“Greatness is a state of mind.” – Thomas Edison

 What is your mind helping you be great at? 

Take a look over the past 24 hours of your life.  What were your first waking thoughts?  How did you spend your first hour?  What did you eat?  How did you greet the people in your life?  How did you manage the fires in your life?  How did you consider the long-term goals you have for yourself? What did you avoid?  What did you focus on just before you fell asleep?

Our days are made up of a series of thoughts, emotions, and habits and it’s the collection of these habits that produce our ‘status quo’.  And status quo is good…but what if you were meant to be…great?

For some, these habits are like old wagon trails engrained in our brain’s pleasure and pain centers, built to reinforce feelings we want to experience or avoiding those we don’t want to ‘go through’.  Unfortunately, in the fast-paced world in which we live it’s the later that gets more energy and attention without us even knowing it.  The path of least resistance.  Comfort.

And yet, some of the most significant moments in life come from those out of the ordinary, in fact…the extraordinary times in our lives.

(Get past your Status Quo at Destination Breakthru, July 22-24th, 2011 in Vail Colorado – www.destinationbreakthrough.com)

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This past Saturday there was a captivated room of professional speakers leaning into every word of one Steve Rizzo.   Steve is what you might consider the professional motivator behind many of today’s headline comics like Drew Carey, and Ron White. 

But his gift to us was what you might call, ‘Oh Shift!: The Ultimate Attitude Adjustment Handbook”, his yet to be released book.  He shared his take on how to acquire and sustain an optimistic attitude especially as professional speakers trying to get work over the last 3 years.

He shared this thinking pattern most of us…its call the ‘when-then’ pattern of thinking.   It came from his relationship with none other than Rodney Dangerfield.  While in Ft. Lauderdale headlining in Rodney’s comedy club, Steve asked if he was truly happy having FINALLY made it to the top at age 60.   Rodney’s response – his life sucked. 

Why you ask?  Because he had not learned how to be happy while on the journey.   He had made himself live life in a ‘when-then’ mindset.  And at age 60, he now regretted not having enjoyed his life while he was young.

How many of us set goals, and try making our way towards our aspirations with a set of restraints on our own happiness?  In my journey to leave Corporate America, I was certainly NOT immune to this myself.  As of July 7th, 2010 however…I have been towing the new road of being self-employed (and LOVING it).

Tonight I’ll be interviewed about the story of my life over the last several years as I add a few chapters to my story of Choose the Game. 

In preparing for the interview I talked with Change Thrivers Blogtalk showhost Afsaneh Noori about the adversity we must endure to while getting through our stories.  Steve reminded me that the word optimism can’t come without a need for it. 

Without the bad, tough, and rough times, the choice to BE optimistic and stand for ourselves would not exist. 

So before you think you are stuck without a light…remember there are always 2 sides to every coin. 

Perhaps yours needs to be flipped?

Enjoy the day, and CHOOSE YOUR GAME!!!!

A large percentage of the working world just caught wind and felt the rush of Gary Vaynerchuk’s newest book, Crush It! The first questions your eyes consider include, “Do you have a hobby you wish you could indulge in all day?  An obsession that keeps you up at night?”

As an entrepreneur earning over $60 million since 2006, Gary is an example of living out the fullest passion potential in his DNA.  It just so happens he mastered the use of the internet to cash in on this potential

After reading the book, there is a particular line on page 17 that resonates with me more than any other.  As a member of the reading, human population, you may have been on earth long enough for this to resonate with you as well, 

“…you’re going to work harder than you’ve ever worked in your life. But I’m of the opinion that hardship shapes us.”

What hardships have shaped you?

With enough time between then and now, what about you, was shaped “for the good?”

I’m not recalling who said, “the unexamined life isn’t worth living.” Not sure I entirely agree with that, but I do agree that in the examining of your life, wisdom can be found.  Life can happen “to you” or you can make it happen.  Either way, something is going to happen.  It will shape a part of who you are and who you will become next. Read More→

There is a gentleman at work who was in the armed forces several years back. He shared something that really struck a chord this week, “The problem with America as I see it today…is that people have no honor. They are not living with a set of principles that are clear to them. Therefore, when push comes to shove, they go with whatever direction the wind is blowing.”

