DKI Episode 15 – Imagine the Possibilities

Logic will get you from A to B; imagination will take you everywhere.” Albert Einstein

What I want to focus on today is helping you stretch out of your comfort zone and thinking about shifting from any impossible thinking that you might have to into the world of possibility. You want to be in that dream state to be able to explore what is possible. This is when your mind is like a popcorn machine - all those kernels popping around like all the ideas coming out of your head. I love to brainstorm. It is one of my most favorite things to do next to mind mapping. Your dreams are only limited by your mind. I am not talking about fluff dreams. I am talking about concrete dreams that you turn into goals and take steps to actually get to where you want to go. You tap into your full potential.

There is a quote that says you would completely astound yourself if you truly knew what you are capable of. We don't use everything that we're capable of doing because there's so many things that we can do and tap into we have so many hidden talents and so little time. I don't have the time or when even find the time. If not now, when? If not you, who else is going to be doing it? Sometimes people say, “I've made mistakes or failed. It would be impossible for me to resurrect myself to be seen in the same light or achieve the same things that I have. You heard stories of people who have become millionaires, maybe have gone bankrupt, and they were able to build an empire. You know not everyone is in that the state of being the millionaire. Often people say things about The Millionaire Woman Show, it isn’t about one million bucks; it's about living rich from the inside out - feeling like a million bucks and growing into the person you are meant to be through leadership, business, and developing human potential. You must put out the intention to grow into it.

“Your mistake does not define who you are, you are your possibilities.”

Oprah Winfrey

I want you to give yourself permission to dream. Who would've thought about websites like Pinterest, Etsy, and all these different websites of people getting creative and innovative all these possibilities around us? Think about what is possible. This is where all these great inventions have come from. This is how entrepreneurs are born because they are always looking for a better way of how to improve something or create a solution to something. Think of the creator of Spanx, Sara Blakely, she was trying to create a solution by the cutting off the legs of nylons so she could wear nylons under her pants. This creativity led to a whole new line of body shapewear. Many women are grateful for this! It was innovative and creative. It turned into a business solution for women around the world. What could be possible if you allow yourself to dream?

“Some people see things as they are and say why? I dream things that never were and say why not?” George Bernard Shaw

Consider the things that you want to do in your life” What are the possibilities? Ask yourself: If not you, who? If not now, when? Why not?  Think about those things. Stretch out of your comfort zone. Start dreaming! You are only limited by your mind. Imagine the possibilities. I want you to take the time to really dream about what is possible for you. If you could be, do, or have anything that would that look like?

Create a vision board. A vision board is just not a collage pretty pictures; it is something that allows your mind to expand. It is a collage and not a piece of art. I do not want you to frame it and thinking this is beautiful. I want you to use it as a tool and then set goals based on what is on your board. Break your goals down into smaller pieces. Check out of goalsetting and make plans to start taking action toward what it is you truly want to happen to those possibilities actually maki...

DKI Episode 15 – Imagine the Possibilities

Logic will get you from A to B; imagination will take you everywhere.” Albert Einstein

What I want to focus on today is helping you stretch out of your comfort zone and thinking about shifting from any impossible thinking that you might have to into the world of possibility. You want to be in that dream state to be able to explore what is possible. This is when your mind is like a popcorn machine - all those kernels popping around like all the ideas coming out of your head. I love to brainstorm. It is one of my most favorite things to do next to mind mapping. Your dreams are only limited by your mind. I am not talking about fluff dreams. I am talking about concrete dreams that you turn into goals and take steps to actually get to where you want to go. You tap into your full potential.

