“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.”

                                                                                             ...

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...

“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,...

“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...

"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...

“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...

“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...

“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...

“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 2022 will soon be upon us. 

It is certainly an understatement to say that 2020 has been an unusual, and in many cases, a very challenging year.

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic that spread across our country, it caused many of us to celebrate out last twoThanksgivings in a limited and very different way from how we have done in the past.

For me, this the first year I will be back around...

"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...