“I couldn’t have asked them to do anything more.” Brad Stevens

The Making of a Coaching Legend: Brad Stevens –  Head Coach of the Butler Bulldogs

My first memory of Butler Head Coach Brad Stevens has him soaring sky-high to chest bump a player after a big win in last season’s tournament. It would be easy to drop a lot of stats about Stevens, the second youngest coach to make it to the NCAA Championship game, but stats don’t make the man. This article is about desire – having the conviction to chase that big dream deep inside you, the one you should never give up on.

Brad Stevens worked for the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, a great job, but not his dream. In one bold move, he changed everything, and in doing so, he changed his destiny. Stevens quit his great paying job, took a job at Applebee’s restaurant and planned to move into a friend’s basement. Why? Because he was offered the opportunity to volunteer in the Butler basketball office: Yep – Volunteer. That’s how bad he wanted it, he was willing to sacrifice everything, and demonstrate the conviction needed to capture those distant dreams hearts can only whisper about. Coach Stevens met his destiny halfway and the forces of the universe responded with a series of fortunate events that led to him to his dream.

What a Legend looks like in the Making: Brad Stevens has arrived

You hear a lot of shop talk about Stevens as an emerging coach, the truth is, he has already arrived. Stevens has drawn many comparisons to the late great John Wooden, for his stoic nature on the sidelines. He is an image of calm, like Wooden, never up or down, always keeping his cool. He believes in his players and knows they will be there in the 4^th. In last year’s tournament, both Syracuse and Kansas State went on big runs against Butler. Butler’s Willie Veasley explained: “Coach called a timeout and said a few calm words. Then he said he believes in us, he loves us and we’re going to win the game.” And of course they did.

Coach Stevens knows his players as well as any coach in the tournament. The rapport he has built with his team is reflected in the play of Butler’s bench players. Stevens always knows the right timing to unleash his backups, trusting freshman like Khyle Marshall to give Butler a necessary spark that triggered a comeback against Florida in Saturday’s match-up. Butler’s reserves outscored their Florida counterparts 23-2.

With Coach Brad Stevens signing a long term deal with the Bulldogs, extending his contract through the 2021–22 season, we can kiss Cinderella’s glass slipper good-bye and expect the emergence of a new dynasty.  A dynasty founded on team play, bold conviction, and Championship dreams. “First and foremost, I’m loyal to Butler,” Stevens said.  When asked if he would ever leave Butler, Stevens replied “I guess if they kicked me out.”

With a winning record of 116-24 over 4 years, something tells me they’re going to let him stay as long as he likes. When someone asked him if his second consecutive trip to the Final Four was “unbelievable”: “Believable is a better term,” Stevens said. “It’s a more positive term. It makes you live life a little bit better. It makes you more thankful for the opportunities.”

If Stevens can win on Saturday and Monday – Butler might as well just put up a statue right now….

Hail Coach Stevens… Go Bulldogs!

Ten Great Vince Lombardi Quotes:

10.  “In great attempts, it is glorious even to fail.”  Vince Lombardi

9.  “Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man. But sooner or later the man who wins, is the man who thinks he can.” Vince Lombard

8. “Once a man has made a commitment to a way of life, he puts the greatest strength in the world behind him. It’s something we call heart power. Once a man has made this commitment, nothing will stop him short of success.” Vince Lombardi quotes

7.  “Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all time thing. You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.”  Vince Lombardi

6.  “The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.” Vincent Lombardi quote

5.  “After the cheers have died down and the stadium is empty, after the headlines have been written and after you are back in the quiet of your room and the championship ring has been placed on the dresser and all the pomp and fanfare has faded, the enduring things that are left are: the dedication to excellence, the dedication to victory, and the dedication to doing with our lives the very best we can to make the world a better place in which to live.” – Vincent T Lombardi

4.  “The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.” Vincent T Lombardi

3. “I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – Victorious”  Vince Lombardi quote

2. “It is essential to understand that battles are primarily won in the hearts of men.”  Vince Lombardi

1. “We didn’t lose the game; we just ran out of time.”  Vince Lombardi

Bonus Video:

When Your Back is Against the Wall by Pat Riley

“Competition brings out the very best and the very worst in us. Right now, it’s bring out the worst, but if he sticks with it, it’s going to bring out the best.” Pat Riley

“Every now and then, you have your back pushed up against a wall. It seems like there is nobody you can depend on but yourself. That is how the Lakers felt on that day. If they lost, the choke reputation would be chiseled into stone, a permanent verdict. If they won, they had an opportunity to prove they could keep on winning. It was a do or die situation.