There is a quote that says you would completely astound yourself if you truly knew what you are capable of. We don't use everything that we're capable of doing because there's so many things that we can do and tap into we have so many hidden talents and so little time. I don't have the time or when even find the time. If not now, when? If not you, who else is going to be doing it? Sometimes people say, “I've made mistakes or failed. It would be impossible for me to resurrect myself to be seen in the same light or achieve the same things that I have. You heard stories of people who have become millionaires, maybe have gone bankrupt, and they were able to build an empire. You know not everyone is in that the state of being the millionaire. Often people say things about The Millionaire Woman Show, it isn’t about one million bucks; it's about living rich from the inside out - feeling like a million bucks and growing into the person you are meant to be through leadership, business, and developing human potential. You must put out the intention to grow into it.

“Your mistake does not define who you are, you are your possibilities.”

Oprah Winfrey

I want you to give yourself permission to dream. Who would've thought about websites like Pinterest, Etsy, and all these different websites of people getting creative and innovative all these possibilities around us? Think about what is possible. This is where all these great inventions have come from. This is how entrepreneurs are born because they are always looking for a better way of how to improve something or create a solution to something. Think of the creator of Spanx, Sara Blakely, she was trying to create a solution by the cutting off the legs of nylons so she could wear nylons under her pants. This creativity led to a whole new line of body shapewear. Many women are grateful for this! It was innovative and creative. It turned into a business solution for women around the world. What could be possible if you allow yourself to dream?

“Some people see things as they are and say why? I dream things that never were and say why not?” George Bernard Shaw

Consider the things that you want to do in your life” What are the possibilities? Ask yourself: If not you, who? If not now, when? Why not?  Think about those things. Stretch out of your comfort zone. Start dreaming! You are only limited by your mind. Imagine the possibilities. I want you to take the time to really dream about what is possible for you. If you could be, do, or have anything that would that look like?

Create a vision board. A vision board is just not a collage pretty pictures; it is something that allows your mind to expand. It is a collage and not a piece of art. I do not want you to frame it and thinking this is beautiful. I want you to use it as a tool and then set goals based on what is on your board. Break your goals down into smaller pieces. Check out of goalsetting and make plans to start taking action toward what it is you truly want to happen to those possibilities actually maki...

DKI EPISODE 14: APPRECIATIVE LIVING

Appreciative living …I like to refer to is appreciative living as living the sweet life. No matter where you are whether you're driving right now or just kicking back at the end of your day or you’re kicking off your morning, I am so glad that you're here to join us today. I want to share appreciative living with you.  I am certified as the appreciative inquiry facilitator. I want to tell you a little bit more about the process and what it means to me and how it can apply to your life, in your business, and to your organization.

Appreciate is a verb; it means “to recognize the quality significance or magnitude of - appreciating their freedom. The second definition I found on dictionary.com is “to be fully aware of or sensitive to; realize –I appreciate your problems.” The third definition is to be thankful or show gratitude for – I appreciate your help.”

According to David Cooperrider (the Father of Appreciative Inquiry) and Diane Whitney, and The Change Handbook, “Appreciative Inquiry is the cooperative search for the best in people and their organizations, and the world around them. It involves systematic discovery of what gives the system “life” and when it's most effective and capable of economic, ecological, and human terms. Appreciative Inquiry (also known as AI) involves the art and practice of asking questions that strengthen the system's capacity to heightened positive potential. It mobilizes inquiry through crafting “unconditional positive questions” often involving hundreds and sometimes thousands of people.” It is a very powerful approach to shifting the way people think about things the questions they ask.

During my practicum, one of my greatest learnings was that when people complain about a situation. This is an opportunity to take a step back. What I learned - you know these people are still complaining about this process and you try to explain it to them. It was not the process that was the issue it was how they felt about their environment and how the organization was approaching things. I went back to my trainers, I learned that when people are complaining about something we take a step back and re-frame the question so that they understand it's a positive question. Allow them to vent for the moment and then say, “I can see that you have a vision of what the ideal would look like; I would love for you to tell me more.” You can you lose their complaint and re-frame it into an unconditional positive question so they can share with you what they see what is the vision that they see as possible.  You might have some extra fruit some labor.

Appreciative Inquiry is not a traditional approach.

