W.I.N. Wednesday: Give wisely.

Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

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W.I.N. Wednesday: I get it. It's hard.

March 30, 2016 / Brian Willis

In my Dare to Be Great and Heroes Path seminars I talk about excellence and greatness as choices.

Every day you have the choice to show up, do the work and ask yourself:

What’s Important Now? and,
What’s the right thing to do?

Every day you have the choice embrace mediocrity or to punch mediocrity in the mouth, Embrace the Suck and Dare to Be Great.

These are not easy choices.

Mediocrity is easy – just do what you have been doing, and do it well enough to not make any waves, fly under the radar and get by.

The pursuit of excellence and daring to be great are hard.

I often have people approach me on the breaks and start their sentence with the words, “Brian you don’t understand.” What follows is an explanation of why their situation is unique and a justification for their unwillingness to pursue excellence and dare to be great.

Actually, I do understand. While the names and faces are different, and there are some nuances with each organization, the fundamental issues are consistent. I get it. It get that it is hard. I have the same battles in my head and in my life and sometimes I take the easy way out.

When you get to the point where you think you have no choice, then you have become a victim. Seth Godin recently wrote a blog post about “I don’t have a choice.” Here is some of what he wrote: “More likely: There's no easy choice. No safe choice that also embraces your potential. No choice you can make that doesn't cause short-term misery in exchange for a long-term benefit.” Wow, he hit that on the head as he usually does.

Life is about choice.

What’s Important Now? - Choose well.

Take care.

Brian Willis

Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

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W.I.N. Wednesday: We lost a good man.

March 23, 2016 / Brian Willis

On March 13, 2016 the law enforcement profession lost a good man, CHP Officer Nathan Taylor. His family lost a husband, a father, a son and a brother. The CHP lost a great officer, a friend, role model and mentor.

Below is the description from ODMP of the collision that took his life:

Officer Nathan Taylor succumbed to injuries sustained the previous day when he was struck by a vehicle on I-80, near Donnor Summit.

He was directing traffic at the scene of a previous accident when a vehicle suddenly changed lanes and accelerated past slowing traffic. The vehicle struck Officer Taylor, causing him to be thrown into the median. He suffered two broken legs and internal injuries. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries the following day.

Officer Taylor had served with the California Highway Patrol for six years. He is survived by his wife, three sons, parents, sister, and three brothers. One of his brothers also serves with the California Highway Patrol.

To get a sense as to the kind of man Nathan Taylor was take a few minutes and read this letter a citizen wrote when he heard about Nathan’s death:

In Honor of CHP Officer Nathan Taylor -

I knew Nathan for about 45 minutes. Two weeks ago I was hitch-hiking at Donner Summit after a failed backcountry ski trip. Nathan’s CHP cruiser rolled up and I thought “Here we go, I’m about to get harassed by the cops.”

Nathan rolled down the window and asked if I was all right. I leaned in and told him I was ok, and gave him my story. He asked if I wanted a ride, and I gladly accepted.

In the next 45 minutes we talked, laughed and shared stories. He told me about his wife and kids, his time working in San Jose, and how he loved working up in the mountains away from the city. When he dropped me off, he gave me his personal phone number and told me to call him at 6:30 if I hadn’t gotten a ride - he would pick me up after he got off work and drive me to family in Sacramento. I texted him later in the day to tell him that I had been picked up and thank him. He texted back “All’s well that ends well. Glad you made it.”

Nathan Taylor was a good man. He was kind, and giving, and he wanted to help. He challenged my prejudice against the police. He inspired me to be a better man.

I have found myself thinking about how I could repay his kindness in the last couple of weeks. About bringing him a 6 pack of beer, or writing the CHP to commend him. I thought about looking him up when I was in the area and offering to buy him dinner. I thought about becoming his friend.

And then I read in the newspaper today that he had been killed on duty this weekend - hit by a car while investigating another accident. And I was, I am, crushed. Buying him a 6 pack or dinner seems so small in scope now. I am sharing this in an effort to broaden that scope. To repay him by inspiring others to be good.

Be a good person. Be kind to strangers. Go out of your way to help them when you can. The time for this is now, not later. Later may never come. The measure of your life is your impact on other people. Make it count.

Nathan Taylor was a good man. He represented all that is good about the law enforcement profession; a profession of men and women who, like Nathan, have chosen to serve their communities.

Honor Nathan and his family by sharing his story.

Take care.

