GLADIATOR CHAMPION

Reflect for a moment… Focus on the metaphors which these two words bring to mind…

First, the gladiator. Many of us see Russell Crowe, and his recent depiction of the gladiator warrior on the big screen. Here’s a great video vignette of the REAL meaning behind the Gladiator role portrayal:

GLADIATOR VIDEO

Strong, resilient, capable, idealistic, balanced. The gladiator of today’s society is one who stands tall amidst the storm, and does what it takes to achieve his / her ideals with commitment, discipline, diligence, and belief.

My life as a gladiator is more literal than metaphorical. As a Marine Corp officer, I’ve been trained to lead with courage, honor, strength, and skill, and I carry that ethic into every day of my life. Every day, I’m capably fighting a battle against the forces of mediority, low standards, and the “gravity” that’s trying to keep me down.

Now consider YOUR battle; what adversary are you battling? How are you showing up as a gladiator?

Next, let’s look at the champion. We imagine a winner, crossing the line first. Proudly wearing the gold medal after driving harder than any other, doing what it takes to achieve and excel, through diligence, commitment, practice, and belief.

My experience as a champion started in a real way when my rowing team won the NCAA collegiate national championship (the “Collegiate Olympics”). This achievement flipped  a switch in my spirit, as I tasted true victory and would forever bear the brand of CHAMPION on my heart.

As we combine the words GLADIATOR CHAMPION, we visualize the best of the best. The spirit of ultimate courage, strenghth, and victory.

My challenge to you is to take on your life as a GLADIATOR CHAMPION, and perservere through the tought times, overcoming the adversary (anything that’s holding you back, and stopping you from winning), and inspire others to achieve their ideals, by setting the example of what CAN be done.

Now reflect on yourself; how have YOU been a champion? We’ve ALL got something in our lives that we are a champion of… It’s YOUR imperative to know YOUR victories, and meet your inner champion, TODAY.

As we prepare for Tony Robbins’ next Business Mastery event in Las Vegas, Jan 21 – 25 ( BUSINESS MASTERY EVENT << click here), he always acknowledges the business leaders in the room as gladiators, fighting a good fight to achieve their ideals. I’d like to echo that sentiment, and am extending my appreciation for those GLADIATOR CHAMPIONS in our ranks.

The world is watching you. Keep up the great work, and inspire the masses!

Gladiator Champion

 

Program the Language of Your Brain

Programming the language of your brain… what if you could do it? What if you could predict your outcomes, eliminate your blockages, and pre-condition yourself for the success that YOU want?

Fantasy? … NO: REALITY!

At first, I didn’t believe it. Even after attending Tony Robbins’ Unleash The Power Within event a couple years ago, immersing myself in the Dickens Process and Tony’s timeline therapy exercise (from which I got great results), I was still skeptical. But after attending a comprehensive NLP and Time Therapy certification course, I am now completely convinced on its viability, and am ready and qualified to help others experience freedom in their lives.

Release all (yes, ALL) of your pre-supposed, pre-programmed, pre-conditioned limitations, and truly live without anger, sadness, fear, guilt, or conflict. As a service-oriented business leader, it is especially important that you release anything that might be hindering your progress and leadership capabilities, and be aware of what you aren’t seeing.

The first time I heard of this, I thought it was hokum. Through my certification process and practice, I can now see clearly, and have truly released the negative anchors, which were holding me back from sailing freely.

Here are some key factors:

• The process must be facilitated, real-time. It’s not something that you can read and walk yourself through, as it involves your complete presence, focus, and surrender. The facilitated process allows for your facilitator (the practitioner) to focus on your dynamic, and adjust the process so that it best fits your energy, attitude, and response from moment to moment.

• The facilitator must be certified in the process, which mandates that they’ve been through the process themselves (creating congruence and empathy), and that they’ve been extensively briefed and trained on the processes and associated sub modalities. Make sure that it’s not just a friend who’s read about the process, or been through it themselves.

• Skin in the game. You must invest something of yourself in order to make the process work. Otherwise, there’s an inherent, psychological, lack of commitment, and the results will not stick. This may sound like rhetoric, but it’s true, and it’s been proven many times over: the people who invest in themselves, and the ones who are SERIOUS about change, are the ones who enjoy the benefits and exponential return on the investment.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to thoroughly and permanently discover and release what is holding you back from your ideals, contact me at csteely@gpsbusinessgroup.com . Include “SEEKING FREEDOM” in the subject line.

