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Greetings!
What a month! As much as I didn't want to let this year's Olympics into my heart (because of questionable practices of the Chinese Government), it was very hard to avoid. And to be completely honest, when it comes to "coaching", there is very little that compares to athletic coaching - especially in the Olympics. The Olympics have everything - leadership, teamwork, vision, focus and overcoming unbelievable odds. And as unique as every story is in the Olympics, when you look closely, they demonstrate that there is a recipe of success to achieving your goals in life - a recipe that we can all follow whether we are trying to become world class athletes or trying to run world class businesses. That recipe is: - Clearly define your Vision of the future. - Share that vision and invite others (coaches, teammates, partners, employees, suppliers, and employees) to help you achieve that vision. - Face the current reality of where you are everyday - empirically assessing what is helping you achieve your vision and what isn't. - Build a plan and follow it - and that plan should include what to do, how to measure the progress towards the vision, and how you will make changes to the plan when progress doesn't track as forecasted. I hope everyone enjoyed the Olympics as much as I did. And I hope that you have all found a way to apply to your own life all the stories that filled the radio, the TV, the newspapers, and the hearts of millions of Americans. JJ Reich CEO, Impossible Futures Olympics -- A lifetime of training for just ten seconds.
Jesse Owens (1936 Summer Olympics) |
Video Clip of the Month
 This month's video from SimpleTruths.com is an inspirational clip about pursuing your Dreams. Click here to watch the video. Enjoy it and feel free to share it with your entire support team.
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Live Life Like an Olympian -
On Purpose
By JJ Reich  Michael Phelps has lived his life on purpose. He had lived to become the greatest Olympic Athlete of all Time - and he's done it. Nearly every decision he had made up to this point in his life was with that personal vision in mind.
I believe everyone has the ability to be the best in the world at something and they can expect great rewards for their efforts. Some want to become the best athletes, some want to become the best investors or day-traders, some want to be the best Moms and Dads for their kids and yes, some want to even be the best small business owners in their industry. But to be the best at something takes the same level of "commitment to vision" as an Olympic Athlete has. It's doesn't necessarily require the long and arduous hours that Olympic Athletes put in, but it does necessitate living life on purpose. And it requires an honest assessment of what we can be best at.
In my opinion - and I think it's relatively well founded - in spite of many who believe they are unique in their commitments, if you are committed to something, you will find a way to
make it happen. That is what commitment is - believing so strongly in
a vision or a goal that you will do what ever it takes to make it
happen.
For me personally, I've lived a life of doing what I wanted to
do / or at least thought I wanted to do. Being a Carrier Aviator in the Navy for 20 years and now a Business Coach helping small business owners reach their dreams were / are my passions. But they didn't come easy - and they have come at a personal cost.
Some call it "lucky" being able to do what you love.
I'm not one of those people. I don't call it luck if you have the life you want, I call it "intention". Was there things that happened to me along the way of achieving my goals that may have been lucky? Absolutely. The same thing happens to everyone. But it was still my choice to either act on the "lucky" opportunity or not. And there were a lot of choices that I had to make along the way that many others were neither willing nor able to make.
I've heard people talk about how "lucky" athletes are because
they get to do what they love to do and get paid great money for doing it. Are these athletes lucky or
are they doing exactly what they expected to be able to do?
Not all of us can be professional athletes, but all of us can do what we love to do.
In my lifetime, I've heard hundreds of people's visions and goals. And, unfortunately, I've also heard lots of excuses as to why they can't be real.
"I can't make enough money doing it."
"It would take up too much of my time."
"The market is already saturated."
"I would have to give up my personal life to do that."
There are a million reasons to not pursue your Vision . . . you Dream. But they are all excuses. If you want to pursue your dream, put the excuses behind you and go for it. They are both cliches, but also very true - "You only live once" and "You don't don't get a second chance to live today."
That is what living life on purpose is. That is what truly separates those who live their dream and those that "wish" for it.
That is why the Olympics are so inspiring - because it isn't just about great athletes performing at their peaks. The Olympics are about . . .
Committing To YOUR Dreams
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This Month's Book Summary
Become Who You Were
Born To Be
by Brian Souza
Do you ever feel burned out, beat up,
or just plain bored, wondering, "Is this all there is?" Do you
ever feel trapped in a stressful job that leaves you unhappy and
unsatisfied? Do you ever question if you're doing what you're
supposed to be doing-if you're fulfilling your life's purpose?
If so, you are not alone...This is how Brian Souza captures your attention and begins you on a journey into understanding his life-changing
philosophy. In his book, Become Who You Were Born To Be, Souza walks us through his method of understanding the power we all possess and entertains us with real life stories of everyday people and
world-famous celebrities-including Lance Armstrong, Mother Theresa, Garth Brooks, Oprah Winfrey, and Mahatma Ghandi. Not only do these people become heroes by overcoming adversity and squeezing every ounce of
opportunity from their gifts, but everyone of them came from humble beginnings.
I read a lot of books that are intended to motivate us and help us become who we are born to be. Most are just little more than different spins on the same ideas. Sometimes these books come across as only motivational pieces, others focus only on spirituality. Souza, in his straight shooting honesty and simple style gets the message across with a unique blend that focuses on getting the reader to understand how important "understanding our gift" is while also giving us simple tools that will help us find them. We all have talents. We all are given a gift that when used gives us the greatest happiness we can feel.