Coach Riley faced Kareem Abdul Jabbar, the star center, and said, “When I saw you and your father on the bus today, it made me realize what this whole moment is about. You spent a lot of time with Big Al today. Maybe you needed that voice. Maybe everyone in this room needs to hear that kind of voice right now–the voice of your dad, the voice of somebody in the past who was there when you didn’t think you could get the job done.”

“A lot of you don’t think you can win today. A lot of you don’t think you can beat the Celtics. I want each of you to close your eyes and listen.” And they did.

Continued…

And Riley began his tale, “When I was nine years old my dad told my brothers, Lee and Lenny, to take me down to Lincoln Heights and get me involved in the basketball games. They would throw me into a game and I would get pushed and shoved. Day after day, I ran home crying and hid in the garage. I didn’t want anything to do with basketball.”

“This went on for two or three weeks. One night, I didn’t come to the dinner table, so my dad got up and walked out to the garage where he found me hunkered down in a corner. He picked me up, put his arm around me, and walked to the kitchen. My brother Lee was upset with him. ‘Why do you make us take him down there? He doesn’t want to play. He’s too young.’

“My father stood up and staring at Lee, said, ‘I want you to take him there because I want you to teach him not to be afraid, that there should be no fear. Teach him that competition brings out the very best and the very worst in us. Right now, it’s bring out the worst, but if he sticks with it, it’s going to bring out the best.’ He then looked at his nine-year-old, teary-eyed son and said, ‘Pat, you have to go back there.’

So Coach Riley told his players, “I thought I was never going to be able to get over being hurt and afraid, but I eventually did get over it.” As he was talking, he was slowly pacing back and forth the locker room. Looking at the players, he saw that Michael Cooper was crying…
Coach Riley went on, “I don’t know what it is going to take for us to win tonight but I do believe that we are going out there like warriors, and that would make our fathers proud.”

The Lakers won the game. They also won three of the next four games. The 1985 championship was won by the Lakers…
During the off season, Michael Cooper told Coach Riley that the pregame message had gone deep for him. As a boy, Cooper had a grievous leg wound, an ugly cut through the muscle. Doctors did not think he would ever walk correctly again, much less become an athlete. He was sustained through those times by a wonderful mother and devoted uncle. So he had heard those voices.

All of us have at least one great voice deep inside. People are products of their environments. A lucky few are born into situations in which positive messages abound. Others grow up hearing messages of fear and failure which they must block out to hear the positive. But the positive and courageous voice will always emerge, somewhere, sometime, for all of us. Listen for it, and your breakthroughs will come.
Fear of failure will lead you to despair, wrong decisions, and host of other problems. However, when the voice comes through it will counsel courage, that affirms your life and your ability, and it will position you to do your very best.

Story by Pat Riley, A 4^th course of Chicken Soup for the Soul, page 300

“Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”  John Wooden

Legendary basketball coach John Wooden posted this note on the team bulletin board:
‘There is a choice you have to make,
In everything you do.
So keep in mind that in the end,
The choice you make, makes you.’

(The Essential Wooden: A Lifetime of Lessons on Leaders and Leadership, Page 124)

*Eye on the ball*

“You must keep your organization thinking in the present, focused on today rather than lingering in the past or dreaming about the future.  Team members must truly comprehend that what they do now, this day, determines what they will achieve tomorrow.
The past is for reference; the future for dreamers; the present moment is where you create success.”
John Wooden -  (The Essential Wooden, page 153)

*Focus on Today*

– Preseason letter to the team 1968 -

“The past cannot change what is to come. The work that you do each and every day is the only true way to improve and prepare yourself for what is to come. You cannot change the past, and you can influence the future only by what you do today.”

John Wooden – (The Essential Wooden: A Lifetime of Lessons on Leaders and Leadership, page 152)

The Zen of Legendary Coach John Wooden Video on Youtube

“We have a tendency to look at things as they are, without seeing the wonderful opportunities that are available. It is really our choice, nobody else’s. Almost everything that happens to us, either good or bad, is a result of the decisions we make. It is popular to point a finger and blame everybody else for the situations we find ourselves in, but everybody has the opportunity to make the choices that govern their lives. We choose whether we are going to be happy or sad, believe or doubt, pray or curse, help or heal, work or loaf, succeed or fail.” Coach Lou Holtz

That about covers it….