You will be glad you did!

 

For 2012: Keep The Curtain Up

KEEP THE CURTAIN UP in 2012

Comfort Zones: The concept has become cliché. As business coaches and idealists, we are conditioned to push past our own comfort zones, and inspire our clients to do the same. He’s a perspective:

As we expand ourselves, seeking to broaden our horizons, we are all aware of the boundaries that surround us; boundaries of business, government, culture, race, religion, intellect, etc. These boundaries represent areas which we each choose to stay within, for whatever reason. Oftentimes, these reasons include ignorance of the possibilities on the other side.

Challenge yourself to view these boundaries as “curtains,” which shield your view from the possibilities, of which you are yet aware. As these curtains remain down, we are oblivious to the potential that lies outside of our existing zones of comfort. Instead, visualize these curtains being raised, allowing a view of the areas outside of your current boundaries. Suddenly, your possibilities will be endless…

As Maslow pioneered, we all strive to avoid the paid of risk, and seek to maintain our states of comfort and pleasure, by ignoring what’s beyond our curtains; our boundaries; our possibilities. The challenge with which we are all faced is to keep the curtain up, and do our utmost to see past our boundaries and our limitations.

Remember that comfort makes cowards of us all. As long as we are comfortable, and have the perceived “luxury” of avoiding our boundaries, we will continue to put-off opportunities to truly grow and expand into our possibilities.

Strive to keep your curtains up. Fear is the big procrastinator. Confront your fear (false evidence appearing real), and push past it. Then encourage and inspire your clients to do the same.

Cause is influence; affect represents the results (this is where the victim state lies). So BE THE CAUSE. Ask yourself: “what is my agenda?” Then implement it.

“The only way to find the limits of the possible is by going beyond them to the impossible.” – Arthur C. Clarke

 

The Six Imperatives to the Reinvention of Business, and Ourselves

The Six Imperatives to the Reinvention of Business, and Ourselves

by Chris Steely

 

Reinvention is something with which successful people are familiar. Whether in business or in personal life, in challenging times, or in times of relative calm, if you don’t evolve or change, you find yourself wondering what happened. Let’s explore the topic of reinvention in our lives…

Here are the six imperatives to reinvention:

1. Know Thyself. Or “nosce te ipsum” in Latin. It’s one of the key tenants of all philosophical teachings and systems. The key to getting perspective on where you’re going is to know where you are now, along with why and how you got here. In addition to allowing us to be who we really are, our identity is notorious for holding us back… Why were we born into the parents that we got? What did they teach us? Often, dysfunction is learned and habituated from the loving beings who are / were responsible for our upbringing. Even though they always do the best they can (ALWAYS, based on circumstances and “gravity,” which we will discuss more in point #2). Our imperative in this life is to know why we are who we are. Otherwise, we may never know why we  are here, at this point in time.

Psychotherapy and counseling (especially in groups) has helped me greatly; I started at the age of 14, and have been going deeper into my identity ever since. Thanks to AA, the 12 Steps, Alateen, Alanon, ACOA, and surrounding myself with wonderful, caring, powerful people, I have come to know my identity relatively well (there are always new depths to explore…).

We need to be grateful for the trials that make us (and have made us) who we are. The true test of character doesn’t happen until the trials occur. War is what makes Generals. Without grist, the mill has nothing to do. Know your capabilities to tolerate and welcome the trials and strife that accompany any worthy endeavor (i.e. creating and running a business, committing to a marriage, raising kids). In the ongoing times of change and transformation, it is imperative that you know who and why you are, so you can re-tool and adapt to the reinvention that is occurring all around you.

2. Think Unconventionally. If you’re thinking like everyone else, you’re not significant in the marketplace. In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, “convention” is passé… Consider the metaphor of “conventional warfare,” versus “un-conventional,” or “guerilla warfare.” It’s imperative that your efforts to develop, operate, and reinvent your business be “guerilla” style. Take massive action in unique ways; be perceived as the “different” business. Otherwise, you’re condemning yourself and your business to mediocrity.