Specifically, Brian Souza breaks the process of finding and utilizing your talent into a five
part process:
1. Discover it 2. Develop it 3.
Appreciate it 4. Use it 5. Give it away
Each section is then further broken down into smaller processes with each one containing a featured true story. From his own story to Mahatma Ghandi, he shows how once ordinary people contributed their gift to society and made an real impact through perserverence and commitment to their gift. And finally, he wraps up each chapter with an analysis that leaves the reader with something to both ponder and act upon if they wish to find their gift. In my opinion, it is the combination of the biographical story and the simple analysis that brings energy to Souza's message. This book is very powerful - and is not one that you have to try to power through in a day or even a weekend. I highly recommend picking it up, placing it next to your bed and chapter by chapter, slowly working your way through the stories and thinking about how you can learn and apply the ideas in your own search for who you were born to be.
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Tip of the Month
Build a
Personal Vision
"The first thing is to love your sport. Never do it to please someone else. It has to be yours."
Peggy Flemming (1968 Olympic Gold Medalist)Building a personal vision sounds hard, doesn't it? That's because we rarely stop long enough to figure out what we really want. We don't do it for three primary reasons. First, it scares the hell out of us to think about our happiness and what makes us happy. Second, we think we are too busy living our lives to take the time necessary to stop and figure out what we want out of life. And finally, the last major reason we avoid doing the work to build our vision is because we think that by writing it down, it will be written in stone - and when it doesn't happen, we feel like we've failed. As long as we don't write it down and don't face it everyday, we will always be able to blame someone or something else for not having our vision - we are afraid of what committing actually means.Nothing could be further from the truth - our vision grows with us. It doesn't have to be permanent and it certainly doesn't have to be anything we fear. So, before we can make our desired future a reality, it must first exist in the real world, tangibly - not in your head, but written down in a place and in way that you can see it, touch and feel it, each and every day of your life. So, we're going to make it simple to build your personal vision. . .
RIGHT NOW!!!
Let's start by getting a piece of paper, the bigger the better - I recommend a poster board that is at least 24"x36". You have a lot to put on it and it will need room to grow, over time - as you grow. Get some Sharpies (lots of colors), some paste, a pair of scissors and lots of newspapers, magazines and even old junk mail. You can start anyway you want, but what I recommend is taking a little of time and think about what you want your life to look like - what you want your life to be. And how you hope your life will have been when it is all over. And how you want your friends and family to feel about you when you are gone. I've included some questions to think about to help you do this. You can answer them individually, or just read them and let them soak into your thoughts. Then, just start writing on the poster board with the Sharpies (in as many different colors as you have), every thing that comes to mind. Fill it with your thoughts and your dreams writing them out as randomly or as organized as they come to you.
- You've been given a gift - instead of going strait to heaven, you get to hear what all of your friends and family are saying about you at your funeral. What do you hope to hear? - What people, things, hobbies, jobs and activities make you feel good about yourself? - What were your favorite things to do when you were younger? Think about all the major stages of your life. What are your favorite things now? - What things do you want to do, but either don't know how or are afraid of trying? What is your "Bucket List"? - Have you ever been so intensely working in or on something that you completely lost track of time? What was it? - Who in your life do you respect the most? Who inspires you? Who do you turn to when you need help? Why? - What are your God's given talents in life? What are you best at? What things do others come to you for help with? - If you had the opportunity to teach
something or pass along a message to a large group, what would it be? - What would you not give up in your life? Looking back, what things, people or events in your life would you most regret if you had not had the opportunity to experience? - What are your core values - the non-negotiables in your life? -
What were some challenges, difficulties and hardships you've overcome
or are in the process of overcoming? How did you do it? - What
causes do you strongly believe in? Connect with? - How do you give back to the world - your friends, and your family, your community and total strangers. Now, you've got words, phrases, ideas, and principals that shape your thought process right in front of you. But let's not stop here. Let's bring your ideas to life - make them jump out at you everyday. Let's make your ideas a visual collage that will capture your imagination!!!Finally, get out your magazines, old newspapers, old pictures, and any other images that you can find (including those you print off of the internet). Go through everything you have, cutting out images, headlines, phrases (anything you can find) that encapsulate your words and start pasting them all over the board. Make them overlap, like the ideas in your head. Organize them if you would like. Or make them completely random, it doesn't matter. The key is that it is your Vision - no one else's. There is no right and there is no wrong.
This poster is your Personal Vision!!!
Whether you are having a good day or a bad one, look at it everyday. Let it get inside you and remind you what matters most to. Use the images to guide you through your decisions everyday. And make sure that you live each day, doing what you can to make each it become more than your vision - make it become your reality.
_____________________________________________________
If
you are interested in learning more about how to build your own personal vision, please call toll-free at 888-439-6843, ext 101 to set up a "no obligation" appointment with JJ.
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SPOTLIGHT
on
Twin Rivers Podiatry - Easton
Dr. Joshua Scoll, lead Podiatrist and CEO of Twin Rivers Podiatry - Easton, is a board certified Podiatrist. But to be completely truthful, so is nearly every other Podiatrist in the area. What separates Dr. Scoll and his staff is that they don't just look at your foot when you come in to see them - they look at you as a whole person. Josh cares about his patients and recognizes that it isn't feet that he's treating, it's people. So he and his staff take the time necessary to understand you and your ailment and work to give you the best care that you need.
Mission Statement
We
provide podiatric care to patients in need.
We
exhaust non-surgical techniques before attempting surgical solutions
for easier walking.
We
work towards:
quicker
and easier recoveries.
the
avoidance of future health complications.
the
prevention of hospitalization.
So if you have any needs or questions with regard to your foot care, feel free to contact Dr. Scoll or anyone on his very knowledgeable staff at 610-253-2251.
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