It Keeps Me Up at Night

It never ceases to amaze me what wakes me up at night. 

Believe it or not, I woke up the other evening thinking about coaches.  Yes I said coaches.  Football, business, life, Mom’s, Dad’s in my dream there were coaches here, there, everywhere. Big ones, small ones, tall ones, short ones---old ones,  young ones, happy, cranky---they were all there in my dream.

When I actually  remembered my dream I realized coaches are simply people.  Coaches  have temperaments, personalities, and skill sets just like the rest of us.  Coaches fall into profiles.  

We have coaches who simply tell it like it is;  coaches  who rally around us;  and there are group coaches for accountability.

 You might say they could be straight forward, mutually supporting; or even interdependent on us.

In my life it has often  taken one, two or even a combination of all three coaching styles to help me reach benchmarks.

People have asked me  “Well, Carolyn, how do you find the right coach?”.  My answer depends upon how stubborn I am  to change, and what my cost for not changing is.

Experience has taught me, change is never easy!

My first personal coach was Joy.   She taught me to develop a life statement along with some valuable habits at a beneficially critical time.   Joy became a real good friend and the perfect first accountable coach.

Levi, is my current fitness coach.  He is a no nonsense guy with a  “get it done” attitude.  Levi doesn’t  listen to me whine.  Mornings in the gym are  “do or do not do, there is no try”.

Ken is probably my best inter-active coach.  He and I made a conscious decision 43 years ago to “do life together”.  We project, plan implement, evaluate (CANI) and regroup.  We work at it all day long, every day and will until the Lord takes one of us home.

I’ve learned that as long as I am breathing I  need a coach.  Someone to help me plan, grow, and live pro-actively.

I challenge you to stop this week think deeply about coaches.  Do you need help to figure out:  1) Where I’m at right now?  2) Am I  happy?  (If not what do you need  to change)  3)  How do I  implement a plan  to become a pro-action-airy (Maybe I just made that word up). 

Dig deeply into you!

Find someone to drill it into your head, a friend to simply come along side you to be an ally, or work with the love of your life (parents, children, and spouses) to become your best!

Life is full of surprises.

Last week our office hosted valley wide events for MichaelMaher’s Generosity Generation.  We heard that who, what, when, where, and how we respond matter.

This week we’re privileged to help with the 9/11 HealingFields at Tempe Town Lake as our nation prepares to honor its’ fallen heroes lost 13 years ago.

I am also very aware of families who lost so much within a mile of the GAT Stapley Office.  As of the writing of this blog, there are families still without electricity, their homes full of mud and water, and no idea how they will fix it all.  At the same time there are neighbors who are helping clean, tear out drywall, and feed children.

It is interesting as Mr. Maher said last week, “This nation is a nation of generous responders”.  We respond when there is need.  We are to be commended for that, I simply wonder what happened to courteous, gracious and being amiable as a routine part of life.

Many of you know I grew up in Texas.  My Mother and Dad taught me to be “kind and well-mannered” as a purposeful practice not simply in response to great need.

We were trained to make first impressions matter. “Yes”; “please”; “thank-you”; “May I”; “No, thank you”; and “I’m sorry” were common place in our daily conversation.

Gentlemen and young men said, “Let me get that door for you!” Girls and ladies said, “Thank you!”. We were grateful for other people. Children were taught to yield to someone else’s need.

We were careful in what, in how and to whom we communicated.

I’d love to get back to those days.

This week I want my verbal communication to be uplifting; my written communication in letters, cards, and memos to matter; my electronic communication via, the internet, Facebook, or Messenger to have encouraging words.  When I Skype I want others to know they really matter to me, ‘cause guess what they do.

Here in the United States there are telephones, cell phones, fax machines, computers, television and even radio.  We communicate all the time. 

We move so very fast and often we do not take the time to think about what we said. Nor do we consider to whom we said it.  Or for that matter how it impacts the receiver.

As Michael Maher said, “Communication is all about the response”.  I want people to know I have a high opinion of each person I touch and that I do admire those who step out and are generous to the needs of others.

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Do You Trust What You Know?

Trust and knowledge are two interesting words. 

By definition trust means “to rely upon or place confidence in someone or something”.

On the other knowledge is an “acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation”.

This past Saturday I was reminded of how trust and knowledge intersect ---

Here’s the story:

My honeysuckle needs water, lots of water! 

In Arizona the best way to kill anything is simply don’t water it.  I know this.  I trust Ken to have our sprinkler system on every day.  I was unaware (knowledge) we had a major pipe break in the watering system and so no automatic water. 

A lack of communication between Ken and I almost killed my favorite plant.

Once discovered it was an easy fix.  Turn the hose on!  Within 30 minutes the honeysuckle sprang back to life.

Trust and knowledge go hand in hand.  When you lack one or the other stuff suffers.

This morning I was again reminded of how much trust and knowledge crisscross, and I want to share my knowledge about someone I trust.

I attended an event and heard Michael J. MaherSeven Levels of Communication known as America's Most Referred Real Estate Professional, speak. Michael owns one of the top real estate companies in Kansas City. He receives over 500 referrals and averages over 200 transactions per year.  He is system driven.  He has a great deal of knowledge and people trust him.

His book (7L) TheSeven Levels of Communication: Go from Relationships to Referrals has been on the National Best-seller List for OVER 150 DAYS!

It became a best-seller after only 7 days, an incredible feat considering Chicken Soup for the Soul by Mark Victor Hanson and Jack Canfield took over a year to be a best-seller!

What makes this story even more phenomenal is that 100% of the sales of (7L) have been by word of mouth, by referral. That means no e-mail blast, no advertising, no promotions and no direct mail.

Michael is here and he is sharing his knowledge with others.  It’s free and I believe you would benefit from hearing him. Click on the below and register to hear Michael, you’ll gain some knowledge from someone I know you can trust. 

To attend one of his GREAT events this week in Arizona, please click on the link below.

LINK: www.GenGenEvents.com