3. Confront and Overcome Fear. What’s going to happen? Does anyone ever REALLY know? (if so, look me up, and I’ll promote you as a prophet, and the next Nostradamus). We all know that fear is defined as its acronym “false evidence appearing real.” So is fear really “false?” It sure feels real to me… What’s “false” about it is that it forces us to focus on the gravity that is keeping us down; the darkness, versus the “lightness;” the constraints versus the possibilities; positive versus negative energy; the evil versus the good. We need both poles / extremes / arguments in order for our whole to be created. These “yangs” associated with each “yin” affords each of us the opportunity – the choice – to focus on what which aspect / energy that makes up the whole think will work for us.

But these yang forces can seem so intense… they often carry us away; down rabbit holes of thought, analysis, worry, and despair, which our human minds seem so prone to doing. Addressing the condition of our communities, there’s a despair in the air; a fear of the “unknown.” Since reinvention is all about the “unknown,” it’s imperative that we address this “fear” head on. For starters, who can predict the future? “The best way to “predict” the future is to invent it.” (Alan Kay said that). So how do we invent something that we’re afraid of?  First, we must stop being afraid of it. Bravery is unfortunately rare in our societal ranks. But since “fortune favors the brave,” it’s time for your to prepares, accept, stand up, face the storm, and be strong enough to endure it. When the rainbows appear (and they will), our character will be stronger, and our capabilities will be more powerful.

4. Battle Planning. The metaphor of “battle” often conjures unfavorable images. The “battle” of which I refer is the battle of the mind, the spirit, the soul. I know that I am a warrior, as it relates to the metaphor of my life. I strive for peace, and am therefore a “Peaceful Warrior” (as Dan Millman calls it).

 

As you continue to refine your strategies and tactics of gaining higher ground, it needs to be a planned, deliberate effort. Regardless, you will see that your “campaign” will deviate from your plan to some extent. Don’t worry; stay resolute, and continue to respect and follow that plan that YOU created and believe in. Leverage your strengths, and those of others, and plan to properly deploy and employ that capability in the marketplace.

5. Collaborate. Aside from the internal inspiration and motivation to achieve, there’s no such thing as a “self-made” man. Every successful person leveraged other people to succeed. Once your ego comes to terms that you CAN’T do it alone, and that you are going to HAVE to collaborate, compensate, and share the credit with others, you’ll see you capabilities soar. Especially in today’s fast-paced world, if you don’t delegate, you’ll quickly find yourself overwhelmed with all that you have to do to develop and operate your business as effectively as your vision requires.

 

A business associate recently said that business is all about changing with the economy, and leverage through the power of people.  He believes it is all about leveraging relationships, and I agree!

6. Act Now. Nobody ever achieved an objective without going for it. Action is the catalyst that launches results. Remember: as a human being, you would much rather do what you’d rather do; often times, procrastination and putting off the tasks that are mandatory takes the air out of a business’ possibilities. So be an activist; a crusader. Otherwise, you’re merely on the sidelines. Get in the game! The team needs you…

 

It’s time to re-commit to reinvention. Be an expansive thinker like DaVinci, Edison, Einstein – tap into your brilliance, your genius. Geniuses, too, reinvent themselves.

Chris Steely is a business and personal effectiveness coach, with global experience in numerous industries. He is a veteran professional speaker, facilitator, and Business Alchemist, integrating “encompassing sustainability.” Chris has facilitated teams of hundreds around the world in areas of business success, cross-pollinating ideas and ideals, and generating results; he trained the world’s largest business coaching franchise owners, who coached and trained 15,000 business owners per week, throughout 26 countries. He is a collegiate national rowing champion, a U.S. Marine Corps Logistics Officer, and holds an MBA from Boston University. Chris’ capability to distill key principles into usable tools, coupled with his entertaining, passionate style, has made him one of the world’s most coveted facilitators and resultants.

 

WORK LIKE A DOG!

Why can’t people have this instinctive, committed effort to doing their BEST, all the time? Let the focus and work ethic  of these dogs be an inspiration to us all…

If only people would perform like dogs in business…

 

Chris Steely – LIVE! at the Supercharged Business Summit

http://www.GPSBusinessGroup.com — Check out this two minute vignette from last year’s Summit.

Supercharged Business Summit quick video

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What are you doing here?

Here’s another shot from my book “GPS To Success:”

So many people exist in their own personal status quo. They become engulfed and washed away in the flow, maintain their obliviousness, lose sight of how it could be better, and end up not wanting to make it better. They succumb to their “comfort,” which fosters cowardice in actually implementing positive change.