Brian Willis

Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

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W.I.N. Wednesday: Your legacy. Your Footprints.

March 16, 2016 / Brian Willis

A legacy is not simply something you leave behind when you die; it is something you create every day that you live.

What legacy are you creating?

Are the footprints you are leaving in the sand worth following?

Take care.

Brian Willis

Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

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W.I.N. Wednesday: What's new Willis?

March 09, 2016 / Brian Willis

A number of you have me asked what’s new for 2016? What are you working on? Any new seminars in 2016?

The Excellence in Training Academy is still relatively new as I launched it in August of 2015 and is a project I am very excited about. This is a professional development membership site for law enforcement trainers. Each week I post new content in the form of interviews and webinars to the Members Area of the site. This content can only be accessed by members of the Excellence in Training Academy Community. To date I have posted 27 interviews and 7 webinars to the site and have some amazing interviews to come. If you are an academy instructor, in-service trainer or FTO, and willing to invest in your own professional development, then the Academy was created for you. Join the Excellence in Training Academy now and use the code eitmonthfree to get the first month free.

As a result of requests during the last 1/4 of 2015 and so far in 2016 I am now doing more leadership training. I have developed a leadership workshop called Dare to Be Great: The Leadership Challenge. I am running open Dare to Be Great workshops in Spruce Grove, AB on April 12, in Buffalo Grove, IL on April 19 and 20 and Central Saanich, B.C. on October 5. I am doing a Keynote on The Question of Leadership for the Illinois Assoc. of Chiefs of Police on April 21 and the Dare to Be Great workshop for the new England Chapter of the FBI NAA on June 29. I am also doing five leadership workshops in California in May with Roy Bethge from The Virtus Group. Details for all these are on the website at www.winningmindtraining.com.

I also have a new seminar called Embrace the Suck and Dare to Be Great. I am running an open seminar for all first responders on October 3 in Central Saanich, B.C.

On November 18, 2015 Roy Bethge and I ran the first WINx: Inspiring Excellence in Law Enforcement event in Naperville, Illinois. The event featured 9 speakers each presenting a dynamic 18 minute talk. It was a huge success and we will be running the 2016 event on November 16, at the same great venue in Naperville. The videos of five of the 2015 talks are now available on the WINx website at www.experiencewinx.com and the remaining four videos will be released over the coming months. It is well worth your time to watch all of the talks as they are all very different.

This summer I will be presenting at the National Tactical Officers Association Conference. I will be doing a breakout session on Embrace the Suck and Dare to Be Great and a one day Excellence in Training workshop.

I have someone working on some updates to my Winning Mind Training website so stay tuned.

I am exploring the possibility of developing an online Performance Enhancement Imagery course later this year.

Some of my top book recommendations from my 2016 reading journey:

· Extreme Ownership By Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

· A More Beautiful Question By Warren Berger

· Brave, Strong and True By Kate Hendricks Thomas

· It’s My Pleasure By Dee Ann Turner

· Primed to Perform By Neel Oshi and Lindsay McGregor

Thank you for your interest and support. Make sure you check out the Winning Mind Training website for full course lists, dates and locations.

Take care.

Brian Willis

Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

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W.I.N. Wednesday: Stumbling Block or Stepping Stone?

March 02, 2016 / Brian Willis

"It's fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure."

Bill Gates

I am a big advocate for celebrating our successes however; the greatest learning opportunities in life often come from our failures.

I ask participants in my seminars what are some of the fears that hold them back and serve as roadblocks and barriers in the pursuit of excellence and greatness. The first response is almost always, “The fear of failure”.

When you think of failure as an opportunity to learn from the experience, to grow and to find new and better ways to accomplish the task, the goal or the mission you take away the power of the fear of failure.

John Maxwell in his book Failing Forward encourages us to “take the u out of failure”. Just because you fail to achieve a goal does not make you a failure.

As I reflect on my career and my life, some of my greatest learning and growth came out of failures.

You have a choice with failure. You can see it as a stumbling block that you allow to trip you up and cause you to fall. Or, you can think of failure as a stepping stone to help you reach higher and achieve more.

Take time this week to reflect on some of the failures in your life that resulted in personal or professional growth. Reflect on the lessons learned and the ways in which you are better off because of the experience.

What’s Important Now? You get to choose how you respond to failure. Choose the stepping stone mentality. Choose to grow.

Take care.

