Things to think about...

Smile. A lot of good things happen when you smile. Smile and the world will smile with you...frown and you are all alone.






When you are good at something...and know it...it is easy to just get by. If you want to be great at something...you need to work harder.

Trust yourself. Don't rely on others to validate your stance.

Your world starts with you. Everything else revolves around it.

Things that are worth it...are worth worrying about.

In life...doors will always close. We spend too much time looking at the door that closed to see the ones that are opening around us.

No matter what the past is...no matter what the blueprint is...you have a choice to change it.

You are to blame for your life failures. You also are the reason for the successes.

Take care of your body. Your mind usually follows.

Life is all about perspective.

Life is too short.

Don't look at your life as settling...look at it as adapting.

No matter what you choose to do...do it well.

Life is truly a roller coaster. Don't get too high...don't get too low.

Religion and faith are not always interconnected. Matter of fact...they usually aren't.

If you are going to take a chance...take it with someone you trust.

We don't know what we have...until it is gone.

Unconditional forgiveness and unconditional love are two of the most powerful forces in life.

Be kind to everyone.

And finally...

It is what it is.

PS; I am not taking any credit for any of these. These are lessons I have learned from others. To those...I am eternally indebted to and I say THANK YOU.

So...about last night...

So...was it good for you...






Remember a while back when I talked about "Field of Dreams" and how so many business owners took up the "if you build it, they will come" philosophy for promoting their business? Basically saying they don't need to advertise because all they have to do is put up a sign and customers will flock in.

The same holds true for your website. You can have the best looking, most functional website in the land but if no one knows you are there, what good does it do? Sure, there are ways to help you get found...search engine optimization...google places et al. But the best way to not only get found on-line but to help build your brand? SMM. Social Media Marketing.

We are talking your blogs, your tweets, your posts, your podcasts, etc. SMM deepens the relationship between you and your customer. It builds a wall around your customer. It turns your transactional customer who buys on price into a customer for life who buys because they really care about your product or service. SMM gives them the why and leads them to your website which explains the why, gives the where...the who...the what...the when...the everything.

To be blunt...SMM turns a one night stand into a life long partnership.

So...want to do this again sometime???

Coaching....

I've had a hard time getting over my son Jack's football game this weekend. Not because of anything my kids did...because of what I did.

2 minutes to go...up by a touchdown and driving. My son Jack had played a brilliant game up to that point. A TD run...A TD pass and a two point conversation. Plus, he made several stops behind the line of scrimmage on defense. All in all...a great game.

I got greedy at that point. Instead of playing it safe and running out the clock...I called a pass play. Jack felt pressure from behind and threw a pass that was intercepted. Pick six...we end of tying. I know...not the end of the world...but it has been bothering me.

I got an email from one of my parents last night. Here is what they said...
"Colin is having a ball! He is skipping his entire soccer season to concentrate on football. He was so thrilled to contribute last Saturday with his first touchdown...I wanted to thank you again for volunteering and doing such a good job job with the boys."

One of my favorite players who I have coached over the years was a little boy named Joey. He had such a great attitude. Here is what his parents said at the end of season; "we also want to thank you for coaching but even more for the kind words you always had for us about Joey. It is the first time he has participated in sports and you certainly made it a great introduction for him!"

I am not reciting these so I can brag...I am recalling these so I can remind myself the true meaning of successful coaching. It's not about the wins and losses in the standings. It is about the small wins (and learning lessons) that the individual kids have. It's about parents sending me pictures of my players not letting their footballs they get for being the game MVP's out of their site for days. That's the real win.

Best coach I ever had...my dad. Others who I will always remember...Monahan, Hessenberger, and Crivello. Also...kudos to Tom Miller...for introducing me to the power of the game ball!

PS; You still won't see me throw in that situation again...at least for awhile.

Another Sunday morning of random thoughts....

Yesterday was interesting...

