Monday, November 3, 2014

30 Day Challenge - A Memory a Day

We all lead busy lives these days. The majority of it is spent at the office, trying to earn enough money to afford nicer things in life. As we grow older, many of us have kids and their lives and activities create to dos put on our list. Many of us have a significant other in our life with whom we certainly want to make time to spend. After that, it can be hard to stay in touch with all the friends we had before we got jobs and before we had children. And what about time to ourselves?

We all make sacrifices to one thing or another in order to make time for something else. For some of us it is sleep that we sacrifice. For others, we lose touch with old friends. Some of us shift time spent with our children or spouse to gain more time and success at work, or vice versa. In most cases sacrifices are made in more than one area of our lives to make up for lost time in other areas. As the old saying goes, “there’s not enough time in a day”.

To make matters worse, we can get caught up in our daily lives that we forget that we are missing time spent on things that are important to us.

I am thinker, an introvert as the label goes. I enjoy time spent reflecting on life. I like to think about my past and learning from things I have done so I can apply the best methods of things done to my future. I recently had a new idea that I wanted to test out. With all the routine and busyness in our lives, I felt like I could be missing opportunities to collect memories. Isn’t that what we live for, to make long-lasting, wonderful memories? I wanted to see what would happen if I kept a journal and recorded at least one memory for 30 straight days.

My experience began on my birthday, the first of the month. What I found was that we tend to miss the fact that we do in fact create memories almost every day, despite our occasional feeling that we are “stuck” in our daily routines. Or maybe it is the monotony that we dislike. The feeling that unless a grand event takes place, we aren’t capitalizing on our time. We therefore don’t tend to realize that we are creating memories from things that may not necessarily stand out right away.  Like mommy singing a lullaby to the kids on their sleepover (my kids occasionally sleep in the same room together instead of in their own rooms, hence the word “sleepover”).

Only by concentrating on the little things at the end of each day did I realize that I am making memories, whether I realize it or not. It was fun to write down a memory each day because it gave me my time to reflect. It helped me to appreciate every day. Each day is certainly a gift and it deserves to be appreciated. Writing my memories down also provided an opportunity to remember more by being able to go back and reading about things that can sometimes be forgotten.

My advice to others is not to fret over our daily lives and wishing we could do more. We are making memories. It is up to us however, to make those memories worthwhile. It can be helpful to stop and reflect on things that are most important to us so that we can make sure these things fit into our busy schedules. It can be fun to think about the memories you made over the previous day or week. Don’t worry that our lives are too routine, just fill that routine with little things that will put on smile on your face the next time you remember them.

Enjoy Life.

Coach Randal Suozzo, CPC, ELI-MP


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Sunday, September 28, 2014

Derek Jeter, A Baseball Hero

I knew he would get a hit, I knew exactly where the ball was going to go through the infield, I was just hoping the runner wouldn't get thrown out. Tied 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth. And there it was...Base hit to right field...here comes the throw to home plate...he scores! DEREK JETER WINS IT FOR THE YANKEES IN HIS LAST AB AT YANKEE STADIUM! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT! BALL GAME OVER. YANKEES WIN! THE-A-A-A-A-A-A YANKEES WIN!

Unbelievable. My memories from 1996 watching the Yankees beat the Atlanta Braves to win the World Series was the year that started a run of Derek Jeter led championship teams and being a proud New York Yankees baseball fan. It was Yankees pride. And to watch the final star of that 1996 team shine bright in his last game at Yankee stadium was awesome.

I always liked Derek Jeter. He was the center piece of all those great Yankee teams of the last 18 years. He wasn’t my hero early on, because I was young and he wasn’t the best player. I came to understand how he stood for more than just talent. And as talented as he was, he wasn’t the most talented ball player out there. But he had those intangibles that drew people to him. He played hard. He respected everyone out there and he respected the game. As he played on, or maybe as I got older, my appreciation for Jeter grew. Derek Jeter ended up being one of the classiest players of his day and age.

People argue that sports figures should not be the role models for youth today. But inevitably they are. Derek Jeter agreed with this. He understood that even though baseball players were just ordinary men, that kids looked up to them. He felt that there was an obligation to be a role model whether he wanted to be or not. And he definitely did not think that a baseball player was any sort of hero. Heroes are made of men and women who fight for our freedom and who sacrifice of themselves for the benefit of others. But in fact, a baseball player can be a hero. A hero of determination, success, and respectability.

Derek Sanderson Jeter was born in July, 1974. When he was five years old he began to dream of playing shortstop for the New York Yankees. He developed a passion for the game. His passion drove him towards success. Not only did Derek Jeter fulfill his childhood dream of being a New York Yankees shortstop, and not only will he be a first ballot Hall of Fame baseball player as one of the greatest shortstops in major league baseball history, he will be remembered and respected as one of the greatest role models baseball has ever known. His story allows kids to dream as big as he did. He was given a gift that was a combination of talent, passion, and respectability. He worked hard at honing his gift to become a star. He was a role model not only for younger kids, but for other major league ballplayers. That is the kind of respect he had.

As Derek Jeter says good bye to baseball, so do we say goodbye to a hero.


Enjoy Life.

http://www.officialcollegelife.com/?p=16077
 

Coach Randal Suozzo, CPC, ELI-MP
www.coachsuozzo.com
www.facebook.com/PassionDiscoveryCoaching

Monday, June 9, 2014

Dare to Believe


Dare To Believe

Everybody knows:
You can't be all things to all people.
You can't do all things at once.
You can't do all things equally well.
You can't do all things better than everyone else.
Your humanity is showing just like everyone else's.

So:
You have to find out who you are, and be that.
You have to decide what comes first, and do that.
You have to discover your strengths, and use them.
You have to learn not to compete with others,
Because no one else is in the contest of "being you."

Then:
You will have learned to accept your own uniqueness.
You will have learned to set priorities and make decisions. You will have learned to give yourself the respect that is due.
And yo'll be a most vital mortal.

Dare To Believe:
That you are a wonderful unique person.
That you are a once-in-all history event.
That it's more than a right, it's your duty, to be who you are.
That life is a not a problem to solve, but a gift to cherish.
And you'll be able to stay one up on what used to get you down.

~Author Unknown

Monday, May 12, 2014

What are you beautiful for?


I recently was at a wedding with some very good high school friends whom I do not see much outside of special occasions. The parents of one of these friends dropped by to pick up their kids halfway through the event. I went to say hello along with a few other people and as I spoke to the parents someone next to me made a comment. I turned to these friends and asked what was so funny. They just kept smiling and commented on how I haven’t changed and that I still even sound the same. I loved it, it was music to my ears.
 
On the car ride home I told my wife the story. She asked if that was a good thing or bad thing. Right away I said that it was a good thing, but afterwards started to think more about it. Why wouldn’t it be good thing? I loved the person I was in high school just as much as I love the person I have grown to be now.  In fact, I was more of a leader then. Or was I? I was more of an outgoing leader then, but I am still a leader today. Just without as much of the vocal aspect. I guess my mind got sidetracked a little bit and starting wondering, what is leadership anyway? A nice interpretation of leadership can be taken from Roy Lessin:
 
“Leadership is not a job title, it is a characteristic of life. We lead by our attitude, by our responses to authority, by the words we speak, and by the examples we set. With a vision for the future and a heart for people, leaders can motivate and inspire others into action. A leader is someone who others want to follow; a good leader is someone worth following.”
 
The big question is not if you are a leader, but if you are a leader of your self. Everything always begins with you. If you are a leader of your self, than you know how to lead. And being a leader of your self begins with being happy with yourself. 
 
This brings me back to the question my wife posed to me on the car ride home that night. Was I happy with the comment that I am still the same as people remember me 20 years ago. There’s no doubt in my mind that I am happy about it. Not only I am happy with the person I am and the person I was, I am also happy to think that the two are still one. That I can still be all the things I once was, in addition to all the things I am now.
 
