Morning Motivator – The Gift Horse’s Mouth

"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have."
- Frederick Keonig

First, THANK YOU to everyone that sent me kind responses yesterday to celebrate the 1 Year ANNIVERSARY of the Morning Motivator. Your support is PRICELESS.

As I awoke this morning, I was thinking about the psychology of ACHIEVEMENT and the EXPECTATIONS some people have for excelling in their life. I WONDERED… Does EVERYONE expect to be successful, confident, wealthy and respected? I also wondered why I seem to always be FOCUSED on what I don't have, as opposed to what I do… do others do the same?

When I think about what I HAVE – great family, great friends, nice home, good job and a healthy body – I know I SHOULD be very appreciative, yet I think about what I have yet to achieve. I'm so FOCUSED on growing my education, attaining new opportunities, furthering the Junior Chamber, making personal relationships "perfect," that I feel I may be OVERLOOKING the important things that are happening today. Am I missing out on some of my best years worried about things that may or may not ever happen in the years to come?

This Morning Motivator is NOT to tell you to limit your goals and "just be thankful" for what you have, rather it is to question the EXPECTATIONS of ourselves. Should we be happy to have a GOOD life and that be enough? Is it better to be FOCUSED on bettering our finances, professions and connections? If we decide to STOP focusing on the what we "want" does that mean we are giving up?

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
Learning to APPRECIATE what one has is often challenging for someone who is a FUTURIST. When you are always trying to control and forecast your future – you MAY tend to under value your current standings. So ask yourself – what is the proper BALANCE?

The BALANCE of appreciation and drive is where one finds PEACE and HAPPINESS in their life. What is your balance? Do you find greater CONTENTMENT in a passionate pursuit of the future or do you need to stop to smell the roses? What do the people around you think?

Our GREATEST challenge in life is the balancing act of today vs. tomorrow. The defining of SUCCESS in today's terms and shaping it for the future. To invest in a relationship because it feels good or do the hard stuff so it IS good. You must CHOOSE your own path and as long as you are TRUE to your soul's passions… you will find yourself walking the proper path.

Have a TREMENDOUS weekend of fun and relaxation!

Cheers,
Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator – One Year of PERSISTENCE

"Hang in there. Hang in there because the greatest quarterbacks complete only six of 10 passes. The best basketball players make only 50% of their shots. The top oil companies, with all their geologists, drill 10 dry holes for every wet one. And even the most successful actors flunk 29 auditions for television commercials before they land one. So, HANG IN THERE."
-Anonymous

Happy Birthday Morning Motivator! Thank you EVERYONE that has been a part of the Morning Motivator for the past 365 days or however long you have been on the team. I have really ENJOYED doing this and am hopeful it has inspired others to take ACTION in their lives for the betterment of their FUTURE. Today will be my last post… just kidding!

Today is a TESTAMENT to my efforts to take action in CHANGING my future. I started the Morning Motivator as an outlet for discussing CHALLENGES I saw in the workplace, then in life and then more intimately as I began to open my personal challenges to the world. I knew when I started this that I needed a POSITIVE change in my life – something that would INSPIRE my inner passions to burn and find an OPPORTUNITY to light the fires of others.

As a new hire at SunTrust in 2001, I started a newsletter for my business and my boss said to me, "Zach, I applaud your willingness to do this. Understand that if you start it, you cannot take a week off. You MUST be committed to continuing what you start." Wise words (thanks Bill). Thus, when I started this, I decided to do it DAILY. Some people said it was too FREQUENT and that I would not be able to keep up. Admittedly, I have been late for the "morning" 3 times since I started this, yet I have NEVER missed a day… even when on vacation!

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:

The lesson here is that if you have a PASSION, you don't have to change your life to see it come to reality. Take a small step daily – do something simple that you are excited about – find a way to use what is inside and integrate it into your daily actions you already do.

Be PERSISTENT and stay COMMITTED – your dreams are not out of reach and your abilities are ready for you to begin using. One day, I will find a way to be compensated in sharing my message with people. Who knows… maybe a book, someone will book me to speak or possibly people will seek to read the books I do and buy then from me. You never know and until then – I will keep sending out my PASSION, which you find in your inbox daily as a simple email, from a regular guy seeking to give you a little Morning Motivation.

Thanks for the support!!

Cheers,
Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator - Today's Choice

"When I have the choice between two evils, I always pick the one I haven't tried before."
-Mae West

Last night, in my opinion, was one of the most POWERFUL meetings I have ever been to in the Junior Chamber.

A good friend and mentor, Micheal Burt of Maximum Success, led our group in a discussion on FINDING YOUR VOICE. The idea that there is MORE to your happiness than a fulfillment of your financial needs in a job. The discussion is based on the premise of 4 core strengths that FEED a person's inner soul - Mind, Body, Heart and Spirit.