The key to countering the status quo is first to want to stretch and implement positive change (versus succumbing to the negative change, which will creep into our lives if we allow it). Each of us has the capability and the power to implement change based on what we want to change.

We get to realize that we are put on this earth for a reason. Our lives can become a quest for that reason and a journey of implementing our powerful
capabilities. Again, that realization is always a choice. People can choose to realize that they are here on this planet for a reason. All personal power and success stems from this.

Stay tuned for more great perspectives…

Make it a great day!

Chris

 

Hoover Dam, including the new bridge

Here’s another great perspective…

Hoover Dam

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Turbulent Times… Again (Part 3)

Turbulent Times… Again (Part 3)

by Chris Steely

Continuing this discussion on the truths of our times, here’s the final part of this “contemplation.” Historically, everybody has always thought that their age was the most turbulent. Three fundamental truths of our present time in history are that we are engaged collectively in the mindsets of fear, uncertainty, and scarcity. To cope, we adopt the thought processes of stoicism, faith, and optimism.

Now let’s focus on taking the right action to ensure success during the ongoing turbulence. Building upon what we’ve already addressed, as we process the current condition, and face it with our choice of empowering (or disempowering mindsets), we must focus toward the possibilities that the future holds. Specifically, the possibilities of PROGRESS. In fact, we WILL progress; it is an imperative. As individuals, we get to determine what “progress” means to us.

Our societal culture has historically been “progressive.” These days, that word resonates with tones of “alternative,” and “advancing.” The dictionary definition of the word contains descriptors such as “reform,” “gradual advancement,” and “successive change.” With these descriptors in mind,  the word “progress” is interpretive. We WILL progress, but how?  The progressive cultures throughout history have been the ones that consider how things have NOT been done, and apply the logic of forthright diligence and human ingenuity to define what progress is.

We all know that we can’t solve our current problems with the same level of thinking that created them (yes, Einstein said that), so it’s our imperative that we consciously progress past our current issues. Conscious awareness is the key here. The gauge of “progress” will be based on how we choose to advance. Let’s work together to make the evolution to our next societal and economic phase one that will serve us all, allowing us to adapt to climates and conditions more effectively going forward.

DETERMINATION is the next perspective to discuss. A determinate approach to overcoming challenges assures that we will advance through them. Human ingenuity is based on determination. Edison was so determined to invent a light bulb that worked, he failed 10,000 times before he got it right. Do you have that level of determination to overcome your challenges (er, “opportunities”)? It’s what’s made America great: people have been DETERMINED to achieve, devoting their full strength and concentration to the effort at hand. The effort of striving toward the other side of this down cycle is truly a noble calling for us all.

Finally, RESILIENCE in the face of adversity is imperative. In our ongoing metaphorical storm of striving to progress against an onslaught of demands, distraction, despair, and drama, we will not always advance as diligently as we’d prefer. When you get knocked down by the gale, or the wind and rain forces you to your knees, find the resilience to GET UP. The successful people are merely the ones who got up one more time. Remember: we’ve all got our unique difficulties. Do your part to inspire others to surpass theirs by setting the example of resilience in the face of struggle. There’s strength in numbers; strength in community. Be strong for yours.

In summary, stay present to the possibilities of what you’ve yet to experience. The more we realize that nothing in the world ever stays the same, and that change is the only constant, the more acute our awareness and perceptions will be. We will begin to see the world as it is, rather than through the screens of past concepts. The present will seem more alive and fresh, in which we are able to respond appropriately to new situations, which are constantly facing each of us.

Enlightening, broadening experiences don’t happen by trying to make them happen. We perform best when we are fully present, and thinking least.  As in snow skiing, use obstacles to help you navigate through life, instead of resisting against them the way most of us usually do. Being aware that the pending obstacles which will come tend to help us concentrate more, and trust our instincts.

When discussing the individual achiever, Don Juan said, “He must not run away, he must defy his fear… and take the next step in learning… and a moment will come when his enemy will retreat.” Choose to confront and overcome your fears, and you will improve the quality of your life.

We must all confront a basic fear: loss of the familiar.  In today’s tumultuous times, the only certainty is uncertainty. It’s time to be brave, discover your courage, stand up, and weather the storm. Since there’s strength is numbers, let’s do it together!

