discipline through conscious awareness and self-discipline. Embrace the tests and trials, for they are what distill, affirm, and confirm your true capabilities.

Challenge galvanizes character.

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What It Takes To Be Great

Fri, 22 Sep 2017 00:03:00 GMT

What makes Tiger Woods great? What made Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett the world’s premier investor? We think we know: Each was a natural who came into the world with a gift for doing exactly what he ended up doing. As Buffett told Fortune not long ago, he was “wired at birth to allocate capital.” It’s a one-in-a-million thing. You’ve got it – or you don’t…

Well, folks, it’s not so simple. For one thing, you do not possess a natural gift for a certain job, because targeted natural gifts don’t exist. (Sorry, Warren.) You are not a born CEO or investor or chess grandmaster. You will achieve greatness only through an enormous amount of hard work over many years. And not just any hard work, but work of a particular type that’s demanding and painful.

Scientists worldwide have conducted scores of studies since the 1993 publication of a landmark paper by professor K. Anders Ericsson of Florida State University and two colleagues, many focusing on sports, music and chess, in which performance is relatively easy to measure and plot over time. But plenty of additional studies have also examined other fields, including business.

The first major conclusion is that nobody is great without work. It’s nice to believe that if you find the field where you’re naturally gifted, you’ll be great from day one, but it doesn’t happen. There’s no evidence of high-level performance without experience or practice.

So greatness isn’t handed to anyone; it requires a lot of hard work. Yet that isn’t enough, since many people work hard for decades without approaching greatness or even getting significantly better. What’s missing?

Consistency is crucial. As Ericsson notes, “Elite performers in many diverse domains have been found to practice, on the average, roughly the same amount every day, including weekends.”

Many great athletes are legendary for the brutal discipline of their practice routines. In basketball, Michael Jordan practiced intensely beyond the already punishing team practices. (Had Jordan possessed some mammoth natural gift specifically for basketball, it seems unlikely he’d have been cut from his high school team.)

Tiger Woods is a textbook example of what the research shows. Because his father introduced him to golf at an extremely early age – 18 months – and encouraged him to practice intensively, Woods had racked up at least 15 years of practice by the time he became the youngest-ever winner of the U.S. Amateur Championship, at age 18. Also in line with the findings, he has never stopped trying to improve, devoting many hours a day to conditioning and practice, even remaking his swing twice because that’s what it took to get even better.

The evidence, scientific as well as anecdotal, seems overwhelmingly in favor of deliberate practice as the source of great performance. Just one problem: How do you practice business? Many elements of business, in fact, are directly practicable. Presenting, negotiating, delivering evaluations, deciphering financial statements – you can practice them all.

Report writing involves finding information, analyzing it and presenting it – each an improvable skill. Chairing a board meeting requires understanding the company’s strategy in the deepest way, forming a coherent view of coming market changes and setting a tone for the discussion. Anything that anyone does at work, from the most basic task to the most exalted, is an improvable skill.

For most people, work is hard enough without pushing even harder. Those extra steps are so difficult and painful they almost never get done. That’s the way it must be. If great performance were easy, it wouldn’t be rare. Which leads to possibly the deepest question about greatness. While experts understand an enormous amount about the behavior that produces great performance, they understand very little about where that behavior comes from.

As University of Michigan business school professor Noel Tichy puts it after 30 years of working with managers, “Some people are much more motivated than others, and that’s the existential question I cannot answer – why.”

The critical reality is that we are not hostage to some naturally granted level of talent. We can make ourselves what we will. Strangely, that idea is not popular. People hate abandoning the notion that they would coast to fame and riches if they found their talent. But that view is tragically constraining, because when they hit life’s inevitable bumps in the road, they conclude that they just aren’t gifted and give up.

Maybe we can’t expect most people to achieve greatness. It’s just too demanding. But the striking, liberating news is that greatness isn’t reserved for a preordained few. It is available to you and to everyone.

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Military Principles Applied To Business Success

Thu, 21 Sep 2017 20:54:00 GMT

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Gladiator Champion

Tue, 19 Sep 2017 00:07:00 GMT

Reflect for a moment… Focus on the metaphors which these two words bring to mind…

First, the gladiator. Many of us see Russell Crowe, and his recent depiction of the gladiator warrior on the big screen. Strong, resilient, capable, idealistic, balanced. The gladiator of today’s society is one who stands tall amidst the storm, and does what it takes to achieve his / her ideals with commitment, discipline, diligence, and belief.

My life as a gladiator is more literal than metaphorical. As a Marine Corp officer, I’ve been trained to lead with courage, honor, strength, and skill, and I carry that ethic into every day of my life. Every day, I’m capably fighting a battle against the forces of mediority, low standards, and the “gravity” that’s trying to keep me down.

Now consider YOUR battle; what adversary are you battling? How are you showing up as a gladiator?

Next, let’s look at the champion. We imagine a winner, crossing the line first. Proudly wearing the gold medal after driving harder than any other, doing what it takes to achieve and excel, through diligence, commitment, practice, and belief.

My experience as a champion started in a real way when my rowing team won the NCAA collegiate national championship (the “Collegiate Olympics”). This achievement flipped a switch in my spirit, as I tasted true victory and would forever bear the brand of CHAMPION on my heart.

As we combine the words GLADIATOR CHAMPION, we visualize the best of the best. The spirit of ultimate courage, strength, and victory.

My challenge to you is to take on your life as a GLADIATOR CHAMPION, and perservere through the tought times, overcoming the adversary (anything that’s holding you back, and stopping you from winning), and inspire others to achieve their ideals, by setting the example of what CAN be done.

