Think of the Results

Robert Mulari

Think of the Results

Rob moved in across the street from me a few years ago.  The first thing I noticed about him was how he loved to have good fun.  I would see him racing around on a bicycle or an ATV on a regular basis.  He always had a huge smile on his face and it was that smile that made me want to get to know him better.

As I spent time getting to know him, I learned that he was a pastor who had decided to move from Arizona with his family to my neighborhood.  But, he isn’t just a pastor.  His passion is being a pastor of youth.

Rob and his whole family, Kelly – his wife and his two children, are all dedicated to helping troubled youth.  Their last few years have been focused on teenaged girls at Alpine Academy where they work tirelessly to make a difference in the world, one girl at a time.  He once told me that he knows if he can “change the life of one girl, he can change generations of lives in the future.”

I watched him changing the future just three days ago when I worked with him in his home.  His face gave off a radiant, welcoming glow as soon as he walked in the door.  The entire feeling of the house changed just because he entered.  He took the time to greet each person there.  It didn’t matter how old they were or what they looked like.  He confidently smiled and focused on each individual.

I watched him work with each person in a dedicated, kind and loving way.  He was directing the whole household while shifting potential conflict into quiet harmony.  In fact, he was able to offer gentile suggestions in way that made everyone want to work together.  No one felt defensive at all.

It was clear that not everyone was on the same page when he entered.  Others disagreed with him.  Yet, his loving approach disarmed everyone completely.  He very effectively demonstrated that a person could disagree with others and not be disagreeable!  I stood in admiration of his skill and presence!

When I left and tried to focus on other things, my mind was not willing to shake his example.  “If I could only master Rob’s gentle approach!”  If I could disagree with others and not be disagreeable I could live with less stress.  I could be happier.  I could more effectively improve the lives of generations to come.

Think of the results.   Think of the results if you and I were to do this together!

Living a Life of Wow

“If you’re going to make a presentation you need to make it wow!”

- Bill Reichert

Living a Life of Wow

My friend Bill Reichert is a Managing Director of Garage Technology Ventures, author, presenter, entrepreneur and innovator.  He lives a life of wow and spent a few minutes talking about what he’s discovered on his journey to a group of entrepreneurs, Cooperative Venturers and other innovators during the 31^st Annual Investors Choice Venture Capital Conference.

His comments were geared toward making an investment presentation to investors that would set them apart from others.  But, as he presented his top three tips I couldn’t help seeing them as a way to create a “Wow Life.”  Here are Bill’s there steps for getting to wow.

First, Bill says, “Be clear about what you do.”  If someone were to ask you what you do with your life can you answer them in a clear statement about what it is that you do and why you do it?  Are you perfectly clear about what you want to do with your life?  If you’re not clear it then others aren’t either.  If people don’t know what you want, they won’t be willing or able to help you get it.  Don’t be afraid to ask yourself what you want out of life. 

Second, can you describe your life’s mission in a compelling way, so others will want to support you in your quest to live your dream?  Take some time to look toward the life of your dreams and then distill it down to a thirty second, clear compelling statement.  When you do, you’ll find excitement stirring within the most important person in the process.  You!

Third, be credible.  In other words, can others believe what you say?  Do you live in a way that instills faith in the words you speak?  Look at your actions and then ask yourself, “Am I taking the steps each day to be who I really am?”  When you’re living as the person you want to be, your actions will speak louder than any words you could possibly use.

I love the old story of two friends who were riding on a train to the East.  They hadn’t seen each other for many years so they sat and talked together.  One of them spent the whole trip telling the other about everything he was going to do with his life.  He kept talking and talking and his friend listened and listened.  When the trip was over and the listening friend shook his hand and walked away, the talkative one said to a common acquaintance, “You know, he never did tell me what he was going to doing!” 

It was only then that the acquaintance said, “He didn’t need to say anything about what he’s going to do.  You see, he’s on his way to argue a case before the Supreme Court today!”

Live a life of credibility.

Finally, as I sat talking with my daughter Jessi on the phone, after listening to Bill’s presentation, I discovered something else I thought you should just tack on to his three steps.  She was telling me about her business and how she had made a lot of progress.  I’m impressed with what she’s done and I told her so.  But, as she was talking she said, “I’m just about there.”  That’s the moment it dawned on me!

So, I said, “You’ve done everything you just described to me already!  Allow yourself the pleasure of accepting the reality that you are who you dreamed you’d be.  You aren’t an outsider in your business circles anymore.  You’re a contemporary, a colleague to the very best in your industry!  Once you accept that, you’ll find that your path will dissolve into the present and everything will be within your reach.”

Wow!

Being Part of Something Special

Perfection

Being Part of Something Special

There were about fourteen thousand five hundred people in the bowl surrounding me.  When I sat down, I knew I was at the bottom, on the floor.  I didn’t know that I was at the bottom of a volcano that was about to erupt!