“The traditional approach to change is to look for a problem, do a diagnosis, and find a solution. The primary focus is not on what is wrong or broken; since we look for problems; we find them. By paying attention to problems, we emphasize and amplify them.”– Sue Hammond, The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry

Whatever you focus on expands; your primary focus should be what is working. What I love about Appreciating Inquiry, it allows you to really think about the possibilities. Our next podcast is actually talking about imagining the possibilities. What you focus on you get more of, so it really important to think about what it is that you want.

What are the best experiences you have had in your life so far? With Appreciative Living, the belief is that we do not just experience reality that we create that reality through our conversations with people, the way we think, and how we interact with others. Think about your interactions, you helped create those experiences. If you're experiencing tension, you can also create a way to have greater peace in your life by approaching it and finding out some o...

DKI EPISODE 14: APPRECIATIVE LIVING

Appreciative living …I like to refer to is appreciative living as living the sweet life. No matter where you are whether you're driving right now or just kicking back at the end of your day or you’re kicking off your morning, I am so glad that you're here to join us today. I want to share appreciative living with you.  I am certified as the appreciative inquiry facilitator. I want to tell you a little bit more about the process and what it means to me and how it can apply to your life, in your business, and to your organization.

Appreciate is a verb; it means “to recognize the quality significance or magnitude of - appreciating their freedom. The second definition I found on dictionary.com is “to be fully aware of or sensitive to; realize –I appreciate your problems.” The third definition is to be thankful or show gratitude for – I appreciate your help.”

According to David Cooperrider (the Father of Appreciative Inquiry) and Diane Whitney, and The Change Handbook, “Appreciative Inquiry is the cooperative search for the best in people and their organizations, and the world around them. It involves systematic discovery of what gives the system “life” and when it's most effective and capable of economic, ecological, and human terms. Appreciative Inquiry (also known as AI) involves the art and practice of asking questions that strengthen the system's capacity to heightened positive potential. It mobilizes inquiry through crafting “unconditional positive questions” often involving hundreds and sometimes thousands of people.” It is a very powerful approach to shifting the way people think about things the questions they ask.

During my practicum, one of my greatest learnings was that when people complain about a situation. This is an opportunity to take a step back. What I learned - you know these people are still complaining about this process and you try to explain it to them. It was not the process that was the issue it was how they felt about their environment and how the organization was approaching things. I went back to my trainers, I learned that when people are complaining about something we take a step back and re-frame the question so that they understand it's a positive question. Allow them to vent for the moment and then say, “I can see that you have a vision of what the ideal would look like; I would love for you to tell me more.” You can you lose their complaint and re-frame it into an unconditional positive question so they can share with you what they see what is the vision that they see as possible.  You might have some extra fruit some labor.

Appreciative Inquiry is not a traditional approach.

“The traditional approach to change is to look for a problem, do a diagnosis, and find a solution. The primary focus is not on what is wrong or broken; since we look for problems; we find them. By paying attention to problems, we emphasize and amplify them.”– Sue Hammond, The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry

Whatever you focus on expands; your primary focus should be what is working. What I love about Appreciating Inquiry, it allows you to really think about the possibilities. Our next podcast is actually talking about imagining the possibilities. What you focus on you get more of, so it really important to think about what it is that you want.

What are the best experiences you have had in your life so far? With Appreciative Living, the belief is that we do not just experience reality that we create that reality through our conversations with people, the way we think, and how we interact with others. Think about your interactions, you helped create those experiences. If you're experiencing tension, you can also create a way to have greater peace in your life by approaching it and finding out some o...

DKI Episode 13 - The Power of Positive Thinking

A book written by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale called The Power of Positive Thinking was written years ago. Its message is still true today. I love to listen to it to help me stretch out of the space sometimes I can get into this talk that we have in our heads. What I learned is that we have 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts in a day. It is surprising that 80% of those thoughts are actually truly negative. It is only when we consciously think about the thought that we were able to really shift and reframe the thought into something positive.  What is very interesting to me is that 98% of the thoughts that you think today were actually the same thoughts that you had yesterday. It blew me away and it really made me think about things a lot differently.