Brian Willis

Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

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February 10, 2016 / Brian Willis

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W.I.N. Wednesday: Do you smile, gather strength and grow brave?

“I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.”

Thomas Paine

It is not a question of whether you are going to fail, screw up or make a mistake. It is a question a when, how often and how are you going to respond.

You are going to fail. It is part of the human experience.

You are going to screw up. You are human.

You will make mistakes. None of us are perfect.

Life happens. How do you choose to respond?

Do you embrace failure as feedback? Do you see it as an opportunity to learn a better way to do things and to grow?

When you make a mistake do you man up or woman up, standup, own up to the mistake, identify the learning and move forward better off for the experience?

Do you “gather strength from distress and grow brave by reflection”?

It is tempting to shrink when failure strikes. It is easy to pout and point the finger of blame. It is safer to resolve to never stretch and take a risk again.

What’s Important Now? - Chose growth over easy and safe. Seek solutions over blame.

Take care.

Brian Willis

Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

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February 03, 2016 / Brian Willis

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W.I.N. Wednesday: What piece of this do I own?

As a manager or leader what percentage of the responsibility do you have to adapt to Generation Y employees coming into your organization?

As a Generation Y employee coming into an organization what percentage of responsibility do you have to adapt to your peers and bosses who are Gen X or Baby Boomers?

What percentage of responsibility do you have as a trainer or teacher for the learning that takes place in a training room or classroom?

As a student or participant in a training program what percentage of responsibility do you have regarding your learning?

What percentage of responsibilities do police agencies have to develop and maintain effective relationships with the communities their police?

What percentage of responsibility does the community have to ensure they have an effective relationship with their police agency?

The answer to all these questions is the same - 100%.

Now you may be asking, “How can that be? How can everyone have 100% responsibility?”

The only way any of us will get out of the blame game, stop pointing fingers and start making progress is if everyone takes 100% responsibility.

As long as you think the other part owns part of the problem you will be inclined to point the finger of blame and say, “I did my part. They just didn’t hold up their end of things.”

In his leadership classes Bill Westfall challenges leaders to ask themselves, “What piece of this do I own.” My response is All of It.

In his book The Success Principles Jack Canfield’s very first principle is Take 100% Responsibility for Your Life.

The philosophy of 100% responsibility is simple, but it is not easy. Simple is lack of complexity and Easy is lack of effort.

What’s Important Now? – Accept that you do not control other people. You only control yourself. Take 100% responsibility.

Take care.

Brian Willis

Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

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January 27, 2016 / Brian Willis

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W.I.N. Wednesday: A greater compliment than being loved?

"To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved."

George MacDonald

To be trusted to:

· Keep your word.

· Do what is right, even when it is not popular.

· Lead in the face of challenges and obstacles.

· Stand up and own up when you screw up.

· Take the blame and give away the credit.

· Make difficult decisions because your intentions are honorable.

You can be loved, but not trusted.

Trust requires vulnerability.

What’s Important Now? Seek to be worthy of the trust of others.

Take care.

Brian Willis

Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

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The WINx Chicago 2015 Videos at www.experiencewinx.com

January 19, 2016 / Brian Willis

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W.I.N. Wednesday: Leading is.....

Rank, position and title put you in a position to lead. They do not make you a leader.

Leading is a choice.

Leading is a decision.

Leading is simple, not easy.

Leading is about innovation.

Leading is not about you.

Leading is about serving others.

Leading is about inspiring others.

Leading is about developing others.

Leading is about taking the blame and giving away the credit.

Leading requires asking questions, and then listening to the answers.

Leading requires you to stay hungry and humble.

Leading is about growing relationships.

Leading is about do what’s right, even when it is not popular or expedient.

Leading requires commitment and action.

Leading means you are willing to do the work.

Each of us is in a position to lead.

What’s Important Now? Choose to lead.

Take care.

Brian Willis

Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

Check out my WINx 2015 talk on Life’s Most Powerful Question.

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January 13, 2016 / Brian Willis

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W.I.N. Wednesday: Greatness is a choice.

In my Dare to Be Great seminars and workshops I talk about the fact that greatness is a choice. Every day you have to choose between daring to be great and embracing mediocrity.

Mediocrity is easy - embrace the status quo and just keep doing what you have always done.

Daring to be great takes work. Hard work. It requires showing up every day with a commitment to learn, grow and put in the effort to be better than you were yesterday.