Discontent...elation...frustration...happiness...love...exhaustion...all in one day. It truly needs to be called "A Day in the Life". Ever have one of those days?

Learning something new is exciting...applying what you learned is scary.

I don't like commas...I like using the three dot method. Not sure why...

Living life is like coaching football, there are times to play it safe and times to take a risk. Problem is...you are not going to get it right all of the time on when to pull the trigger and when you need to put the gun back in the holster.

A deck in the summer time can be home to spirits and high spirits. It can be home to reflecting on the past and envisioning the future. It is a launching pad of many things. A place to commiserate or celebrate. An extension of your house but a home on it's own.

Moving your children into their own places is like watching a movie.

Getting good news at a physical is a pretty cool thing.

No matter how much technology has improved our lives...there is nothing better than a good book. I don't just mean the content...I mean everything about the book. You can't beat lying on a beach somewhere with a book in hand. Sand on the pages...maybe the remnants of some sun tan lotion or a cocktail on it as well. Falling asleep on page 42 at 2 in the afternoon. Waking up at 3 and on to page 43. That's one thing I will never leave behind...no matter how cool a Kindle is.

Since the world didn't end...I've decided to celebrate...Sunday morning Bloody Marys on my deck. Yup...that's a good place to be.

Peace.

The Magic Pill

Okay...I've done it. I have found the magic pill. The ultimate pick me up. The answer. The one thing that will get you through anything.

I am talking about confidence.

Not over confidence...not cockiness...good old fashioned confidence (we are talking self confidence and confidence in others...they both are needed).

Let me tell you a story...I was playing high school football and I was playing Right Guard. The coach called the same running play...play after play...right behind me. My responsibility on the play was to block the inside linebacker. If he was shading inside...I blocked him inside and the back ran it outside of me. If he was shaded outside...I blocked him out and the back cuts it back inside. We must've ran that same play 20 times that game for about 150 yards. I couldn't figure out why the coach was calling the same play...play after play. I didn't mind though because I was absolutely schooling the linebacker. He had no chance. I knew play after play...I would win the one on one battle. It was all confidence.

If you can set others up in life to be successful and build their confidence...kudos! They will do great things. Once you do that...guess what...you can be CONFIDENT...in knowing that you are a great leader.

Build someone else's confidence and your confidence will grow.

It's the confidence quid pro quo! Pretty cool stuff!!!!

X's and O's meet the three R's

What makes a really good coach or teacher....

A really good coach or teacher leads by example...doesn't show examples as a sign of leadership.

A really good coach or teacher knows how to pull people through...not push them.

A really good coach or teacher celebrates on the path rather than just at the end of the path.

A really good coach or teacher wants to positively affect every student or athlete...not just the good ones.

A really good coach or teacher admits mistakes...not runs from them.

A really good coach or teacher teaches or coaches you more about just the subject or sport you are in at the time.

A really good coach or teacher feels success when you are successful.

A really good coach or teacher embraces questions...not just answers them.

A really good coach or teacher knows when to learn from his students/players.

A really good coach or teacher knows how important a pat on the shoulder really is.

A really good coach or teacher demands respect from his actions and not his words.

A really good coach or teacher is a student of this profession.

A really good coach or teacher...is pretty cool.

Know some in your life? Think about them often? I do...

How are your positives and negatives?

When was the last time you recharged your batteries? I gotta say...if there was snow on the ground...it's been too long. I took an opportunity this week to take a time out and recharge my batteries. For some people, recharging the batteries means taking a mental health day...hanging out at home and vegging. Nothing wrong with that approach. I took it in a different direction this week. I went back to school and engaged in higher learning. I audited a class that I had taken before in the Exec Ed program at the UW. It was the perfect prescription for a little battery re-charging. First of all, the instructor was fantastic...secondly...I am engaged with other like minded people who want to improve and learn. Vertical and horizontal engagement with positive people...now that is what I am talking about. Plug in...unplug...doesn't matter which you choose...but to quote Yoda...choose you must.