I Thank My Competitors

My competitors do more for me than my friends.

My friends are too polite to point out my weaknesses, but my competitors go to great lengths to tell me all of them.

My competitors are efficient and diligent. They make me search for ways to improve my service and efficiencies.

My competitors would take my business away from me if they could.

This keeps me alert and to hold what I have.

If I had no competitors, I would be lazy, incompetent and complacent. I need the discipline they enforce on me.

I thank my competitors. They have been good to me.

Yours in " - 'Thank You Competitors" - Coach

The long journey towards...

The middle...that's where most of us end up.

Not the best, and not the worst - Average - which is the best of the
worst, and the worst of the best.

The middle, the normal - like everyone else.

The ones who end up in the middle follow the rest of the pack, the herd
mentality - Safe - no glory, but no defeat either - and taking the path
of least resistance will always get us there.

Now that we know who gets to the middle, why, and how to get there, we
can choose if it's the place for us.

If it is - that's OK - some like to play it safe and like to be
average...but for those of us that don't, we now know what to do...to
be different.

Yours in Choice - Coach

The Holiday "anger ball"...

Has started to roll, I heard.

Talking to friends and family - I heard some pretty sad stories of
people bringing their funk to the festivities and got the "anger ball"
rolling, and even some on the receiving end, picked it up and kept it
for themselves.

That's no way to prime for the New Year...if you took the "anger ball" from
someone - drop it, and get back to your own deal.

It's not a good thing, anytime someone brings the "anger ball", but
it's life, but it's not a good thing if you keep it, either.

Yours in "Getting back to our own deal" - Coach

Sharing is...

Caring.

That's from our very own Illustrious Fred!

He's right - and we innately learned it when we were kids - you
remember - when you cared about someone - you shared, and when you
didn't - they got nothing.

But as we grow older, we also begin to understand that sharing is just
a great thing to do - no matter what we have, or who the other person
is...because as adults, we know something that we didn't know as a
kid...we can always get more of what we share, and when we share
first, it opens the spirit of caring.

Nice one - Making the World a Better Place

Yours in "Sharing is Caring" - Fred - and Coach

Ah, it's Christmas Eve...

Some Celebrate it and some don't, either way, it's the start of a National Holiday tomorrow...Christmas!

And that's the day to be with family and friends, eating, conversing
and just plain "hanging out", and for some, giving and receiving some
pretty sweet gifts.

We've all had a pretty tough year, and there is no sense in bringing the funk to our celebration.

So let's all make it a point, and do whatever it takes, to really make this Holiday a long lasting memory.

Your in "It's all about Memories" - Coach

Mickey Kane...

Made everything look so easy!

At work he seemed to flow with the flow and even bring it up a notch,
at a whim.

His personal life was the same too...everyone liked him and he was
quite a leader.

When someone finally asked him what his secret was, he revealed it was
no secret at all.

He explained, "I just flow with the flow, and when I meet resistance, I
simply flow with it or put my turbo pack on, and bust through it,
depending on if I feel the effort is worth the results...and by saving
a little extra for my turbo booster, I can navigate smoothly, through
any situation - making it look easy.

Are you flowing and saving a little extra?

Yours in a "Nice Game Plan" - Coach

The Holidays are...

Made for sharing.

Sharing cheer, gifts and love.

And we can also make it a point to reach out to those that we haven't
been sharing much with.

If you have not been talking to someone, for whatever reason, and
something happened to them and you would feel bad, maybe now is the
time to reach out.

We can all rejoice and let the past be the past, and end the year on a
sharing note...and ready ourselves for a new year, with new and or
re-gained relationships...which may be the best present we can all
share.

Yours in Love - Coach

People's decisions are based on...

Their beliefs.

Therefore, since what we believe, is a base for our decisions, we can
understand that our decisions create our actions, and our actions
create our future.

So what are our beliefs about our future?

Our we believing our lives and future is not that good, or great?

Do we believe we are not in control, or in control?

Do we believe we are worthy of a great life, or not worthy?

These question may seem silly, but it all starts with our beliefs and
ends with our future.

Yours in "Believe in You" - Coach

We just had a memorable...

Snow experience in Las Vegas - even shut down the schools today!

It's times like these where we had an unique experience and will have
fond memories, that remind us that maybe we shouldn't wait for nature
to give us such a great experience and memories.

We need to be mindful of "shaking up" our daily routines, from time to
time, to help us create our own unique experiences and memories...in
any way we would like.

It's all about experiences and memories.

Yours in "Shake it up" - Coach

Occasionally, we get...

Out of bed with our "C" game.

Doesn't matter much if we stay at home, by ourselves, and don't interact with anyone.

But those instances are rare.

We may wake up with our "C" game but we must leave our house with our "A" game.

Why? For starters, that's like us - and we can really help out, when we
are clicking game. We also know that everyone wants to be around, or
part of, someone who is clicking game.

So in reality, our lives and those around us, expand...when we bring it...with our "A" game.

Yours in "Up to us" - Coach

It's not a record unless it Spins.

That's the way it goes, and everyone at Zappos sure did "Spin it and Win it".

We broke the all time sales record yesterday and it was the culmination of the whole team, giving what we got.

In all areas, we banded together and faced the economic headwinds with
a beautiful plan, determination and focus - to give our valued
customers and recipients of Holiday gifts, exactly what they wanted,
making this time of year just that much more enjoyable.

And being in Las Vegas, it doesn't snow much, but it was no surprise,
that I woke up and looked around the valley and saw all of the hills
proudly dusted with snow.

