While I was at the Tanner Gun show in Denver today, I walked several isles. I was really happy to see hundreds of people looking around at the various displays and tables that had all kinds of great deals. I am a people watcher for sure and enjoy watching the bartering going on between sellers and buyers. I would stop and watch, listen to what was being said.

I walked just about every row at the show. My left hip started to ache and bother me, so I headed to the food court. I saw a table open up with a few chairs, so I limped over and sat down. I was really starting to hurt. The pain intensified so much that I could hardly sit at all. My friends finally showed up later. I squirmed, moved from side to side in my chair, and I’m sure people thought that I had to go to the bathroom. I realized that the pain I was in was a reminder of my past sports participation, like football, weight lifting, softball.

Those were the good old days … back then you played hurt, and through pain, the coach would say “No Pain, No Gain”. Play through and be tough! I remember those days while playing high school and college football games; the nights after playing a game, laying in bed, could be a living hell. I would limp to school and then ache while sitting in class. Guess what, I am now paying the price for several years of sports.

How many of you who are ex-athletes are now paying the price for the good old days of playing sports? I get to talk to many old pro ball players, and when we get together, I can hear them share all about their stories about the aches and pains they go through. One former NFL offensive lineman, showed me his fingers, swollen and disfigured. You could tell they had been broken several times. Then I talked to a baseball player who had a bad back, and he was stiff and unable to move about very easily.

How many of you just don’t want to go to the doctor because it isn’t worth it? I put myself in that category. I hate needles, and IV’s. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I don’t do needles. I have had several surgeries, not one of them would I call fun! The surgeries were necessary, and would help me with daily living. The aches and pains don’t go away, they need to be taken care of.

I had one client who said he had some chest pains, not major, but ones that would come and go. I told him to get checked out. He looked in pretty good shape, but for his peace of mind, he went. He received a complete physical. Two days later, his doctor called him and said that he better come to his office, they needed to talk. When he arrived at the doc’s office the doctor told him to sit down. The doctor then told him that he had some major heart disease that needed to be taken care of and he needed to talk to a cardiologist right away.

My client went and saw the cardiologist and had surgery three days later. There was a blockage and he had it cleaned out. When I saw my client, he thanked me and said that I saved his life. Wow..I was overwhelmed and appreciated the kind words. You see, we have to keep getting our yearly check ups, take care of our bodies through daily exercise, and eat properly. If your a couch potato, get off your rear end and get some walking in. If you have poor eating habits, then start eating healthy foods. The only person who will look after you, is you! You can’t expect others to force you to go to the doctor, exercise or eat properly. That is your job, no one else’s.

So, if your feeling some health issues starting to take place, make an appointment with your doctor. If your experiencing shortness of breath, have chest pains, then make an appointment to see your family doc. If you have aches and pains in your joints, then get it looked at. There are numerous reasons to see your family doctor, don’t delay, make an appointment. I am trying to prevent further damage to your body. When I used to be at my clinic and talking with patients who had ailments, I would use the example of fixing a problem with the engine before it became a major repair. That’s what I am telling you, don’t let anything get out of hand, take care of business now. It could save your life in the long run.

Are you afraid to go to the doctor because you might get bad news? Do you hate taking med’s and pills? Do you think your not getting better and worry about the doc ordering tests for you? Do you think your medical problem will go away and its nothing to worry about? If you answered yes to any of these, you can call Dr. Mike at 303.456.0555 for help!

How does Life Coaching work?
You’ll meet once a week, by phone for a one-on-one conference, usually 45 minutes a session. In each phone conference you’ll plan and review, together, each of your “Focus Goals” and action areas. In each session, you’ll also receive support and guidance in creating the right attitudes and motivation in the area’s that you want to work on most. In addition to the weekly phone conferences, you’ll also communicate by e-mail, so you’ll have help and support throughout the week.
If you would like some help in dealing with personal issues in your life or the relationship that you’re in, you can contact Mike at 303.456.0555. If you need more information about the Professional Accountability Partner Program, call 303.456.0555 or go to contact Mike link to set up a free consultation appointment.