Daring to be great means you will make mistakes, you will stumble, you will fall and you will fail. Every time you fall you have to pick yourself up, brush yourself off, determine what you learned and how you will grow from the experience and then move forward a little bloodied and bruised but better off for the experience. It means that when you screw up you stand up, own up, learn from the experience and move forward.

In a blog post a few months ago Seth Godin wrote about: The four horsemen of mediocrity.

Deniability - "They decided, created, commanded or blocked. Not my fault."

Helplessness - "My boss won't let me."

Contempt - "They don't pay me enough to put up with the likes of these customers."

Fear - "It's good enough, it's not worth the risk, people will talk, this might not work..."

Daring to be great requires that you are aware of "The Four Horsemen" and keep yourself from sliding into that victim mentality.

What's Important Now? Choose to do the work. Choose greatness over mediocrity. Remember that every day is a new chance to choose.

Take care.

Brian Willis

Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

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January 06, 2016 / Brian Willis

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W.I.N. Wednesday: Planning another year of regret?

According to an article written by a palliative care nurse on "the top 5 regrets people make on their deathbed" the number one regret is:

"I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me."

What's Important Now? - Read the article on the top 5 regrets. Determine what you could do in 2016 to ensure you do not have those regrets at the end of the year. Create a list of your top 5 commitments for 2016.

Take care.

Brian Willis

Committed to the pursuit of excellence through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

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December 30, 2015 / Brian Willis

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W.I.N. Wednesday: Who you hangin with?

"It is no coincidence that success often runs in families or among tight groups of friends. Greatness surrounds itself with greatness."
Don Yaeger

Don Yaeger has studied and written about great performers for years. He speaks and writes about the traits of people who overcome obstacles to become great athletes, coaches and leaders and he is absolutely correct that "Greatness surrounds itself with greatness."

In my presentations on Dare to Be Great and The Pursuit of Personal Excellence I use the following quote from W.Clement Stone:

“Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them.”

I ask participants to consider the five people in their life who they choose to spend the most time with. I then challenge them to reflect on the mindset and attitudes of those people. Are they hanging with dream stealers and energy vampires? Or, are they hanging with people who have their own hopes, dreams and goals and are there to support them, challenge them, hold them accountable and pick them up when they fall as they pursue their own dreams and goals?

The question for you as you head into 2016 is, "Who you hangin with?"

What's Important Now? Hang with builders, leaders, thinkers and people committed to excellence and significance in their own life. They will help you achieve that in your life.

Note: If you are a law enforcement trainer then join a community of fellow trainers committed to making a difference in the Excellence in Training Academy. Join before midnight on December 31 and not only do you get the first month FREE, you will also be eligible to win a full scholarship to the 2016 ILEETA conference.

Take care.

Brian Willis

Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

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December 09, 2015 / Brian Willis

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W.I.N. Wednesday: A powerful way to persuade people?

"The best way to persuade people is with your ears – by listening to them."

Dean Rusk

I am a huge advocate of the power of questions. I believe that questions are the path to growth. Questions are how we learn. Questions are the key to leadership.

We need to ask questions of ourselves and we need to ask questions of other people.

Questions however are only of value if you are going to pause and listen to the answer.

Take the simple question you ask numerous times every day, "How are you?" How often do you pause to listen to the answer? How often do you ask follow up questions when the answer indicates the person is feeling down or struggling? Most people use that question as a statement, a greeting, and not a question.

Too often when we claim we are listening we are actually formulating our answer to what they are saying or thinking about something on our to do list rather than listening to the answer. When you listen make sure you listen for the underlying feelings and emotions and not just the words. When you are in face to face conversations also pay attention to the person’s body language. A response of, "I’m ok?", can be said in a number of ways and have a number of very different meanings.

People want to feel valued. They want to feel like they are making a contribution. The best way to accomplish both those items is to ask great questions, listen to the answers then keep asking questions to peel away the layers and get deeper into the conversation. Seek to be interested, not interesting. If people feel they are being listened to they will usually feel valued and that they are contributing. You do not have to agree on the best solution or the best way to proceed. If people feel they have been heard however, they are more willing to be supportive of the ultimate decision.

What's Important Now? Develop the skill of listening and take the time to listen. You might be surprised what you learn.

Take care.

Brian Willis

December 02, 2015 / Brian Willis

Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

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Greatness is available.

"Greatness is available to all of us who do common things uncommonly well."