Positive thinking is not about putting on rose-colored glasses and ignoring the negative events. We hear about bombings and the terrible terrorist attacks going on in the world. Many of the things going on we do not have control over. You and I can think about our own thoughts and what can we can control.

“We are what we think” – Buddha Proverb

Norman Vincent Peale also talks about:

“Change your thoughts and you can change your world.”

“Anybody can do just about anything with himself that he really wants to and makes his mind to do. We are all capable of greater things than we realize.”

“Believe it is possible to solve your problem. Tremendous things happen to the believer. So believe the answer will come and it will come.”

What one should really think about is… where ever you are right now, I want you to think about the negative thoughts that you have been having. The self-talk that you’ve been talking yourself out of doing a thing and you truly want to do.

I am going to tell you why it's important. What happens when you are positively thinking - impacts your leadership, impacts how you run your business, how you run your organization, and how you chase after that creative idea that you have. Whether you're inventing something and bringing something to the marketplace, people need your ideas. People need you to step into the leader that you are truly meant to be. What happens when you are positive thinker, not only is this contagious, you can teach people how to choose their words and how they speak because whatever you think is what you are. Right? Refer back to the Buddha Proverb.

Benefits of Positive Thinking

The benefits of positive thinking include:

* decrease stress if you are thinking positively, you are not putting that energy into your fears, your worries, or your concerns about something,

* you're able to handle difficult situations with ease because you are looking for a positive outcome,

* Decreases conflict because there's intention to be more forgiving to really understand where a person is coming from. Are they truly trying to be malicious or are they know not self-aware of a situation?

* better first impressions- When you are speaking positive and you are excited about your day versus someone who's got slouched posture saying “Hi, how are you?” (say it in the Eeyore voice from Winnie the Pooh). Do not put that energy out there. You don't want to be around them. You start to repel is like a magnet. You just want to walk away from that negative energy.

* Improved health and vitality - Your thoughts influence your feelings and how you think about things and how you're going to behave. The actions that you take. You are going to make healthier choices and it alludes to your longevity.

* You start seeing problems as true opportunities to be solved. You never know where it going to take you. It is like an open door that you just walk through and it's going to be,

DKI Episode 13 - The Power of Positive Thinking

A book written by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale called The Power of Positive Thinking was written years ago. Its message is still true today. I love to listen to it to help me stretch out of the space sometimes I can get into this talk that we have in our heads. What I learned is that we have 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts in a day. It is surprising that 80% of those thoughts are actually truly negative. It is only when we consciously think about the thought that we were able to really shift and reframe the thought into something positive.  What is very interesting to me is that 98% of the thoughts that you think today were actually the same thoughts that you had yesterday. It blew me away and it really made me think about things a lot differently.

Positive thinking is not about putting on rose-colored glasses and ignoring the negative events. We hear about bombings and the terrible terrorist attacks going on in the world. Many of the things going on we do not have control over. You and I can think about our own thoughts and what can we can control.

“We are what we think” – Buddha Proverb

Norman Vincent Peale also talks about:

“Change your thoughts and you can change your world.”

“Anybody can do just about anything with himself that he really wants to and makes his mind to do. We are all capable of greater things than we realize.”

“Believe it is possible to solve your problem. Tremendous things happen to the believer. So believe the answer will come and it will come.”

What one should really think about is… where ever you are right now, I want you to think about the negative thoughts that you have been having. The self-talk that you’ve been talking yourself out of doing a thing and you truly want to do.

I am going to tell you why it's important. What happens when you are positively thinking - impacts your leadership, impacts how you run your business, how you run your organization, and how you chase after that creative idea that you have. Whether you're inventing something and bringing something to the marketplace, people need your ideas. People need you to step into the leader that you are truly meant to be. What happens when you are positive thinker, not only is this contagious, you can teach people how to choose their words and how they speak because whatever you think is what you are. Right? Refer back to the Buddha Proverb.