Let’s suppose you had a bank account that every morning at six a.m. the bank deposited eighty six thousand four hundred dollars into your account. Like this idea? The one requirement was that you had to spend it all that day. When you went to bed at night, any of the moneyyou had not spent would be debited back out of the account. What would you do? You’d spend every cent, wouldn’t you? You’d figure out a way to use it.

That is exactly what God does with you every twenty-four hours. He gives you eighty six thousand four hundred seconds. God says you can use this any way you want to use it. But at the end of the day any that’s unused or misused or didn’t use, you lose. If you don’t use it, you lose it. And you’re never going to get it back.

If you are an average American you will live twenty five thousand five hundred fifty days. If you live to be seventy years of age you will spend in your life time twenty-three years of your life sleeping, seventeen years of your life working. You will spend eleven years of your life watching television and playing. You’ll spend six years of your life traveling. You’ll spend six years of your life eating (some of us a little bit more than that). You’ll spend two years of your life getting ready (except women – that will be nineteen years!). You will spend one year in church. A solid year in church if you are a typical American.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed this or not but time does not always cooperate with my agenda. When I want it to go slow, it goes fast. And when I want it to go fast, it goes slow. Do you remember when you were in school and you were waiting for that clock to tick so you could get out of class? It was going so slow. Yet when things were fun the time went really fast and you’re going, “Already over? That ride’s over? Let’s do it again.”

Do you use those seconds wisely each and everyday? Or do you foolishly waste them and never give it a second thought. Here are some wise quotations that I wanted to share with you. As you read them, think about what they are saying to you.

All that really belongs to us is time; even he who has nothing else has that.
Baltasar Gracian

Time is what we want most, but… what we use worst.
William Penn

All my possessions for a moment of time.
Elizabeth I

If time flies when you’re having fun, it hits the afterburners when you don’t think you’re having enough.
Jef Mallett

Nothing is as far away as one minute ago.
Jim Bishop

Do you struggle with managing your time? Do you wonder where the time of day goes? Do you need help in planning your day? Here are some thoughts that can help you! Be realistic in setting your goals for time management, do not over commit yourself.

My example of poor time management: I worked at UPS in the early mornings from 3:30 to 8:30 AM. I would head home and shower, eat a quick breakfast, then head to the University of Wisconsin an hour drive. That’s the semester that I took 21 credit hours. At 3:30 in the afternoon I would go to football practice after my classes, as I was a freshman running backs coach. Practice would take 2 hours, then I’d drive back home, another hour. I would then head straight to Pepsi plant from the University to work in the warehouse until 10:00 PM. Then I’d head home to shower and go back to bed. This was a killer semester for me. I certainly over committed myself and would never do that again. I was tired all the time, and had very little energy to do anything in my life that was fun!

I would suggest that you define your top priorities: If you want to have time to do important tasks, then you better plan (that is key)! Being successful requires a well thought out game plan. Make sure that you keep a calendar on your desk, or a day timer with what action items that you need to accomplish for that day. What is important and that you must have to do that day? Write it down. Trying to recall what you need to do will rarely work. Have a list for important phone calls. Make sure that you have a date and time to call. Have a list that you can see “what has to be done today”. This must be gone over each morning without fail. Don’t plan a thing without first looking at this list.

Avoid being distracted. Looking back at my schedule while in college, I was distracted constantly. I never ate regular meals. My college studies were in between classes or in the cafeteria or all day Sunday. I didn’t have a life back then. How often do you put off doing important tasks? What areas do you waste time in? I wanted to have a time management plan (I would swear that I would stick by it) then see the news on TV, and stop, sit down and watch the news. I’d get a phone call from a friend, who just wanted to talk and I’d have things I needed to get done. I’d ask myself, “Why did I take that call?” I will waste 20 minutes talking about sports. Is my time worth something? You bet it is! Learn to avoid wasted time, and focus on what has to be done.

Do you easily get overwhelmed so that you just give up or cannot function? For many of us, that’s because we take on too many projects or over commit ourselves. You need to focus on one project at a time. Let people know that they must wait until your task is completed. I used to be the Mr. Fix it guy. I would get calls from all over the country asking me to fix relationship problems or confrontation mediation issues on the job site. All the while trying to manage a life coaching practice here in Colorado. I decided that I needed to make a priority list. Clients are first, and corporations are second.