Lou Holtz is one of my personal heroes. His viewpoint on life is a testament to a winning philosophy. Years ago I read his book, A Championship season at Notre Dame,  and was captivated by his philosophies on life and winning. Today I’m sharing a little Lou Holtz wisdom. Hope you enjoy.

A Championship Season at Notre Dame – Chapter 5 – Thoughts on life: The Holtz viewpoint

“The only things that are going to change you from where you are today to where you are going to be five years from now are the people you meet and the books you read.”  Lou Holtz A Championship Season at Notre Dame p. 43

“Life is really quite exciting. One day you’re drinking the wine, and the next day you’re picking the grapes. There are certain things in the world we all have in common such as time. Everybody has sixty seconds to a minute, sixty minutes to an hour, twenty-four hours to a day; the difference is what we do with that time and who we use it. As Reverend Harrington says, “if you’re killing time it’s not murder, but pure suicide.”

“I hate to tell you this, but during the next twelve months you’re probably going to have at least three crises in your life. This does not mean that a crisis is bad. It’s only bad if you react negatively to it. If you take a positive approach to everything that happens, you’ll have experiences that improve you for the future. “ Lou Holtz

“I don’t ask our athletes how many of them want to win. Everybody wants to win when the bands are playing, the crowds are cheering, and the television lights are on. The question I ask is, Can you live with losing, can you live with failure, can you live with mediocrity?” Lou Holtz

“The one thing that is guaranteed to get you up off the ground the quickest and most consistently is a realistic list of dreams and goals.” Lou Holtz

“We use the word WIN, which means to me: What’s Important Now. You must have goals and dreams if you are ever going to achieve anything in this world.” Lou Holtz

“You have to have goals and dreams, or life isn’t very exciting and has no purpose.” Lou Holtz

“Once you establish your abilities to achieve something, everybody’s expectations of you will rise dramatically.” Lou Holtz

“Everybody has enthusiasm. Some people have it for thirty seconds, some have it for 30 minutes, some have it for thirty days, but the individual who can possess enthusiasm for thirty years will be the one people feel has been born on third base.” Lou Holtz

“I find it amazing that we can conquer outer space and travel to the depths of the oceans, yet most of the time, we can’t win one of life’s most important battles – a victory over ourselves.” Lou Holtz

“Nobody can enjoy success for an extended period of time if they do not possess discipline.” Lou Holtz

“One thing is for certain: there will be one thing that will dominate you life. I strongly suggest it be something you can be proud of.” Lou Holtz

Lou Holtz Notre Dame WIN on Youtube

Lou Holtz Inspirational Clips on Youtube

“There is no earthly bliss not watered by tears.”

Filipino proverb

I remember a distinct moment from grade school: I looked around the classroom and wonder if anybody else was actually listening to the teacher. My wandering imagination has always fascinated me. I would dream constantly; paying little attention to the boring or mundane. My imagination is like a trusted friend I can always rely on to entertain me. I would learn this was to be my blessed curse; a never ending imagination of possible wonders.

I read somewhere that writing is no more than a guided dream…

This dream starts in grade twelve English with the poem Ulysses by Lord Alfred Tennyson. It was the first time that literature would inspire me to take action. I was mesmerized by this poem and it would soon become a part of my soul. The great urge to travel the world pursuing distant horizons and unknown wonders filled my heart. I made a decision that day to travel Europe for the summer; and it was simply the most enlightening decision I have ever made.

“…I am a part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethro’
Gleams that untravell’d world whose margin fades
For ever and forever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnish’d, not to shine in use!
As tho’ to breathe were life!…” Ulysses by Lord Alfred Tennyson

I found part of my true self that summer in Europe. I grew more in character then the previous 18 years of my life. The world was a grand vast place and I needed to contribute my verse. Everything was so fresh and alive; I was seeing the world in a new light. It was sensory-overload and for the first time, my imagination stilled. I didn’t realize it at the time, but somewhere between The Grand Place in Brussels and the snow covered peaks of Switzerland, I took my first step towards a few fleeting moments of enlightenment.

