Clearing The Jam

I worked for a shipping company when I was younger. From time to time, we would receive a package that had been virtually destroyed. It looked like someone had dropped it from the roof of a tall building.

The packages would travel a conveyor belt. Sometimes at a turn in the conveyor, a package would get stuck. The packages behind it would start to pile up on the small package. If no one was there to clear the jam, the weight from all of the boxes behind would crush it.

Our lives are not so different. Everything runs smoothly if we are going straight. When life has a turn, we have to have someone who can help with the jams. Building a wall is one thing. Turning the corner takes more skill. Don't let the obstacles of life crush you. Use them to build a better life. I hope you have a great week and Merry Christmas!

Change

Change is hard. You can't know all of the potential outcomes up front, so the there is always a degree of uncertainty. There is a chance you'll make the wrong decision. Because of that, many choose to remain stagnant.

Some say the definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting a different result. I say there is a lot of truth in that. You can't withdraw and retract and expect to grow and attract others to you and your business.

So how do you grow and change? Start by putting people around you that will make you question if you are achieving your greatest potential. Its easy to surround yourself with "yes men". Have someone in your sphere that will challenge you. It will only make you better.

Fear or Faith?

Do you know what fear and faith have in common? They both haven't happened yet. They both point to the future. Yet many people treat fear like it is for sure and faith as if it is not.

Fear is misusing your imagination. You control how you look at tomorrow. It is just as easy to have faith as it is to have fear. You only need the grain of a mustard seed. If you haven't seen a mustard seed, it's small!

How can you control it? Start with the people you surround yourself with. If you are the smartest person in the room, get a new room. Feed your soul through devotions. Feed your mind by listening to blogs and reading. Hire a coach. Have people who are more successful than you speak into your life.

GPS for your business!

I use my GPS everyday. I probably use it too much. I depend on it. I constantly look at it to see where I am, how fast I'm going and how long until my destination. Without it, I could still arrive, but I would not be as efficient.

Your business plan is the GPS for your business.  What do you want your business to look like next year? If you don't own a business, what do you want your contribution to the company you work for to look like?

Make your goals big! Make your goals specific! Have a plan on how you will get there. Have an accountability partner. Better yet, have a coach. Aim at nothing and you will hit it every time. Now is the time to work on your plan. Don't wait until January! That is too late.

Pilot Light

We have a gas fire place. If the pilot light is not on, it does not matter how much gas you add, the fire will not start. You could fill the house with gas and you will get nothing! Is that what's wrong with a lot of people?

We have the fuel or information if you will. We have access to anything you want to know at our fingertips. The problem is that there are a whole lot of people walking around with no pilot light. Maybe someone else blew it out. They listened to the wrong voice!

If you light has gone out, get close to someone who has their light burning bright. Stop hanging around negativity and get around the fire! Then go help someone else get their fire going!

Angry! Retraction! Withdrawn!

What do you feel when you read the heading? Are those words you would associate with success? Do you think these words have a place in your life if you want to go forward?

You can't walk around mad and expect to draw people to you. People want to be a part of something exciting! Sure, things will upset you and some negative reaction is expected short term, but victim mentality will never lead to success!

You are solely responsible for where you are and where you want to go in life. Stop thinking small. Stop waiting on something or someone to give you satisfaction and happiness. Go make it yourself! You have it inside you.

Convention Junkie!

I just returned from the REALTORS® Conference and Expo in Orlando Florida. People ask why I go to so many conferences. I have agents say they are too busy to attend conferences. Why would I attend six conferences this year and how does that affect my business?

I go to conferences to grow! I go to stretch my thinking and learn from other top professionals in the real estate arena. I go to grow my referral network. I also go to learn the latest in technology so I can help my clients get the most from our relationship.

You are only growing or dying. You never stay the same. The moment you think you have it all figured out, you will be passed by. Some say, "If it's not broke don't fix it." I prefer "If it's not broke, break it!"

Doing your best!

So you have a job. It's not a job you love. It's not even a job you like. It pays the bills, but your are not happy. Maybe you should just quit and look for a new job.

Look at this from another angle. It's always easier to find a job when you already have one. You are more attractive as a candidate when you are already employed. Never jump from the boat you are in until you are close enough to the dock. If you jump too early, you will get wet!