Looks like the powers that be, gave Zappos a big seal of approval...by putting "icing on the cake".

Yours in "Well done Team, Well done" - Coach

There are a million...

Things that can annoy, worry or irritate us - don't let them.

It sure is easy to allow those negative things take over our emotions.

So why not...Let the million things...that can bring us joy, happiness
and love in.

It's Most likely the better choice.

Yours in another "Spin it and win it" - Coach

We are Thankful...

For our part in paying the rent, it keeps a roof over our heads and
keeps us dry.

For our utility bills, it will help keep us warm with heating and water.

For the low gasoline prices, it let's us have more money for what we
want, instead of what we need.

For our tight clothes, it means we have enough to eat.

For our lives, for the other option is inevitable, which reminds us how
precious our future is.

For Everything...it's all part of Our Wonderful Life.

Yours in "Perspective" - Coach

No Regrets, Only Lessons...

We are not born with experience, it is created by living our lives and
shaped by our choices.

We sometimes make poor choices and can either learn a lesson or have
regrets.

By having regrets, we spend our present and future strolling down
"Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda Street" which serves no purpose.

Finding lessons from our past experiences can be used as a positive
guide towards making our future just that much better.

So if we have made a poor choice int the past, like we have all done,
take it as a lesson and move forward, or have regrets and live in the
past - all our choice.

Yours in Lessons - Coach

Life is a Marathon...

And not a Sprint.

That's why we can't sprint for too long in life, otherwise we have
to pull up and rest, while we watch the ones that take their time - pass
us up.

We are not saying we shouldn't pick up the pace from time to time, we
just need to pick the right time to pick it up, and the right time to
slow it down.

When we know how to do that...no hill or mountain is too big or too
tall.

Remember, life isn't going anywhere, we are...and slow and steady will
always get us there...wherever we are going.

Yours in "Life's a Marathon" - Coach

Everything that is not seen...

Doesn't mean it doesn't matter.

It's easy to understand that all things we can touch or can be seen,
has a value.

But what about the things we can't see?

Radio waves, sound waves, microwaves and light, for example, cannot be
"touched" or "seen" ...but can be quantified by the results they
produce.

The same goes for our thoughts. They can't be "seen" or "touched" but
they really do matter.

Ever think of someone, you haven't seen in a year, and they call you
the next day?

It was your thoughts that produced the "Magic".

So always remember, our thoughts can attract or repel, receive and
transmit, depending on what we are thinking.

Yours in "The Power of Thought" - Coach

Can't put an old head...

On young shoulders.

Probably be good if we could, but just wouldn't look right.

But if we could use the mind, it would be terrific...Thinking what we
know at a younger age - maybe we could of have had a lot better time??
But we can't, and it would really spoil the amazing things we
could experience for the first time...with our eyes - wide open.

So simply understanding that living our life the way we do, we need to
get lessons, bumps and bruises along the way - in order to get a wiser,
more experienced "head" which grows right along with the "shoulders".

Yours in having fun "The way things are" - Coach

If we don't feed something...

It will wither away.

That's the case with our thoughts and habits that we don't want.

Changing our thoughts and habits from what we don't want, and replacing
them with what we do want, will be feeding what we want, and starving
what we don't want.

And over time, what we don't want, will soon cease to be.

Yours in "Correct Feeding" - Coach

Some people have a hard time...

Helping themselves, and that's usually because they have some combination
of past baggage, poor self talk or poor self esteem, all of which help
form our thoughts

And that's OK. Those are the 3 things we all need to deal with on a
consistent basis in our quest for getting...and keeping "Our Minds
Right".

If you have a hard time helping yourself out, for whatever reason, just
take the position of helping out others - Because in helping others, we
can feel better about ourselves, which is paramount in helping
ourselves out.

So take others to the "Next Level"

You couldn't be more help if you were a crutch.

Yours in taking it to the "Next Level" - Coach

We must be careful, not to...

Chase that shiny lure...because shiny lures are for catching fish.

We need to be objective in the things we go after.

There are many things and even many people that are "shiny" on the
outside, but it's just for show and attraction, and not something to
chase.

Don't get me wrong...there are many beautiful things that are all
around us, especially in nature, and it is those things that we can
admire and take in - just not go after.

So in life, we should always know what we are going after, and be
focused, and we need to see beyond the glitz and see the real deal,
or we may just get hooked on that which is not the best for us.

Yours in "Focus" - Coach

We can measure...

The heart, with sophisticated instruments, but we can't really measure
what's inside.

With "heart" we can accomplish almost anything we set our mind to.

We can live the life we want, push through any obstacles, climb the
tallest mountains and achieve whatever else we desire.

When "heart" is coupled with the mind - we are unstoppable.

And occasionally, with "heart", we can break records...

Yours in "Heart" - Coach

Does it hurt?

If it does - it usually means one of two things:

1. We are either doing something that is not right for our body.

2. Or we are pushing our body past it's previous "Limit".

That's the fuzzy part. When we are doing something not right for our body,
our innate alarm system rings the bell, and says we have gone too far
and damage has either occurred or will occur, if kept up.

But when we are pushing ourselves past our comfort zone in the attempt
to do what we haven't done, or taking it to the "Next level" the same
alarm bell rings.

So we just need to be mindful of what is causing the bell to ring, or
we can cause damage...or sink back into our comfort zone - both
resulting in what we don't want.

Yours in "Occasionally...Push It" - Coach