“I would visualize things coming to me. It would just make me feel better. Visualization works if you work hard. That’s the thing. You can’t just visualize and go eat a sandwich.” 

                                                                                               - Jim Carrey

Visualization combined with inspired action can be one of the most powerful tools in the Champion’s toolbox for success and happiness. 

When you look at elite-level athletes, you will notice that the difference between them in athletic talent is oftentimes so minuscule it is almost non-existent.  It is the person who creates the trifecta of combining the power of their body, mind and spirit that will experience the greatest probability of powerful performance and victory.

If our hearts are the source of our desires, and our bodies are the vehicles to enact them physically, then your minds are the sculptors that help to make them a reality.

 Visualization is an incredibly powerful...

"If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed."

                                                                                       - Admiral William H. McRaven (retired)

One of my favorite books that I read/listened to in the last few years, was Make Your Bed by retired 4-Star Admiral William H. McRaven. 

McRaven retired from the Navy in 2014 as the highest-ranking Navy Seal or “bullfrog” in the corps and was the commander in charge of the missions that felled both Osama bin Ladin and Saddam Hussein.

The book is based on his now famous commencement speech that he delivered to the graduating class at the University of Texas on how to change the world (check out an excerpt from the speech here, but then please come back and finish reading this blog.)

In his speech, McRaven explains that undertaking the simple task of making one’s bed in the morning will set the tone for success throughout the day.  Accomplishing one task, leads to accomplishing anoth...

"Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do."

                                                                                            - Pele, Soccer Legend

Recently, I had an old friend, martial arts student and training partner ask me if I could use the platform of this weekly blog to comment on the concept of sacrifice

It seems to me, in our instant gratification society, which often times provides us the means of getting things the moment we desire it, that sacrifice has become a lost art. 

However, in my experience, the times when I really had to sacrifice my time, energy and even money to achieve something, are the occasions when those accomplishments have meant the most to me.

I couldn't help but reflect that the word sacrifice had at its root the word sacred. 

When we think of something as sacred, we draw images of the things most precious and impor...

“No matter how busy a man is, he is never too busy to stop and talk about how busy he is.”

                                                                                         - SearchQuotes.com

Busy-ness. 

When you think about it, it has really become an obsession for us in our culture - a badge of honor, so to speak. 

The next time you are in a conversation with a friend or business associate, be aware of how many times the conversation begins or includes your expression of how busy you are.  

Busy-ness can become a driving force in our lives, particularly when we identify with it strongly or allow it to dictate how we show up in our professional and personal relationships.

Interestingly enough, super-coach, Steve Chandler often quips,

"Busy-ness is the surest sign of laziness."

He explains this by saying that most people focus on the mundane, unproductive tasks of their lives to appear being busy so they can avoid taking on the projects or tasks that...

“In the study of truth, we talk often about the power of words.  It is important to put into words only the verbal statements you want to see manifest in your life.  For instance, the word ‘problem’.  You say, ‘I have a problem.’ A much better word to employ when referring to some sort of challenge is ‘project’.  Note what happens when you say, ‘I have this project.’  It makes all the difference in the world.  The word project suggests a positive endeavor of development…..We tackle a project with vigor and imagination and with the conviction that it will be done.”

                                                                                                    - Eric Butterworth

It had often been said that it is not what happens to us that matters, but the meaning we put to it.

Each of us went through our own unique set of challenges in 2022.  For many of us, it may have been the most challenging year we can remember, with several of our most difficult trials continuing into...

You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful.” 

                                                                                    -  Amy Bloom

There are times in our early lives that can have a profound effect on us and continue to impact us into our adult years. 

One such instance happened to me when I was about nine years old and led me to create a self-image, I would carry with me for most of my life.  

I was at my cousin’s house playing with a group of six other kids.  We were being led in our play by my cousin’s neighbor, Johnny, who was a year or two older than me. 

Johnny was slender, with brownish-red hair and freckles.  He was also extremely charismatic.  Everybody loved Johnny and wanted to be like him.  He was always the ringleader of our activities.  Parents loved him, too, and he would often be seen doing his stand-up comedy routine for a circle of delighted adults during social gatherings.

I really loved being with Joh...

“Hope is a start.  But…hope needs action to win victories.”

                                                                      - David J. Schwartz

A new year is upon us.  I don’t know about you, but I am very happy that 2023 has arrived. 

I am personally filled with hope for what lies ahead for the upcoming year.

Hope can serve as an incredibly powerful force in getting us moving and breaking through the barriers we face in difficult times.  It is also true that having a vision of hope for what we want to change, accomplish or experience in a new year ahead is not a new phenomenon. 

In fact, each year, millions of people across the globe will create New Year’s resolutions to make tangible and impactful changes in their lives, with the hope of creating a new and rewarding life experience for themselves.

While the resolutions we commit to for our lives are filled with good intentions, they generally do not have staying power. 

I recently read that by the end o...

“Most dying people regret not the things they did but the things they didn’t do.”

                                                                                           – Olga Rickards

If you are like me, the end of the year is a time of reflection of what was completed and experienced over the past 12 months and what is to be pursued and created in the upcoming year.

Many times, the pursuits we are inspired to embark upon in the new year get quickly put to rest by our fear of possible failure. 

This is especially true when we have the “evidence” of our past to rationalize our not taking risks, particularly when we have experienced challenges like we have faced in the last couple of years.  It is then easier to accept playing small, because although it is uncomfortable, it is safe. 

However, what if we looked at things differently and asked ourselves another question,

What would I do if you knew I couldn’t fail?

This is a question asked frequently in...

"We make a living by what we get.  We make a life by what we give."

                                                                                - Winston Churchill

The holidays are usually marked with hustle and bustle of year-end activities.  Our calendars fill up with events, parties and gift-giving functions, celebrating with family and friends. 

Some of us may struggle with how to get into the spirit of the holidays.  However, it is my experience that when we focus on the giving of "gifts" during this time of year, is where the magic happens.

With this in mind, here are five gifts we can give others and ourselves (that you can’t buy on Amazon or anywhere else) to make this unique holiday season joyous and one to remember.

1) Connect– Take this time to slow down and connect, first with yourself and then with others. Begin each day by allowing your mind to get quiet and connect to the that “still, small voice” within.  Then, from this place, focus on tru...

“The moment you take Responsibility for everything in your life, is the moment you can change Anything in your life.”

                                                                                                                   - Hal Elrod

As a speaker, I am honored each year to share my Mind of a Champion message with wide variety of audiences.  Groups range from elementary school children all the way to corporate leaders. 

While it does take a diverse set of skills and strategies to be able to communicate with, and hold the attention of audiences of such a wide range, I believe that we are “all big kids anyway” and as a result the essence of my message if basically the same, regardless of the audiences to whom I am speaking.  That message is:

There is a champion inside of you and when access it and take full accountability for your life, you can achieve anything you put your heart and mind to.

While I enjoy speaking to all assemblies of people, the one group ...