
	Dashing Thru the Week : December 29, 2003

Inoculate Yourself Against SWS :

On November 27^th, Americans will celebrate a day of Thanksgiving. On this day, we will gather with friends and loved ones to appreciate the blessings we enjoy. For many of us, Thanksgiving Day will be one of the happiest days of the year. My question is why do we restrict the fun to just one day out of the year? Why not make November an entire month of thanksgiving – an entire month to be appreciative for the things we have?

And regardless of your particular circumstances, you have A LOT to be thankful for. Sure, you may be going through a conflict with your spouse, children or boss. Or perhaps, you have suffered a financial, emotional, physical or spiritual setback. Or, as will happen to all of us at one time or another, you have been besieged by trouble on all sides. Your life is starting to resemble one of those country songs – “... my wife left me, I lost my job, my kids hate me, and my dog died.”

However, even if this is the case, you are still one of the lucky ones. After all, you are alive. You may say, “Big deal!’ But it is a big deal to the families of the 150,000 people who died yesterday. Today, you’ve been given one more opportunity to experience this miracle we call “life.” You have another opportunity to watch a sunset, feel the sun on your skin, smell a batch of chocolate chip cookies in the oven and hold a loved one. Don’t ever take these things for granted because there is no guarantee that you won’t be one of the 150,000 people who will die today.

“I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.”

Agatha Christie

And if the gift of life were not enough, you have been bestowed with so many other blessings. If you have a family, be thankful, not everyone does. If you have at least one good friend, be thankful, not everyone does. If you have a place to live, be thankful, there are 500,000 people in America who would gladly to take your place. If you have a job, be thankful, there are 9 million Americans currently looking for jobs. And the list of blessings goes on and on.

As success seekers, we all have a tendency to only focus on the things we don’t yet have – our goals. We are continually looking forward to the next challenge or opportunity. However, it’s important to also look back as well. In doing so, you should take some time to be grateful for what you have already accomplished. This “attitude of gratitude” will not only make you happier but it will also make you more effective in reaching your current goals. This is particularly true if you’ve set big goals for yourself like I have.

One of my goals in life is to help millions of people to make the most out of their dashes – to experience all that life has to offer for them. I am a long way from accomplishing this goal. Yet, I continually draw strength and encouragement from looking back at how far I’ve come. Thirteen months ago, I was an inmate in federal prison. Today, I am the author of a book that has helped tens of thousands of people in their personal quests for fulfillment. In promoting this book, I have appeared on national and local programs where I have been able to spread my message to millions of viewers. And perhaps most significant, I have the honor and privilege of being a life coach and working one-on-one with individuals and businesses to make a real and lasting difference.

I’m thankful for, and encouraged by, the tremendous progress I’ve made in such a short period of time. Similarly, you should take some time this month to reflect on your progress. You might not have earned your degree yet, but you’re much closer now than when you first enrolled in school. You might not have finished your great American novel yet, but you’re much closer now than when started with that first blank sheet of paper. Your small company may be still operating out of your garage, but you’re much closer now than when your company existed only in your mind. Therefore, take sometime this month to say to yourself:

I ain't what I ought to be.

I ain't what I want to be.

I ain't what I'm gonna be.

But thankfully, I ain't what I used to be.

DASH Coaching :

Are you looking to make a radical change in your life? Are you looking to have more, do more, see more and live on a completely different level than you’ve ever lived before? If so, we can help.

Dash Systems, Inc. is devoted to helping our clients make the most of their “dash.” And whether your goal is to become a leader in your profession, achieve financial independence, enjoy satisfying personal relationships or simply attain peace of mind, the personal coaches at Dash Systems, Inc. can help you to add value to your life, happiness to your day and meaning to your minute.

The winners in every field utilize personal coaches. Top athletes have coaches. Politicians employ speech coaches and strategic advisors. And many of the country’s top CEOs seek the input from business coaches. Isn’t your “dash” through life just as important as a sporting event, political campaign or a new product launch?

