AYD - March 13, 2013 - The PEP Talk

"If I can do it, anyone can do it."

Quickly...count how many times in your life you have heard this expression.
Even faster...do you remember one face that has said it?  Do you remember the actual achievement that initiated the sharing of it?

I do not. But I have heard that expression too many times.

I really dislike that expression, and many others, because they have become the stereotypical comment, the "insert positive comment here",  the automated response.  And I dare say, the momentum emergency brake.

To make Me Believe, that I can achieve the Results that this person achieved ... takes more than just a catch phrase. 

The How To needs a How To Pop Up Book.

Show AND tell.

I stated before my wife and I are watchers of the reality show, The Biggest Loser.  I am not a fan of most reality TV. Most often they produce for over drama effect and they lose all integrity and any reason I have to believe in any positive message.  But this show I watch for the Transformation.  I watch it all take place over time, how the mental joins the positive words and expression and it all gets mixed in the bowl with Action.  The episode this week was the next to last, and in this one they take you back to 11 weeks ago to see how far people have come.

Show... AND tell. 

Before and After is not good enought either.  Show me the sweat, the tears, the emotional triumph, the soul climbing over barriers, the obstacles, the smile here, the set backs, the smile gone, the hard work, the smile back... the family support, the new family of those enduring the same journey... and the proof that it can be done.  Help me believe in what you have achieved, and I will then be more trusting to follow - you, and my heart. 

"This moment, this moment right here!  This is what you fight for!  And it doesn't happen often but when it does happen it's magic.  And it's worth it!"  - Jillian Michaels. 

The number one reason we do not achieve the results that the poster people examples do is our lack of action.  And when we are giving a Pep Talk, we also need to be mindful of this.  For someone to follow in our steps, they cannot just take our word for it.  They need to witness the path, to see the foot impressions, to see our hand print and the impression of the knee where we fell. 

If you ever get to see Anthony Robbins - he will show you what I might call, Share and Show.  He shares his philosophy, then gets you to stand up and show you it works.

Give a man a fish...teach a man to fish...

"If I can do it, anyone can do it."  Gee...thanks. 

How about, "I believed I could do it, so I pushed myself and did it, and if you believe you can, I believe you can, I can show you how I did it so you can too."

Well... let this be known as Wordy Wednesday.

I am beginning some new transformations that I will be sharing in the coming weeks.

My goal is to give the PEP talk that I would like to receive.
Pay it forward.  Show someone your path to success.

Great morning, great day.  Great you, means a better day for others.

Pierre Couturier
Husband, Daddy, Author... and PEP talker in motion.

AYD - March 12, 2013 - If You Build It...

"You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want."
- Zig Ziglar

Pay it forward week continues.

You can have your own structure of success.  It might be represented by a hammock on a beach, and to some it may be a spot in a tall corporate building.  A home to call your own, or a career doing something you love.  Whatever the structural design is, you can achieve it - this we have always agreed with.

What alot of us may not realize is that we have many building blocks that we have overlooked, and keeping with this weeks theme, building blocks you could be sharing.

We use alot of quotes here at AYD to get a point across.  Usually some words from someone who has achieved a level of recognition.  The idea is that successful people have some quality advice.  They are paying it forward.  And somewhere in their life, they too adopted some quality advice from people in their story.

And that my friends, is the Hidden Treasure Hunt we go on today.

Go back in your memory bank and spend a moment with some people that made a difference in your life.  A teacher that stood out among the rest, a coach, Grandma, or even a good insightful friend.  Remind yourself of one solid thing these people taught you.  Some words of experience that helped you take a step up.  A building block that may have become hidden by other life steps.

When you remember, and you will remember, lay that block on the table along with the puzzle that is your life.  Where else will it fit?  Where else will this little block act as a missing piece to the puzzle of someone you know?  You see, it is not just about repeating the words because the words once supported you - it is about placing the words as the support they are, into the right spot so that their strength can once again support the pressures of dreams taking shape.

If you help one person today with knowledge that once helped you ... the ripple effect could be amazing.

Great morning, great day.  Great you, and a better day for everyone else.

Pierre Couturier
Husband, Daddy, Author ... and playing with my blocks.

AYD - March 11, 2013 - Be Bigger Than the Bear

"If you are bigger than the bear, the bear won't eat you."
- Atch L. ( former co-worker)

I recall I was preoccupied with one of many frustrating work elements, and just about into full stride on my way to complete melt down regarding my job as a whole.  The atmosphere was a thick cloud of negativity; mine and seemingly everyone around me.  Every day had become deja vu with no clarity enhancing rays of light breaking through.

And along come Atch down the hall.  A smart man, one of the greatest industry experienced I have ever worked with.  Normal height but larger than life personality.  The kind of guy, that when you find out which project you are being shipped off to, if you found out you were working with him, you instantly felt energized about being on the project. 

Middle of the day.  Nothing specific going on except stress in the hallways; every hallway.  And along comes Atch, just walking for himself with his arms straight up and high above his head.  He was not looking at me, just past me and off in the distance down the hall.  Then he caught my confused glance, made eye contact and just continued his pace.  Without me having to ask, he offered casually, "If you are bigger than the bear, the bear won't eat you."

And instantly, I got it.

Our working environment was truly stressful on everyone.  It was just that point in this particular project.
Lots going on, not alot of staff, people over tasked, and only so many hours in a day.  But with an unexpected, off the wall gesture... I found a way to pause, take a breath and stop the madness.  Long enough for me to sort out my thoughts and tasks and loose ends.  And it just kept running thru my head, "If you are bigger than the bear, the bear won't eat you."

I do not always remember this right when I need it, and often I confess I really need a step stool and be on my tippy toes to be bigger than the symbolic "bear", but these words and the way they entered my life have never really left me.

Be it work, be it cancer, be it choices and consequences, it is the same.  Be bigger than the bear.
Maybe it is bills, or loved ones, or you lost your way on route to your dream.  Be bigger than the bear.
Your job, your partner, or the meeting in five minutes.  Be bigger than the bear.

I think you get it.
Pay it Forward Week.
I offer you this on Opportunity Monday, "If you are bigger than the bear, the bear won't eat you."

Great morning, great day.  Great you, better day for everyone else.
Pierre Couturier
Husband, Daddy, Author... and Saddling up...to Ride My Bear.

AYD - March 8, 2013 - Do you see what I see?

Have you ever heard, "It's not what happens to you; it is how you respond to what happens." ? 
Maybe in some variation you have.  I know I have heard that comment in the last few years more and more as I travel my journey of Self Leadership and Self Awareness.

Sh*t happens.  Heard that one?

Is what it is.  This one?

When it all comes down to it, it took me some life experience, some self pity, some whining, then some soul searching and I dare say some repetition of all of the above,  before I started to see what I see.

"Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out."

I could trade a moment today, to dwell on a moment from yesterday that cannot be changed.
I could use the moment from yesterday, accept the shape of it for what it was, and set my marker of action from right now instead of the imaginary "What should have been".
I, and we, have options to see things in a better way.

There are things that happen, and once they are done, we may just have to alter the course of our plan to realign our navigation.

Did you have a tough week?  Okay.  You did.  You know it.  Now, where do we go from here.
Identify the issues, gather our thoughts, review that To Do list, set a new schedule, breathe, think calm and don't stare at your feet because to see where you need to be, you must look up and keep it in your sights.

Keep your eye, on the ball - not your chin on your chest and your shoulders sagging.

Back in school - when we got in trouble...we would have to write lines.
"I will not hit Cathy with spit balls in class.  I will not hit Cathy with spit balls in class."  and write that out 100 times.  The assumption was the message would set down roots due to the repetition and the idea that you would think hard about your actions with every repeated entry. ( If Cathy would have opened the spit ball, she would have seen a love note.  I did not marry Cathy.  She was not too bright.  See how things work out?)

I did not care then.  But, Now I see what I see.
So....start your day, with 10 deep, fully enriched breaths.  Deep in, full out.  And with each one, repeat after me... Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.

Challenge your day to be an exciting one.
Stay in the moment, and visualize how you will command any event. 
You may just preserve a moment and keep things on track to work out the way they were planned.

Great morning, great day.  Great you, good day for others.

Pierre Couturier
Husband, Daddy, Author.....and Blessed for how things have worked out.