Now reflect on yourself; how have YOU been a champion? We’ve ALL got something in our lives that we are a champion of… It’s YOUR imperative to know YOUR victories, and meet your inner champion, TODAY.

The world is watching you. Keep up the great work, and inspire the masses!

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Mortality

Tue, 19 Sep 2017 00:05:00 GMT

Today we celebrated the life, and mourned the passing, of my employer and mentor, Chet Holmes. The funeral service at the Catholic Church of Santa Monica was a reunion of sorts, and many people that loved Chet gathered to pay their respects. One of the great things about communities like this gathering, sharing, caring, and exchanging ideas is the expansion of thought and evolution if ideas and ideals, which flows from the heartfelt discussions which surround the conversations of life and death. I feel compelled to share some of the realizations and vignettes of exchanges that I enjoyed with my peers, contemporaries, and friends.

In the context of mortality, it’s fundamental that “nobody gets out of this life alive.” You never know when your time will come… Chet’s passing was gradual, and his family was able to bid him a loving, respectful farewell, as he drew his last breath, and passed peacefully in a hospital bed. On the contrary, one of the people at the funeral told me in passing that two days ago, he lost his brother is a sudden car accident, with no opportunity to say goodbye. So it’s imperative that we make the most of every minute while we’ve got it, and express our affections to those we love freely, openly, and often, as you never know when you may not see them again.

This occasion brought many emotions: sorrow, joy, angst, gladness, anxiety, and surrender. A common theme at the service was one of celebration for all that Chet’s has done for the world, and the realization that it’s now OUR time to carry the torch forward, realizing that the path may be shorter than we think.

In summary, it’s important that we are aware that our timeline as humans on this planet is finite, and none of us knows when it will end. So it is our individual responsibility to leverage this mortality while we can, learn the lessons we are meant to learn, and steadfastly pursue or joys and loved ones, as they are fleeting and illusive.

What are your thoughts and perspectives on your mortality?

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Doing What It Takes To Overcome Gravity

Tue, 19 Sep 2017 00:01:00 GMT

What ever happened to achievement; the good old fashioned American work ethic? The attitude that made this wonderful country what it is today… the inspiration fostered by our forefathers, as they put their lives on the line for what they believed in…

It’s almost like the gravity of mediocrity has become so intense, that it’s acceptable to stay stuck in a mindset of “someone else will do that; I can remain complacent.” In essence, the standards of our society, originally idealistic and powerfully driven toward progress, guided by servant leadership, self-sacrifice, and nobility, has become one of competitively striving to advance oneself, stepping upon others with no regard for their well-being. Basically, we’ve lost community for the sake of material gain.

And most people think this is OK! Just look around; people have seemed to have accepted their lot in society. Merely putting in a day’s work, taking home enough money to scrape by, and escaping in the evening through television, has become the chosen way of life for so many.

It seems that the capitalistic foundation of our economy has caustically eroded the moral fiber and integrity of our society. It tough economic times, the undertow of poverty (and the general populace’s fear of succumbing to it) in an economy based on decadence, over-indulgence, and more, more, more, has intensified the burden (i.e. the “weight”) which the true, honest, integrity-based leaders have to bear, by setting the example of service versus being served first. The “gravity” of the situation is becoming overwhelming, as we’re being driven into a downward spiral of more taking and less giving, and it’s time that we did something about it.

But what can be done in a society that’s evolved into one which honors the decadently rich, and discounts the leaders who are working to empower others and help re-gain our ideals of truth, honor, courage, fidelity, and real community?

Here are a few ideas:

Why am I here? What’s my purpose?

Where do my passions lie?

What are my priorities?

How can I best serve?

Remember: it’s always your choice to rise above the complacent masses, and strive to make a difference. It may not always be easy, but it is always worth it.

What’s YOUR perspective on the condition of our society, and what do you think we (YOU) can do about it?

What are YOUR strengths?

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What Are You Doing Here?

Tue, 19 Sep 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Here’s another short from my book “GPS To Success:”

So many people exist in their own personal status quo. They become engulfed and washed away in the flow, maintain their obliviousness, lose sight of how it could be better, and end up not wanting to make it better. They succumb to their “comfort,” which fosters cowardice in actually implementing positive change.

The key to countering the status quo is first to want to stretch and implement positive change (versus succumbing to the negative change, which will creep into our lives if we allow it). Each of us has the capability and the power to implement change based on what we want to change.

We get to realize that we are put on this earth for a reason. Our lives can become a quest for that reason and a journey of implementing our powerful capabilities. Again, that realization is always a choice. People can choose to realize that they are here on this planet for a reason. All personal power and success stems from this.

Stay tuned for more great perspectives…

Make it a great day!

Chris

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Be Strong

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 23:59:00 GMT

Be Strong! We are not here to play, to dream, to drift;

We have hard work to do, and loads to lift;

Shun not the struggle…face it; ’tis God’s gift.

Be Strong! Say not, “the days are evil – who’s to blame?”

And fold the hands and acquiesce – oh shame!

Stand up, speak out, and bravely, in God’s name.

Be Strong! It matters not how deep intrenched the wrong,

How hard the battle goes, the day how long;

Faint not – fight on! Tomorrow comes the song!

– Dr. Maltbie D. Babcock, Pastor of Brick Presbyterian Church, New York, New York (1858 – 1901)

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The Adventure Of Travel

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 23:58:00 GMT

I’m sitting here in the Delta Crown Room, waiting on my flight from LAX to Sydney, looking forward to a 15 hour journey, in a big, air-conditioned, pressurized tin-can at 35,000 feet. It was tough getting to this point…

I’d planned this trip about three months ago, got a good deal on the flight, and made it a point to choose the best seats I could get. Upon my first attempt at departing my home airport (Las Vegas’ McCarran), the flight was canceled due to cold rain, which is something that doesn’t happen that often in Southern Nevada. So I pushed the entire trip a day, and shuffled my meetings in Sydney.