Try to look at your current job as an open interview for your next position. Your next employer may walk in the door at any moment. If you are going above and beyond in your service, they are going to notice. At the very least, your managers and owners of your company will see you adding so much value, they can no longer ignore you. They will have to promote you or risk losing you to a competitor. Now you are in a win-win situation!

Your Station In Life

Most people wake up, go to work, come home, go to bed and repeat this every day. They live for the weekend where they can drown the sorrows of the week. They call this a life.

Michael Burt said "This ain't no practice life!" There is a lot of meaning to that. You only have one shot at this life. Is this really the best you have to offer? Something tells me that it's not.

You don't have a station in life. As much as politicians would love you to believe, you're not part of an economic class of people. You are where you are until you are brave enough to grow.  You never have to accept your fate, you have to create it!

It boils down to what you feed yourself everyday. With your body, if you eat junk food, you'll produce an unhealthy body. If you start feeding your mind positive messages, your outlook will change. Stop talking negatively to yourself. Turn the TV off and read something that will cause you to think differently. No one can stop you!

Power Of Choice!

You have the most powerful thing on your possession. You have the ability to take every adversity, every obstacle, every failure and decide how you will react. You have the power to choose. You choose your reaction and that makes the difference!

We live in a "victim mentality" society. There is always someone to blame for the reason we didn't meet expectations. You can blame an outside force for your situation. Maybe you would even be right to some degree.

The word "overcome" has two meanings. The first meaning is "to prevail over." The second meaning is "to be overpowered." It's all in how you use the word. Don't let your environment dictate your success and happiness. You have the power to choose!

Do You Glitter or Shine?

Glitter is only a reflection of something else. It can be purchased or borrowed. It is attractive and draws your attention, but when you get close, you realize the true light is coming from somewhere else.

Shine is something altogether different. That is when you give off light. That comes from inside. You just have it. You can't manufacture it. This comes from a desire to help others above yourself. That is doing the right thing no matter how much it hurts.

Everyday you wake up, you have a choice. You can try to look rich with glitter or you can be rich and shine. You can be self-focus or others-focused. Glitter is short term and shine is forever. When you shine, you will not only see your path, you will light the way for those around you.

Hail Mary

When do you quit? When do you realize you have done all you can and it's time to throw in the towel? When is it too late for a comeback?

On Saturday, the Georgia Bulldogs scored to go up over over the Tennessee Volunteers with 12 seconds left in the football game. The Tennessee fans were stunned! Their mouths were wide open. Many said later that they turned the game off and watched something else. They missed something magical.

With a couple of penalties, Tennessee ended up with one opportunity, one shot at the  end zone with 4 seconds to play. They throw a Hail Mary! As time expires on Tennessee player jumps a little higher than the other team and comes down with the ball! They won!

It may seem like you have no options left, but until you close your eyes for the last time, you do! You have to keep fighting! You will win! You have to just keep going. Don't give up. Don't relax when you have a small victory either. There is still some time left on the clock.

Water slide

We are at Atlantis in Paradise Island, Bahamas. We were at the top of a water slide and my daughter was afraid and wanted to back out. Kids and adults had made it to the bottom successfully all day with no injury. So why was she afraid?

Fear of the unknown is the worst fear. It's  misuse of your imagination. Some fear is good for you. You shouldn't stand outside during a tornado or lightning storm. Often the fear we experience will never happen. We stress our mind and body for no reason.

She did go down the slide and was waiting at the bottom with a huge smile on her face! The best part was that she was ready to go right back up. So go ahead and take that leap. You'll be fine. No, you'll be great!

Human Nature

I recently returned from Charleston to panic and frustration in the city of Murfreesboro, TN. I learned that we had an apparent gas shortage. A pipeline has ruptured, disrupting the supply to Tennessee.

The media said it was only temporary and not to rush out to buy gas and certainly don't panic. So why were there lines to the street with many stations only allowing a certain number of gallons to be purchased? Some stations were out completely.

It's human nature. "If everyone else stays in, I'll get there first and get my gas." Guess what? Everyone is thinking that! I'm not saying it's right or wrong, I'm saying humans are predictable.

Once you can learn how humans behave, you can be successful in business. You can learn how to serve them based on that behavior.