It would take three years for me to return to Europe. I had become a lost soul in University. My live the biggest life you can attitude had me hanging my hat in the pub instead of the classroom. I was having the time of my life, completely unaware that my future was taking a turn for the worst. I had lost all direction; something big was missing in my life. The Scary part was that I had no idea what.

I started my trip in England and managed to make my way down to Greece. Just thinking about Greece as I write gives me chills. That warm ocean breeze and winding seaside roads seemed to naturally heal my unhappiness. I was a free soul again: I was loving life once more.

Sitting on a rock in Corfu enjoying the splendor of the brilliant pink sunset and contemplating my life. I decided to make a list of everything I loved and hated about myself. I looked at the list for a long time – and then I threw it in the Ocean. It was a list of my past-self, and I made peace with it, realizing it had no bearing on my future. Then it struck me hard. This overwhelming and absolute feeling of joy invaded my soul. I wept with tears for joy for the first time in my life. I cried my eyes out and it felt wonderful. I was happy to be who I was; and proud of my place in the world. That cry still remains one of the happiest moments in my life. I was forever a changed man.

Nothing could hold me back from returning to Europe next summer.  I needed to sit on my rock and figure out one question. What I want to do with my life?  The question was simple.  If I could do anything at all, what would make me the happiest?  The answer never showed. So I left Greece on a ferry heading to Italy. I was listening to Ben Harper’s song ‘Give a man a home’ and I finally figure it out. I wanted to travel the  world and write about it. That would make me the happiest man I could be.

I knew that was the answer I was looking for more then I knew anything else on earth.  I traveled up the coast to arrive in Barcelona a few days later; and had my first meeting with fate.  I arrived late at night and there wasn’t a bed to be found anywhere.  I stored my backpack in a locker at the train station and headed to the beach to crash. I awoke miserable and tired. I searched everywhere for 6 hours to find a place to stay. The hot sun was pouring down and my backpack was digging deeper and deeper into my shoulders. I had no luck at all.  I was ready to give up and get back on the train, but I decided to give it one more try. Finally, the hostel Alberg Palau had one bed available; relief.  On my bed was a copy of The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho: a story about a sacred journey to Santiago Compostela in Northern Spain to become a new man. That book would become part of my journey as I traveled through the luscious green valleys of Spain to the Cathedral of Saint James. The Cathedral was breathtaking and for the first time I felt immersed in the Soul of the World. I was certain that a higher source of power existed on earth, and I felt comforted by that.

“It is the pleasure of searching and the pleasure of the adventure.  You are nourishing something that’s very important-your dreams.  We must never stop dreaming.  Dreams provide nourishment for the soul, just as a meal does for the body.  Many times in our lives we see our dreams shattered and our desires frustrated, but we have to continue dreaming.  If we don’t, our soul dies…” The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho

I returned home and picked up a copy of Coelho’s famous book The Alchemist.  It was an omen that confirmed everything I had learned in my travels. I would begin listening to my heart and following my dreams.  I was the Sheppard boy Santiago whose love for traveling had revealed his personal treasure. From that moment on, I dedicated my life to becoming a writer.  I had finally found what I was looking for; my destiny.

“When you want something with all your heart, that’s when you are closest to the Soul of the World. It’s always a positive force.” The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Ulysses is still my favorite poem, and The Alchemist my favorite book by my favorite author. I have yet to return to my rock on the beautiful beach of Corfu, but I know I will make it back there someday. Hopefully with a copy of my bestseller in one hand and my journal in the other.

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Hope you enjoyed my insight…. Peace and safe travels…

Jonathan

“Relentless pursuit to find a competitive edge.”  Pete Carroll

Can you recite your personal philosophy in 25 words or less?

Legendary college football coach Pete Carroll started his motivational speech by stressing the importance of having a philosophy and knowing it. Carroll asked some of military’s highest-ranking officers to raise their hands if they had a personal philosophy. About half the attendees raised their hands.

Then he asked how many of those who raised their hands could recite their philosophy in 25 words or less. By then, only a small handful of people still had their hands up.

If I was asked to recited my personal philosophy in 25 words or less, my answer would be yes. I would take a shot at it, and probably come up with something close to 25 words and near the truth. But no philosophy is completely ingrained my soul.  My mantra is: To Strive for Love, To seek knowledge, To Find happiness, and Yield not to fear.  Inspired by my favorite poem Ulysses by Lord Alfred Tennyson.  “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”   So I decided to write a sharp personal philosophy in 25 words or less.  And I challenge you to do the same.