The next day, after boarding the flight in Las Vegas, headed to Los Angeles (where I was to connect to the Sydney flight), we encountered maintenance issues with the plane. By the time we took off and arrived at LAX, I’d missed my Sydney connection by five minutes, and was given a hotel room for the night. Since the LAX to Sydney flight happens only once per day, I am now making the most of my extended stay in LA, by updating my blog, and catching up on reading.

What a grand adventure!

I can’t tell you how wonderful it’s been so far, and I haven’t even arrived at my destination yet. It’s been a veritable potpourri of sights, smells, people, personalities, experiences, conversations, tastes, drinks, cookies, sounds, exchanges, smiles, laughs, frowns, colors, lights, temperatures, attitudes (from frustration to excitement to joy), personalities, stories, feelings, perspectives, and observations. Life just seems more vivid when you’re traveling.

Here are a few tips that just might make your travel adventures more exciting:

BE AWARE OF YOUR SITUATION

So many people take the wonder of flight for granted… Image being able to turn a 12 month long excursion from New York to San Francisco (that’s how long it USED to take), into a five hour exercise in air-conditioned comfort, soft drinks, and cushy seats… no need to imagine, since THAT’s what it’s become! Too many people seem to find things wrong with their travel experience, seeming to seek out problems… “the flight was late,” “I sat next to someone who wouldn’t stop talking,” “all they gave me was a bag of peanuts and a soda.” Make it a point to find out what’s GREAT about your situation…

Isn’t it interesting how in today’s era of technological hyper-advances, the absolute luxuries are often perceived as inconveniences… We should all be cheering the whole time during a flight, realizing that we’re flying like Superman through space, making up unfathomable time conveniences, and being able to go anywhere we want to go on the entire planet! It’s actually unbelievable… make it a point to relish the fact that you are experiencing the unbelievable…

MAKE IT EXCITING

I see every trip I take as an Indiana Jones type of adventure. As I leave my house, I don my metaphorical fedora, grab my make-believe whip, and listen to the movie theme song playing in my head (if you listen closely, you can actually hear it right now…).

Who knows what adventures await? You just might meet the companion of your dreams, brush shoulders with a celebrity, broaden your horizons by experiencing a culture that has always been foreign to you, or even end up in the arms of someone you love.

Ah, the excitement of the adventure… Make it so!

UPGRADE YOURSELF

Even if a first-class airline ticket is out of your price range, make it a point to travel “first class.” Here are a few ideas:

GET TO KNOW YOUR FELLOW TRAVELERS

You all have one thing in common: you are on the same flight! Discover why they are there. You’d be amazed at some of the vocations that are out there. Yesterday, I sat next to a guy who specializes in marketing for a specific cancer treatment drug. As soon as he said that’s what he did, it was non-stop, interesting conversation about all aspects involving cancer, societal attitudes, dietary dynamics, family situations, and stories exchanged of our unique experiences. When the plane landed, I felt that I’d make a new friend, and there was a mutual respect between us.

Remember to respect others’ space; don’t force yourself on the person seated next to you. Since there are so many different personality types and styles, maybe you’re sitting next to someone who simply doesn’t like to talk to other people on a plane. Respect this, and give them their space, without being intrusive.

In summary, make it a point to experience the WONDER of travel. Every day in your life is the only day of its kind that you’ll ever have. Experience it to its fullest, and make the most of every moment.

Whether delayed or on time, choose to experience the joy of the blessing of travel that you get to experience. And do more of it! One of the best ways to foster character is to experience other cities, cultures, and characteristics that other people live every day.

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On Focus and Leadership

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 23:57:00 GMT

Lessons learned today on focus and leadership:

It’s imperative that we lighten our burden, so that we can effectively manage our load in the midst of dynamics which require our focus.

Whether that focus be during demanding times, which require our endurance and attention, or during “normal” times, requiring our inherent leadership capabilities, it is imperative that we are able to step up and perform as effectively for our constituents / families / communities require.

Think about a time in which you were required to dig deep, and delve into the resources that you didn’t think you had, in order to perform effectively. Remember the challenge; the frustration. These are the times that demand our best efforts, and our impeccable capabilities to lead, set the example, and perform most effectively.

Therefore, be grateful for those times of endurance and challenge, because those are the moments that define you as a leader, and allow your capabilities to expand.

And let go of the baggage and excessive “weight” (emotionally, intellectually, spiritually) which slows you down toward being your best, most effective, most nimble and responsive leader that you are. We often take on too much; more than we should, because that’s what we do as strong, capable leaders.

Well done! Keep up the great work, and continue to do it well.

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Be A Leader – The Steely System

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 23:56:00 GMT

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Maintaining A High Standard

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 23:43:00 GMT

I’m beginning to think that having a high standard of performance excellence is actually an affliction in this society. I’m encountering more and more people that lack the basic competence to do the job they’ve been assigned, nor do they have an ethic or desire to perform effectively; apparently they were referred and/or hired by a friend, who chose to overlook their shortcomings, and bring them in to the company so that they could earn a paycheck… It’s showing up on multiple levels; practically in epidemic proportions. What’s up with this trend?

It’s almost like a badge of honor: who can create the most problems, as opposed to creating solutions, thereby prolonging their jobs security, and enjoying as “cushy” an experience on their job as possible… it’s like a conspiracy against results…

As a crusader whose been called a “threat to mediocrity,” I seem to have established a unique type of rapport with people, in that they are avoiding me… They’re avoiding the fact that I will hold them to a higher standard; since they don’t want to be uncomfortable, they don’t engage…

Do CEOs know this is going on, or are they awash in it as well?

