Four Words that Changed My Life

Professional Speaker-Personal Development-Positive Attitude

That’s a pretty powerful statement to make – saying that only four words could change my life. But it’s true. These four words literally gave me a different outlook and helped me deal with all the craziness and challenges that have crept into my life and shaped me into the person I am today. These four words have helped me keep my sanity and deal with an uncertain future. Ok, ok, so what are they already???

I HAVE A CHOICE

That it! These four short words have made an immense impact on me. You see, when a crisis hits, you may feel like you have no choices and have no control, but you always do.

At your core you always have a choice;

At your core you always have control.

When you realize this, you will be able to handle anything that comes your way. All you have to do is stop and ask yourself: what are my choices and what can I control right now at this very moment? This is true even in the middle of a pandemic:  you have choices, there are opportunities, and you do have control. It may not look exactly the way you imagined it so you may have to be a little creative and a bit open minded. It is all there in front of you, though, and it’s up to you to decide how you will handle the changes that come your way.

You can spend your days complaining about your losses or you can grow from them. The choice is yours, but make no mistake – you cannot do both. You cannot complain and grow at the same time.

So, which one will you choose? Remember the four words I shared that changed my life. Now it’s up to you:

YOU HAVE A CHOICE

 

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Find Your Strength in Others

Professional Speaker-Personal Development-Positive Attitude

“You can succeed when no one believes in you but you have no chance of succeeding when you don’t believe in yourself.” Lou Holtz.

And what a difficult time this is to believe in anything. With our world spinning out of control, how do you maintain some sort of sanity through all this mess.

One simple thing that helps me is to focus on the good that is in this world. I try to visualize the image of people cleaning up after the destruction left behind by looters. As my heart breaks for the business owners, my spirit is lifted by seeing people come together to help each other. Here in Madison, we have several groups that are organizing to rebuild our city – rebuild our lives. I guarantee that you will see me amongst those sweeping and restocking and supporting in any way I can.

Take a look at how you can help others, no matter how small or minor it may seem to you. In the process, you will find that the good you do for others returns to you ten-fold.

 

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Lessons Learned From the Big Stage: #2 Stop Tearing Your Hair Out!

Professional Speaker-Personal Development-Positive Attitude

Lesson #2 from competing in the International Speech Contest: How do I gain control and prepare for something when I don’t even know who’s judging me?

That’s what I had to figure out as I made my way to the big stage of the International Speech Contest. You see, in this event, there are international judges who will decide if I am good enough to be given the title of the Best Speaker in the World. They had all the power. So how was I going to prepare my speech to impress them and make them pick me?

I was driving myself crazy!!!

How do I dress? What words will impress them?? How can I make them sit up and notice me over the 97 other speakers competing???

Then hit me….I can’t control them. So why am I beating my head against the wall? Why am I focusing on the things I can’t control?

So I took a deep breath, and little by little, I began to take the steps that would lead me to being my own champion. I picked the outfit that I was comfortable in; I wrote the speech that I wanted to share with my audience; and I made sure that I was a winner in my own eyes. Then I practiced, and practiced, and practiced some more with the speech that came from my heart. When I walked off that stage after the contest, I knew I had done it my way, win or lose.

And isn’t that all we can ever do??? Just take a deep breath and focus on the things we can control. The rest is up to fate, or whatever you want to call it. Whether we are preparing for one of the biggest events of our life, or simply trying to get through the day, take one step at a time. Some days, maybe only a baby step. But you are in control and you keep moving forward. You choose the best path for today. And in the end, it doesn’t matter what others think. In the end, you are the only judge that matters.

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