Posts filed under 'Success in College and in Life'
That is what Fortune (Charles S. Dutton) asks of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger near the end of the movie “Rudy”. This is after Rudy has been denied the opportunity to dress (be on the sideline in uniform) for the final game of his senior season at Notre Dame. Rudy was never good enough to be a member of the team, but he spent two years working harder than anyone as a member of the practice squad. At the end of his junior year, Notre Dame head coach Ara Parseghian promised to let Rudy dress for a game during his senior season due to his hard work and dedication.
Continue Reading March 11th, 2010
I have had a lot of mentors in my life, people that I look up to, people who encouraged and supported me. They could have easily pushed me aside or told me I was never going to succeed, but they took an interest in me, and that has made all of the difference in my life…
Continue Reading January 7th, 2010
Then there were those who weren’t so bad, but they didn’t get the golden ticket. These people might actually have a shot at a career in music but, for whatever reason, did not pass the judges’ muster.
It is the last group that fascinates me. Some of them were so upset. Some even begged the judges for another chance, because this competition was their only chance to make it. They knew they were meant to be in the music business and if only they could participate in the competition of American Idol, they could prove that they were worthy of such a career.
Continue Reading November 2nd, 2009
Are you sleep-deprived from watching the Olympics? I know I am! Watching the best in the world compete in so many different sports and disciplines was incredibly inspiring.
I heard all kinds of stories throughout the Olympics about the routines the athletes went through in order to become the best in the world. Many were up at 5:00 am, working out before and after school or work. Their weekends were spent away from family and friends and many had special diets. Of course, it would be cool to consume 10,000 calories a day like swimmer Michael Phelps and still be in condition to win eight gold medals!
I would probably sink.
Continue Reading October 26th, 2009
I was a server all through college and even for a couple of years after I graduated. I worked in fine dining environments, up-scale restaurants, and pubs, wearing anything from long-sleeved dress shirts with a tie to a polo shirt and khakis. Everywhere I worked, I wanted to be known as the best server. Not one of the best. THE best.
During my “serving career,” I worked with a lot of people who did just enough to get by. I never understood that. Those same co-workers could never understand why I consistently made more in tips than they did and why customers would request me as their server. I decided that if I was going to be working, I was going to get the most out of it by giving it my all. And the results paid off.
Continue Reading October 19th, 2009
A couple of days before Christmas, I was in my garage about to get in my car to go to a meeting. A large overnight delivery service truck pulled up to my neighbor’s house and the driver hopped out with a package. He looked up and waved at me, walked past my neighbor’s car in the driveway, and set the package down next to the garage. He punched in some buttons on his delivery scanner, hopped back in his truck, and drove off.
Did you see what was wrong in this scenario?
Continue Reading October 12th, 2009
“I am a successful professional speaker.”
That is an affirmation that I have told myself repeatedly, up to six times per day, for the last five years. That means I began telling it to myself before anyone had ever paid me for speaking or training! After almost 20 years in the mortgage business, I had created a new vision for myself, “To make my career as a professional speaker”. I told everyone that I was indeed a professional speaker. Whenever I was introduced at Circle K and Kiwanis events, it was as a professional speaker. I even launched my web site two and a half years before I got serious about marketing myself as a speaker!
Continue Reading September 15th, 2009
“George, the Drobble” is a story for people of all ages. It features a character named George who seeks the secret of life, which can only be found at the top of a mountain near his village. You can watch me perform the story…
Continue Reading April 10th, 2009