I would love to hear some inspiring short philosophies, so drop a link below to your blog post, social media site, or go rogue in the comment section below with 25 words or less. In case you wondering where you can find my personal philosophy in 25 words or less.  I decided to take some time to ponder this exercise and try to perfect my 25 words or less, in a poetic style that speaks of imagination and certitude. I will published it in three days time…

Need a little inspiration?  Here is a Pete Carroll coaching philosophy: Win…Forever.

“I remembered thinking, that’s what it means to really be successful, showing you can maintain success over a long period of time,” Carroll said. “Looking back now, that’s when I decided that I wanted the team I coached to Win Forever.”

“How can you possibly do something forever? Much less Win… Forever?”

“That’s the interesting thing about the philosophy — to accomplish the grand, you have to focus on the small. To exist in the eternal perspective, you have to live in the moment.”

“Each practice takes on utmost importance. Each strength and conditioning workout carries significant weight. They’re all monumental, yet none more valuable than another.”

“And it goes to even more minute scales than that. Each repetition of each drill at practice means everything, because you can’t get to forever without right now.”

Carroll continued recalling the speech he gave to his players,

“‘The issue is this — we set our sights years and years ago to get to this point right here and to prove that we could do this just because we were dreamers and we were hopeful and we were going to do something really special. And the fact that we’re going to play this game tomorrow is not the issue. The fact that’s so important is what we have done, what we have illustrated and the lesson we can take away from this. By having a vision that nobody would back off on, that nobody would take a backward step on, that nobody would ever think couldn’t happen, we found our way to put ourselves exactly where we wanted to be. We’re doing it better than it’s ever been done before.”

“Carroll was a specially invited attendee and speaker at the military’s Conference on Small Unit Excellence, a first-of-its-kind seminar in Alexandria, Va., in late April that has since laid the foundation for revolutionary shifts in the actions and attitudes of the country’s armed forces.”

“Co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Joint Forces Command, the three-day conference attracted the military’s highest-ranking officers, some of the country’s brightest academicians, science’s top thinkers and Carroll — the only sports-related person invited — as they sought the answer to one question: How can the U.S. military improve and maintain consistent success?”

“Much like the rock that you drop in calm water, the effects of Coach’s presence and what he had to say is still rippling through the body of communities here,” Kamiya said. “The ripples are still reverberating through our communities.”  Source USC News

“It’s simply beyond words. It’s incalculacable.”  Michael Scott – The Office

Everyday, I listen to people’s problems over the phone and do my best to offer them a solution.  I’m in sales, and most days I really enjoy it. In sales, when the dust clears, you can either give results or excuses. I have always been great with excuses. I have a long never-ending list that has been tried, tested, and true since as long as I can remember. Simply stated, a good excuse at the right time can be a beautiful thing. However, recently I noticed a very positive change in my work life: I developed a desire to be the very best.

Any salesman or woman, has probably read a hundred different sales tips and strategies. So I am just going to give you one. The greatest truth in sales: “People buy for whose reasons, your reasons or their reasons? People buy for their reasons.” Simple right?

I remember the feeling of closing a fortune 100 company at first sales gig. I roared a loud triumphant cheer and felt the rush of self-actualization pass through me. Closing that sale felt fantastic, and as with all fantastic things, I wanted more right away. Now that initial rush has changed to more consistent and complete feeling that I carry with me throughout my workday. The simple feeling that I am good at something, I have the power to enjoy it, and it brings me joy to succeed at it. So here are my essential teachings on finding the Zen of closing a sale.

“Reverse psychology is an awesome tool, I don’t know if you guys know about it, but basically you can make someone think the opposite of what you believe, and that tricks them into doing something stupid. Works like a charm.”  Michael Scott – The Office

Celebrate each victory whether large or small.

The Costa Ricans have a beautiful saying called Pura Vida. The literal translation is “Pure life”, but the contextual meaning is “Full of life” or “Purified life”.  For me it’s the perfect sales philosophy to follow. “It embodies a philosophy in which communal ties are strong and close; difficulties are overcome with a resilient and happy spirit, where life is enjoyed leisurely and to the full, and where fortune of whatever size is heartily celebrated.” Tony Cousins. Take a moment to think about that philosophy and how it can pertain to both your work and life.