I make a to do list for each day, week and month. This list keeps me on track and not floundering with my tasks and thoughts. I have clients tell me that one of their big problem areas is when they get side tracked by menial tasks, like straightening out their desks, rearranging books, or magazines. They may be looking for data on a website, then start surfing the Internet. They may take phone calls, start talking about personal things, and get nothing done. Some will daydream and lose all track of time. These kind of things will keep you from following your schedule and cause all kinds of problems. Stick to your commitment goals.

Ask yourself these questions, Do I need help in managing my time? Do I easily get side tracked and cannot keep to my schedule? Am I in trouble with my boss, because I don’t complete projects on time? Is my life disorganized because I have no clue where to start projects or who to ask for help? If you have asked yourself any of these questions, you can contact Dr. Mike for help in setting up a time management program.

If you would like some help in dealing with Time management issues in your life, or if the relationship that you’re in is not going well, you can contact Dr. Mike at 303.456.0555, Life Coaching is done over the phone, so there is no reason to leave your home or office.

I was unloading a UPS trailer during a blizzard in Wisconsin, it was cold, and I did not like the trailer rattling in the wind. Some snow was blowing through the cracks of the trailer that was backed on the dock. The temperatures outside were minus 12, and the wind gusts were over 50 mph. This blizzard started shortly after we reported for work. Drivers started calling in to work at 4:30 AM wondering if they should show up with the weather conditions the way they were.

I listened to the supervisor tell them that they had better show up; if the unloaders and pre-loaders showed up, so should they! This supervisor used us to make the package drivers show up to work by using guilt on them. This particular supervisor had problems with just about everyone at work, the drivers, sorters, unloaders, and pre-loaders. I’ve seen him get into shouting matches with part-timers, and drivers! You could not reason with this guy. He was the most negatively talked-about boss I have ever worked for! He was hated by just about everyone at this center.

As the storm grew in intensity, the center manager, called my boss and said that you are to call the drivers and let them know, no one will be going out into the storm and to stay home! My boss was upset and slammed the phone down on his boss. I thought that this is an interesting scenario, what about all of us who are at the center? Will we be stranded for most of the day? Someone suggested that we be sent home, and he said, NO! I thought to myself — if we still had power, heat, and snacks in the vending machines, I would be OK with whatever he decided.

I went outside to help guide the trailers being backed on to the docking doors, and it was extremely cold, the wind cut through my jacket and through my soaked wet t-shirt. As I was yelling through the wind to let the tractor trailer driver know to keep backing up, my supervisor scared the daylights out of me, by yelling at me, we were not backing the trailer up fast enough! Here is my boss, not listening to a word I said, about snow drifts, ice, and zero visibility. He looked at me and said “listen Mr., we are going to have talk when you get back into the building.

When I returned from helping back the trailer on to the docking doors, he yelled my name, and demanded that I follow him to his office. My other co-workers, started laughing, and teasing me as I walked by them. What could I say? I hadn’t ever been called into his office before. I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong, so, I walked into his office, and he slammed the door behind me.

I then listened to him, berate me, attack me and my work ethics, then he started calling me names. I was 23 years old going to college and had a family. I had never been treated like this in any job I worked. I was never late, never a problem for any boss I had. I was considered a great employee. I listened as he continued to make personal digs at me. When he was done, he asked if I had to say anything. I looked him in the eye, and said something I have never said before. Are we talking about the same employee? I then let him know – without yelling – show me one bad report on my work record. Let’s ask the center manager if he would agree with you about my work performance. I then asked him, have I ever been late for work? You never had a complaint before about me, why now?

After reasoning with him, and pointing out the attacks on me personally, he began to understand it was hurting the moral on the early shift at UPS. He became friendlier towards the part-timers. He even started to joke around, and the drivers noticed a big change in his behavior towards them. One of the keys is try to develop a relationship with the people who managers, or bosses. Get to know them personally. Ask about their families, kids, hobbies, what they do for fun. That goes a long way in making friends and respect. Communication is very important in decreasing difficult people. Here are my tips for the work place and home.