Don Yaeger

Greatness is not limited to a select few in life that most people think are gifted, naturals or lucky to have been born into ideal circumstances. The “gifted” and “the naturals” usually just outwork everyone else and the “lucky” make their own luck.

Greatness is hard. It takes work and effort over the long haul. Greatness means showing up every day and doing “common things uncommonly well.”

Greatness is not about doing that one thing that will change the world, or about winning a Nobel prize, a world championship or multiple gold medals at the Olympics.

As Don Yeager points out, “Greatness is available to all of us.” Paulo Coelho affirms that when he reminds us, “Greatness is the birthright of everyone.”

You are going to have some falls along the way. You are going to stumble and struggle. You are going to make mistakes, have failures and screw up on the journey to greatness. That is ok. You are human after all. Dare to Be Great – Not Perfect.

What’s Important Now? – Accept the challenge and Dare to Be Great. The seeds of greatness are in you. It is hard work, but it is worth it.

Take care.

Brian Willis

November 25, 2015 / Brian Willis

Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

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W.I.N. Wednesday: Are you are wheelbarrow or a front end loader?

"Some of us are like wheelbarrows, only useful when pushed and easily upset."

Jack Herbert

When I read this quote it struck me that some people are Wheelbarrows and some are Front End Loaders.

As Jack Hebert points out in his quote the Wheelbarrows always need to be pushed. They lack the drive, desire and dedication to do the work to pursue excellence and dare to be great. They have embraced mediocrity and when someone does try to push them to live out their potential they become easily upset. They point the finger of blame at everyone else and are continually complaining about their circumstances, their boss, their job, their bad luck and their life.

The Front End Loaders in life are always working, always striving and always digging. They fill their buckets with knowledge and wisdom from asking great questions, reading good books, listening to podcasts and taking courses. They hang out with fellow Front End Loaders and others who are willing to embrace the suck, find the good, do the work and put in the time and effort.

They understand that knowledge is not power. It is potential; potential to empower others. Knowledge is of greatest use when it is shared with others, not hoarded. That is why Front End Loaders are always using what is in their bucket to fill the buckets of others who are willing to dare to be great to help them in their pursuit of excellence.

We are all going to have times in our lives when we are Wheelbarrows. The key is to recognize it and take action to shift out of that mode into Front End Loader mode.

What’s Important Now? – Be the Front End Loader. Do the work to fill your bucket then seek to help others fill their buckets.

Take care.

Brian Willis

November 18, 2015 / Brian Willis

Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

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W.I.N. Wednesday: What are you putting in there?

Following my September 30 post It’s a Beautiful Thing one of the newsletter subscribers (thanks Jeff) forwarded the following Old Jewish proverb:

"What you put in your pocket can be lost. What you put in your mind is yours forever."

I have gone back and reread it a number of times lately as I have been reading a number of very good books, conducting interviews for the Excellence in Training Academy, working through an online Jack Canfield Success Principles course, listening to a variety of podcasts and watching videos on Michael Hyatt’s Platform University as well as some Robin Sharma training videos.

I find myself excited when I am reading engaging books and engaged in learning new information that can help me more effectively deliver my training and live my life in a more meaningful way.

I am fortunate that I have the opportunity to weave what I am learning into many of my presentations, or use what I am learning to make my presentations more engaging for the participants. Not everyone has that opportunity.

So what can you do to share what you are learning from the books you read, the podcasts you listen to or the courses you are taking?

Here are some ideas:

Make it a point at coffee or lunch with your co-workers to ask, “What are you reading?”, or “What are you listening to these days for podcasts or audio books?” Listen for the answer, write it down and ask follow-up questions about some of the key ideas or greatest takeaways.
Start a book club with friends or co-workers. Even if you just find a group of co-workers or friends and once a year each of you buys a book, reads it then passes it along to the other group members.
Subscribe to a magazine like Success and after you have read the magazine and listened to the CD then pass them along to others so they can benefit from the wisdom contained in the pages and on the CD that comes with every issue.
Start a column in your company newsletter, Facebook page or blog and have people share insights from books and courses.
When you come back from a conference or seminar put together and deliver a short presentation on the key takeaways from each session or speaker.
Every month, every quarter or even once a year buy a copy of a great book and give it to someone as a gift. Not a birthday gift, just a gift of appreciation and friendship.

Comment below to share your ideas with others and share your one or two top books or podcasts.

For a list of books I recommend check out the Resources Page at www.winningmindtraining.com.