The eruption didn’t happen right at first.  There were small cascades that were portends of something else.  But there was no eruption.

Then a young woman began running toward me in a fluid motion.  She leaped, blocked, twisted and landed in model form.  The head judge was sitting on my left.  I watched her eyes.  They were full of surprise.  I can say she looked a little shocked!  Then her eyes focused on the paper in front of her.  She wrote two numbers on the sheet, a one and a zero!

I looked across the runway to the other judge.  Her score was about to post.  I could feel a low rumble beginning to build.  Her score flashed and the eruption began.  A perfect score!

I called the number to the head table.  Score. Utah. Vault. Ten. Ten. Ten average!

The eruption peaked and the roof of the Huntsman Center felt as if it was going to be lifted right off the rest of the building so the jubilation could flow down off the hill.  But, there was another gymnast getting ready to run.

She was far down the runway.  She bolted.  She sprang off the board, blocked, flew, twisted and landed in perfection!  I looked to my left.  The head judge looked out over the scene and unconsciously shrugged her shoulders.  She wrote the same two numbers.  Another perfect ten!

An eruption began to build again and I called in the score.  Score.  Utah. Vault. Ten. Ten. Ten average!

I’ve never seen two perfect tens in a row.  Ever!  It was something special.  It was something special to be part of.

My friend Tim is also on the floor staff of Utah Gymnastics.  We talked after the meet.  We talked about the experience.  He said, “It is really great to be part of something . . .?”  He couldn’t find the word.

“Something special!”  I finished.

“Yes!  Something special!”

We weren’t the ones who did something special.  We aren’t the great athletes or the great coaches.  But, we are part of something much larger than we are alone!

Now I’m sitting alone, two days later and I’m reflecting on my years of experience being part of Utah Gymnastics.  I must tell you, being a part of something larger than yourself, giving yourself to something greater, gives a person the chance to catch a glimpse of perfection.  Being part of a larger group allows a person to combine his or her own talents with the talents of others to become part of a greater whole.  Something one person could never accomplish on an individual basis.  It makes everyone who participates greater!

Look around, focus on what interests you, and then volunteer to be part of it.  Add your best skills, your hopes and dreams.  Give of yourself and then you’ll begin to receive!  When you receive, it will be like sitting in the bottom of a volcano watching an eruption of good swirl around you.  And, over time you’ll overflow with gratitude, delight and gratitude.

Steering on Your Path

“I just did my first mini-article for Elle!” Jessi Butterfield-McKnight

Steering on Your Path

“I just did my first mini-article for Elle!  I’ll email it to you.”  The text from my daughter Jessi read.

“Wow!”  I shot back.

I am wowed by how far she’s come.  How hard she’s worked.

She started as a model just seven years ago and during her first few months was called for one photo shoot in particular.  Everyone had arrived, ready to work, with the exception of the makeup artist.  The director gathered everyone around and said, “I guess we’ll have to cancel the shoot because the makeup artist didn’t show.”

“I can do that!”  Jessi said.

And, she did!  It turned out to be a sharp turn in her life, a pivot point.  She had a clear vision of where she was going in fashion, but at that moment she took a detour that allowed her to accelerate toward her ultimate destination, but on a slightly different path.

Many of us create a plan for lives, see only one path, and when we hit a detour, or make a wrong turn; we believe that all is lost. But, Jessi has shown this doesn’t need to be the case.  As I’ve watched her created her business I’ve learned a new, better way to approach business and life.

First, she built her future in her mind.  She made a plan. She knew she wanted to be in fashion and created her path in detail.  She even got her degree in English from Westminster College knowing that fashion models generally don’t have long careers.  A degree in English would allow her to write for a fashion magazine when she could no longer model.

Second, when she arrived in New York City she started in the most humble of circumstances, slept on lots of couches and lived out of a suitcase.  She measured each step by seeing each stride forward as a victory.  Measuring her progression helped her through lots of disappointments and caused her to keep searching for ways around the obstacles she encountered.

Third, Jessi learned a lot with every step she took.  Sometimes it was a step forward.  Sometimes it was seemingly a step back or to the side.  She kept her focus on learning.  The more she learned, the more she understood there was more she didn’t know, so she just kept learning what she needed to know.  She got better and better and discovered this powerful “process of steering.”

Understanding that this three-step-feedback-loop is a process of steering her life and business made it possible for Jessi to learn when and if it was time to pivot or persevere on her current path.  It allowed her to get past disappointments and use what she was learning to accelerate toward her clear vision.  She didn’t give up and stayed focused on her destination.

You and I can do the same thing.  We can create an enviable life or a world changing business.  To achieve our vision we can employ the principle of steering to create a plan, measure progress, and learn constantly so we can fine tune what we’re doing or change our paths slightly while keeping focused on our desired destination.