The MIND is your knowledge base and the APPLICATION of your mental skills towards a vocation. It is your DESIRE to LEARN and grow in your mental capacity. This is what is primarily fed in our society through schooling and standardized testing.

The BODY is your skill set and abilities to execute in the physical world. This is a COLLECTION of your speaking skills, problem solving, sales ability, etc... These are the things you do to put food on the table. You must grow your skills and physical abilities to grow and succeed.

The HEART is your passion and DESIRE to accomplish in a chosen path. This is commonly where people STRUGGLE in their careers if they are ones that feel lost. You don't seem to LOVE what you do or fully BUY INTO the overall goals of the group. Sometimes, you do not even know WHAT the goals and purpose are. You must DRIVE your passions to find your personal success.

Lastly, SPIRIT is a your SELF BELIEF. A combination of your internal self thought and the external triggers of others reactions to your execution creates a persona of your CONFIDENCE. Your ability to BELIEVE you can amass all the great victories you seek in life is one of the most POWERFUL and often most lacking areas in ones life.

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
So what can you do to achieve SUCCESS in your life? ANALYZE the above 4 areas of excellence. How many are you excelling in? How many do you feel COMPLETE and ENRICHED in?

You have the CHOICE today to seek out the solutions to the lacking areas in your life. You ARE in control of your next steps and thus the results of tomorrow.

If the MIND is where you are lacking - seek education. Every day you should learn something and be able to better assess future situations, whether from someone you speak with or by the books you ARE reading. (yes, you may have to read again)

If the BODY is where you are found wanting - seek ways enhance your skills. Perform EXERCISES whether they are for fitness or for professional execution, such as sales training or public speaking. Seek out the people that are masters of the skills you need and ask where you can ACHIEVE the same.

If it is HEART - you must learn to follow your PASSIONS. No one can tell you what you love or desire... you just have to learn to trust it and chase it.

Finally, if it is SPIRIT that you need - find a mentor. Someone that can help you see the GREATNESS in yourself and push you to grow beyond your personal limitations. Once you have someone pushing you to be BETTER every day, you will find that the only limitations in your life are the self imposed barriers you have established.

Cheers,
Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator - Your Chance

"This is my chance to do something. I have to seize the moment."
-Andrew Jackson

What if a GREAT opportunity shows up today?  Are you ready to take ACTION?  Would you even RECOGNIZE it?

Each day COUNTLESS opportunities come through our lives.  Most often, we NEVER even see them.  Why?  Rarely, we are not PREPARED for the opportunity or just are IGNORANT to the idea thus never seeing it...

How can you PREPARE?  What ACTIONS can you begin taking so you are READY when opportunity knocks? 

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP::
There are ACTIONS you can begin taking immediately to prepare yourself.  Consider contacting SCORE (www.score.org) to speak with a retired professional that has experience in your area of interest.  Your local college is also and EXCELLENT resource for expert contacts that can help enhance your AWARENESS for opportunities.

Cheers,
Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com


The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator - What Are You Really Risking?

"If you don't risk anything, you risk even more."
- Erica Jong, Novelist and poet

When you speak to people and ask them what they REALLY want to do... how many people say, "I am doing it"? How many people SHARE their passions about what they would do if they just didn't have (insert comment here)?

When you CONSIDER what RISK really is, do you consider that risk is not the opportunity to FAIL at something you love, but that it is ALSO the missed opportunity to be EXCELLENT at what you love? Many people DAYDREAM about what they want to be when they "grow up" and yet very few ever take action. Why? The usual suspects show up - "other commitments", mortgage, fear, lack of skills, lack of clarity, blah blah blah...

Examine the ONE person that pops to your mind as being SUCCESSFUL. What is the DIFFERENCE between you and them? I'm not talking about having a rich family or being a gifted athlete. I'm talking about the stuff they DO that you will NOT - stay late at work, gain more education, take a risk on starting their own business, eat properly each day. It is NOT that you lack the ABILITY to be successful, more commonly you lack the WILLINGNESS to take the risk on YOURSELF to be happy. What is the WORST that could happen if you took that big risk? Seriously... the worst thing. And how bad is it really?

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
Fear is an EMOTION that is "felt" in the body signifying a LACK of understanding. Fear is IGNORANCE. You may be FEARFUL to take a risk... why? Simply, you do not KNOW what will occur if you should take the action. If you KNEW the result, there would be NO FEAR.

If you KNOW that you education (not necessarily a formal education) is the KEY to overcoming fear and allowing yourself to take calculated RISKS - then why are you not studying on ways to make it happen? Take a class, buy a trade magazine, Google something for gosh sakes... the information is out there.

Take 30 minutes a day for the next 2 weeks and study the AREA of interest that you are seeking to take a risk in. Don't read about the FUN stuff - read about the stuff that makes it work (Financing, logistics, politics, economies of scale, time investments, etc) and you will find yourself to be on the path to EXPERTISE along with a sense of CONFIDENCE, no longer fear.

Cheers,
Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.