Life Lessons From Bugs Bunny!

I am a complete Bugs Bunny FREAK! I love his attitude, antics, and persona. When I used to tour with our rock band, I even had one of our roadies paint the Warner Bros. bulls-eye with Bugs playing my guitar on the back of my biker jacket. That aside, I was thinking about the cartoons where someone is wrestling with a decision and this little angel is on one shoulder and the devil is on another.

"Do it!" the angel encourages, "Help the old lady across the street".
"Leave her alone, let her take her chances with traffic". mutters the Devil.
Bugs will usually flick the Devil off of the shoulder and do the right thing.
You get the picture.

I was visiting with a coaching client yesterday who has a book published and is a pretty good speaker. She has not been speaking for much of a fee and sells no books at her programs. The reason why she sells no books is because SOMEONE TOLD HER THAT HER BOOK DIDN'T MEAN MUCH.

Think about it...she invested in the publishing process, wrote the book, had enough belief in the message to speak about it; yet her "Devil" on her shoulder kept holding her career and income back. I calmly explained to her that this guy was an idiot, and she had my permission to sell her books and be successful.

One of my mentors and friends, Cleve Gaddis, used to call these "Devil"s SNIOPS. That stands for "Subject to the Negative Input of Other People's Statements". SNIOPS are the devil on the shoulder of many entrepreneurs, athletes, parents, and dreamers. If you have a huge dream, not everyone will get behind you. That is fine. Maybe you want to be the first in your family to attend college, get into real estate, or start a business. There are no shortage of people who will attempt to keep you from taking action and achieving your goal. There is a reason why the people from your past don't make it into your future. My challenge to you is that you recognize these "Devil"s and kick them off of your shoulder and out of your life. Here are 3 strategies that I have found imperative to success:

1. Be part of a Mastermind group. A mastermind is typically 4-6 people who get together in person, on the phone, or over the web a couple of times per month to brainstorm and hold you accountable.
2. READ! If you haven't read "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill, begin there.
3. ALWAYS TAKE ACTION. Small action is good, big action gets noticed. Stop "Getting ready to get ready!"

If there is anything that I can do to help you or your organization grow and achieve your dreams and goals; please feel free to contact us at dave@theshef.com.
For more information about booking The Shef for your next event, visit http://www.theshef.com
or call our offices at 1-800-863-2591.

Let Your "Get By" Go "Bye Bye"

I am so astounded when I ask people how they are doing or how their business is and they respond with, "Not too bad." or "I'm getting by". They are either insanely modest and humble, or they are putting a verbal limitation on the potential for their business to grow.

If you asked your spouse to marry you and their response was , "That wouldn't be too bad". It wouldn't give you warm fuzzy feelings, would it? I would imagine that when that moment happened (or will happen), there was a tremendous amount of intense emotion!

Tom Hopkins tells us that we should respond with "Unbelievable" when someone asks us how business is going. If it is good or bad, we are covered. I would challenge you to lift the limitations off of your life, your business, your physical body, and your relationships by planting positive verbal seeds. The toughest conversations that we have are between our ears, and most of the time if someone else talked to you the way that you talk to you; you would probably smack them!

1. Affirm and focus on what you have, not what you don't.
2. Be thankful, and give some of what you have and some of who you are without expectation of repayment.
3. Meet with someone this week who is very successful and ask them some of their secrets. They could be in great physical shape, great financial shape, or in a great relationship. Chances are they would love to share secrets with you.

Above all, be prepared to take MASSIVE ACTION. Getting ready to get ready never got anyone anywhere. Be prepared to grow, be challenged, and expect success!

For more information about booking The Shef for your next event, visit http://www.theshef.com
or call our offices at 1-800-863-2591.

The Price of a Day

This is the beginning of a new day.
I have been given this day to use as I will.
I can waste it or use it for good,
But what I do today is important,
-Because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.
When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever,
Leaving in its place something I have traded for it.
I want it to be gain and not loss,
Good, and not evil; success, and not failure,
In order that I shall not regret the price that
I have paid for it.

For more information about booking The Shef for your next event, visit http://www.theshef.com
or call our offices at 1-800-863-2591.

Up Your Standards!

I was meeting with a coaching client the other day. We were discussing what was different regarding good months and not so good months. "I had a target to shoot for, and I was supported by my boss to hit it." Was his response. Sometimes it is a tiny piece of the puzzle that is missing for salespeople, students, and businesses to achieve their goals.

I reminded him that I was giving him permission to have his greatest month, ever. He just had to get out of his own way. Are there obstacles? Will everyone support him? Will he still have bad days? We all know the answers to these questions. Life is not perfect, but when you have a clear target in mind, you will breeze by the obstacles and hit your target.

I'm giving you permission to his your goals, dreams, and desires. Now get out of your own way and do it!
For more information about booking The Shef for your next event, visit http://www.theshef.com
or call our offices at 1-800-863-2591.