Benefits of Positive Thinking

The benefits of positive thinking include:

* decrease stress if you are thinking positively, you are not putting that energy into your fears, your worries, or your concerns about something,

* you're able to handle difficult situations with ease because you are looking for a positive outcome,

* Decreases conflict because there's intention to be more forgiving to really understand where a person is coming from. Are they truly trying to be malicious or are they know not self-aware of a situation?

* better first impressions- When you are speaking positive and you are excited about your day versus someone who's got slouched posture saying “Hi, how are you?” (say it in the Eeyore voice from Winnie the Pooh). Do not put that energy out there. You don't want to be around them. You start to repel is like a magnet. You just want to walk away from that negative energy.

* Improved health and vitality - Your thoughts influence your feelings and how you think about things and how you're going to behave. The actions that you take. You are going to make healthier choices and it alludes to your longevity.

* You start seeing problems as true opportunities to be solved. You never know where it going to take you. It is like an open door that you just walk through and it's going to be,

EPISODE 12 - EPIC WAYS TO SEIZE YOUR HAPPINESS

What does happiness have to do with leadership, business, and human potential?  When you are in a happy state, you change the actions that you take. You change the way you approach things. You change your perception of different things, when you're in a happy state of mind.

“For every minute you are angry you lose 60 seconds of happiness.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I really don't want you to lose out; I want you to become the leader that you were meant to be. Lead a fulfilling life and work business and at home. We are going to talk about the ways to seize your happiness so you might want to grab a paper and pen and if you are you driving in the car listening to this podcast you can go to the show notes and download your epic ways that you can seize your happiness.

* Train Your Brain. Start with training your brain. Happiness is truly a state of mind. To be able to practice mindfulness and to be in a place where you are able to recognize smallest of things that contribute to the world today. When we talk about mindfulness, it's not just about sitting in meditation and clearing your mind you so you have this blank slate. By being mindful, it is being able to recognize the small things: the breath that you take, the smell of a flower, to interpret someone's emotions way when you're having a conversation with them - being able to be perceptive of what's going on around you.Some of the ways to practice mindfulness are meditation. There is prayer - by being able to feel like you're connected with the universe or God or whatever that being is for you - something greater. Some people practice mindfulness through yoga, through just doing some deep breathing exercises, and recognizing how their body feels and being able to recognize these things around you - how you interact with your environment.

* Getting Enough Sleep. Many people are running on so little sleep. I use to say this phrase that “I would sleep when I'm dead.” However, when you really think about it if you wear yourself out by working 60 to 80 hours a week how long will that be sustainable? Are you truly showing up in giving your best self?What happens is when you are exhausted, your fuel tank decreases. You're not able to fully give the full horsepower of what your engine of who you are is able to give. When you get enough sleep, you actually less triggered by the events around you so when something does not go right you are able to be more responsive than reactive. Our bodies do need to rest to allow our minds and cells in our body to actually repair from the work of the day. By allowing yourself at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep, you're giving yourself a way of clearing any mental fog that “brain fog” so you can think clearly and make decisions well while being able to assess information and facts before you.

* Practice Gratitude. People take for granted that we have all the things that came into our lives. Take a look around you everything you have in your life change your life by choice. By saying by choice, the more you are grateful for something, the more that happens to show up in your life, more things for you to be grateful for.There is a book that I read too long ago called, 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life by John Kralik.He changed his life. This book is about this individual is kind of a grumpier kind guy stressed out and he decided that he needed to change his life. What he did every day for 365 days of the year, is that he sent out the hand written a letter of acknowledgment to different people who are impacted or his life in some way. His whole life shifted. Part of it was his attitude and how he viewed things. Now he started to recognize the things he was grateful.

EPISODE 12 - EPIC WAYS TO SEIZE YOUR HAPPINESS

What does happiness have to do with leadership, business, and human potential?  When you are in a happy state, you change the actions that you take. You change the way you approach things. You change your perception of different things, when you're in a happy state of mind.

