I ran across the fabulous Al Pacino locker room pep talk, which may be one of the best examples of  verbally ‘kicking #!*#!’ while inspiring the troops that I have seen in a sports movie. Take a look – I will be surprised if it won’t provide you with at least a strong analogy to share with your troops to get them jazzed for this home stretch of your fiscal year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO4tIrjBDkk

Let us know! Please share your success stories with us! Have a great weekend!

• Walter Cronkite dropped out during his junior year from the University of Texas as Austin, where he never went to class and got awful grades.
• Tom Hanks dropped out of Sacramento State University and worked as a bell hop at the Hilton Hotel for many years.
• Lance Armstrong, recovering from treatment for testicular cancer that had metastasized to his brain and lungs, was fired from the professional French bicycling team sponsored by the Cofidis insurance company.
• Winston Churchill failed the entrance exam to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst…twice.
• Patrick Dennis’s novel Auntie Mame was rejected by seventeen publishing houses.
• Albert Einstein failed the entrance exam to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.

What do these folks have in common? Two things:

1) They never quit – not for good.

2)  They worked very very hard (and some still do!).

It is human to be knocked down; we all have been knocked down at one time or another. And motivational speeches are fine – they can give us a great boost. Yet, reading these true stories about folks making a comeback is truly inspiring. For more great comeback stories, check out the book, Extraordinary Comebacks by John Sarkett.

1. There is poor chemistry between mentor and protege. The more the two parties have in common -  especially in values and personality – the better.
2. The mentors neglect their responsibilities to the mentee. This is very easy to do with the demands of their day job. Thus, it is imperative that both parties understand that in order for the relationship to be successful, both parties must put their all into the engagement.
3. Mentors and mentees manipulate the other party to their advantage. Need I say more? If so, refer to the article for more gruesome details on how this can evolve.

These derailers are common, and much money and time has been wasted on implementing formal mentoring programs in many Fortune 500 companies. The remedy is fairly simply in concept:

• Define the ‘bottom line’ for the program before it gets started, and get everyones buy-in on their role in making it successful.
• Be selective and thoughtful about who to pair up for the engagement.
• There can be no hidden agendas, or the credibility of the program is in jeapardy.
• Educate on process, set benchmarks, sign contracts, use active projects as the petri dish for learning, and monitor progress.
• Measure and give feedback throughout the program. The devil is in the details. Course correct during the program as needed – with people, process, and projects.
• Use coaching actively to ensure both parties are supported appropriately.
• Prepare for the ‘end’ and set a timeline for the formal mentoring relationship to end.

These steps may appear quite obvious. The key, as with all things, is in the execution.

The sannyasi (wise man) had reached the outskirts of the village and had settled down under a tree for the night when a villager came running up to him and said, “The stone! The stone! Give me the precious stone!”

“What stone?”, asked the sannyasi.

“Last night, it appeared to me in a dream,” said the villager. “It told me that if I went to the outskirts of the village at dusk, I would find you, who would give me a precious stone that would make me rich forever.”

The sannyasi rummaged in his bag and pulled out a stone. “You must mean this one,” and he handed over the stone to the villager. “I found it on the forest path some days ago. You may certainly have it.”

The man gazed at the stone in wonder. It was a diamond, probably the largest diamond in the world, for it was as large as a person’s head!”

He took the diamond and walked away. All night he tossed in bed, unable to sleep.

The next day, at the crack of dawn, he woke the sannyasi and said, “Give me the wealth that makes it possible for you to give this diamond away so easily.”

This Indian parable may be found in “The Jesuit Guide to (almost) Everything” published in 2010.

We all know what a powerful B12 it can be to have someone say:  ”Thanks so much for all you do,” “Appreciate the extra time you took,”  ”Great Job” or just “Thanks for stepping in and taking the reins.” We each can do this with those that cross our paths – personally and professionally. Try it today:

• When talking to the person who makes your Starbucks or lunch each day
• In any conversation with a friend, co-worker, secretary, etc.
• When sending your standard email response

It is as simple as starting your conversations like this, “You know, there is something I have been wanting to tell you…”

So watch this quick video – you will love the positive energy!   They are in full alignment!! They are doing  what they love to do, using their gifts, living their mission, and experiencing joy – they are all in alignment! It shows!

When we find ourselves loving what we are doing – and ‘feeling our oats’ so to speak – embrace it! Go for it! The rest will take care of itself.

Don’t stop believing!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umF1M7wGiCc

Living a full life – especially living a life in quest of alignment – shares the same stages.  Often we choose to short circuit these stages. We cave into fear. We choose to dull the pain in a myriad of ways – diversions, addictions or simply turning a blind eye. By doing so, we hinder the birth of our authentic selves.

My challenge for you today is to look the tiger in the eye. Embrace who you are – what you really want – and power through the fear, the unknown, and the possible pain. We are all put on the planet for different purposes and it is our opportunity to discover who we really are and what our unique contributions will be.

Just today – do one thing you always wanted to do, yet were afraid to give it a go. I would hate to think what the world may miss if each of us don’t reveal the ‘real me.’ Won’t  it be fun to see how it turns out?

” Man’s main task is to give birth to himself.” – Erich Fromm

” There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better for worse as his portion…It is harder because you know you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness that independence of solitude…A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.”

Being self reliant, remaining true to our hearts, exercising strength of conviction and living with purity of intention are the elixir for those living authentic lives.

* Find a partner – this can be a mentor, a colleague, a coach or a friend. This partner will support you and encourage you along your journey. They will see you – for you – and be honest in their assessments and observations of you. They will embrace your uniqueness and what you have (and want) to offer the world. We all need a support system who supports, nurtures, and guides us unconditionally.

* Persevere- this can often be the hardest call! Times are tough and many of my clients are entertaining a transition to another job, another field, a promotion, and even retirement.  What I know is that challenge leads to growth and expansion of our ability to hold all sides of the possibility. Transitions, growth, and “jumping off a cliff” require courage and fortitude. There are a few books to recommend here: Transitions by William Bridges, Theory U by Otto Scharmer, and Prescence by Peter Sengeall. Each of these cover the movement to a new opportunity, a new frontier – and the future – each from a different perspective.  Embrace the experience, as much wisdom comes from the dark night of the soul (to quote Thomas Merton).

* Hold your overall mission closely and nurture it. Trust your heart and your intution. Sometimes we may make choices that don’t turn out exactly the way we want them! Remember, we don’t control all the aspects. Yet, what I know for sure, is that when our choices are tied closely to what matters to us – and when we can answer the question ‘for the sake of what’ am I making this choice and the answer is tied to my heart’s calling – it always leads to somewhere good. It may not be where we think it was going to lead – yet, perhaps the new road is even more fabulous than the one we thought we wanted to take!

* Continue learning. Take the reins on what you want to learn. Be unconventional! If you choose a direction which is not directly related to your current field and you find yourself questioning “what in the world am I doing?” Go for it! Take the risk. There was a reason you were pulled to read that book, take that course, attend that conference or listen to that speaker. Follow those instincts. There is a reason you were pulled in that direction.

A poem which was shared with us at the beginning of our conference particularly may resonate with a few of you. I leave this with you:

“Come to the edge.

We might fall.

Come to the edge.

It’s too high!

COME TO THE EDGE!

And they came,

and he pushed,

and they flew.”

Christopher Logue