I know there are some wonderful exceptions to this paradigm; companies that are truly conscientious, value oriented, and whose people are committed to the highest standards of excellence and results. Unfortunately, it seems that these businesses are not mainstream…

So what can we do about this?

As leaders, one key component is to continuously be conscious of our standard, and the standards that we bring into each engagement. Although we can’t set other people’s standards for them, we can set an example of conscientiousness, and the results that a high standard of diligence and commitment can bring.

Continual dissatisfaction with our paradigm is also an imperative. It’s not about focusing on how empty the glasses, but how full it can be, and strive to fill the glass, through selfless service, and being oriented toward how one’s efforts can best optimize team performance.

It may be frustrating in today’s ongoing era of entitlement and victimization, yet as conscientious leaders, it’s our prerogative to set the example of setting and maintaining a high standard, and make our environment and world a better place.

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4 Big Promotional Tips

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 23:41:00 GMT

These days, in order to gain the attention of your ideal prospects, it’s imperative that you INNOVATE the way you promote your value and solution. Here are some tips:

The first step to success is to get away from the idea of creating an image. In fact, the literal definition of image is an imitation or representation of a person or thing. Now that is exactly what you don’t want to be… an imitation.

Identity, on the other hand, is the condition of being the same in all qualities. It’s based on truth and honesty. And believe me, it only takes a millisecond for consumers to identify a fraud.

Consumers respect integrity, and feel comfortable depending on companies who have invested in their identity… invested in being real, and have lived up to their name.

Copycats are a dime a dozen. Whenever a good idea comes to light, there will be a thousand and one imitators ready to cash in on the success of the idea.

I’m not talking about learning from the best, and using their success stories to guide you on your quest for success. We all need mentors and examples to follow at times.

True success lies in originality. What good would it do to copy your competitors advertising strategies and campaigns? Finding your own niche and capitalizing on it will go a lot further toward making you stand out from the crowd.

Friendly service is winning service. Who can resist a heartfelt smile? Most business have this down to a science. They spend a great deal of time stressing friendliness and “the customer is always right” attitudes among their employees.

What about customer-friendly products and services? We all know that people should be friendly, but sometimes overlook the fact that the product itself should bring a smile to the consumers face.

Tents have to be right near the bottom of the list of customer-friendly products… though in the case of my family, it wasn’t the tentmaker’s fault. We always lost the instructions before we made it to the campsite, and Dad’s attempt to assemble the darned thing without them had us kids running for the hills.

Do missing instructions or parts erase the smile from your customer’s face? What about websites with hard-to-find contact information or fliers that leave out important details?

Be sure you’ve thought of everything that will make your customers experience A+ from start to finish, and they’ll be back for more!

Trying something new often fills us with fear… especially when it involves hard earned money. Sometimes the only way to get out of a rut is to do exactly what we don’t want to do – get out of our comfort zone and try something new.

Other emotions that keep us from jumping onto a new idea are:

– Hesitancy – we want to play it safe
– Discouragement – we’re all set to lose before we even try
– Pessimism – we focus more on the problem than the options

If you find yourself stuck in the doldrums, remember that doing what you’ve always done will get you exactly what you’ve always got – and that’s why you’re where you’re at right now. Don’t be afraid to step out and get your feet wet!

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Keep The Curtain Up

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 23:39:00 GMT

Comfort Zones: The concept has become cliché. As business coaches and idealists, we are conditioned to push past our own comfort zones, and inspire our clients to do the same. He’s a perspective:

As we expand ourselves, seeking to broaden our horizons, we are all aware of the boundaries that surround us; boundaries of business, government, culture, race, religion, intellect, etc. These boundaries represent areas which we each choose to stay within, for whatever reason. Oftentimes, these reasons include ignorance of the possibilities on the other side.

Challenge yourself to view these boundaries as “curtains,” which shield your view from the possibilities, of which you are yet aware. As these curtains remain down, we are oblivious to the potential that lies outside of our existing zones of comfort. Instead, visualize these curtains being raised, allowing a view of the areas outside of your current boundaries. Suddenly, your possibilities will be endless…

As Maslow pioneered, we all strive to avoid the paid of risk, and seek to maintain our states of comfort and pleasure, by ignoring what’s beyond our curtains; our boundaries; our possibilities. The challenge with which we are all faced is to keep the curtain up, and do our utmost to see past our boundaries and our limitations.

Remember that comfort makes cowards of us all. As long as we are comfortable, and have the perceived “luxury” of avoiding our boundaries, we will continue to put-off opportunities to truly grow and expand into our possibilities.

Strive to keep your curtains up. Fear is the big procrastinator. Confront your fear (false evidence appearing real), and push past it. Then encourage and inspire your clients to do the same.

Cause is influence; affect represents the results (this is where the victim state lies). So BE THE CAUSE. Ask yourself: “what is my agenda?” Then implement it.

“The only way to find the limits of the possible is by going beyond them to the impossible.” – Arthur C. Clarke

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Pushing Through The Perturbation

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 23:38:00 GMT

What do I do when I have done my best and the results are still not evident? There is a powerful presupposition of NLP that states that there is no failure, only feedback. We all have the ability to retain all of our learnings from our experiences as we enact and become more and more flexible in our behaviors. What is required is to become more creative and curious, so we achieve our outcomes.