Average

My son brought home his progress report last week. He had made four "A's" and one "C". You might think that he had a great report. It was not acceptable because of the standard we have set in our household. We don't settle for average.

Most people go through life just trying to get by. They are just keeping their head above water to maintain that "C". You often hear, "At least I'm not failing!" They have set the bar too low.

Do you eat at restaurants that have a "C" average for food quality or rush to book that "C" quality hotel? What if your heart surgeon maintained a "C" average in college? Then why do we accept that from our children and ourselves?

How do we fix the "C' mentality? We sat down with our son and reviewed what brought his grade down and made sure he understood how to fix it. He had misunderstood one assignment and made an extremely low grade. He is now working to bring the grade up.

If we had just been fine with "average", we would not have given him a chance to grow.

Why climb the mountain?

Adolph Rupp said "When you see a man on top of a mountain, you can be sure he didn't fall there." 

I recently watched a documentary on an expedition to climb K2 where 11 people died. It made me think, why did they risk there life to climb a mountain? Most of the time they only stay a few short minutes at the summit and have to begin the dangerous descent.

Many of the ones who survived had do have their toes removed due to frost bite. There lives were altered forever. Some of those continued to find ways to climb other mountains.

Life is always easier looking up at the mountain. One thing is for sure, you can't climb a mountain like K2 by yourself. You have to have experienced people around you. People you trust with your life! 

The only way to see true success is to have a team around you. You can't go it alone. You won't ask yourself the hard questions. It's worth it! The view is nice from up here!

Whirlwind!

People often ask how I travel, speak, volunteer, rarely miss church services and still have a successful real estate business. Number one is to put God first. Beyond that you have to know that you have a whirlwind that is the daily grind of your business.

In the book "The 4 Diciplines of Execution", the authors state that the whirlwind will consume every ounce of energy it can! You have to goal set and work your plan in the midst of the whirlwind. The moment you stop, the whirlwind will get you. You will start becoming reactive rather than proactive.

If you want to go to the gym, it should become an appointment in your day. Plan family time. Do not break the appointment just because the phone rings. Church is a "No Matter What!" for me. Don't let someone else's lack of preparation become your emergency! Sure, there are going to be times when you have no choice. If you will apply this principle, you will start to get your life back.

Only Eleven!

My son recently made the football team at Whitworth Buchanan Middle School. There are almost 50 kids on the team. At any given time there are 11 on the field and the rest line up along the side and watch the game. They are all waiting for their name to be called to enter the game.

Where are you? Are you one of the eleven or are you on the side lines. Do you know what it takes for one of those kids to transition from the sideline to a star on the field?

They have to catch the attention of the coach. They have to perform well enough in practice that the coach can no longer ignore them and has to find a way to work them in.

This doesn't happen accidentally. It usually doesn't happen in the game. It usually happens in practice. The coach starts to notice the work ethic, commitment and improvement.

You have to practice. You have to hone your skills. You need to constantly be reading, meeting with people smarter than you and copying what they do. Eventually people take notice and have no choice but to put you in their game.

Dream or Goal?

I was going through my affirmations and read one of my goals. I had not achieved this goal. I was not any closer to this goal than when I wrote it down.

You see, I had not been working toward this goal even though I have been reading it every morning for the past few months. I had taken no action toward this goal.

If there is something you want, but you are not willing to take any steps toward it, is it really a goal or is it a dream? A dream is something you would like to have.........one day. It would be nice, but you are probably not going to make a sacrifice in order to achieve it.

If you want to lose weight or reach a financial goal, you can't just wish for it. You have to start counting calories or saving your money. You have to get to the gym or forego that shopping spree. If you're not taking steps toward your goal, you're just dreaming!

Care

If you could start every transaction with this word in mind, you will have a business that is unstoppable. Too often salespeople focus on their commission check unstead of focusing on the best care for that client. This often results in a check at the end, but a less than pleasant experience for the client.

This is how salespeople get their bad name. If you are selling a product, you can try to force that product into people's lives regardless of their need. You make one sale and it ends there.

When you care, you ask questions. You look for a need and then fill it. Create a relationship with that client and focus on how the transaction is going to benefit them. 

In the end they get what they want and you still get paid. The difference is that person is going to tell other people about their good experience with you and you can't buy that kind of advertising! 

Selfless!

