Category: Les Brown

The Possibilities Are Endless For Us!!

10/19/2017

“What we do and what we accomplish is only the tip of the iceberg of what’s possible for us.” —Les Brown

If you are like me, you have heard this statement before, or at least something close to it. I think for many people this statement not only becomes really clear as they get older, but it also begins to clear up that we did not go after those things we wanted to throughout our life. It’s usually at that point that another thought crosses our minds - we now realize we are running out of time as we continue to get older.

Another part of this story is that we get this a little bit when we are young because our adult path through life has not started yet when we are still in school. We start seeing things that are possible when we are out doing things in our lives. We connect with people and find opportunities through them. If we are lucky, we will get to know them and they just might become good friends who are encouragers and difference makers with us. That’s where some special magic can happen, when we have others pushing us towards our dreams and goals. It becomes a lot easier that way instead of just ourselves trying to do it.

I’ve also come to realize that we need constant motivation, positive thoughts, energy, focus, great people around us, doing things everyday that we have a passion for and countless other things that help to make life great. Podcasts, reading great books, creating great habits, etc., are all ways to help in these areas. We can’t get caught up in negativity, hatred, gossip, etc., and that is directly connected to our thoughts and to those we have around us. Since we have control over our thoughts and who we let into our lives, it must be easy. Yea…. Right!!

Start today. Look at where you are at. Realize you have just scratched the surface as to what you can do and who you can become. There is really endless room for improvement. That’s a very good thing. It can happen in little baby steps – every day!

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Today Has Two Different Meanings...

6/20/2017

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"Today is the oldest you've ever been, and the youngest you'll ever be again. So live life to the fullest today, and have no regrets." #SayQuotable

There are things that we hear every day of our lives. Some of them we actually listen to and some of them we take an extra step and we actually think about too.   When I saw this one, I had to read it again and then I also made it my last quote of the week for the school year for my students.

There is one more step on things like this. After the thinking part of it – and of course it’s the most important part, it’s doing something about the statement. The thing is that this statement rings true every day. Then as the days go by we forget to live every day to the fullest and suddenly so much time has gone by that we tend to just fall into the motions of things we always do. As Brian Buffini has said – “The days are long and the years are short.”    Years that go by tend to blend into one another and it gets harder and harder to remember them.

To be honest, this is something that I have always struggled with. I’m trying to not live with regrets and I suppose I’m doing a better job than before, but wasting time and not living each day to the fullest is something that I continue struggle with. But then in that same moment that I think about that statement, I have another thought – and that is that I won’t stop trying to make this better. I won’t stop trying to live each day to the fullest and to the best that I can.

During a visit to Cincinnati, Ohio June 8 -10, I went to Sam Crowley’s live event. This exact topic was heavy in our discussions. Sam helped us all out by assigning a little homework to bring with us. He wanted us to put down our Why’s on a notecard. Why are we trying to do what we do? What are the reasons that are pushing us to be different, to try different things, and to get out of comfort zone. We all shared those Why cards and it was powerful for sure.   For sure it helped that we got up in front of people to share our stories, but the real difference maker for all of us I think was to hear the other stories from everyone there. It helped our whys to listen to the others that were there. I think it helped to make our why’s stronger for ourselves based upon the connections we made with the other people there.

Besides the connection that my family has as part of my why, another is what Les Brown talks about on how valuable the graveyard is. It’s the place where so many ideas, dreams, thoughts, etc., die with the people who never acted on them, never tried – I do not want that to be me. I need to work on that every day so that I won’t take them all with me when it’s my time.

Now that we all have these new connections coming out of the event, there has been a lot of action being taken by people in our group. I know that I have done more and plan on doing more just because of the people I met during that event. Reading a statement like the one above is good. Doing something with it is better. To have other people helping you to do that, that’s more than you can do with it yourself. That’s the power of making the most out of every day, when it’s bigger than just you. Our Why’s – the reason we get up every day to go and do whatever we have to do – it’s important to know those reasons why. It’s important to connect them to the people in our lives as I think that multiplies the power that those reasons can have with us.

One more key – we help those people that are part of our why’s by going out and doing great things. They see us doing those things and they too can realize they can do great things too. It’s not just about us – Life is about those connections we have with others. Those are the real why’s we do what we do. Have you looked at your why’s? Why do you do what you do? Is there more to your why’s than just yourself? A great challenge for all of us is to look at that statement often to see where we stand with our why’s in life. I know I need to do it every day. Challenge yourself right now. Go back up to the top and read that statement again – copy it so you can see it every day and then think about your why’s. Anyone want to share their why?