The greater your flexibility, the greater leader you become. When you face this question in your own life and business endeavors, here’s a strategy that works:

Step 1 = Refuse to wallow in self doubt. Frame the experience as feedback and say to yourself that there is something you have not seen, some knowledge you require, or some alliance you require to make. Know the circumstances are showing you a blind spot that you have had. Your commitment to yourself must be to achieve your goals, and strive toward achievement of your vision. Refrain from wallowing in self doubt, frame the experience as feedback, and become curious.

Step 2 = Ask yourself: what resources do I have? What relationships can I contact for ideas or assistance? What have I not done, that if I did it would make all the difference? Where have I not shown up 100% that has caused this circumstance? Be courageous with yourself and lessen your pride. Ask for clarity and ideas from the ones you trust and be willing to receive the feedback to help you break out of your tunnel vision into a new way of expanding your perspective.

Step 3 = Do the inner work. Do an authentic evaluation of your core beliefs, secondary gains, values and emotions that may be hindering the realization of your goals. Take responsibility. It doesn’t happen to you, it happens from you. You are your own reality generating machine and you are part of the equation of the reality you are manifesting. Change your limiting beliefs. Conduct a values audit and re-evaluation, and verify that your goals are aligned to your top five values. Commit to learning the skills that make everything work, and commit to traveling your life journey fully equipped to manage your mind, and therefore the results in your life.

Step 4 = Model the excellence of others who have done what you desire to create in your own life, and explore how they have accomplished their results. It is important for you to understand the steps that have worked in the past so that success was achieved. Adapt, become flexible, intertwine your ideas with the ideas of the masters and geniuses of our time, and follow their steps. Never giving up until you reach your outcome. At the same time, never dilute yourself and your power by trying to be somebody else. Instead, learn from their abilities and techniques, and employ those into your authentic self-delivery.

Step 5 = Base your outcomes anchored to a higher purpose. You will have unstoppable power and endless energy to achieve your outcomes if they aligned to your highest values. Leave a legacy and make a light footprint on our earth, while giving massively.

What I have learned so far on this journey is that when life does not happen as I expected it would, it is a fertile environment to kick into my highest level of flexibility and possibility. There is rarely an outcome that you cannot achieve. Never give up in the realization of the goal. Find new ways, new paths to create the change you desire and take massive action. Know as well, that there is something higher at work in all of our lives. Ask ultimately that whatever your life expression creates, people are touched and advanced, and you have made the contribution you came here to make.

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The Six Imperatives to the Reinvention of Business and Ourselves

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 23:37:00 GMT

Reinvention is something with which successful people are familiar. Whether in business or in personal life, in challenging times, or in times of relative calm, if you don’t evolve or change, you find yourself wondering what happened. Let’s explore the topic of reinvention in our lives…

Here are the six imperatives to reinvention:

Psychotherapy and counseling (especially in groups) has helped me greatly; I started at the age of 14, and have been going deeper into my identity ever since. Thanks to AA, the 12 Steps, Alateen, Alanon, ACOA, and surrounding myself with wonderful, caring, powerful people, I have come to know my identity relatively well (there are always new depths to explore…).

We need to be grateful for the trials that make us (and have made us) who we are. The true test of character doesn’t happen until the trials occur. War is what makes Generals. Without grist, the mill has nothing to do. Know your capabilities to tolerate and welcome the trials and strife that accompany any worthy endeavor (i.e. creating and running a business, committing to a marriage, raising kids). In the ongoing times of change and transformation, it is imperative that you know who and why you are, so you can re-tool and adapt to the reinvention that is occurring all around you.

But these yang forces can seem so intense… they often carry us away; down rabbit holes of thought, analysis, worry, and despair, which our human minds seem so prone to doing. Addressing the condition of our communities, there’s a despair in the air; a fear of the “unknown.” Since reinvention is all about the “unknown,” it’s imperative that we address this “fear” head on. For starters, who can predict the future? “The best way to “predict” the future is to invent it.” (Alan Kay said that). So how do we invent something that we’re afraid of? First, we must stop being afraid of it. Bravery is unfortunately rare in our societal ranks. But since “fortune favors the brave,” it’s time for your to prepares, accept, stand up, face the storm, and be strong enough to endure it. When the rainbows appear (and they will), our character will be stronger, and our capabilities will be more powerful.

As you continue to refine your strategies and tactics of gaining higher ground, it needs to be a planned, deliberate effort. Regardless, you will see that your “campaign” will deviate from your plan to some extent. Don’t worry; stay resolute, and continue to respect and follow that plan that YOU created and believe in. Leverage your strengths, and those of others, and plan to properly deploy and employ that capability in the marketplace.

A business associate recently said that business is all about changing with the economy, and leverage through the power of people. He believes it is all about leveraging relationships, and I agree!

It’s time to re-commit to reinvention. Be an expansive thinker like DaVinci, Edison, Einstein – tap into your brilliance, your genius. Geniuses, too, reinvent themselves.

Chris Steely is a business and personal effectiveness coach, with global experience in numerous industries. He is a veteran professional speaker, facilitator, and Business Alchemist, integrating “encompassing sustainability.” Chris has facilitated teams of hundreds around the world in areas of business success, cross-pollinating ideas and ideals, and generating results; he trained the world’s largest business coaching franchise owners, who coached and trained 15,000 business owners per week, throughout 26 countries. He is a collegiate national rowing champion, a U.S. Marine Corps Logistics Officer, and holds an MBA from Boston University. Chris’ capability to distill key principles into usable tools, coupled with his entertaining, passionate style, has made him one of the world’s most coveted facilitators and resultants.

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Program The Language Of Your Brain

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 23:36:00 GMT

Programming the language of your brain… what if you could do it? What if you could predict your outcomes, eliminate your blockages, and pre-condition yourself for the success that YOU want?