Don’t get into personal issues, like politics and religion, ex-spouses. If you feel that an argument is about to happen, then leave or change the subject, no reason to be the subject of verbal abuse. A while back, I had a person ask me what church I attended while waiting in line for placing an order at Burger King. I told him, and then he proceeded to blast my church. I learned a big lesson that day. Don’t go there!

When you deal with difficult people, trying to change the other person’s mind, will not work. They will see it as you trying to control them and the way they think. Usually, when you get into an argument, you’re just inviting someone to tell others about how defensive you are. Then people will start to be critical of you, not a good thing! They will tell others about their opinion of you and how hard it is to work with you.

If you don’t like the way your discussion is going, then let them know politely that you will not accept abusive behavior. We all have our boundaries, and why keeping them is important to us and explain why. This should resolve most conflicts with your boss or co-worker.

Most work relationships that have problems are due to personal differences between co-workers, not that one of the people is bad. Some people have different styles of work ethics. One may be by the book while others may be a fly by the seat of your pants. When you sit down and talk, most people will accept the other co-worker as long as they talk out their concerns.

When I find co-workers that are difficult to work with, I try to develop a good relationship with them. It takes time, but in most cases I will focus on their positive traits. I want to build them up, and let them know they are appreciated. When that happens I have made a new friend at work. They are easier to work with. I am sincere when I build relationships; I try to make lifetime friends.

Remember, don’t think the other co-workers negative traits don’t exist, because they will always be there. Be careful about sharing your inner most thoughts to the town crier, gossips love to share. Co-workers who don’t like you will use any ammunition to get at you. Keep secrets to yourself. If you follow this advice, you will be ahead in the long run!

Working with difficult people is hard to do; it parts friends, and causes deep wounds in the work place. If you need help in resolving differences with a boss or co-worker, you can contact Dr. Mike for assistance. Do you have someone that you need to have a better relationship at work, and don’t know how? Is there unresolved anger towards a co-worker? Do you need help in healing a broken relationship at work or at home? If there is, call Dr. Mike.

I was walking downtown in Denver, when a guy with a grocery cart walked up to me and asked for money. I looked at him with his ragged and torn clothes, and toothless grin. As I reached into my pocket and handed him a few dollars, I started to ask him questions. How long you been in Denver I asked? Since the 60’s he responded, I moved here after I came back from Vietnam. I then asked him; do you have any family here? Used to he said, my dad is dead and my mom lives in a nursing home in Cleveland. They disowned me when I came home. I was into drugs and didn’t want to work, and then I started hitting the bottle pretty hard! I was kicked out of my parents’ house and here I am, on the streets!

I have been on the streets of Denver for over 30 years. I have been in the VA hospital several times, and living under different bridges through out Denver. I have seen hard and snowy winters, and hot summers. I have lots of friends, and seen a lot of them die. He went on to share his story of suffering and hardships. We probably talked for about 10 minutes as we leaned against a corner cafe. While we talked he would walk over to strangers and ask for handouts, as they walked by. I was slightly embarrassed as people gave him coins and bills.

Many of the homeless that I have talked to will blame others for their past failures. They don’t take any responsibility for past mistakes or bad decisions. Many would rather ask for handouts and panhandle than work. How many of these people have you seen on exit ramps, holding signs and begging for cash?

I asked the guy I was talking to, why didn’t you go to college or hold down a decent job. He flat out told me, he didn’t want to work a regular job! He enjoyed being with his friends and drinking. There are some people who are doing everything within their power to get out of living under bridges, and stop asking for handouts! You hear success stories of the ones who fought and clawed their way out of being destitute and begging from others! I listened to all his excuses, and then knew that I was talking to a dead man with no hope of turning his life around. He was content on asking for his way of living through the generosity of others.

As I said goodbye to this guy, he waved at me and said thanks for the few bucks that I gave him. As, I walked back to my truck, I couldn’t but wonder, why the quitter attitude. Was it his parents, was it Vietnam? Did his friends drag him down? Then it hit me, he didn’t have someone who would listen nor understand where he was at in life.

There is a time when we must take responsibility for our actions, right or wrong. Do you have plans for yourself or family if you lose your job? How will the house payment be made? How will the credit cards be paid? Who will pay the electric, and water? How will the food be taken care of? These are scary thoughts and taking action steps in protecting yourself and your family is key.

