“Dedicating your time to being AGAINST something is the same as dedicating your life to something you hate; you feed it with your energy. Knowing what you are against, helps you decide what you are FOR. From there, the best thing to do is to pour all of your focus and time and energy into what you are FOR instead.”

                                                                                                                             - Teal Swan

In our society, we are so conditioned to focus on what we are against.

Today, entire platforms, movements, philosophies and political agendas can be based on this “against-ness”.

In our personal and professional lives, as we encounter difficulties, our initial reactions are generally to resist what is and fight against our challenges to get the results we desire.

While fighting for a cause we believe in is certainly an admirable endeavor, it is my experience that when we place our attention only on what we dislike/hate, do ...

Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.”  

                                                                                           - Joel A. Barker

I believe we are all born with a vision for what we want in our lives inside of us. 

Just think back to when you were child and the numerous visions you had for what you wanted to be in when you “grew up”.  Your imagination was boundless.  I personally wanted to be a cartoonist, a doctor, an astronaut and a super-hero (Actually, when I was 5-years old, I WAS Batman).  

I believe these visions are set inside of us so that we have a path of expression to share our innate gifts and make our world a better place.  This is not just available for some of us, but for all of us. 

However, this begs the question:  If this is true, why is it that so many of us allow those visions to become merely dreams that fade away because we never take action...

“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.”

                                                                                  - Aristole Onasis

Each year, I am blessed to share my message of Black Belt Leadership and its Mind of a Champion principles with several groups across the country.

During many of these sessions, I discuss how the negative stories we create in our minds about our lives can dis-empower us and keep us from experiencing the happiness and success we desire. 

In contrast, I also share how Forward Focused thinking, can be used to overcome our perceived obstacles, and also re-frame our challenges as blessings in our lives when we really look at them with an open mind and heart.

To explore this, I have participants in many of my sessions share with a partner a challenge they are currently experiencing in their lives. 

In sharing this challenge, participants are asked to communicate the details surrounding these obstacles ...

“There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.”

                                                                                   - Hamlet

It is easy for all of us to label experiences in our lives as "good" or "bad" based on how they compare to our expectations.  It can be easy to reflect on our experiences as “bad” when things don’t go the way we planned. 

However, if the recent pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we need to be flexible in how we view situations and nimble in our approach to dealing with challenges that arrive us safely and triumphantly on the other side

It is often not until much time has passed that the situations we have judged as the most negative can be seen as actually being blessings, as illustrated in the story below.

 An attorney in Southern California was leaving an appointment in Orange County and making his way up the 405 Freeway to his next appointment near LAX Airport.

Already leaving late from his previous ...

“Success isn’t always about greatness.  It’s about consistency.  Consistent hard work leads to success.  Greatness will come.”

                                                                                             -  Dwyane Johnson

As I was hesitating to begin my daily mini-exercise routine this morning because I felt tired and sorry for myself, I was reminded of a story I heard many years ago.   

An elderly man who seemed to defy aging walked into a gym. 

In his early nineties, he still possessed a strong and lean frame with a powerful chest and biceps and triceps a teenager would be jealous of. 

His legs and his back were as solid as tree trucks, yet flexible and supple.  A full, albeit thinning, head of white hair still donned his head, and he lived with a vibrancy of someone a fifth his age with a bright smile and a twinkle in his steely blue eyes.

When asked what his secret was for his amazing physical vitality, he matter-of-factly stated,

"I made a ...

“There’s a difference between interest and commitment.  When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permit.  When you are committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.”

                                                                                                - Art Turock

Several years ago, I was in a conference and heard a speaker make a cute little statement regarding the concept of commitment.  It went like this...

“I had bacon and eggs this morning for the breakfast, the chicken was involved, but the pig was COMMITTED."  

That statement, as trite as it might be, has always stuck with me.  How committed am I really to the things I say I am committed to? 

Or as super coach, Steve Chandler asks, 

"Are you interested or are you committed?"

Throughout my career as a martial arts instructor, I have been privileged to teach literally thousands of students in the last four decades. 

Of those students, I...

“We’ve got to remember that we get whatever we focus on in life. If we keep focusing on what we don’t want, we’ll have more of it. The first step to creating any change is deciding what you do want so that you have something to move toward.”

                                                                                    - Tony Robbins, Awaken the Giant Within

Champions, whether it be in sports, business or in life, understand one very simple concept - what we focus on expands.  

Think about a vision you have for your life and/or your business. 

When you focus on the things that empower you on your journey to achieving your dream, the things that excite you and feed your soul on your quest, you usually experience people or circumstances that support you on your path.

Conversely, when you just focus on the challenges of your situation and the obstacles you encounter while on your quest, you probably see more of those situations show up.  

To be clear, I am not ad...

“Accept, then act.  Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.  Always work with it, not against it…….This will miraculously change your whole life.”

                                                                                             - Eckhart Tolle

A couple of years ago, I treated myself to an amazing meditation retreat. 

After four days in the serenity of centeredness, I re-entered the "real world" and was struck by how easy it is to me to revert back to old patterns and habits of getting caught up in my head and the stressors of life. 

One of the most difficult lessons for me, in my life, is to know when to accept what is, let go of control and to surrender.  However, what I am continuing to learn is as counter intuitive as it may seem, any true transformation in life begins with acceptance and surrender. 

While cultural norms may identify the accepting and surrendering to what is as weakness, there is nothing that takes more c...

“Focus 90% of your time on solutions and only 10% of your time on problems.”

                                                                                            -  Anthony J. D’Angelo

Today, I was sitting and reflecting on the many people who have crossed my path who have made a positive impact on my life. 

Some of these people have been with me my entire life and other times for a relatively brief period of time. 

Interestingly enough, there is no correlation between time and the impact made.  Even those who are in our lives for brief periods can have lasting impact.

One such person for me was Frank Jeffrey. 

Immediately after graduating from college, I began my career with the Procter & Gamble Distributing Company and Frank was my first District Manager.  Although I did not report directly to Frank, his presence in my career was very impactful as he served as a wise, kind and guiding mentor.

On my first day with the P&G Beauty Care Division Sales Divi...

“Today is a new day. Don't let your history interfere with your destiny! Let today be the day you stop being a victim of your circumstances and start taking action towards the life you want. You have the power and the time to shape your life. Break free from the poisonous victim mentality and embrace the truth of your greatness. You were not meant for a mundane or mediocre life!”

                                                                                       - Steve Maraboli

 Are you being a victim or are you an owner?  

I first heard this question posed several years ago by super coach, Steve Chandler when I was attending one of his great seminars.  

The concept is really quite simple. 

As best we try, we may not be able to control what happens to us in our lives, but we can always control how we respond to it.  The choice is ours; we can live as if we are victimized by our life circumstances or we can own each of them and use the lessons they teach us to prope...