Fantasy? … NO: REALITY!

At first, I didn’t believe it. Even after attending Tony Robbins’ Unleash The Power Within event a couple years ago, immersing myself in the Dickens Process and Tony’s timeline therapy exercise (from which I got great results), I was still skeptical. But after attending a comprehensive NLP and Time Therapy certification course, I am now completely convinced on its viability, and am ready and qualified to help others experience freedom in their lives.

Release all (yes, ALL) of your pre-supposed, pre-programmed, pre-conditioned limitations, and truly live without anger, sadness, fear, guilt, or conflict. As a service-oriented business leader, it is especially important that you release anything that might be hindering your progress and leadership capabilities, and be aware of what you aren’t seeing.

The first time I heard of this, I thought it was hokum. Through my certification process and practice, I can now see clearly, and have truly released the negative anchors, which were holding me back from sailing freely.

Here are some key factors:

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Multiculturalism

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 23:34:00 GMT

We are all one, big, global “culture,” with unique intricacies interwoven and interspersed. A profound realization that I experienced is that when it all comes down to it, we are all in it for the same things, where it be in China, America, Australia, or across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East: We all want to live happy, fulfilling lives.

So how is this accomplished in various cultures?

LAYERS OF CULTURE

Each of these layers possess a culture that’s unique, with sub-cultures and undertones, embellishing them with characteristics that further define each’s key components of contribution to a higher culture. Awareness of these hierarchies, and how they all blend together to generate a global culture of progressive, positive, collaborative commerce and societal development, is imperative, on an individual and global level.

What’s your perspective of the cultures in which you exist and contribute, and how can you enlighten us as to how they contribute to our global community?

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Ramping Up Without Burning Out

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 23:33:00 GMT

Our current condition as a global business society is marked by destructive, as well as positive, outcomes of a rapidly changing, worldwide business and economic climate. No business, division, or employee – whether your organization is five people, a 50-person small business, or a 50,000-employee, multinational corporation, is going untouched.

In an age of restructuring, downsizing, reorganizing and a general re-evaluation of purpose, mission, corporate destiny and direction, a concern for employee as well as organizational productivity is at an all-time high, resulting in excessive stress. “Stress” can be defined as “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.” Based on rapid change, businesses are being pulled apart by unnecessary stress across all levels of the organization, and are therefore being less productive.

What is employee and organizational productivity, and what are the essentials involved in attaining it? Following are just a few of the “basics.”

Productivity is when an individual or organization grows and achieves greater success with the least amount of wasted resources, effort and time, resulting in less stress and a more stable, congruent business environment. This definition takes into consideration a number of issues:

– Reduced employee turnover
– High levels of employee satisfaction and empowerment
– Profits that can sustain the organization’s continued growth
– Market share that can contribute to continuation of the business enterprise
– Effective communication throughout the organization as well as in the marketplace
– Well-trained and motivated employees throughout the organization
– Innovative product development and a sensitivity to what consumers want and need now, as well as what they will want and need in the future
– Strong leadership and vision
– Management team in touch with the reality of the marketplace as well as the internal issues within their own organization
– Clear, established corporate direction uniformly communicated throughout the organization
– Corporate accountability at every level
– Definition of what success is for that organization
– Commitment to the health of the community, whether that community is the provincial/state, national, or global population.

I’m often asked by my corporate clients how to mitigate unnecessary stress, and improve sales, management or overall organization productivity. It’s never a simple answer, as you can see from the aforementioned list… and it’s not a complete list of the issues worthy of being considered when you evaluate overall organizational productivity and effectiveness. There are several key issues to consider:

– Foster employee, customer, and market loyalty through differentiation, and an understanding of how SIGNIFICANT your business and its mission really are.
– Optimize your management style. Always keep your edge honed by understanding what you don’t know about market conditions, and your ability to stay innovative and manage through them.
– Elevate your corporate culture. All businesses have culture, whether it’s intentional or not; cultures can create themselves. Unless you focus on deliberately sculpting a culture that’s congruent with your ideals, your culture might evolve in the wrong direction.
– Enhance communication patterns and systems. Know how your team communicates, and apply communication styles effectively. Don’t leave it to chance…
– Specify your corporate direction/vision/prime focus. If you don’t specify it, it will “specify” itself, in ways that are not always favorable. Make sure that everyone associated with your business knows what you stand for.
– Bolster and train toward competence levels of your employees. TRAINING, TRAINING, TRAINING! Equip and ensure that everyone who’s working within your organization is as good as they CAN be.
– Be aware of and augment your competitive posture. The marketplace can be brutal, especially if you don’t stand strong amidst it. Know your differentiators and leverage them.
– Remain consciousness of the perception(s) of your organization in the marketplace (vendors, customers, competitors). This is beyond your implied USP; it’s what the marketplace REALLY thinks about your business. KNOW this, and change it if you must.
– Maintain attentive to the attitudes and perceptions of your organization by your employees. Internal factors are the primary effectors of external results. Each of your employees represents the face of your business. Are they representing it the way you want them to? There’s huge opportunity to optimize this…

A lot to consider? Perhaps. But, if you want a productive, less stressed, more effective organization, and to not pay only lip service to productivity, spend some thinking time about these points, as well as other issues that affect your organization. Then stop thinking, and DO something about it.

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What Are You Compromising?

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 23:31:00 GMT

As you build your business, and live your ideal life, one of the things that’s often in front of you is the fact that you can’t do everything all at once. Therefore, the paradigm of compromise looms large, especially when it comes to starting a business, and doing the hard (smart) work that’s necessary to get it where it needs to be.