I recently completed a transaction where one party only cared about the outcome as it related to them. Every request was met with objection. Every negotiation turned into argument that led to that person saying "I'm done! I refuse to do anything else!"

When we focus only on ourselves and the outcome only as it relates to our success, we short side all those around us. We affect our families, clients, friends.

Google defines the word selfless as "concerned more with the needs and wishes of others than with one's own; unselfish."

When you apply this to your life, it will change forever! It's not always easy, but it's worth it. You may not always make the most money from every deal, but you will make the most out of every relationship!

Legacy

I woke up this morning to the news that a dear friend passed away. His life was tragically cut short. He was way to young for his life to be over!

I sit here thinking about my life. What is important? Is it the next deal? Is it how much money I'm going to make or how many new clients in going to get? 

What if my life ends today? What will people say about me. What has been my impact on those around me. Have I added value to their lives or drained them of their energy?

I sit here in thought and prayer. I want to have a servants heart! When we care, we serve better. We are better spouses, parents, co-workers, friends and even bosses.

I want people to see Christ living through me. My selfish wants would be put aside. That would be a legacy to be proud of, no matter how long you life may be.

One Goal

What is your single most important goal? What is the one thing that would define your success and your legacy? Have you thought about it? 

Now that you have that in your mind, what are you doing every day to bring you closer to that goal? We often set goals, then let the whirlwind of life take our eyes off the ball. We fall into a rut. The things we find ourselves doing everyday have nothing to do with our goals. We go into survival mode.

If you are going to have an important goal, you have to be intentional every day to accomplish it. In the book "The 4 Disciplines of Execution", the author states "People play differently when they are keeping score!"

It's time to stop going through life like a zombie and start living with purpose. Remember you only have one run at this! Set a goal today. There is no limit to what you can do!

Opportunity or Passion?

I hear it often said, "Go follow your passion!" Or, "make your vacation your vocation!" Is that true? Should that be the way we approach our careers?

Look at it this way. Look for opportunities and bring your passion with you. How many opportunities do you miss looking for your passion?

I love to play the bass! I have a passion for it! How fun would it be for me to teach bass lessons five days a week. I think I might lose some passion.

Let some things be your getaway, your vacation. Always look for opportunities! Bring your passion with you! 

30 Blank Squares

We all start each month with 30 blank squares on the calender. It's what we do with those squares that makes the difference. You are in total control of your squares.

What happens when we let others pick what we do with our squares? We are often overwhelmed trying to move the ball down the court for someone else! We don't have time for excercise, devotion or self improvement. 

I hear people all the time say, " I don't have time for this or that." You have time or will make time for the things that are most important to you. Every month you get a new set of squares. Start prefilling the things you want to accomplish for that month. It could be scheduled time at the gym, church or even a vacation. Schedule days off too.

Remember only one person is ultimately in charge of your squares. 

Ugly Babies!

Social media can be used in two ways. You can lift people up or break them down. You can choose to add value or strip it away.

When you next post, think about the effect it will have. Are you stirring the pot? Are you attempting to gain validation for your opinion? 

When you post or share something you know is controversial, you should know you aren't going to change someone's mind who holds a different point of view. This is not the setting for that. It's like taking a megaphone into a crowd and trying to have a meaningful debate. This should be done one on one.

The next time you post, just stop and think. Am I building those around me up? Arguing on social media is like trying to convince someone their baby's ugly. It ain't happening!

Father or Dad?

We just celebrated Father's Day yesterday. Like many others, I spent the day with my dad. We grilled out, sang and reminisced about the good ole days. This morning I started thinking about the difference between a father and a dad.

A "father" is a biological position. One simple act of indescretion or many years of planning the perfect moment to start a family. A father may stick around or may take off as soon as the baby arrives. He may help the mom with the financial needs of the newborn or not. You see the term father carries no obligation.

Now "dad" means something different to me. The times I know my dad wanted to fish alone, but took me and my brother anyway. He spent the entire time untangling our lines. The times he spent with us camping, riding motorcycles or building new bicycles out of old ones. No matter what happened in the world, I knew I had a dad that loved me unconditionally. The word "dad" means sacrifice.

I strive to be a good dad to my children as well. They are my world! I look forward every morning to hugging them and kissing on them. Every night I tuck them in and we say our prayers. I wouldn't miss those moments for anything.