Over the past year, I’ve struggled with time management and how to best stretch out a day to cover my role as the Director of OD/L at HSN, the wife of a husband out of work, the mother of a 5 year old son, the friend to someone carrying a baby, the VP of Programs for National Speakers Association, and the owner of a speaking/coaching LLC!

My principles? Persistence in the face of adversity. Committment to those I love. “Doing whatever it takes…to make it through.” Read More→

Yesterday I attended a webinar “Leading in a Fear-Based World.”  The speaker was giving the audience an example of how the human brain works, “Have you ever purchased a car and all of a sudden you begin to see the EXACT same car on the road?”

What we bring into our view… is what we see.  This is a human experience and this example brings that experience out in a very tangible way.

It isn’t as if this idea was unique, and yet, at that moment, the message hit me in a unique way.  Over the last 3 weeks, roughly 10 hours of my time has been spent in a courtroom – standing in defense of the people who I am coaching.  The main message being brough into their view, was a sturdy case to prove to themeselves why…they just might not be…good “enough.”

Today I had the fortunate opportunity to speak with the Tampa Meeting Planners International group.   In prep for my speech, I meet with my personal “slap ya upside the head when you’re being silly” coach.

I was running a story in my head, “These folks are pretty optimistic people…what if they don’t need what I’ve got? What if I’m just another, BORING motivational speaker?”

I had bought this, hook, line, and stinker (yes, I mean to say stinker).  My coach gave me the most appropriate wake-up call – a virtual slap upside the head, and we moved on. Read More→

It was 5:47 last night, a total of 12 mintues before I needed to get ‘on stage’ for a speaking engagement with the Tampa Bay Executive’s Forum.  A buddy of mine from National Speaker’s Association calls, “Hey Kathy, Dave Bell here.   Do you happen to have 12:00 noon open tomorrow?”  It depends – I am thinking.   “Kathy, I have a client with a nationally syndicated internet radio show and she would like to interview you on your topic of Change the Game” Read More→

Get your head in the game.

Last month I attended an annual i4cp conference focused on delivering research results about the state of employee talent and management practices in the US from 2009 and the anticipated needs heading into 2010-2011.  My peers included nearly 120 of the senior most HR, OD, and Talent leaders from companies like AOL, Starbucks, Novelis, Lockheed Martin, Kraft, and HSN.

Most were simply trying to maintain what they had or worse…undergoing a process of having to dismantle good-great programs.   Watching the lack of storytelling about best practices for nearly 3 days, it became apparent to me …only a handful had been able to keep their best thinking in ‘the game’ at work in 2009.

For almost 2 years now, leaders and employees alike have been focusing the bejesus out of resources, time, and money – trying as best possible to “get a head in the game”.   And like the handful of talent managment leaders who have somehow ploughed through the snowstorm, the people are learning the timeless lessons about “survival of the fittest”, “sink or swim”, “make it or break it”.    Read More→

Welcome to Oncore Performance Group.

Let go. Jump In. .

Have you ever been at one of those teambuilding events where they ask you to do the Trust Fall. You know, the one where you close your eyes and fall back into the arms of people you are nice, but maybe not too strong? More important, did you tip up your heels and let yourself fall? Today I tipped my heels, and fell face first…into the future!

Today’s presentation: The YOU Q: Defining the Game of Your Life is nothing more than my version of what many authors, speakers, and trainers have said 1001 times before. But not like this.

I can see him now, the guy in the audience shaking his head, rolling his eyes, “oh brother not this again”. I can also see the people, too tired to keep their eyes open. Just when you think you may not be connecting…something incredible happens.

“Kathy you made me realize which player I am being in my life. I can see now that I’m sitting on the sidelines of my life and I’m finally ready to be a Jumper. I’m the only one keeping me back. Thank you.”

The line of people wanted to share this sentiment lasted for over an hour. Read More→