"The more disciplined I become, the freer I am to have the life I want.  If I conduct myself in a disciplined and organized way, I have much more free time."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   – Steve Chandler

Discipline and Freedom.  At first glance, these concepts seem like diametrically opposed ways of being.  

When one thinks of discipline, images of austere rules, rigid schedules and harsh punishment might come to mind.  Conversely, the idea of freedom can evoke images of complete lack of responsibility and the ability to do as one pleases without any consequences imposed by authority.  

From the time we are children to well into our advanced stages of adulthood, there is an internal yea...

"Move the body and the mind and spirit will follow.  Most of us have it the other way around.  I know I did for years.  I thought I always had to have it right in my mind and spirit before I DO anything adventurous .... like go for a long run, or create a successful career ... But the body can go first.  Like Emerson says, 'do the thing and you shall have the power'."                                

                                                                                                         - Steve Chandler

“I just don't feel like it.” 

“I'm too tired right now.” 

“I will do it when I am more inspired.”

How many times in your life have you not taken action because of thoughts about your "feelings" like the ones above? 

Please don't misunderstand me.  As a student of Spiritual Psychology, I understand the importance of getting in touch with our feelings; to truly embrace the emotions such as anger, resentment and fear that we have repressed from our past th...

“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. That means developing great habits. Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments, and that bridge must be crossed every day. Over time that daily crossing becomes a habit. And ultimately, people do not decide their future; they decide their habits and their habits decide their future.”

                                                                                                         - John Maxwell

We are all creatures of habit. 

When we take a close look at our lives, it is usually easy to see how many of the activities we embark upon each day are nothing more than a continuation of the things we did in the days, weeks and months before. 

Sometimes these habits are positive and lead us to greater growth and expansion. 

However, many times, these habits are behaviors that have continued for large portions of our lives and do not serve us, other than providing us the feeling ...

“Step with care and great tact, remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act.”

                                                                                          - Dr. Seuss

Several years ago, I observed one of the most creative ways of making an impactful point by a professional speaker that I have ever witnessed. 

I was attending a National Speakers Association meeting in Denver and the keynote speaker was a man with a unique background.  He had started as a busker or street performer on the streets of San Francisco.  After years of entertaining audiences in the “City by the Bay”, he had now transformed into an outstanding professional speaker. 

Combining his powerful message with the street antics of juggling various items from rubber balls to machetes, all while riding a 6’ foot unicycle, audience members were mesmerized by his dynamic presentation.

While demonstrating his many physical feats as he delivered his inspiring message was quite impressive, what ...

“Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success.  When you do a thing, do it with all your might.  Put your whole soul into it.  Stamp it with your own personality.  Be active, be energetic and faithful and you will accomplish your object.  Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

                                                                                                - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Several years ago, I attended a concert with my son, Jason to see one of his favorite musical artists, David Gray. 

While not being a particularly big follower of Gray before the event, I left the concert as a huge fan.  Part of that came certainly because of the quality of his music, the stage and lighting, the beautiful event venue and being able to share an experience like this with my son. 

While all of those elements contributed to my enjoyment of the experience, what impacted me above all else was one other important thing – the level of enthusiasm Dav...

“If only you could sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of.  There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.”

                                                                                   - Fred Rogers, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood

Impact.  Whether we know it or not, each one of us has the ability to impact others in profound ways. 

This is usually recognized for those who positively affect the masses through speaking to large audiences, television appearances or internet posts that go viral. 

But most of the time it is done in ordinary ways, by ordinary people.  It comes in our interaction with others, usually one person at time, when we show kindness and interest in another person and authentically share ourselves and help to make someone’s life just a little better by our presence.

There is probably nobody in my lifetime that I witnessed dem...

“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears”

                                                                                      – Nelson Mandela

I recently watched, for the third or fourth time, the movie Invictus, starring Morgan Freeman and his amazing portrayal of Nelson Mandela. 

The movie chronicles Mandela’s journey after he had been released from a 27-year prison sentence and would then emerge to become president of South Africa, beginning the process of healing and uniting the country’s 43 million citizens in the post-Apartheid area. 

Mandela magically led this transformation through the use of continual forgiveness of those who had oppressed him, and his people and leveraging the pursuit of winning the World Cup tournament by South Africa’s National Rugby Team to unify his nation. 

What was most inspiring to me was Mandela’s unwavering dedication to lead through example, even whe...

“Don’t chase after success, chase after capability.  If you are capable of anything, then success will be chasing you.”

                                                                                                         - Meme

I love the distinction from my good friend, Kelly Anne Zielinski, CEO of Self Leadership Global, often shares, “It is much more effective to hold someone capable, than to hold them accountable.” 

In studying attributes of success in the world of leadership, the concept of accountability is often identified for its importance and effectiveness.  Taking personal accountability for the choices we make, the actions we take and the results we achieve is a critical attribute of anyone looking to work as an effective leader.   

However, when working with others in a leadership or coaching role, I have often found that “holding someone accountable” may not be the most effective way of inspiring and guiding them to achieve the results they desire. 

A...

“Master the basics.  Then practice them everyday without fail.  Small disciplines repeated with consistency everyday lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.”

                                                                                                         - John C. Maxwell

Last week I shared the concept of how in martial arts, a Black Belt is nothing more than a “Master of the Basics”. 

When we bring the principle of “practicing the basics” into our everyday lives, we can find that it serves us greatly in creating mastery and success in everything we do.

I discussed in detail how the practice of my first three of six basic life-leadership skills can lead not to only a positive impact on our lives, but also on the lives of those we serve and lead. 

Specifically, these skills are……………

• Giving our bodies adequate rest
• Eating foods of high nutritional value
• Physically moving or bodies each day

You can read that blog by clicking here: Are You...

“Success is neither magical nor mysterious.  Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals.”

                                                                                          - Jim Rohn

I believe consistently and diligently practicing the basics is the key to success and mastery in any endeavor. 

In the Martial Arts, instructors consistently share with their students the following......

Black Belt is nothing more than being a master of the basics.

From early in my martial arts career, I have a vivid memory of my first martial arts instructor talking about the importance of practicing the basics.  He equated the basics as the foundation for all other advanced skills. 

“Build a house on sand (poor basics),” he would say, “and it will crumble at the first sign of harsh weather.  However, build it on cement (strong foundational basics) and it can withstand almost anything.”

In his book, Raise Your Game, author an...