“Solvitur Ambulando ………………..It is solved by walking.”

                                                                                        - Saint Augustine

June 1, 2024, marks my tenth anniversary of completing one of the most remarkable experiences of my life, when I walked the Camino de Santiago. 

Popularized in the United States by the movie, The Way, starring Martin Sheen, the Camino, or the Way of St. James is a 500-mile trek across northern Spain which begins in western France, ascends up into the Pyrenees mountains and then descends into Spain for the duration of the journey.

For most who embark upon this journey, it is life changing.  It certainly was for me

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Since my Camino, I have reflected often on the many lessons I learned during my 29-day trek, which had me walking 17-18 miles per day, carrying all of my belongings on my back and experiencing a number of memorable and life-defining experiences along my solo walk across Spain. 

It is often...

“If only you could sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of.  There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.”

                                                                                   - Fred Rogers, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood

Impact.  Whether we know it or not, each one of us has the ability to impact others in profound ways. 

This is usually recognized for those who positively affect the masses through speaking to large audiences, television appearances or internet posts that go viral. 

But most of the time it is done in ordinary ways, by ordinary people.  It comes in our interaction with others, usually one person at time, when we show kindness and interest in another person and authentically share ourselves and help to make someone’s life just a little better by our presence.

There is probably nobody in my lifetime that I witnessed dem...

“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears”

                                                                                      – Nelson Mandela

I recently watched, for the third or fourth time, the movie Invictus, starring Morgan Freeman and his amazing portrayal of Nelson Mandela. 

The movie chronicles Mandela’s journey after he had been released from a 27-year prison sentence and would then emerge to become president of South Africa, beginning the process of healing and uniting the country’s 43 million citizens in the post-Apartheid area. 

Mandela magically led this transformation through the use of continual forgiveness of those who had oppressed him, and his people and leveraging the pursuit of winning the World Cup tournament by South Africa’s National Rugby Team to unify his nation. 

What was most inspiring to me was Mandela’s unwavering dedication to lead through example, even whe...

“Don’t chase after success, chase after capability.  If you are capable of anything, then success will be chasing you.”

                                                                                                         - Meme

I love the distinction from my good friend, Kelly Anne Zielinski, CEO of Self Leadership Global, often shares, “It is much more effective to hold someone capable, than to hold them accountable.” 

In studying attributes of success in the world of leadership, the concept of accountability is often identified for its importance and effectiveness.  Taking personal accountability for the choices we make, the actions we take and the results we achieve is a critical attribute of anyone looking to work as an effective leader.   

However, when working with others in a leadership or coaching role, I have often found that “holding someone accountable” may not be the most effective way of inspiring and guiding them to achieve the results they desire. 

A...

“When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.”

                                                                                     – Jean Shinoda Bolen

During many of these blog posts, I have discussed the importance of being of service to living an impactful and fulfilling life. 

Specifically, when one combines what they love doing, with what they are great at and with that, provide a high degree of service to others, a recipe for a truly Championship Life can be realized. 

However, while doing acts of service is an integral part of experiencing happiness and fulfillment in our lives, who is the one person we tend to take care of the least? Is it ourselves?

In fact, it’s been my experience that this is a very familiar trait, particularly with those who are in “service industries”, such as health care, human resources and customer service (to name just a few).  However, tak...

“The moment you take responsibility for Everything in your life, is the moment you can change Anything in your life.”

                                                                                                                   - Hal Elrod

As a speaker, I am honored each year to share my Mind of a Champion message with wide variety of audiences.  Groups range from elementary school children all the way to corporate leaders. 

While it does take a diverse set of skills and strategies to be able to communicate with, and hold the attention of audiences of such a wide range, I believe that we are “all big kids anyway” and as a result the essence of my message if basically the same, regardless of the audiences to whom I am speaking.  That message is:

There is a champion inside of you and when access it and take full accountability for your life, you can achieve anything you put your heart and mind to.

While I enjoy speaking to all assemblies of people, the one group ...

“Focus 90% of your time on solutions and only 10% of your time on problems.”

                                                                                            -  Anthony J. D’Angelo

Today, I was sitting and reflecting on the many people who have crossed my path who have made a positive impact on my life. 

Some of these people have been with me my entire life and other times for a relatively brief period of time. 

Interestingly enough, there is no correlation between time and the impact made.  Even those who are in our lives for brief periods can have lasting impact.

One such person for me was Frank Jeffrey. 

Immediately after graduating from college, I began my career with the Procter & Gamble Distributing Company and Frank was my first District Manager.  Although I did not report directly to Frank, his presence in my career was very impactful as he served as a wise, kind and guiding mentor.

On my first day with the P&G Beauty Care Division Sales Divi...

“I would visualize things coming to me. It would just make me feel better. Visualization works if you work hard. That’s the thing. You can’t just visualize and go eat a sandwich.”

                                                                                                         - Jim Carrey

Visualization combined with inspired action can be one of the most powerful tools in a leader’s toolbox for success. 

When you look at elite-level athletes, you will notice that the difference between them in athletic talent is oftentimes so minuscule it is almost non-existent.  It is the person who creates the trifecta of combining the power of their body, mind and spirit that will experience the greatest probability of powerful performance and victory. 

If our hearts are the source of our desires, and our bodies are the vehicles to enact them physically, then your minds are the sculptors that help to make them a reality.  Visualization is an incredibly powerful tool for creating...

“Today is a new day. Don't let your history interfere with your destiny! Let today be the day you stop being a victim of your circumstances and start taking action towards the life you want. You have the power and the time to shape your life. Break free from the poisonous victim mentality and embrace the truth of your greatness. You were not meant for a mundane or mediocre life!”

                                                                                       - Steve Maraboli

 Are you being a victim or are you an owner?  

I first heard this question posed several years ago by super coach, Steve Chandler when I was attending one of his great seminars.  

The concept is really quite simple. 

As best we try, we may not be able to control what happens to us in our lives, but we can always control how we respond to it.  The choice is ours; we can live as if we are victimized by our life circumstances or we can own each of them and use the lessons they teach us to prope...

“If people are good only because they fear punishment, or hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed.”

                                                                                             - Albert Einstein

There is a classic story of Beatles legend, John Lennon as a young school-boy.  His teacher had assigned the class an assignment to answer the simple question,

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

As expected, as his classmates shared their answers, typical careers emerged from the imaginations of young primary schoolers of that time, policeman, nurse, teacher, fireman, etc.

It then came time for young John to share, and the teacher asked, “John, what do you want to be when you grow up?”

Without hesitation, he promptly answered,

“Happy!”

Legend has it that his teacher was not amused with his answer, even threatening punishment, unless he changed his response.  He declined.  Perhaps this was the beginning of his challenging the status qu...