There are always things that can be compromised. Things like free time, spending time with family, getting your way versus allowing your partner to get their way, etc. In business, there are many things to compromise. Things like choosing to take time off, versus deliberately working to build your business; engaging with clients, versus watching TV; enjoying your favorite cocktail at a local watering hole, versus sitting at your desk and writing your next blog post. So many things to do and balance…

The ideal of no compromise is actually a misnomer. Compromise is ubiquitous, and continuous. It is our prerogative to minimize what we compromise, and live a full, balanced life; appropriate compromise is something that must be focused upon, choosing your actions with holistic awareness.

The best, most influential leaders are the ones that have come to terms with compromise. They are the ones that don’t compromise on the most important aspects of life. It’s vitally important to not compromise your values or your integrity. Too many people these days are deluding themselves into thinking that what they’re doing is actually aligned with their purpose, when they really don’t understand their purpose. As a true leader in life and business, it’s critically important to understand your purpose, and not compromise on fulfilling the reason why you are alive.

I have found that many people are intent on forcing others to compromise those values, enticing people to take the easy road, cut corners, and be more oriented toward taking rather than effectively serving. Be aware of those that are telling you it’s OK to compromise on things that are uncompromisable. Like allowing people to con you into believing that their solutions/services are actually real, when they’re not. Stay away from those types; maintain awareness of what people say they CAN do, comparing that to what they really CAN’T do, and focus on the REAL value they can provide, versus the value they SAY the can. If you fall prey to working with or aligning with these types, all that’s going to give you is a bad reputation, forcing you to compromise the uncompromisable: your integrity.

The key imperative/prerogative as you lead a successful life and business, is to minimize what you must compromise. It’s important to balance as best you can the tasks, roles, and responsibilities of being a great entrepreneur, husband, mother, father, wife, or whatever role in which you’re committing to excelling.

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Life Is A Paradox

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 23:30:00 GMT

Life is one big paradox. What’s up with that?

Consider this: you’re born, you get married, you have kids, then you die… so if you don’t get married or don’t have kids, will you live forever? Well, of course not. But it begs the question… ah, the “question” — it’s the essence of actualization. But don’t take it from me; Socrates, who in 400 BC, fostered the ideal that “questions are the answers.”

Our lives are consistently scattered with opportunities to ask questions, and make distinctions. Dichotomies… alternative perspectives… these are the sauce of life; for without inquiry, there is no “other,” and there is no opportunity.

As we all strive for more balance, we are constantly being confronted with IM-balance. Striving for wealth amidst negative cashflow; raising kids that often seem to fly in the face of our good character; effectively conveying a message in writing, while butchering the punctuation… success achieved amidst the “gravity” that always seems to keep us tethered to a level of status quo, hindering our achievement.

Consider it: we all want more happiness, but every day each of us encounters sorrow; we idealize world peace, but only seem to get more war; we stretch and strive, but more than often end up with less that we idealize.

What’s up with that?

I think I’ve got it figured out… It’s all about polarities; dichotomies; opportunities to make distinctions. Without darkness, light would not be possible (pause now, and make that distinction). Without evil, “good” would have nothing to overcome, and would therefore atrophy (pause now, and realize THAT distinction). Put your hand under a hot water faucet, and realize that you wouldn’t know it was hot, unless you had cold to compare it to… (do it now, and FEEL that distinction).

But as we all go through life, we are often too busy to slow down, and truly consider the distinctions; the dichotomies; the paradoxes… the sauce of life. In my life, I’ve had my share of challenges, and opportunities to make distinctions. From losing my mother to cancer at a young age, to being bullied as a kid, to suffering through divorce; but my challenges are unique to me… It is imperative that YOU consider YOUR challenges, and embrace them as situations that allowed you to become the amazing person that you are today. Now, make those distinctions…

Each day, we are confronted with wonderful challenges (opportunities to make distinctions), which are opportunities for growth and expansion. For you see, without challenge, we could not grow and become the people who we are MEANT to become, in order to overcome the challenges (paradoxes) that will face us tomorrow.

We’ve all been wired spiritually, psychologically, and physiologically to serve a higher purpose, and each of us has a responsibility in this life to discover it, and do out utmost to fulfill it. So be grateful for the challenges / paradoxes / opportunities to make distinctions, and truly understand our “condition,” (i.e. our “plight”), so that we may overcome it, and fulfill our collective greatness as a society. It’s our choice…

It’s not always easy, but it can be satisfying, as we grow and expand into our own levels of greatness.

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Business Success Only Takes 90 Minutes

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 23:29:00 GMT

Conditioning is the key to success in athletic performance, professional excellence, and business success. The best and most successful achievers in business are the ones that have CONDITIONED themselves to be successful; it didn’t just fall into their lap…

Here’s how all successful people do it:

Since the human brain can only accept so much data at one time, it’s important to FOCUS on the key data points and aspects of success that will make the difference for you and your business. The first thing that must happen is a diagnosis of your condition as a leader; the good, the bad, and the ugly… It’s critical that you avoid denying the things that you may not want to discover. No one ever said that success in business was an easy road….

Once you “know thyself” and your business condition, you must develop a deliberate plan (MAP) to get you from where you are now to where you want to go. This diligence MUST be done with discipline and a results focus. You must discover what tools and support resources you’ll need to carry to carry you across the great divide, and land you securely on your objective.