P.S. Today is going to be an amazing day of learning for me as it is our first WINx event. Nine powerful speakers in a TEDx style event. I am pumped.

Take care.

Brian Willis

Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

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November 11, 2015 / Brian Willis

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W.I.N. Wednesday: Imagination or history. What is driving you?

"Live out of your imagination, not your history."

Stephen R. Covey

It is easy to get hung up on the past and to spend your time looking in the rearview mirror of life. The past however, is done. It is gone. It does not have to dictate your present or your future, unless you allow it to.

You have a choice. We have all imagined a better future, the achievement of a goal or a successful outcome to a new venture and then allowed the words, “yeah but” to creep into our minds. Those words take you back to the past and too often keep you from moving forward.

The past holds the memories of the mistakes and failures where you chose to dwell on what went wrong rather than learn from the experience, grow as a result of what you learned and move forward better off for the experience.

The past holds all the negative comments from the dream stealers, skeptics and cynics who told you why you would never be successful, or why you could not accomplish certain tasks or rise to certain positions in the world.

Your present and your future can be built on the lessons learned and the growth from your successes, failures and mistakes. It can be built on the words of encouragement from the mentors, role models and heroes who encouraged you, believed in you and inspired you.

"I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past."

Thomas Jefferson

Every day you have a choice to let the past control you, or to honor the past and move forward better off as a result of all the experiences and lessons learned.

Imagining success and daring to be great are the first steps. Your ability to live a life of significance does not stop with the dream. You need to heed the advice of Barbara Sher and Pablo Picasso and take action.

"Doing is a quantum leap from imagining."

Barbara Sher

"Action is the foundational key to all success."

Pablo Picasso

What’s Important Now? Honor and learn from the past then imagine a better future and take action to make that dream a reality.

What’s Important Now? Take time to thank a veteran for their service.

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.excellenceintrainingacademy.com

Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

Please share this with your friends, family and co-workers and encourage them to go to www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com and subscribe so they never miss an issue of W.I.N. Wednesday.

Contact me at winningmind@mac.com to arrange for me to speak to your team, your organization or at your next conference.

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November 04, 2015 / Brian Willis

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W.I.N. Wednesday: Ann Landers and Budda both agree

"Holding onto anger is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die."

Buddha

"Hanging onto resentment is letting someone you despise live rent-free in your head."

Esther Lederer, a.k.a. Ann Landers

Who are you poisoning yourself over?

Who is living rent free in your head?

Life is about choices so what are you going to choose to do about it?

You cannot change the other person. You cannot change what they said or what they did. You cannot change the past and you cannot change them for the future.

You can change your attitude and decide to forgive them and set them free.

"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you."

Lewis B. Smedes

Forgiveness does not mean you condone anything the other person did. It does mean that you accept they were likely doing the best they could in the circumstances and they have their own issues and baggage, none of which you control. Forgiving them and setting them free allows you to take back your power, your control and your life.

It is up to you. Hold on to the anger and resentment, or let it go.

What’s Important Now? – Choose to forgive and set yourself free from the squatter in your head and flush the poison from your mind and body.

Take care.

Brian Willis

October 14, 2015 / Brian Willis

Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

Please share this with your friends, family and co-workers and encourage them to go to www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com and subscribe so they never miss an issue of W.I.N. Wednesday.

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W.I.N. Wednesday: What is your thermometer of success?

"The thermometer of success is merely the jealousy of the malcontents."

Salvador Dali

How do you define success?

What is your thermometer to measure success?

Do you measure success by what you get or by what you give?

Is your success based on titles, wealth, and awards or by the lives that you touch and the way in which you are of service to others?

Are you focused on success or significance?

Do you measure success based on 'Likes', 'Retweets', ''Friends' and 'Connections'?

Is success for you doing what is popular so you get pats on the back and accolades or, is it based on doing what is right even when it is not popular or expedient?

There is nothing wrong with wealth, awards and titles. You just need to decide if that is your goal, your measurement of success, or a byproduct of a life of significance.

What's Important Now? Determine your own thermometer of success and seek to live a life of significance.

P.S. Dali has a point. If you are pissing off the malcontents, you may be on to something.

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.excellenceintrainingacademy.com

Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

Please share this with your friends, family and co-workers and encourage them to go to www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com and subscribe so they never miss an issue of W.I.N. Wednesday.

Contact me at winningmind@mac.com to arrange for me to speak to your team, your organization or at your next conference.

Also check out: