Some people seem to have more momentum in life than others, don’t they? Their business is growing, their children are angels, and they seem to have amazing relationships. Especially if you watch social media posts! Do they have some sort of secret that the rest of the world doesn’t know about?

Well, one thing I’ve noticed is that the people who understand certain principles of life tend to be more successful. And, one of those principles is the law of rhythm. The law of rhythm in its simplest form says that there are natural highs and natural lows and you are either going into a high or a low at any one time.

We see this in nature. The 4 seasons. The farming cycle. Day and night.

We can also apply this principle to our thought life. And this is what really successful people do. They know that there will be natural ups and downs and what to do when you experience those. For example, if you are feeling ill or injured- you might be in a low. When in a low, it’s...

A mentor of mine once said, “Your character communicates to people in the room before you ever enter the room.” Who you ARE makes a difference!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked to do a training for professional development and been told not to enter into the touchy-feely personal development area. Because personal development isn’t ‘important’ in the workplace. Nay nay!

Who you are determines your success!

Your character communicates three things:

• Consistency- can people count on you to BE the same person day in and day out? Or do you changer your personality and habits like someone who changes their clothes? Do your people wonder which boss will show up to work- the kind and caring boss, or the mean and angry one?
• Potential- who you ARE communicates whether the person and/or the work has potential for growth. For example, many of my coaching clients come to me to make a transition in their life (new job or start a business)...

Thomas Troward, one of the members in my ‘old, dead guys club’, a mentor, writes about the laws of the universe and Nature and how you can apply those to your thinking. One law in particular is the law of growth. He writes about the plants, and trees, specifically the huge sequoias and how they all, including many generations over time, come from a small seed.

He explains that thoughts and ideas are just like seeds in the physical world and when they are planted in great soil, watered, and fertilized, they can grow exponentially.

I’ve found, after coaching hundreds of people, that there are three choices you can do with an idea:

• Force it to happen: usually by hurrying, worrying, overworking yourself, or MAKING it happen
• Give up hope that it will happen- dismissing the idea right away or letting someone influence you NOT to do something with that idea
• Watering that idea with an intentional and persistent thought process.

Guess which client usually sees better...

My good friend, Carl, asked me two questions the other day and it really got me thinking. So, instead of just answering him, I thought I would answer for all of us. Here are the two questions:

• Have you always had an appetite for success?
• What would you tell people with no hunger for success?

Appetite For Success

Have I always had an appetite for success? The short answer: No! I wasn’t raised in an environment that encouraged dreaming or shoed a picture of success. When I was in high school a teacher asked me where I was going to college and I told him, “Nowhere. Why would I go to college?” He was flabbergasted! He couldn’t understand; it just wasn’t in my awareness.

I thought success meant finishing college. Then I thought it was getting married and having children. Then I thought it was getting a good job that paid well. Then I had a stroke and it completely changed my life! I reevaluated everything and started my own business as a speaker and...

I cannot even count how many times a coaching client comes to a call and says this to me! It’s a huge warning sign to me and let me tell you why.

Emerson said, “Do nothing you can do wholeheartedly.”

So, what happens when you get to that place of not being able to do something wholeheartedly?

• “I’ve got to get more motivated!”
• “I just HAVE to do this thing.”
• “I need someone to hold me accountable.”

I think it goes back to what drives you? What do you love to do? What gives you passion and excitement and fills you with energy? Are you doing those things? Do you have a process in place to make sure that you are regularly checking in to increase those things in your life?

I know I do!

I regularly take time to pause and reflect on my business at least every quarter to see what I can get rid of- ditch or delegate- and what I want more of- usually what I’m really good at. This helps me stay in my strength zone. When I hear...

This is a continuation of our post yesterday on the 6 love supplies. One of my mentors, Paul Martinelli, wrote an addendum to the book Think & Grow Rich. In it he covered three principles that, as he said, were missing from the TAGR text and that you definitely need in your life to be able to have a richer, more meaningful existence.

The three missing chapters are on love, generosity, and forgiveness.

I’ve used this book as the basis for a coaching program with dozens of clients for the past 6 months and I’d like to highlight a few thoughts from one small section in the love chapter. However, at the risk of writing a whole new book, I’ll break it up into two sections, part 1 and part 2.

The 6 love supplies are:

• Being listened to
• Receiving praise and acknowledgment
• Physical touch
• Being support in your goals and dreams
• Keeping agreements

Yesterday we talked about 1-3, today I have a few thoughts about the rest. These final three are often, in my experience, a...

One of my mentors, Paul Martinelli, wrote an addendum to the book Think & Grow Rich. In it, he covered three principles that, as he said, were missing from the TAGR text and that you definitely need in your life to be able to have a richer, more meaningful existence.

The three missing chapters are on love, generosity, and forgiveness.

I’ve used this book as the basis for a coaching program with dozens of clients for the past 6 months and I’d like to highlight a few thoughts from one small section in the love chapter. However, at the risk of writing a whole new book, I’ll break it up into two sections, part 1 and part 2.

The 6 love supplies are:

• Being listened to
• Receiving praise and acknowledgment
• Physical touch
• Being support in your goals and dreams
• Keeping agreements

Do you LISTEN to others? I mean, really listen? Or do you listen to respond? Do you connect with them or just talk to them? People who feel this kind of love know the difference! If this one...

This post is a follow-up from yesterday as I had a few people reach out for clarification. These questions really centered around how you deal with anger with people outside the workplace, specifically people you know very well and even live with. Let me put it into MY personal perspective and tell you a story!

Recently, my husband and I had a bit of a problem. I won’t tell you exactly the problem but rest assured it was one of those marriage problems that ends up in loud talking and recognizing the same patterns over and over again. Let’s just say, I was very angry!

Now, in the past when this pattern happened, I would hold it in and not try to make a scene- let’s just keep everyone happy. Until…. I would BLOW UP! That didn’t work out too well for either of us or our kids.

“Working steam is not heard. It’s the escaping steam within which makes a great noise.” James Allen

So, I decided I didn’t want to do what I’ve always...

I chatted with a coaching client the other day and she was angry! She had a staff member that didn’t follow through on her promises and put their grant in jeopardy. This is a BIG deal with many people affected. As I listened to her tell me all about the facts of the situation, I was reminded of a quote I read recently by James Allen,

“Working steam is not heard. It’s the escaping steam within which makes a great noise.”

Working steam is contained, captured, and used to power something forward.

Escaping steam does damage! Much like the anger of a leader. So what can we do with that anger so we don’t hurt our people AND move things forward?

• First of all, acknowledge the anger! Many people try to deny that feeling and that’s how you can explode. One day the anger just boils to the surface and you hurt yourself and others. Acknowledge the validity of your feeling.
• You need to find a safety valve! Anyone who’s ever cooked with a pressure cooker...

“Great teams have great depth.” John C. Maxwell

How’s your bench doing? If you’re developing a sports team, you know bench players are crucial to your success. The same is true for any team. There are 5 truths you need to know about bench players:

• They are tomorrow’s stars- if they’re trained well now, you have more success later
• They multiply the starter’s performance- use them as much as possible in practice situations and the team will win
• There are more people on the bench than there are starters/leaders- not all bench players will turn into starters; you need to know how to identify and develop the right bench players
• A well-placed bench player is more effective than a great starter- a bench player with only one or two great skills can add huge value to your team, especially in clutch situations
• A strong bench equals more options- you can develop plans with greater flexibility, especially in times of challenge or struggle

What’s...