So as I reflect on yesterday, I want to wish everyone a Happy Dad's Day!

It starts with your mindset.

Have you wondered why some are successful and others struggle daily? The chips seem to fall right for some all the time. Other people can't buy a break!

It starts with how you think. If you are broke and you start thinking how wealthy people think, you will start to do the things that will make you wealthy. On the other hand, if you are wealthy and you start thinking like a broke person, you are on your way to becoming broke.

It starts with accepting the fact that it is not someone else's fault that you are in your situation. Go look in the mirror. That is the person responsible. Sure, sometimes outside forces affect our lives. It is your reaction to those things that determines your success.

Randy Gage said "You can be a victim or a victor, but you can't be both!

Culture first!

When building my team, I thought about what was most important. The thing that stuck out the most was culture. If we could build the right culture, we could do anything.

How do you build a strong culture? I believe it starts with respect. If you treat those around you like team members instead your subjects, they will start to take ownership in what your team is doing.

Be slow to anger and quick to reward. People usually realize when they have made a mistake. They don't need you to beat them down further. Instead of trying to prove you are right and they are wrong, use that time go over solutions to make the team better.

Always give every team member input in the direction of the team. Hold team meetings where everyone has an equal say. Set your goals together, instead of the leader setting a goal and forcing it down.

It can be summed up by simply caring for those around you. Create an environment where your team will be eager to get up every morning and come to work. If you have them walking on eggshells everyday, I'll guarantee you they are not working their hardest for you.

Time off......

Yesterday was Memorial Day. I took the entire day off. I did not schedule any appointments. I spent the whole day with my family. 

This morning I feel refreshed! I'm excited about the week! I'm ready to get to the office and help my clients find and sell homes!

I hear people say they haven't taken a day off in so many days, weeks, or months. It's almost like they are proud of the fact. It may feel like you been productive, but if you don't take a day off, you burn out. You become less effective for your company, clients and most of all, your family.

Do yourself a favor and schedule a day off. Go ahead and take a week. You'll thank me later!

Are you at the table or on the menu?

I just returned from Washington DC. It is an interesting place. The architecture is amazing and you have a great sense of pride when you see the history of our country in front of you. It is amazing to see how this country was formed.

I was there representing the Middle Tennessee Association of Realtors at the 2016 Realtors Legislative Meetings. We were there fighting for private property rights for homeowners. We met with our Congressman and Senators. But guess what? There were hundreds of people on Capitol Hill doing the same thing for their cause.

I am told all the time that people don't want to get involved because they don't like politics. They are frustrated with the process or don't believe it will do any good. Someone's voice will be heard. The question is, will yours?

You are involved in politics whether you like it or not. You're either a victim or an advocate. The good news is you get to choose. Are you at the table or on the menu?

Respect!

We see so many breakdowns in our culture right now. Whether it is race, generations or just differences in thought. You don't have to go far to see it. Just follow a thread on social media.

As a child I was taught to respect my elders. I was taught to respect the police. I was taught to respect my teachers. I was taught to respect people that weren't like me. I didn't disrespect strangers either. There were swift consequences to disrespecting.

Respect doesn't mean agree. It means you can discuss a principle without attacking the other person. It means when an authority figure gives you a directive, you say yes ma'am or yes sir.

Sometimes it's okay for someone to tell you what to do. We need to realize the the axis of the earth doesn't go though the top of our head. All we need is a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T. 

You're either moving the ball or watching the game!

When Mason was younger, I noticed he had mentally checked out of a football game. I yelled, " Do you need to buy a ticket to the game?" It seemed he was doing more watching than playing.

We get that way in life. We become a zombie, going through the motions to get to the end of the day. We get up and go to work and put in our 8 hours because that's what we're supposed to do. 

If you have to be there anyway, try blocking for your teammate. Try passing them the ball. Who knows, you might even get the ball. Engage and be a part of something bigger than yourself. At the very least, the time will pass by faster.

Star in someone else's documentary!

I recently watched a documentary on Alan Iverson. He had so much talent. When he was on the court, there was no doubt about his effort. The rub with Alan was always off the court.

There was one section of the documentary dedicated to the one time he crossed up Michael Jordan. Alan had  the ball and faked going left and Michael committed to that direction. Alan the stepped right and made the basket.

What stood out to me was how great you have to be to end up in someone else's documentary for the one time they beat you. It made me think about about my life. It made me think about how we should strive for that kind of greatness. Be the standard, the bar, the focus of all those around you as the level to rise to. Be great enough and you might just end up in someone else's documentary!

Majoring in the minors!

Do you want a quick way to stop losing and start winning? Stop majoring in the minors! Stop sweating every detail. You don't have to win every battle.

When you lead with emotion, you will always be short sided. You'll always think short term. What feels good right now instead of what is best for me long term.

When things go wrong don't beat up your employees and those around you. Maybe you don't need to know who messed up, why, and how. You'll create an environment of complacency. Everyone around you will be afraid to make a decision for fear of the repercussion.

When we get bogged down in every little detail, we fail to move forward. Try to always see the big picture. Think long term if want to grow your business and your life.

Do you deserve a raise?

I recently saw a group of protestors demanding a raise in pay! They were asking for $15 per hour to be exact. The funny thing is not one of the signs explained what they were going to do better to earn it. There was nothing about staying late, arriving early, going the extra mile for the customer. Just a demand for more money.

There are two ways you can get paid. You can either do more or know more! I would like to ask each one, "How many nonfiction books have you read this year?" You become what you put in your mind and heart.

If you want more money, it's quite simple.  Read, listen to podcasts in your car, interview people making more than you, and set goals. Your not entitled to it! You have to go get it!

One of two things will happen as you put in more effort. The company you work for will reward you through promotions and raises or someone will see your hard work and steal you! Think of yourself as You INC. You are your own little company. You are the CEO! No matter your job or employer, you and only you hold the keys to your success!

You can't drive with a flat tire!

I hear the phrase "work/life balance a lot! Is it possible to have all areas of your life firing on all cylinders? Is this a myth? How can you create any sense of balance in your life?

Maybe balance doesn't have to mean equal. If we can agree to that, then maybe this will work. When you're at church, are you all in? When you're with you're family are you constantly checking emails and returning calls? When you're at work, are you spending time on unproductive tasks? 

Multitasking simply means switching back and forth between tasks and doing each of them poorly. When you focus on the moment, you will be more productive. You will find you can fit a lot more in your day!

You Won an Award!

In real estate we have an award for everything! We have one for the "Million Dollor Club" (no, that's not "made a million" that's "sold a million". Many agents do that in a month now. We have production awards, service awards and even diversity awards.

We are in an age where the "trophy" has been watered down to the point where it has no significance. When I see sports trophies on a child's dresser, I automatically think " oh look, they participated!" 

I recently won the 2015 Producer of Technology Award for Century 21. Out a pool of over 100,000 agents, my name and resume was submitted to a panel for extensive review. Only one winner can be chosen globally for this award and it can only be won on the merits of an agent's use of technology in their business.

What were the benefits of winning this award? Every year since my first in business, I have attended our Global Conference. Every year, I have watched an agent walk across the stage to accept this award. I set a goal that first year to walk that stage one day! This caused me to strive to be better and work harder. It caused me to be a better agent. It took 10 years to finally realize this dream!

No matter the reward, I still think there is a place for the "trophy". It gives you a goal, a focus. You look up at the end and realize that it caused you to be better along the way. 

 

Habits!

It takes 21 days to form a habit. Many of the things we do everyday have been formed over a lifetime! The thing about habits is they are done unconsiously.

Take a look at where you are on this Monday Morning. Are you happy with the habits you have formed? Did you wake up early, read, meditate, pray and exercise? Do you have a structured plan of attack for the day, the week and this whole year?

You have to start today and focus everyday on the good habits you want to form. Don't put it off until tomorrow. Your 21 days will just be delayed. The habits you create will determine your success!

What do you do?

What do you say when someone asks you what you do? Do you say "I'm a plumber, a painter, a Realtor?" Does this really tell your story?

The next time someone asks you what you do, tell them why you do what you do instead. As my coach Michael Burt says, "Tell them what you believe." 

This will allow you to connect with that person on a whole new level. Now you are having a heart conversation! Watch how this will change your life and the lives you touch.

Get Rich Quick?

It's been said that the best way to get rich quick is to get rich slow! Let's look at why. Is there a shortcut? 

