What is the story you tell yourself of your past?

Do you focus on where you have won? Or do you focus on where you have lost?

A lot has to do with how you keep score? I was very successful in my 20s unless you judge my performance on my ability to make money. I did a very poor job filling my bank account, but I did a great deal to make the world a better place.

This week and going forward, I'll be sharing more stories from my varied and colorful past and the lessons that come with them. I'll be going into detail on my web site at https://www.guywhoknowsaguy.com/category/personal/ if you'd like to read more.

When your schedule runs you, any unexpected event is very stressful. When school closed, and I had to keep my daughter home with my while I worked, it was very stressful and disruptive.

Now in September, I run my schedule. When I decided that I wanted to drive her to school, I just put those activities on the calendar. Now it doesn't feel like a disruption. Now it can be a fun few minutes with my daughter, as it should be.

I learned the hard way the lesson of putting the big rocks in first. I am more efficient, get more done, and an happier while doing it.

If you would like to talk about how to run your schedule, comment "schedule" below.

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We give a lot of attention not September 11th, 2001. I'd like to encourage you to think of September 10th and September 12th.

On September 12th, the world came together to support America in its time of need. It was the most united I have ever seen our country and our world. Let us remember that day in these divided times. Let us remember that we can unite for great things.

On September 10th, we thought we were invincible. We believe in American exceptionalism. Attacks can't happen here. Pandemics can't happen here. It can't happen here. We like to delude ourselves into believing we are special.

America is a special country, but the rules still apply to us, and we have to ground our dreams in reality.

Let us learn the many lessons from the tragedy of 19 years ago.

Too often we, and I include myself in this, mute ourselves out of fear that we might offend. When you quiet yourself, no one can hear you and your view ceases to matter.

If you have something you believe in, if you have a message to share, if you have something to teach, say it loud and proud.

This does not mean that you should share political memes and parrot political talking points. That serves no purpose, and simply lashes you to someone else's agenda.

I'm talking about your own truth and knowledge. If you are a Realtor and you know that now is best time for someone to list their home, shout it from the mountaintop. If you know ways of living that can make your life better, say it loud and proud.

My wife pointed out to me that my videos, while good, can sound a bit flat. The reason for this is that I was afraid to sound angry in them. I didn't want to overwhelm people. When I made a video while I was angry, the passion came through and she loved it.

Let your passion shine through. And if that means someone says you sound "bitchy" or "bossy" or "aggressive", show them what those words really mean and turn it up even higher.

God has given you a gift and something to share, so share it. Loud and Proud.

To learn more about me, visit www.guywhoknowsaguy.com

Hollywood has lied to you. Excellent takes long, hard, repetitive work. There's no pounding base as you jump over trees look dramatically at books.

Movies have given us the idea that with a good trainer and the right killer move, we can go from zero to hero overnight.

In real life, there's no training montage, and there are no overnight successes. Success and excellence require commitment and dedicated effort over time.

It may happen that learning one strategy or gaining one tool will change your life or business. It certainly happened for my business with Solution Oriented Marketing, but that's because I already knew how to coach. I was just missing one key strategy.

Excellence takes work, and work does not make good cinema. But cinema does not make a good plan for life either.

To contact Michael Whitehouse, visit www.guywhoknowsaguy.com

Guard your reputation.

You will encounter many opportunities to use your reputation to make money. Some of those opportunities will be truly lucrative. Some will be snake oil. Some will make you money but not help your clients.

This is the nature of network marketing. If you truly believe that the product is good, you should sell it. If not... well...

I've always had trouble selling anything that I could not stand behind 100%. If have to be absolutely confident that the prospect will benefit from what I'm selling. This is why I was never a number one salesman in insurance or cars or anything else. If I had my doubts, I might not make the sale.

Here's the thing. When you sell something, you're putting your name on it. Not only that, you're putting your name on the entire experience. If the product is bad, if the customer service is bad, if the experience is bad, if anything goes bad, your name is on the line.

You want to put your reputation behind a good product? Go for it. You want to gamble your reputation on an "opportunity," maybe think twice about that.

And if you do see some program that gets you all excited for the money, give me a call first. I'll consult for free to advise on if that program is a good one, or, I will point you in the direction of other strategies that make more sense for you.

If you'd like to talk, visit www,guywhoknowsaguy.com and click the calendar to book a call.

You never really get "there," because there are always more challenges.

For years, I aspired to be a professional coach. I had the coaching skills but lacked the marketing strategy and focus. That was what I needed to get "there." In June, I learned that missing piece, developed the strategy, deployed it and was working with 8 clients two months later.

But "there" moved. I had a new challenge. A more effective strategy to connect with people meant that almost all of my appointments showed up. That's a good thing, but I had been taking advantage of no shows to get other work done. No "no shows", no time to get the other work done. My schedule filled up.

So, my next challenge was to master and control my schedule. I've started putting those structures in place, and should be in good shape in a couple weeks. Then I'll be "there," but then "there" will move again.

We look as far as we can see, march until we arrive, then set a new goal on the new horizon.

This is why having a coach is so important. They can remind us of how far we have come, where our goal truly is, and keep us moving to the next spot on the horizon.

I am a coach, and I help my clients do just these things. There are many other coaches who can help you as well, and you should work with one who can best serve you.

Some people look at folks who are really into fitness and find them a bit odd, especially when they say things like, "Man, my muscles are so sore and I feel AWESOME!"

The thing is that if you are feeling pain because you driving towards excellence, it does not feel like pain. It feels like a job well done. It feels like satisfaction.

This could be sore muscles from karate, and it could be that tired feeling at the end of an all nighter writing a big proposal or finishing your book. The pain is just the physical manifestation of the effort that you have used to drive for excellence.

If you know what I'm talking about, follow my Facebook Page and, share your story in the comments.

Recently, I posted a video suggesting that you should let things go and not carry them with you. I got a comment that this advice is not for everyone.

I respectfully disagree. The objection is that there are some offenses so severe that they cannot be forgiven. I believe that those are the situations where being able to let go is the most important.

I have been wronged fairly severely in my life. I have even had people threaten my family and my daughter. I had a choice. I could have pursued them, destroyed their reputation, found other forms of revenge, but as I stood at the precipice of that decision, I asked myself, "Who will you become while you do this?" I did not like the answer.

If someone wrongs you, hurts you, violates you, and you carry hate in your heart, you may get one or two good shots on them, but you will carry the poison within yourself every hour of every day.

This does not mean that you should not seek justice. If someone commits a crime against you, they should be prosecuted. But you should not carry in you the evil that they have done. Do not continue to punish yourself as a proxy for punishing your assailant.

You need never forget, but it is very healthy to forgive.

With all the outreach I do, I now get a lot of people trying connect with me.

I am always interested in connecting with people, but it helps to know what the nature of the relationship is to be.

I often get these strange approaches where people say they just want to be my friend. I ask them who they are, what I can do for them, etc. If they say anything we can build a conversation on, then I'm happy to talk to them. The problem is that I get so many people who just tell me where they're from, how many siblings they have and that they are a student.

What can I do with that?

If you want to develop a relationship with me, it is incumbent upon you to drive that conversation, just as if I want to develop a relationship with you, it is incumbent upon me to drive the conversation.

Even if you're reaching out to sell me something, I'm open to that conversation, but don't expect me to carry the conversation.

That said, if you'd like help with this, I'd be happy to talk to you, and I'll take the lead on the conversation. Visit www.guywhoknowsaguy.com and click the calendar link to schedule a call.