I have traveled through life always trying to take the best in everyone I meet and become a better person. I have learned so many good things from so many good people, and simply tried to put these things into practice in my own life. My story is still being written, and today is yet again another opportunity to improve...to become happier...to add to the collection of beautiful things learned from people I meet along the way…
 
Everyone is different, and beautiful in their own way. There are no exceptions. What could someone take from you? What are you beautiful for?


Jus the way you are.jpg


Enjoy Life.

Coach Randal Suozzo, CPC, ELI-MP


Saturday, April 5, 2014

Each moment you decide who you want to be

“Each moment describes who you are, and gives you the opportunity to decide if that’s who you want to be.” iPEC foundation principle.

Yes. We define ourselves every day. Every moment to be exact. We are the culmination of our actions. Do you know any nice people? Why do you consider them to be “nice people”? It’s because we see them perform acts of kindness. How about people who are not nice? The only difference between the two is a matter of a moment. That moment when people have taken in all the information around them and make a decision on how to act.

Same can be said of people with integrity and those without, or of heroes and cowards. Many times people aren’t thinking of who they want to be in the moment. People are reacting. But what if you could stop yourself for one split second to ask yourself one question that could end up defining who you are?

Let’s say you are studying for an exam and you are exhausted. It is late at night and you want to go to bed. Every moment before this you have succeeded in finishing that homework, of completing that project, but now you are just too tired. Another hour would really make the material stick, but you could probably get by and pass the exam with the effort you have made so far. Instead of closing the books and going to bed, what if you took a moment and asked yourself this question: who do I want to be, right now? Do you want to be the person that just gets by? Or do you want to be the person who is dedicated to finishing all that they have started?

There’s no judgment. You can choose whoever you want to be. As long as you are happy with who you are, then any choice you make is the right one. But if you want more, if you want to be more, then seize the opportunity to decide who you want to be in that moment and make the best of it. Sometimes that moment will be with you for the rest of your life.

Enjoy Life.

Coach Randal Suozzo, CPC, ELI-MP
www.facebook.com/PassionDiscoveryCoaching


Sunday, March 9, 2014

How's it feel to want?

I can’t get this title saying out of my head. Every time someone says that they want something I think of my college roommate who would respond to people with this phrase. He thought he was a comedian. When I really think about what he used to say I now think more deeply about one of his patented expressions.

Many people want. The want a new car. They want to win the megabucks. They want to travel the world. They want to quit their jobs. They want this, and they want that. What usually happens when people get what they want? They tend to want more.

It’s okay to want. It is very okay to want. Wanting is a good thing. It allows people to grow. It makes people work harder. Someone who wants more money ought to work harder in order to earn more money. Someone who wants to be a professional singer or athlete needs to work hard in order to get there. Those who work hard and achieve what they want have what many people continually search for, fulfillment. Those who fail to obtain what they want despite their efforts are faced with a dilemma. A dilemma of whether or not to continue put forth that effort, or maybe increase that effort, and to rise again to meet their new challenge. The strongest people in the world are the ones who rise up after get knocked down. They continue to want and don’t give up.

I want. I want my family to be happy and my children to be successful. I provide enough for my children so that they continue to want. Besides not being able to afford to give them everything they wanted, it would not benefit them anyway. It would not allow them to grow strong, or to learn how important it is work hard enough to obtain something they want.

Wanting something more than anything else in the world is very a powerful thing. It helps you determine who you are. It asks you how much you are willing to sacrifice in order to get what it is you want so dearly. Do you give up what you want because it is too hard to obtain, or do you fight harder for what you want? When you want something hard enough and long enough, achieving the reward is beyond comparison. It is definitely better than had you never wanted at all. So in the end, I have to say that while on the surface it may not feel good to want, deep down I know it is a good thing. Wanting creates a challenge.

Never stop growing. Never stop challenging yourself. Never stop wanting.

Enjoy Life.

