OK, I know what you are thinking. Dogs?! What do dogs have to do with
a Holiday Message?
Well, first we dressed them all up in holiday regalia much to their dismay.
Second, so many people these days act like life has just collapsed, fallen
apart, gone to the dogs.
Being dog parents, we think going to the dogs is a good thing. But then
we don't subscribe to the sky is falling in attitude so many people seem to be
cultivating in their lives these days.
It is true, it seems:
"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation."
-- Henry David Thoreau
I have a new revision:
"The mass of men CHOOSE lives of quiet desperation."
-- G. Scott Graham
Its all about your mindset, your beliefs, your attitudes. Its all about
getting your bearings.
This time of year, more people than not, lose their bearings.
And, although I am far from a fan of Rick Warren, the face of evangelical Christianity,
I agree when he commented on the financial crisis facing our country on an NBC
Dateline interview with Ann Curry. He said :
"We buy things we don't need, with money we don't have, to impress
people we don't even like."
Very wise.
So let your life go to the dogs. Focus on the simple things, the
important things, give a smile to others and get going!
A special video holiday message from Coach Scott Graham and Brian Stephens. Accompanied by select photos and videos taken throughout the year, Scott and Brian take you on a journey into their personal life and share their wins and challenges in 2008 as well as their plans for 2009.
At the end of their 20-minute dialogue, Scott talks about the 12 Steps to Having No Problems in Your Life and offers his help to any friends and family who want to get rid of their problems.
Its a stressful time in America. People are struggling it seems
everywhere. An struggling to manage the stress of it all.
There are lots of stress management approaches out there. In fact next
week's Ethics Seminar explores one approach in depth. But there might be a
better way (which in no way means that you shouldn't come to my seminar)
There is one sure way to get rid of 100% of your stress. Eliminate all
of your problems.
Yes you read correctly -- eliminate all of your problems. (It
is possible).
Now, this is not an overnight process. Like all things worthwhile, it
requires worthwhile effort. The 12 Steps to Having Absolutely No
Problems in Your Life is the list to get you started. You can download
it using the link at the end of this article.
Check out the list and I believe that you will find, when you consider
the items in this list, they are really not new news for us in the
helping professions.. For example item # 2: "Hang Out Only With
People Who Do Not Have Problems." This parallels closely with what
counselors tell clients in early recovery, namely to hang out with people who
don't use alcohol or other drugs. Item #2 just takes this philosophy one
step further and applies it more directly to your entire life. Simply put,
your friends -- those you hand out with -- are a direct reflection of who you
are and who you will become.
Take a look through your rolodex. Take a look through your calendar.
Put a star next to each person who has ongoing problems or seems to always have
some new problem... Go through your list again -- looking at those who did
not earn a star. Which of those people had a problem in the last two weeks.
Put a check next to those people. Be rigorous. What does your
list look like?
Enough said, you can take it from here.
This tool can not only help you to eliminate 100% of your stress by
eliminating all of your problems, it can help your clients. Consider
handing this out to them and then discussing the whys and wherefores of each
item. Its a provocative list however -- its meant to be -- its meant to
jolt the reader. So be prepared for some lively group discussion and
"pushback" if you use it as a discussion tool with clients. For
that matter, be prepared for some "pushback" from that inner critic
who resides inside your head.
You can access the 12 Steps to Having Absolutely No Problems in Your Lifehere.
Feel free to print out as many copies as you want (please don't alter the
document in anyway however).
We would love to keep in touch with you throughout the year and hope you feel
the same. Here are some ways that we can connect and you can stay
up-to-date with us:
RSS Feeds:
What(s) News
This is a photo feed. We take photos when we see or do something
notable and you will get an email with some thumbnails of the pictures we
take. Frequency: typically monthly.
CompassCast™
This is Coach Scott's podcast feed. You can get tips for healthier
living, building your business, managing your employees and staying in
balance. Frequency: varies.
Hikes with Scott
Interested in going hiking? Subscribe to this feed to keep up-to-date on
Scott's outdoor activities.
Facebook
We are both on Facebook -- if you are too, you can easily stay
up-to-date.