Do you allow your circumstances to control you? Meaning, do you have an issue with your boss, you keep getting on his bad side by your actions? Do you have a hard time taming your tongue; you don’t know when to shut up? Do you take your family savings and invest in worthless businesses or loan money to friends and family?

• Start a savings account, even if its $10 to 20 dollars a month
• Make a plan to pay your monthly bills
• Talk to a financial planner
• Have a budget meeting with your spouse/partner
• Downsize your living quarters
• Figure out what will cut home expenses, turning off lights, taking shorter showers, etc!
• Cut back on cable services
• Send in your rebates
• Get your books and DVD’s from the library
• Stop smoking and drinking
• Start exercising, helps cut down on being sick.
• Cut back on eating out

This is just a beginning on how to save by cutting costs. If you need help on cutting back expenses, you can contact Dr. Mike to set up a meeting via phone or in person.

If you would like some help in dealing with personal issues in your life or the relationship that you’re in, you can contact Mike at 303.456.0555. If you need more information about the Professional Accountability Partner Program, call 303.456.0555 or go to contact Mike link to set up a free consultation appointment.

I got a call from a friend who wanted some juicy gossip about a friend of ours. I listened and was pondering how I should address this situation. He started to share very personal details about our mutual friend. I said wait a minute, how about if we just go to Bob’s house and confront him and ask him if what your sharing is true! The silence on the other end was deafening. I waited for him to respond, and had to ask him, if he was still on the phone. He stammered and said he would not do such a thing. I asked why, and he said it would be embarrassing and upset our friend.

How many of us, participate in this type of behavior? I know I have been on the receiving end of gossip. I was working at UPS on the early morning shift, when one of my friends named Greg walked up to me during our 10 minute break, and said “hey, I heard you were kicking your wife out of the house!” I said “What, where did you hear that?” He said, from Mrs. Schultz. I was shocked, she attended my church, why would she ever say that? Then a few minutes later another friend of mine, walked up to me and asked if I was kicking my wife out of the house? Again, being a Norski and slow, I asked Tom who told him that? He said Mrs. Schultz. I was now very upset and angry. I couldn’t wait to get home and call this woman.

I called my pastor and asked what he thought that I should do, he said, I should confront her, so I called her and asked why in the world would she spread gossip about my wife and I? I told her that I was not asking my wife to leave, she was leaving on her own, for personal reasons. Here is this 70 year old woman gossiping and telling lies about me and my wife, and I was shocked someone this age would do such a thing. I asked her to stop gossiping, she was angry at me for confronting her and told me in no uncertain terms, she would say whatever she wanted to! I asked her, did telling lies give her power over someone that was innocent, did it make her feel important?

I explained to her that when gossiping and telling lies to others, was like throwing a rock into a clear calm lake, that she was spreading waves of gossip that can not be taken back. The waves of gossip literally destroy and wreck people’s lives and family’s. For some folks who gossip its for revenge, for others its being in the know and sharing information validates how important they want to feel. I’m not sure where this woman was coming from, but she caused big problems for my wife and I. We are now divorced, but this situation did not help us at all.

My next step in confronting her, was face to face and I did at church, she wanted nothing to do with me nor the pastor of my church. She left the church, and started her trouble making at another place of worship. I was saddened that she has not mended her ways.

So, what is the best way to deal with someone who has you in their sights? They want to take you down, some unknowingly and others with a vengeance. My other question is, are you the source of gossip and lying? Do you enjoy fueling the fire of discontentment? How do you feel, knowingly hurting others?

Here is my way in dealing with gossip and lying. First confront with facts, who told you what and when. You can bring the person that heard the gossip as a witness to what was said. When you do talk with them ask them to quit saying things about you or a situation that they are gossiping about. Sometimes this kind of confrontation will do nothing to resolve anything, but you will get the peace knowing that you tried to resolve your differences. That in itself is worth the effort to make things right, and at least you can sleep at night knowing that you gave it your all.

Gossip parts friends, family members and causes deep wounds that can last a lifetime. If you need help in resolving family conflict or conflict between a friend or co-worker, you can contact Dr. Mike for assistance. Do you have someone that you need to confront and are afraid to, or don’t know how? Is there unresolved guilt over gossip you have caused or spread? Do you need help in healing a broken relationship?