If there was a shortcut, everyone would be doing it and it would not be a shortcut. This is always apparent when the lottery reaches a certain prize level. People buy tickets who would never do so otherwise. The vast majority walk away disappointed.

First you need to define "rich". If you think it's only money, you will always focus on the wrong thing. One part of the definition does relate to money. The other part, however points to having "abundance". Think about your relationships with others, your health, your spiritual life and your family life.

Have you tasted a roast from a crockpot? Have you ever had a roast cooked in a microwave? Think of your life as a crockpot. Invest time building quality relationships, devotion time, health and family bonds. There is no limit to how "rich" you can become! 

Are You A Taker or Giver?

We've been told to be a go-getter. If you want something, go take it! If you have a product, go sell it to whoever, whenever and however. There is a flaw in this logic.

Instead of pushing our service or product, what if we looked to see who had a need? We asked questions and tried to find a solution. What if we we cared more about our clients happiness than the amount of money we will gain from a transaction?

The idea is to give more in service than you take in compensation. You will build the greatest referral business by doing so. Your client relationships will be stronger. Bob Burg and John David Mann explain this principle in the book "The Go-Giver", but this is not a new principle. Napoleon Hill spoke of this in "Think and Grow Rich" in 1937.

Don't worry, the money will come! Just stop letting it be your focus. Do this and watch your business change drastically!

Stop Planning! Start Doing!

We lost Patsy Dunaway, Carrie's stepmother, to cancer this week. It made me reflect on my life and why I'm here. She had over 200 people come to the funeral. It was a true testament to the lives she touched.

During her last days on earth, there were things she told the family she still wanted to do. She wanted to go to Charleston and Hawaii. So many other things still yet to accomplish.

How many times to we say, "We'll do that or go there when we have more time, more money or when the kids are grown." Live everyday as if it's your last. Think about the affect you are having on others. As Michael Burt wrote, "This ain't no practice life." You only have one shot at this.

Try to live your life so there is no regret at the end of it. The things we worry about and argue over, are most often trivial in the grand scheme of our lives. So stop spending so much time planning and wishing. Go make it happen!

Passion or Money?

 It's been said that you know you are in the right place when you are doing what you are most passionate about, equal to your skill level. What does that mean exactly? 

You may be passionate about art. If you can't draw, you are not going to make a very good living as an artist. On the other hand, you may be good with numbers, but if you hate accounting, you will never be happy in your job.

Stop focusing so much on the money and truly ask yourself what you like to do, what makes you happy. Start there and you will end up just where God wants you. 

Are You Listening?

So often when tasked with a leadership position, we start leading by directing and telling. What if we lead by asking? When your employee comes to you with a problem, you ask "What do you think....what else....what else....what else?" 

Sometimes it takes the third "what else" to get to the root of the problem. This way of leading also shows you have confidence in your team and value their opinion.

Now you are leading with the collective knowledge of your team instead of just the knowledge you possess. This also allows your team to take ownership in their job. What do you think?

Are You Worth Stealing?

If a business owner walked into your place of business, would they want to steal you? What would they see? Would they see someone taking ownership, providing excellent customer service? 

To be honest, most see someone behind the counter or desk trading hours for dollars. Someone who has settled into mediocrity. "I just want to get this day over with" or "I can't wait to go home"!

Every day at your current job or position is an interview for your next job or promotion! Start doing the work applicable to the money you would like to make and it will come!

Average people don't use whiteboards!

I recently bought another whiteboard. My third to be exact! I was excited and asked myself why. It is just a blank board with dry erase markers after all.

A whiteboard is a new beginning, a blank slate. You can write down your goals, dreams and plans. You can stretch yourself and those around you. If you find you are getting off track, you have an eraser. When you write your goals you burn them into your mind.

If you find yourself having an average business or life, get a whiteboard! You will do things you never thought possible!

Oh no! It's Monday!

"Oh no! It's Monday! The weekend wasn't long enough!" The other one is "Thank goodness! It's Friday!" Why is this? 

Gliding through each week and just waiting to clock out each day is usually the start. This has been called the joy of mediocrity.

Your life happens though the week. How you begin on Monday will affect how you close out the week on Friday.

 Try celebrating a successful week rather than escaping a job you hate. Do what you love rather than something that is a means to an end. The mindset starts with you.