Who’s with me?

Chris Steely is a business and personal effectiveness coach, with global experience in numerous industries. He is a veteran professional speaker, facilitator, and Business Alchemist, integrating “encompassing sustainability.” Chris has facilitated teams of hundreds around the world in areas of business success, cross-pollinating ideas and ideals, and generating results; he trained the world’s largest business coaching franchise owners, who coached and trained 15,000 business owners per week, throughout 26 countries. He is a collegiate national rowing champion, a U.S. Marine Corps Logistics Officer, and holds an MBA from Boston University. Chris’ capability to distill key principles into usable tools, coupled with his entertaining, passionate style, has made him one of the world’s most coveted facilitators and resultants.

 

Turbulent Times… Again (Part 2)

Turbulent Times… Again (Part 2)
by Chris Steely

Picking up from Part 1, here’s the second of a three-part series, focusing on our times, turbulent as they are. Historically, everybody has always thought that their age was the most turbulent. Three fundamental truths of our present time in history is that we are engaged societal in the mindsets of fear, uncertainty, and scarcity.

As we process these truths and collective perspectives, let’s address three attitudes and mindsets we adopt to cope as a society. The first is the thought process of STOICISM. A stoic’s perspective involves a unified account of the world, consisting of formal logic, physical laws, and fundamental ethics. Stoics emphasize ethics as the main focus of human knowledge, and espouse emotional indifference, especially admirable patience, and endurance shown in the face of adversity. Stoicism teaches the development of self-control and fortitude as a means of overcoming destructive beliefs and thought processes; the philosophy holds that becoming a clear and unbiased thinker allows one to understand universal laws. The Stoic ethic espouses a deterministic perspective; Bertrand Russell, in A History of Western Philosophy, states that man is “like a dog tied to a cart, and compelled to go wherever it goes.”

So how does the stoic thought process facilitate awareness in today’s turbulent times? It doesn’t. With change happening, it is our human imperative – nay, responsibility – to discover our resilience, allowing our true strength to shine through, as opposed to accepting our “plight” with an ethic of indifference and disempowerment to face the changes and implement our power to prevail.

Which leads us to FAITH. We all want to faithfully believe that things will turn out fine; that through this turbulence, the storm will eventually end, and all will be “well” again. Faith is a powerful perspective on how we WILL persevere, and recover; how we WILL overcome and be victorious. Our faith in these beliefs are strong factors is coping with the downward economic trends. Faith is something that’s unique to each of us, yet it’s something that we all have in common, each in our own unique way.

A collectively positive faith leads to OPTIMISM toward the future. Optimism is a fundamental mindset, which is receiving a lot of press these days. In the May 21, 2009 issue of BusinessWeek magazine, “The Case For Optimism” is the cover story. They also launched a website of the same title, on which there’s only good news. It’s a focus on what CAN be, versus focusing on the “badness” of situations; like a “glass half full” approach. It’s interesting how the subject of optimistic thinking has actually made the headlines these days; this actually makes sense, considering the trend of naysayers and doomsayers that are generating control out of the negative drama of the economic downturn.

Most of us have had to deal with people that are pessimistic in certain aspects of their lives, and their relations with others. On the bright side, it’s our imperative to leverage these relations and perspectives to allow us the perspective we need to ensure that our perspective is a positive, optimistic one. Throughout history, the people who are aware of their positive, opportunistic positions are the ones who reap the rewards and benefits of their forthright labor, especially during turbulent times.

Tune in next week as we finalize this series, focusing on taking the right action to ensure success during the ongoing turbulence, and come out on top.

Chris Steely is a business and personal effectiveness coach, with global experience in numerous industries. He is a veteran professional speaker, facilitator, and Business Alchemist, integrating “encompassing sustainability.” Chris has facilitated teams of hundreds around the world in areas of business success, cross-pollinating ideas and ideals, and generating results; he trained the world’s largest business coaching franchise owners, who coached and trained 15,000 business owners per week, throughout 26 countries. He is a collegiate national rowing champion, a U.S. Marine Corps Logistics Officer, and holds an MBA from Boston University. Chris’ capability to distill key principles into usable tools, coupled with his entertaining, passionate style, has made him one of the world’s most coveted facilitators and resultants.