"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 have the privilege of sharing my Mind of a Champion message with diverse audiences—ranging from elementary school students to corporate leaders.

Though each audience is unique, I’ve learned that the core of my message remains the same: There is a champion inside of you. And when you access that champion and take full accountability for your life, you can achieve anything you set your heart and mind to.

But what happens when things aren’t going according to plan? What happens when you’re facing challenges, setbacks, or even downright failure? How do you break through?

I’ve spoken to groups of young people who’ve made poor choices and now struggle to find their way back on trac...

“No one can do it for you, but you can’t do it alone.”

                                                       – People’s House, Denver, Colorado

This powerful mantra, originating from the world of drug and alcohol rehabilitation, holds deep resonance for me as an adult child of an alcoholic. But no matter what personal challenges you’ve faced in life, this statement carries a universal truth—one that’s not only important for overcoming addiction but also crucial for achieving success in every area of life.

We all encounter trials, don’t we? Moments when life seems to throw us curveballs we didn’t see coming. But as you take a step back, you’ll realize that many of these challenges are born from the choices we’ve made—our thoughts, actions, or beliefs.

While we may feel the urge to find someone to blame or wish for someone to come and rescue us, the reality is that we must take ownership of our journey if we want to move forward.

The Power of Ownership

When we take ful...

“It is solved by walking.”

                                                                            - St. Augustine

In May 2014, I undertook one of the most amazing experiences in my life as I walked the Camino de Santiago. 

The Camino or The Way as it is known, is a 500-mile pilgrimage across northern Spain.  My trek began in the town of St. Jean-Pied du Port in western France, ascended into the Pyrenees Mountains and then descended into Spain where I would spend the next month trekking 17-18 miles per day across the beautiful Spanish countryside to my ultimate destination, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Legend has it that the Camino began in the 9th Century as a way for early Christians to pay penance for their misdeeds by making the arduous pilgrimage to the city of St. James (Santiago), the apostle reputed to have brought Christianity to Europe. 

Today, the Camino serves as a means for thousands of pilgrims or peregrinos annually to take a respite from their everyd...

“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions.  The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.”

                                                                                           -  Zig Ziglar

Thanksgiving 2024 will soon be upon us. 

It is certainly an understatement to say that 2024 has been an unusual, and in many cases, a very challenging year.

Depite our many challenges, we still have much to be grateful for.  

However, what I realized today is, even though I consider myself to be someone who lives life with a high appreciation for what I have to be grateful for in my life, there are still things that I have grown to take for granted – one of those is spending holidays with family and friends.

Additionally, during the course of the recent pandemic, I have realized how much I have taken for granted some of my favorite activities that are were curtailed.  These include:

Going to...

“Be true to yourself. Make each day a masterpiece. Help others. Drink deeply from good books. Make friendship a fine art. Build a shelter against a rainy day.”

                                                                               - John Wooden, coaching legend

Legendary basketball coach, John Wooden is famously quoted for saying – “Make each day your masterpiece.” 

Coach Wooden retired in 1975 as the winning-est coach in college basketball history, leading his UCLA Bruins clubs to an unprecedented ten NCAA college basketball national championships. 

Although his official title was “coach”, Wooden referred to himself as a “teacher”, not only of basketball, but of life. 

The incredible result of his coaching/teaching philosophy is not only seen in his win/loss record or his number of championships, but more importantly in the lives of those who played for him who regularly site him as being the most influential figure in their lives, leading them to experienc...

"Don't ever doubt that one small single event can trigger an unstoppable chain of events that gain momentum with increasing force, and nothing is ever the same."

                                                                                                 - [email protected]

One of the vivid memories I have of my Grandma Natzke, as I was growing up, was her joy of playing the game dominoes.  During the course of my childhood, she attempted to teach me several times how to play.  Although I never acquired her love of the game (nor do I think I remember how to play it), each time I see someone play or speak about dominoes, I get a warm memory of my grandmother.

Several years ago, I was introduced to a video on You Tube that continues to bring forth my warm thoughts about dominoes, albeit in a much different way.  In fact, I was so taken with it that I now include it as part of my keynote talk.  It is called Domino Chain Reaction

In it, a man who looks like...

Fall down seven times, get up eight (and have a laugh along the way)" 

                                                 - Ancient Japanese proverb (with an addition by me)

I was recently reminded of a story I wrote about in my book, Black Belt Leadership several years ago.  

This story was initially intended to share a memorable personal story about parenthood.  However, after some reflection, I believe it can also serve us all as we explore our personal path of life-leadership and our in our quest to effectively, compassionately and courageously lead others.

When I first moved to Colorado several years ago, I decided to take up skiing for the first time.  Being an athlete and growing up in the Midwest, I had avoided skiing because of the potential of injury and lack of proximity to the ski resorts, but now the mountains were calling.

Being on skis for the first time, I was excited for a new physical challenge.  The excitement, however, was soon replaced by confu...

“Leadership ………. is like a big door that swings.  But that big door of leadership swings on the small hinge of character.”

                                                                           - Admiral James Stavridis (Ret.)

Last week I shared with you part one of a two-part mini-series on leadership and the outstanding quote above by Admiral James Stavidis (Ret.)

In part one, we discussed the first 5 of nine attributes on character in leadership that I created as the acronym C.H.A.R.A.C.T.E.R.  These were:

C – Commitment to Serve, H – Honor Your Word, A – Attainment = Accomplishment + Becoming, R – Rise to the Occasion and A#2 – Admit and Own Your Mistakes and Move to Correct Them This week, we will continue with the remaining four “character” attributes of being a leader.

• C #2– Capability – The world of leadership places a strong emphasis (and with good reason) on accountability. Holding yourself or others accountable for their actions is seen a strong
...

“Leadership ………. is like a big door that swings.  But that big door of leadership swings on the small hinge of character.”

                                                                                 - Admiral James Stavridis (Ret.)

A couple of years ago at this time, I was listening to an interview with Retired Admiral James Stavridis, who was out promoting his new book on leadership, Sailing True North: Ten Admirals and the Voyage of Character.   

I have to admit, I was half-listening to the interview while I was working out, when the admiral said something and made me immediately stop and go running for a pen and paper to write it down when he shared,

“Leadership is how we influence others.  It is like a big door that swings.  But that big door of leadership swings on the small hinge of character.”

These words have stayed with me over the last year, and in my opinion, are even more needed now than when I first heard them.  Since listening to this interview.  I h...