How does Life Coaching work?
You’ll meet once a week, by phone, for a one-on-one conference, usually 45 minutes a session. In each phone conference you’ll plan and review, together, each of your “Focus Goals” and action areas. In each session, you’ll also receive support and guidance in creating the right attitudes and motivation in the area’s that you want to work on most. In addition to the weekly phone conferences, you’ll also communicate by e-mail, so you’ll have help and support throughout the week.

If you would like some help in dealing with personal issues in your life or the relationship that you’re in, you can contact Mike at 303.456.0555. If you need more information about the Professional Accountability Partner Program, call 303.456.0555 or go to contact Mike link to set up a free consultation appointment. Dr. Mike’s website is www.applicablecoaching.com all calls are confidential and your privacy is protected. Check out Mike’s blog at: https://applicablecoaching.com/blog/ I always welcome your thoughts and comments on today’s coaching article.

I was taking my turn at batting practice for our church softball team at Shabbona Park in Park Forest, a suburb on the south side of Chicago. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed an older gentleman dressed in a blue suit leaning against the fence watching me hit softballs. I was hitting the balls over the 320 foot outfield fence onto people’s roofs. I would look at this man as I got ready for another pitch. It was between my senior year in high school and freshman year in college. I had never had any adult watch me during batting practice.

I was a big kid at 225 and 5’11”, and could hit the ball a ton. I batted for about 10 minutes. After I was done, I walked over to get a drink of water. As I approached the drinking fountain, the older man walked towards me with a business card in his hand and handed it to me. He extended his right hand and shook mine. He introduced himself by his name and said that he was a scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He asked if I had ever considered playing professional baseball. I stood there looking at his business card with the logo of the Pirates, his name and phone number.

My teammates watched from a distance, not knowing what was going on, as this man and I spoke! I was in shock to say the least. He told me he was impressed with the distance I was hitting balls during batting practice. I played in a fast pitch league in the Chicago area, and he had watched me play in several games. He said that I was a good second baseman and had the speed and knowledge to play professional baseball. I listened to him, and many things raced through my mind. He then said, “Give me a call and we can talk.” I wondered, would my dad be in agreement? What about my college education?

I have heard of sports stories like this happening to others, but not to anyone I knew. So, this Pittsburgh Pirates scout talked for a little while longer. He walked to his car, got in and left. I stared at him as he drove away. I thought to myself, “What just happened here?” My friends walked over to me and asked, “Who was that guy?” I told them that he was a scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates. They all said “No way, you’re lying!” until I showed them the business card with the logo of the Pirates on it.

As I got into my old Ford Fairlane and headed home, the excitement hit me. What will my dad say? I wanted to drive to his work and tell him, but decided to wait till he got home. When he got home, I raced out to where he parked the car in the driveway. I started talking excitedly and handed him the business card of the scout. He tried slowing me down, and I had to repeat my story several times. As we walked into the house he said we would talk later.

My dad had his supper and called me in to talk with him. He said that my college was more important than pursuing a baseball career. He said that most kids that go into baseball don’t make it, only some of the exceptions do. We talked over all the pros and cons of getting into professional baseball. I could see his point. He went to college at the University of Minnesota, and never completed his education because of World War Two. He wanted me to go get an education and find something that I wanted to do in life. Looking back and seeing where my life is now, I made the right decision by getting my college education.

I see kids now, trying to figure out what they want to do in life. Some decide that they will go to college after finding themselves. Many never will set foot on a college campus after taking a few years off. Some go to tech schools, which is great! Others follow in the steps of their parents and work in the family business, another great option. My choice was to go to a state college, meet new people, make lifetime friends, and get my college diploma. If you are having a hard time deciding on what to do about your future, no matter what your age, remember that college is for everyone that wants to go!

I have worked with people in their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s that had a desire to take some college courses. They enjoyed the classroom settings, got to share life experiences with the class, and made some new young friends.