Don't be a Turkey :

Although they are delicious birds, turkeys are not very intelligent. For example, young turkeys often drown by looking up into the rain with their mouths open. It’s hard to believe that any animal could be this dumb but guess what? We’ve all been guilty of similar behavior. When the rains come into our lives, we have a tendency to get fixated by the problem. It consumes our every waking thought and we literally get stuck in the mud while worrying over the problem.

Therefore, when the rains come down into your life (and they will), don’t be a turkey! Put your head down and start working on the solution. You may get just as wet this way but at least, you won’t drown.

Cooking Up Success :

As my wife and I make preparations for our annual Thanksgiving dinner, I am coming to realize just how similar the processes are for cooking a traditional Thanksgiving dinner and cooking up a great life.

The centerpiece of any traditional Thanksgiving dinner is the turkey. A turkey is a great choice if for no other reason than its sheer size. Let’s face it. You can’t possibly expect to serve 30-40 friends and family members with a single chicken or Cornish game hen. On the other hand, a turkey contains enough meat for everyone to have first, second and sometimes third helpings and there is usually still some turkey left over. In fact, by the Sunday after Thanksgiving, I am usually so sick of turkey slices, turkey sandwiches and turkey soup that I hope to never see another turkey as long as I live.

The centerpiece dream of your life should be equally large. The bounty from your efforts should exceed what you can personally consume. In other words, there should be more than enough to go around from your success. In fact, by choosing a goal larger than yourself, you almost ensure your success. Why? Because you might be willing to give up on you but you will fight to the finish if other people are counting on you.

A great example of this occurred earlier this month in the New York City Marathon. Rap mogul P. Diddy entered his first marathon suffering from severe tendonitis in his right knee yet he went on to finish the grueling 26.2 mile run. When asked if he wanted to quit at any time during the four-hour run, he said, “I definitely wanted to stop.” So why didn’t he stop? Surely, he’s accomplished enough in his life that he didn’t need another trophy to place on his mantel. Perhaps, it was because his run allowed him to raise more than $2 million for local children’s charities. When he wanted to quit, he had to remember that he wouldn’t be just giving up on himself, but on thousands of children who needed his help. Now, that’s a powerful motivation!

The other thing to remember about cooking a turkey is that it takes a long time. And there are no shortcuts to the process. For instance, if it takes 5 hours to cook a 20-lb. turkey at 350°, you can’t cut the time in half by turning the oven up to 700°. It simply doesn’t work that way. Your dream is the same way. For instance, let’s suppose that you are working to become a certified Toastmaster. The certification process requires you to give ten 5-minute speeches. You can’t shortcut this process by just giving one 50-minute speech.

Also, please note that although the turkey is at the center of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, it isn’t the only course. You need more than turkey to make a meal. Likewise, you need more than your primary goal to make a successful life. You also need “stuffing goals.” These are goals that fill you and give your life a sense of purpose and meaning. You also need “gravy goals.” Gravy allows the turkey to go down easier. Likewise, gravy goals make your main goal more accessible. These are the intermediate, or stepping stone, goals that lead up to achieving the big goal. And finally, what would a turkey dinner be like without a little cranberry sauce? Every meal (and more importantly, every life) needs a little sweetness – a change of pace. In the midst of your plans for a meaningful life, you need some fun –a family vacation to Yellowstone, a brand new convertible, a Caribbean cruise for two, you name it. Of course, you can’t make an entire meal out of these things but they do add a little extra flavor in your life.

Thoughts for Your Dash :

Determination "The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps - we must step up the stairs." Vance Havner

Attitude "Get excited and enthusiastic about you own dream. This excitement is like a forest fire - you can smell it, taste it, and see it from a mile away." Denis Waitley Success "The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly." Buddha

Happiness "As you walk down the fairway of life you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round." Ben Hogan


	A reader from Las Vegas, Nevada : "Being a Father, I have looked for ways to assist my oldest boy get through some difficult times. with out getting into detail, he has addictions. I have searched high and low for a way to get him to stay on the straight and narrow only to fail to his love and desire to drugs and alcohol. After reading DASH, Not only did it give me the things that I needed to assist my son, It also gave my son the ability to stay clean and sober for the last 37 days. Like most reviews, they thank the author for a book, However, I would like to thank the author for giving me back my son. Thank you and may the lord bless you."

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