“I guess the atmosphere that I’ve tried to create here is that I’m a friend first and a boss second, and probably an entertainer third.” Michael Scott – The Office

Bring harmony to your work space and everyone around it.

I shared my first office with a close friend Eric. It was high above the city on the 17^th floor with a corner window overlooking the Art Gallery in downtown Vancouver. Each morning I would play a little Hemi-Sync music to help me get into a peaceful harmonious rhythm. Hemi-Sync is short for Hemispheric Synchronization, the technique synchronizes the two hemispheres of one’s brain, thereby creating a ‘frequency-following response’ designed to evoke altered states of consciousness through the use of sound. Similar to someone listening to the symphony of the rain wash away their tears, or the elevating beat of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons to lift their spirits. When you bring harmony into your tone of voice and complement it with a peaceful attitude, people will enjoy talking with you, and want to listen closely to what you‘re saying. Within a week, Eric was asking me to play this selection or that one, and had chosen a favourite. The following is a clip of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, I recommend playing it softly in the background as you continue reading. 

“Uh, yeah, I get a little frustrated when I’m dealing with incompetence. Well, you know what? You can go to hell and I will see you there. Burning. Fine. Oh, wait, so you’ll let me know when you’ve made a decision?”  Dwight Schrute – The Office

Control the ebb and flow of your conscious thoughts.

Be as passionate as you can without getting too emotionally involved. This can be one of the most difficult things in sales and life. Passion and enthusiasm are the driving force behind any great sales person. But be weary against becoming to emotionally involved, their is a very fine line between passion and the “greed of needing“. Remember that each “No” brings you one step closer to finding a “Yes” and closing a sale. Strive for the balance of understanding it’s the “No’s” that make the “Yes’s” feel great, and the “Yes’s” that make the “No’s” worth it. Find the balance and the big Moby Dick (Whale-not to be confused with a swinging rod) of sales will soon be yours.

Be at one with all the wonderful things about your job.

Motivational speaker and author Zig Ziglar talks about attitude, and how we’re often unaware of how many things we like about our job. The example he gives involves a bitter and unhappy women who approached him with what she thought was an impossible problem. When she walked up to meet him, he never saw more anger in a person in his entire life. She started crying right away, and said she has this horrible job that she hates, she hates everything about it, and she hates everyone who works there. She looked at him and asked: “Can you help me?” He looked at her firmly and said: “Your problem is about to get worse.” She replied: “What do you mean?” He said, “I believe they are going to fire you.” She was stunned, “Fire me, why would they to fire me?” Zig then explains, “have you ever noticed when someone is about to lose something they have been complaining about, it takes on brand new value.” She looked at him and asked, “ What can I do? He asked her to get out a piece of paper and write on the top, “I like my job because”. She replied, “that will be easy, I don’t like anything about my job or the people down there.” He asked her: “Do they pay you for working there?” “Yes, the pay me”, she replied. He responded, “Well do you like to be paid?” She said, “Yes I do”. Zig: “Ok, that is one thing you like about your job.” In the end, she had 22 things she liked about her job: she was paid above average, she had a office, a parking spot, three weeks paid vacation, they paid to send her to conferences, and so on. He told her to go home and read it over in the mirror and change “I like my job” to “I love my job”. Zig believes “The healthiest of all human emotions is gratitude” Six weeks later he was back to do a follow up sales seminar and there she was sitting in the front row grinning so wide she could have eaten a banana sideways. He asked her how she was doing, and she replied, “I am doing wonderfully well. You will not believe how much those people at work have changed.” The moral of the story: “Your not going to change anyone else until you change you. “

Your feedback and comments are greatly appreciated. Feel free to share any Sales or Zen related stories or information below.  Thanks

“What is the single most important thing for a company? Is it the building? Is it the stock? Is it the turnover? It’s the people. The *people*. My proudest moment here wasn’t when I increased profits by 17%, or cut expenditure without losing a single member of staff. No, no, no, no. It was a young Guatamalan guy, first job in the country, hardly spoke a word of English, but he came to me and he went “Mr. Scott, will you be the Godfather to my child?” Wow. *Wow.* Didn’t work out in the end. We had to let him go. He sucked.” Michael Scott – The Office

I published a post containing, Tips on living a better life in 2008, which sparked serious debate over number 28, “God heals almost everything”.  I was pleased this post had such passionate responses.  I allowed all negative and positive comments fly while watching the debate progress.  Few chose the middle ground, but those comments were my favorite.  What I loved most about the post was learning insight from its publication.