“For every minute you are angry you lose 60 seconds of happiness.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I really don't want you to lose out; I want you to become the leader that you were meant to be. Lead a fulfilling life and work business and at home. We are going to talk about the ways to seize your happiness so you might want to grab a paper and pen and if you are you driving in the car listening to this podcast you can go to the show notes and download your epic ways that you can seize your happiness.

* Train Your Brain. Start with training your brain. Happiness is truly a state of mind. To be able to practice mindfulness and to be in a place where you are able to recognize smallest of things that contribute to the world today. When we talk about mindfulness, it's not just about sitting in meditation and clearing your mind you so you have this blank slate. By being mindful, it is being able to recognize the small things: the breath that you take, the smell of a flower, to interpret someone's emotions way when you're having a conversation with them - being able to be perceptive of what's going on around you.Some of the ways to practice mindfulness are meditation. There is prayer - by being able to feel like you're connected with the universe or God or whatever that being is for you - something greater. Some people practice mindfulness through yoga, through just doing some deep breathing exercises, and recognizing how their body feels and being able to recognize these things around you - how you interact with your environment.

* Getting Enough Sleep. Many people are running on so little sleep. I use to say this phrase that “I would sleep when I'm dead.” However, when you really think about it if you wear yourself out by working 60 to 80 hours a week how long will that be sustainable? Are you truly showing up in giving your best self?What happens is when you are exhausted, your fuel tank decreases. You're not able to fully give the full horsepower of what your engine of who you are is able to give. When you get enough sleep, you actually less triggered by the events around you so when something does not go right you are able to be more responsive than reactive. Our bodies do need to rest to allow our minds and cells in our body to actually repair from the work of the day. By allowing yourself at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep, you're giving yourself a way of clearing any mental fog that “brain fog” so you can think clearly and make decisions well while being able to assess information and facts before you.

* Practice Gratitude. People take for granted that we have all the things that came into our lives. Take a look around you everything you have in your life change your life by choice. By saying by choice, the more you are grateful for something, the more that happens to show up in your life, more things for you to be grateful for.There is a book that I read too long ago called, 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life by John Kralik.He changed his life. This book is about this individual is kind of a grumpier kind guy stressed out and he decided that he needed to change his life. What he did every day for 365 days of the year, is that he sent out the hand written a letter of acknowledgment to different people who are impacted or his life in some way. His whole life shifted. Part of it was his attitude and how he viewed things. Now he started to recognize the things he was grateful.

Episode 11 - Effort Trumps Talent

“Small actions over time, transform us.”

Daniel Coyle, Little Book of Talents: 52 Tips for Improving Your Skills and New York Times Bestselling Author of The Talent Code

Small actions over time… Where we are growing, learning, and improving. You will want to listen to Episode 10, our last episode, about Leaders Are Learners.  Here’s a question that comes up, “Do you believe that talent comes only from the genes that you're born with or do you believe talent is something that you can develop?” That is the pressing question of the day!

Do you believe that you either have a talent because you're born with it or that there's no chance of developing a talent if you don’t have it? Is it something that you think you could really hone skills and become that top person?

“Striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest we haven't planted.” David Bly

It is very interesting when people talk about the overnight success. They think know they are lucky - they are suddenly successful. They don't know about the 10-20 years that people have been working their butts off and staying up late, sacrificing many things in order to get to where they want to be able to see. They don’t see that. Suddenly, when they reach that tipping point and they are successful, the luck is that they did some hard work.

What Is Talent?

Talent is something that is natural; it comes to you naturally. People think people who are talented don't have to study or that there is this great hockey player and he did not have to develop the skill. Even the greatest hockey player of all time, Wayne Gretzky challenged himself by doing different antics on his skates to see how he can adjust and recover. Tiger Woods had to change up his skill all the time. Coach Hank Haney, a coach of Tiger Woods wrote the book “The Big Miss. He said Woods had to change his swing because a person the can become very bored but if they're not constantly learning and trying to improve their skill then there's nothing to challenge them. When they are challenged, they can become even better with their talents.