Then it’s all about ACTION. Consistent, organized, disciplined action. To be clear, it’s not about RE-action; it’s all about PRO-action… proactive, productive, strategic action. The ideal is that you serve your business best as its strategic leader, and delegate (leverage out) the activities that you simply should not be doing. It’s important to calculate and understand the true value of your time as a business owner and leader. How much money are you wasting by spending your time on tasks that would best be handled by someone who’s better at it, and demands less of a wage that you? Once you really realize your value, your perspective of being the chief cook and bottle washer will change…

THE KEY to success is to focus on working ON the business – guiding it strategically – versus IN the business, which is all about the day-to-day tactics. The right amount of planning, combined with repetitious, habitual strategic action results in massive change. It’s been proven that focusing strategically on your business for 90 minutes per week is the perfect amount of time to effectively condition yourself toward optimal time management and business success.

Once a week for 90 days is the perfect timing for repetition and the ability to incorporate massive change. Once you get aligned with your purpose, your power, and your plan, then disciplined, accountability-based conditioning for only 90 minutes per week is the key toward truly optimizing your business.

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Strategy vs Tactics In Business

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 23:28:00 GMT

Throughout my 25 years of professional business leadership, I’m always surprised over how many business owners and leaders choose to remain reactive and tactical – versus strategically proactive – regarding their business activities, in essence sabotaging their ultimate success and potential.

The following is my summarized effort of the key imperatives of focus, upon which truly committed business leaders must focus, lest they become afflicted by “tactic-itis,” which often deludes people into THINKING they’re being productive – which is a symptom of being simply BUSY – versus focusing on achieving strategic objectives and RESULTS in their business.

All good business is strategically driven. Of course, tactics must always be conducted in order to achieve results, but it’s sound STRATEGY that drives every successful business. Don’t leave it up to chance….

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Courage: Are You Encouraging Or Discouraging?

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 23:27:00 GMT

People who are committed to making a difference (“Differentiators”) are Courageous.

Take the word COURAGE. What does it bring to mind? Ponder it for a moment…

In our society these days, it’s important to ENcourage one another, and not DIScourage. As we all do our best, ENcouraging (fostering and promoting courage) is imperative versus focusing on breaking people down, and mitigating their courage.

The military defines courage as the mental quality that recognizes fear or criticisms but enables a man to proceed in the face of it with calmness and firmness.

According to Robert Kiyosaki, success means being willing to learn to do things that make you uncomfortable or that you dislike doing. The things you avoid doing will cause you to be less effective in your business.

Everyone has fear, but powerful leaders learn to overcome it, learn to act with it, confronting those things they avoid and do not want to deal with. In fact, sometimes the courageous thing is to give up. It might mean facing the truth about something.

Now take a few minutes and consider:

– What things do you avoid in your work due to fear?

– Think about things in your life that might take courage to let go of.

– What in your life do you must do, that you need courage to do?

– What is it that you need to do that you’ve been avoiding?

Journal on these points now, and confront your realities relative to how you’re stepping up now, and how you’re planning to step up in 2017.

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Turbulent Times… Again

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 22:56:00 GMT

Here’s the first of a three-part series, focusing on our time. The time that is now, and the time that we create (the future). Since “history repeats itself,” we will also delve into how we can learn from our past.

So here we are in “tough times” again… Historically, everybody has always thought that their age was the most turbulent. In fact, throughout recorded history, people have always believed that their times – the period of time in which they live – are the most unstable in history.

We all know that the only time we REALLY have is NOW; the past is gone, and the future will take care of itself. So what do we do in the NOW that will optimize it, and what’s next? First, we get to realize that’s it’s our choice to be aware of fundamental truths, which guide us on a daily basis. Since “the truth shall set you free,” our freedom is contingent upon awareness, not denial, of these truths. Our collective society often tends toward denial, as awareness and optimization of the present takes focus and “work.” From my perspective, this “work” is necessary, therefore I do my best to make the best of it, enjoying the labor of love.

One fundamental truth is FEAR. People are often afraid about what others are going to do to them. Especially these days, with the energy of entitlement, the mindset of victimization, and the immediate gratification attitude of greed, we all have to watch our backs… or not. Maybe by watching your back, you’re slowing your pace and progress toward your forward momentum, thereby allowing the deceivers and crooks to catch you. So instead of being afraid – some may call it “paranoid” – do your best to outpace the adversaries that seem to prey on the less “fit.” Press on past your fear mindset, which will always be there, and focus forward. That’s what the champions do.

Another fundamental truth is UNCERTAINTY. People often get stuck in the “chatter” of the analysis of uncertainty, which interferes with performance. When performing at our best, our minds are quiet and thought-free. During peak performance periods, the mind is not directing, criticizing, analyzing or being fearful; instead, it is quietly focused on the present moment. The degree to which we can step back and no longer be subjected to our doubts and fears is the measure of our success in disciplining ourselves to be successful in the uncertainty of now, and that of the future. Another word for this thought process is confidence, which is no more than recognizing our amazing capabilities, surrendering to them, and allowing them to occur.

Focusing on these fundamental truths of our time, can you feel the SCARCITY mentality seeping in? It happens to be another fundamental truth of tough times. Just like during the Great Depression that began in 1929. I am still encountering people whose belief system was forced into a mentality of scarcity, which they held for the rest of their lives; even during times of prosperity which ensued, many people who lived during the Great Depression era were not able to shake the dynamic of scarcity and lack in their lives.

WE NEED TO LEARN FROM OUR HISTORY, and not make the same mistakes again… Especially with the ongoing global awareness of The Law of Attraction, we must disassociate our mindsets from those of lack to those of possibility-thinking, focusing on what CAN be, versus what had been. Let’s be aware of the dynamic, and seize the opportunity to be opportunistic. We know that its time like these that have historically favored the opportunistic… We can adapt to different experiences only when we are willing to let go of our dependence on old concepts.

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