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Our Last Day

5/19/2017

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“On your last day on earth, the person you became will meet the person you could have become.” — Anonymous

This quote really jumped out to me last week as I was thinking about Les Brown’s message that we watched in my Leadership classes awhile back. He talked about a story of a guy’s last day and he had his family and some friends around his bed side, something we all hope to have on our last day for sure. Les also described that there were other figures around this guy’s bedside and he noticed that they all had angry and disappointed looks on their faces – especially in their eyes. He asked the one closest to him who are you?   The figure answered that we are all the dreams and ideas that you never acted upon. You never even tried to do anything with us and now we are going to die with you. You were the only one that could have given us life and now that will never happen.

Now I’ve heard Les tell this story many times watching his videos and to be honest, it always makes me tear up thinking about how I don’t want to be that guy. This year, same thing but it was different. The tears were still there and I’m not exactly sure why, but it is different than before.   I guess I’m more in touch with the fact that many things are changing in my life. I’m older (51 when I write this), my parents & in-laws are older too of course and there are the health issues with them that are on my mind too. Now I know these things are natural in life.
They do happen, heck they are supposed to happen. I look at my 2 kids and how they too (of course) are getting older. We are approaching another graduation here at Lake Shore High School, my 24th. So maybe that might be part of it too?

Thinking about this a little bit more – I think back to those people that have been an important part of my life and I am really zeroing in on the fact that they have had a direct affect on me getting to where I am today. Some of them are no longer alive, some have moved away and I’ve lost touch with others still. One of my missions is to continue to try and make a difference with as many people as possible as a way to payback all the people throughout my lifetime that invested in me and helped me get to where I am today.

But the fact remains that I have another strong force starting to push me. I DO NOT want to be like that guy that Les Brown is talking about. There are many things I’d like to do, many ideas, many goals and dreams that I’ve had for awhile – and I don’t want to not act on trying to make them happen. I’ve said this before in my life that it’s time to start getting into action. I’ve done it a little here and there of course. Now, it’s time to raise my standards BIG TIME!   Wanting the person I know I can become be the same person when I finish my race that is something that will be great to make happen.

What about you? How are you doing in going after your dreams and goals? Have you ever thought what it might be like to meet that person you could have become on your last day? The younger you are the more of a say you have in how your last day can be. It’s the same with me of course, but I just have less time than others.   I tell you what though, it’s going to be something that I’m working on more and more. Raising your standards is not easy. Getting better is not easy. It’s all worth it though.

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Life’s Too Short To Be Bored and Unfulfilled

10/24/2015

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"Life’s too short to be bored and unfulfilled. Find your passion and use it to light up your life." — John C. Maxwell

Time and time again – there have been way too many examples about life being too short. John Maxwell is right, there is not any room for living a bored and unfulfilled life during the short time that we have. All too often most people don’t find their passions in life. Maybe even worse, they do find their passions but don’t do anything to go after them.

Les Brown tells the story about a man on his death bed and all of a sudden there are all these figures standing around his bed. He asked one, what are you all doing here? The mystical figure said that they represented all the dreams and ideas that he never did anything about. That because of him not doing anything about making them real, they are going to die with him. All the people that could have had their lives changed due to his ideas and dreams, will never have it happen. Of course he felt horrible at that moment. I’ve always pictured that story with me – and it is indeed very scary and sad to me. I guess that is one thing I’m trying harder to avoid in my life.

It’s one of my many issues that I try and get my students to think about as they go through high school and the fact that they are setting the table so to speak for the their journey through life. It’s become one of my many callings to bring this out so that students can start on this journey of going after a life of making a difference and one of fulfillment with their dreams and goals.
The same goes for adults too as we need to figure out our lives, no matter what age we are. It’s a lot more difficult for adults to make changes, to step out of our comfort zones and to find the time and courage necessary to do those things. One thing for sure is that we need to do it as we don’t want to end up at the end our lives, looking at all those faces of our dreams and ideas looking back at us with tears in their eyes, wondering why we didn’t choose to make things happen.

We also need to remember the faces staring at every day in our lives, our loved ones and friends. When we don’t go after our goals and dreams, we are making it much more difficult for them to go after theirs. It’s one of my many personal battles I need to take on because I know I have many people in my life that need me to step up and show them how to do things like this along with helping them to see the importance of the opportunities in their lives to make it happen for themselves. They too have others that they can influence and help, and so on and so on. A very familiar question should be asked by all of us. If not me, then who will step up and make a difference? Do you want to face all those figures at the end of your life??

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There Is Always Time to Refresh Our Attitude And Our Thinking - Quote of the Week!