Photo found on Vi.sualize.us

Notably, the following seemed to strike a cord with me:

Comment by JM, “It’s as though #28 ruined the day for everyone who read it. I’m agnostic or atheist or I don’t really know what, but it’s really irrelevant. I’m just blown away by the negativity that one comment can provoke in people who are logging on to a website based on “enlightenment.” My personal advice would be to “F&*$# lighten up.” But perhaps more sage advice would be what a Buddhist monk once told me when I struggled with one of the teachings: “Ignore that teaching. If it is a roadblock to accepting the good parts in the other passages, then you must discard it. Maybe one day you will feel differently about it, maybe not, but don’t let it get in the way of the parts which are helpful to you.” That’s my two cents. Feel free to get angry, I won’t.”

Photo found on Vi.sualize.us

So as a follow up I’m asking the following questions in hopes that my readers will continue this debate and learn from each other. What are the most important questions in life?  Are they about religion, happiness, freedom, love, etc?  Can any answers true satisfy, or are the answers shape by ones experience? Have you found any answers? What?

To start off, I listed questions to get the ball rolling.  I hope you will share your knowledge, love, hate, wisdom, or anything you feel like ranting about.  I will allow everything to be published.

Photo found on Gods Emerald’s

Questions???

1. What is the meaning of life?
2. Where Did I Come From?
3. Who Am I?
4. Where Am I Going?
5. How much money is enough?
6. What is love?
7. Is there a Supreme Being and is his name really God?
8. How far does space go? Is there life on other planets?
9. ”What is the meaning of life?
10. How much is it?… Are you married? Will there be an open bar?
11. “What kind of job will I have in the future or even right now”? “Where will I live?”  “Who will I marry?”
12. “WHAT DOES GOD WANT ME TO DO WITH MY LIFE?” “What do I want to do with my life?”
13. “What are the most important questions I need to figure out to be happy?”
14. “What is happiness and how do I achieve it?”
15. “Why is an all-knowing God not naturally known by His human creation?”
16. Is there real proof that God cares for you?”
17. What is life all about?”
18. “Is there life after death?”
19. “Why does God allow pain and suffering?”
20. “Can we know God?”
21. Does God choose sides?”
22. Does God want freedom?
23. Why does God let war happen?
24. Whom should we pray for?
25. Is my life significant?
26. What really matters in life?
27. Why should I get up in the morning?
28. Is there life after death?
29. DO I have free will?
30. Why are we here?

Using affirmations is a way to create positive change in your life, but just as important; they feel good to say.  Affirmations are one of the easiest, yet most overlooked meditations in the world.   I will once again refer to a little book called Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain as the source of inspiration for this article. Definition:  “To affirm means ‘to make firm.’  An affirmation is a strong, positive statement that something is already so.  It is a way of ‘making firm’ that which you are imaging.”  Shakti Gawain

Try saying my personal three affirmations in life, and see how they make you feel:

“I am capable of anything and bound by nothing”“

“I love like I have never been hurt, and work like I don’t need the money”

“I strive for love, Seek knowledge, Find happiness, and Yield not to Fear”

They feel good to say, don’t they?  When we practice using affirmations, we replace the old bad programming that blocks us from moving forward in life.  Our mind defines us, whether we like it or not.  Filling it each day with positive affirmations will have an immediate impact on how we feel and think about our present situations.  It is such an easy practice contrary to the difficult meditations that push us to quiet our mind. Creating your own personal list of affirmations is a fun and positive exercise.  I suggest making the Affirmations as personal as possible, don’t simply rely on someone else’s list for your life, make your own and start today.

Shakti gives the following 7 tips for you to follow:

1. “Always phrase affirmations in the present tense, not in the future.”
2. “Always phrase affirmations in the most positive way that you can.”
3. “In general, the shorter and simpler the affirmation the more effective.”
4. “Always choose affirmations that feel totally right for you.”
5. “Always remember when doing affirmations that you are creating something new and fresh.”
6. “Affirmations are not meant to contradict or try to change your feelings or emotions.”
7. “When using affirmations, try as much as possible to create a feeling of belief, an experience that they can be true.”