Who wins…

It is like the tortoise and the hare you really think about it. When people are you naturally talented, they come to a point where they figure they don't have to put any effort in because it comes so naturally. Whereas, the person who is hard-working and dedicated and perseverant who pushes through all the obstacles they can surpass those people with talent because talent will only take them so far.

Mindset Matters

No matter where you are, don't you start comparing yourself to someone and say, “Well, you know that they got it all, they got all the skills, they got all the talent, what do I have?” If you are a self-motivated individual who is persistent and determined and you're willing to learn and your teachable (as some of you know from the coaching world we call it, “Are you coachable?) If you're willing to learn (and not come from a place of knowing everything) and be open to new opportunities, you will be able to demonstrate your worth. They are going take somebody who works hard was not can sit back on their laurels and think that everything is going to come to them. It is known that people who are talented might not work as hard as somebody who it doesn't have the exact talents but they worked very hard.

What I've learned through competing in triathlons and any other competition, (I am one of those people who likes to push myself) it is about taking that talent and setting a new goal. Life isn't about one place of success; it is about setting all the small mi...

Episode 11 - Effort Trumps Talent

“Small actions over time, transform us.”

Daniel Coyle, Little Book of Talents: 52 Tips for Improving Your Skills and New York Times Bestselling Author of The Talent Code

Small actions over time… Where we are growing, learning, and improving. You will want to listen to Episode 10, our last episode, about Leaders Are Learners.  Here’s a question that comes up, “Do you believe that talent comes only from the genes that you're born with or do you believe talent is something that you can develop?” That is the pressing question of the day!

Do you believe that you either have a talent because you're born with it or that there's no chance of developing a talent if you don’t have it? Is it something that you think you could really hone skills and become that top person?

“Striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest we haven't planted.” David Bly

It is very interesting when people talk about the overnight success. They think know they are lucky - they are suddenly successful. They don't know about the 10-20 years that people have been working their butts off and staying up late, sacrificing many things in order to get to where they want to be able to see. They don’t see that. Suddenly, when they reach that tipping point and they are successful, the luck is that they did some hard work.

What Is Talent?

Talent is something that is natural; it comes to you naturally. People think people who are talented don't have to study or that there is this great hockey player and he did not have to develop the skill. Even the greatest hockey player of all time, Wayne Gretzky challenged himself by doing different antics on his skates to see how he can adjust and recover. Tiger Woods had to change up his skill all the time. Coach Hank Haney, a coach of Tiger Woods wrote the book “The Big Miss. He said Woods had to change his swing because a person the can become very bored but if they're not constantly learning and trying to improve their skill then there's nothing to challenge them. When they are challenged, they can become even better with their talents.

Who wins…

It is like the tortoise and the hare you really think about it. When people are you naturally talented, they come to a point where they figure they don't have to put any effort in because it comes so naturally. Whereas, the person who is hard-working and dedicated and perseverant who pushes through all the obstacles they can surpass those people with talent because talent will only take them so far.

Mindset Matters

No matter where you are, don't you start comparing yourself to someone and say, “Well, you know that they got it all, they got all the skills, they got all the talent, what do I have?” If you are a self-motivated individual who is persistent and determined and you're willing to learn and your teachable (as some of you know from the coaching world we call it, “Are you coachable?) If you're willing to learn (and not come from a place of knowing everything) and be open to new opportunities, you will be able to demonstrate your worth. They are going take somebody who works hard was not can sit back on their laurels and think that everything is going to come to them. It is known that people who are talented might not work as hard as somebody who it doesn't have the exact talents but they worked very hard.

What I've learned through competing in triathlons and any other competition, (I am one of those people who likes to push myself) it is about taking that talent and setting a new goal. Life isn't about one place of success; it is about setting all the small mi...