9/1/2014

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"Refresh your attitude and adjust your thinking!" - Les Brown

Most days I get these great updates online from Les Brown and today was no exception. When I saw this, it was part of a longer posting, but this first line really stood out to me. Mainly it's because I know that I need to do this on a regular basis, but I needed to see it from Les to really make a connection I guess. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that we all need to focus on this simple yet powerful statement.

It really has become apparent to me lately, especially watching and listening to the media, that if we don't refresh our attitudes once in awhile along with adjusting our thinking, we will fall victim to what the media is preaching and promoting to society. The biggest part of what I see is going on is that there is a massive push it seems to have us take less responsibility for our own lives and to fixate blame on others. That could be a certain political party or elected officials, it could be other countries, other races, the government, heck the list goes on and on.

Life continues to give us ups and downs. It's our job to respond correctly to these things that life throws at us. This summer with my knee surgery, both our kids out of the house and attending college, of course the same old money issues that seemed to have been around for years and years; certainly gets me thinking about having to make some changes. I have always prided myself in having a good and positive attitude, but there has been plenty of times where this statement has become something that I have focused on, but now I know how I need to continue doing it a lot more.

Leave it to Les Brown to keep me focused on things I know I have to do. That's why I always promote that you find those sources of great and inspiring information that can help you get through difficult things in life. Remember, we are what we think. Keep guarding your attitude along with what goes into your head. Find things that Les and others share on a daily basis to help you get through the ups and downs that life throws at us. Any thoughts? Any stories or examples to share? You are always welcome and encouraged to just that by leaving some comments.

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Quote of the Week - April 28, 2014

4/28/2014

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"Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears." – Les Brown

We got done recently listening to a little Les Brown in our Leadership class and it made total sense to highlight this quote this week after I saw it on social media. No wonder we are to busy living our fears as I just got done with dinner with my wife and we were watching the news (mainly for the weather updates), but was also saw so many stories that feed right into worry, stress, negativity, anger, being fed up with government and people, etc. We get so tired of all the other crap that we don't have any energy some times to live out our dreams.

Knowing that - I need to change my mindset a little bit. The podcasts and audio books that I'm listening to on a daily basis before I get to work help with starting out my day in a positive way. I need to continue that.... so I've been connected with a couple of more that I'm listening to during the day and at night while I do my schoolwork - really helping big time. Are you doing that at all? If you have any suggestions please send them my way or at least get them out there for others to use too.

Another thing we need to realize - is really the short amount of time we actually have to go out and live our dreams. Time is going by so fast and we seem to spend it on things that really don't matter too much. I am trying to identify a couple of my fears that have been holding me back and I am working on defeating them along with moving on with some goals and dreams I have. Maybe you too can find one fear to address and work on along with taking that energy and time and putting it towards a goal that might have?? Let me (and others) know for everyone needs help. You just might be that one person that helps others get over what they have to do. :-)

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Quote of the Week - April 7, 2014

4/4/2014

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"I refuse to die an un-lived life." - Les Brown

This week we had the pleasure of having a few lessons from Les Brown for our Principles of Leadership class. So many nuggets that this man gave us and this week's quote (coming out to you early too), is a prime example as to how valuable his message is for us.

Taking on this attitude that you don't want to live a life that is un-lived, that you want to think about every day on how to live more of life - is a huge difference maker. It is so easy to live a life of going day to day, just getting by, thinking that you are doing better than most people, and the list of cliches goes on and on and on.

It takes a conscious effort to know that you don't want to die, not having really lived. Too many people I think are like me - where we wait too long until we start taking this idea on. It's something that Les and my students have helped me see that I need to focus on this more and more. Looking at each day differently than before, especially with the important people in our lives -that's a great place to start. This is also causing me to look ahead a little more too. At least this way I have an idea where I'm going. Along with I know what type of person I need to become in order for me to make that happen. I've heard it many times before that the best investment we can all make is investing in ourselves. That is what I'm looking to do.

So as many schools take a break - it's a great time of year (if you can find a few moments) to sit back and relax along with spending some time to think about how things are going in your life. Shake off the winter chills and hopefully Spring will warm us up a little bit. As always, love the comments and ideas that come from you, they really help me a lot.

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The Possibilities Are Endless For Us!!

Today Has Two Different Meanings...

Our Last Day

Life’s Too Short To Be Bored and Unfulfilled

There Is Always Time to Refresh Our Attitude And Our Thinking - Quote of the Week!

Quote of the Week - April 28, 2014

Quote of the Week - April 7, 2014

Coach John Daly

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