Here are some great examples take from Creative Visualization to get you started:

• “I am dynamically self-expressive.”
• “It’s Okay for me to have everything I want!”
• “I feel happy and blissful just being alive.”
• “I am a radiant being, filled with light and love.”
• “I am an open channel of creative energy.”
• “The light within me is creating miracles in my life here and now.”
• “I love to love and be loved.”
• “Infinite riches are now freely flowing in my life.”
• “Everything I need is already within me.”
• “Abundance is a natural state of being.  I accept it now!”
• “I love and appreciate myself just as I am.” By Shakti Gawain

NOW, doesn’t that just feel good?  The present moment is all we have in life, so take this moment to write at least one affirmation to share with others in the comment section below.  Begin changing you inner-self with positive thoughts today.

One of my old college buddies flew anywhere in the world for free courtesy of his step dad who worked for Air Canada. When I told him that I hated to fly; he was shocked. He told me to “just relax, you can watch a movie, eat, read, meet someone new, have some good conversation; the journey is always what you make of it. Forget about arriving, enjoy each little moment that you’re free and away from the routine and hassles in life.” I never forgot that statement; I carry it with me on every trip. Time is so precious in life, at some point the hourglass drops its finally grain of sand, so treasure every moment.

Here are 4 tips on changing you life while experiencing the Zen of travel. 

1.) Take some time alone in a special place to contemplate your happiness. Some people are always shocked when I tell them I traveled somewhere alone. They will never understand the complete and absolute feeling of freedom one receives from standing in a new part of the world and thinking “what do I want to do today, what will make me the happiest”. It’s so refreshing to get away from everyone and everything that has influence in your life; you can hear the voice in your own soul so clearly. Remember to take some time for yourself; Walk on the beach or up a mountain until you find a secluded spot and just sit back; enjoying the moment while contemplating your happiness. I sat on a rock in Greece and made a list of everything I loved and hated about myself, I came to some stark realizations that day. After a long time I threw the list into the ocean and felt completely liberated from my past. I swam in the ocean as the sun was setting without a single thought or worry about the past or future.  

2.) If you take all you favorite and nostalgic songs with you on a trip and you will never find loneliness. Music is the great soundtrack to our lives. It will bring you back to the memory of a lover or a special time in life. The song Closing Time by Green Day, always brings me back to the fond memories of all the great friends I made in college that worked at the Shot Pool Pub in London, Ontario. Everyone who worked there was a very special and charismatic person. We had the time of our lives working together, sharing together, living together, and occasionally sleeping together. The road trips, birthday parties, and special events were a golden era in our lives. Music is a warm comforting blanket that will keep your soul alive with beautiful emotions at the most troubling times on the journey before you.  

3.) Everyone has that one great book that is recommended to them over and over again. So think about it, find it, and take it with you on your trip, everything happens for a reason, and it often seems to me that the right book always comes to me at the right moment in life; when I needed it the most. If you pay attention, the right book will always find you and help you change the impossible. One of my all time favorite college football coaches, Lou Holtz, states that “Only two things will change your life 5 years from now: are the people you meet and the books you read.”   

4.) Traveling is all about change: the only constant in our lives. The more you change on a trip the more beautiful the journey becomes. Traveling forces a change in everything around you and takes you away from your boring routines, narrow perspectives, disheartened attitudes, and fearful inhibitions. I felt so happy to be alive as I was returning home from a life changing trip in Greece. On the plane, I started a random conversation with a Lady sitting next to me at the back of the plane. We talked for a long time before she looked me in the eyes and said, “I can feel the happiness in you, you really must have made the most of your trip, and don’t ever forget this feeling when you get back. Don’t remember this moment; keep on living it.” Her voice cracked a little bit and I saw tears starting to form. She looked at me dead in the eyes and with a tremble in her voice said, “I went away because I needed some time alone, I have cancer, and I needed to figure out how I was going to tell my husband and kids that I’m dying. I couldn’t figure out what to say to them; but I figured out what to do about it. I’m going express all my love to them each and everyday with all my heart and soul. I am going to live in love for the rest of my days.” Starting that simple random conversation made me realize how fortunate I was at that moment, face to face with those tears of love and fear changed me a little, from that moment on I was also going to try to live in love for the rest of my days. To just Live in love… Pura Vida Forever…