Here are some questions you need to ask yourself: Do, I still dream about going to college? Do, I wish I would have completed my college education? Do I have regrets? I wonder if I can be accepted into a college program? Is there an online college degree that I can obtain? If you have these questions or more running through your mind, lets talk. I can help you! I say it’s never too late to do the things you once dreamed about. The only regret is doing nothing to make them happen.

When I played football at Rich East high school in Park Forest in the suburbs of Chicago in the 70’s, football was king! We had 80 kids out just for the freshman football team. My freshman football coach was a well rounded and compassionate man. He taught us well and walked most of us scared and nervous kids through the process of becoming football players. I respected my coach, he taught me being a hard worker on and off the field, would help me in the classroom. He was right, it paid big dividends. I can remember during one game, we were getting trounced, in a big way. I was a 185 pound defensive lineman, the opposing teams halfback broke through our defensive line, and was going to score a 60+ yard touchdown. I ran the entire field trying to catch up to him and tackle him. As the time ran off the clock and the score was 55 to 12, we headed back to our locker room. The coach gave his closing remarks about the game to the entire team.

I can remember sitting on the floor staring at my football cleats, as he spoke. Then I heard my name being called out. I looked up at the coach, and he was sharing with our team, that only one player pursued the halfback down the field for 60 yards, and that was Mike Brooks. He looked at me in front of the whole team and said ” Kid, you ain’t no quitter”. That’s when I realized that no matter how hopeless any given situation is, you keep pursuing it. You don’t quit, you fight hard to make things happen. How many times have people given up to soon, just inches from a victory? I have to admit, I sure have!

If you want to make your business better, then do the right things to make it happen, make sure that your sphere of influence is with successful people and business people who have a vision and passion to succeed. If you associate yourself with people who have no desire or drive and only want to talk about being successful, then cut ties and run. Being a dreamer is great as long as you put action items to your dreams. I have been around people, who only talk and want others to make their dreams happen. I avoid these people in any and all business situations.

As a 12 year old kid, we would travel to Minnesota from Chicago to visit family during summer vacation, the trip was always exciting. I would get to see aunts and uncles, see my cousins, and grand parents. On one such trip, I remember a vivid talk I had with my great aunt Dorothy. She asked how old I was, and I told her that I was twelve. Then she asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up. I was excited to tell her that I wanted to be a pro football player and play for the Minnesota Vikings. Bud Grant, the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings was a cousin of mine, and I admired him as a football coach. She turned and looked at me and said that I was to small and that would never happen! What her words did to me as a kid, just hurt beyond description. It was hard as a kid to get over her hurtful remarks. I wanted to show her that I was going to play pro ball. While growing up, remembering her stinging words as they helped me in the weight room at my high school. I became one of the strongest athletes in the state of Illinois, I set several records in weight lifting. Her remarks drove me to become focused on building my hidden talents. I used what was intended to hurt me, to become who I am today. Have you have someone in your life that hurt you with put-downs? Do you harbor bitterness and just have given up with your goals and dreams with the hurtful remarks aimed at you? Now is the time to take your life back from those who hurt you. Only you can make that happen.

All I can say is, use the remarks that hurt you to build a solid foundation to succeed and move on, become that person that will become successful and fulfill passions and dreams you have dreamed about. This isn’t rocket science folks, its simply working towards realistic goals and making them happen. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to make your world change?

Have you had people tell you, “you can’t start a business, what are you thinking?” “There is no way you can get back into shape, your ‘re a heart attack waiting to happen!”, “Are you serious, you want to start a new career, that will never happen!”. These are just a few remarks that I have had clients tell me over the years. It breaks my heart when those we love or know, start being negative and downplay what excites us. If you’re ready and want to make some serious changes in your life, call me, and let’s talk. Sitting down with a Life Coach will help you plan out your future that’s realistic and in stages your comfortable with.

If you would like some help in dealing with negative people in your life, or a bad relationship that you’re in, you can contact Mike at 303.456.0555. If you need more information about the Professional Accountability Partner Program, call 303.456.0555 or go to contact Mike link to set up a free consultation appointment. Dr. Mike’s website is www.applicablecoaching.com all calls are confidential and your privacy is protected. Check out Mike’s blog at: https://applicablecoaching.com/blog/ I always welcome your thoughts and comments on today’s coaching article. Mike is also available for speaking engagements.