Coach Randal Suozzo, CPC, ELI-MP

Can not getting what you want being a good thing too?…

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Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Daydreaming


The NFL football season has ended. The sport that draws the most attention here in the United States will put some people into withdrawals now that the Superbowl is over. This year I watched the Superbowl with my family. Well, at least the first half. My wife and I let the kids stay up past their bedtime to watch the first half. My wife and I were not far behind the kids to bed this night. It was nice not to have to stay up and watch the whole game because of the lopsided score this year. Yes, we go to bed earlier than most. 

When I was young, I always marveled at the adults who woke up early in the day. My wrestling coach admitted that he loved waking up at 5 a.m. every day. At the time, I couldn't even imagine waking that early every day. I like to sleep almost as much as the next guy, but I would also rather be awake and enjoying that time. It was hard however, to get myself around to spending more of my time awake and less time asleep. Finally, I had a friend who put things into perspective for me. This was in college when I my classes started at 8 a.m. while my roommates started their business, english, and political science major classes closer to noon. But anyway, they stayed up into the morning hours every night while I tried to hang with them until midnight. I remember finding out that they had stayed up until 6 a.m. one night, then went to class for 11 a.m. How they could manage perplexed me. My friend told me why I should try to stay up later more often. His perspective was simple, "you will get plenty of sleep when you die."

This did little for my rational thinking, but it hit a key note with my imaginary mind. You see, we are all gong to die. It's not pretty, but it's true. We will one day fall asleep forever. So why spend more time than necessary in sleep? We only have so much time, would we rather be dreaming or fulfilling those dreams? My friend helped me to imagine what I could accomplish by being awake more. 

I enjoy my moments of solitude. Morning has become the best time to cash in on that. So I made an effort to become more of a morning person. This allows me to fulfill a desire to have time to myself. To watch the sun come up. To have daydreams I can remember and that can inspire me instead of night dreams I can't always remember or are filled with things of fantasy such as flying.

Losing sleep isn't for everyone. Some people operate on the bare minimum as it is. I am finding it harder to cut back on sleep as I get older. But I still daydream about waking up before everyone and watching, listening, and feeling the peacefulness of a spring morning. The time when the rest of the world is still asleep and I am blessed to be the only one taking it all in. Breathing the cool, fresh air and feeling it fill my lungs. Hearing the birds chirp between the sounds of silence. Watching tiny clouds float past overhead in the vast blue sky. Thinking about how beautiful and wonderful this life is. And daydreaming about how I fit into it.

If you don't do this already, I recommend picking day to wake up early and doing nothing at all except being with your own daydreams; observing the world we live in; and enjoying a moment of solitude. If nothing at all, it sure is relaxing.

Enjoy Life.

Coach Randal Suozzo, CPC, ELI-MP
www.coachsuozzo.com
www.facebook.com/PassionDiscoveryCoaching

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Happiness in 2014

“Happiness is in the heart, not in the circumstance.” ~Dove (chocolate).

The year 2013 is over. Did you reach any of your goals you set at the beginning of last year? Did you set any goals? Whether you set goals or not, there were surely things that you wanted to accomplish in 2013. And when you start thinking about the things you want to accomplish in 2014, here are six things you might want to think about...

1. Think about things that are going to make you happy. Will losing weight make you happy? How about getting in better shape? Will doing more for others make you happy? Being happy should be the ultimate goal. Maybe that should be your goal...being happier. (I would love to coach someone who came to me with that goal!)

2. How realistic are the goals you are setting? It's true that in failure we learn. But sometimes it's better if the goals you set are achievable. Try this, dream big but set multiple miniature goals in a sequence that will allow you to reach those dreams once they are achieved. Having a goal of climbing Mount Everest before you even climb your first mountain may be a little too far sighted. Dream of climbing Mount Everest one day, but start with a goal of climbing a few mountains first. It's possible that you may even end up ditching your old goal in favor a new one along the way.

3. Think about how your goals affect those around you. Training to climb the highest mountains may take a lot of time. Will you do it alone? Will you lose time you spend with loved ones to your training? Think about the value of what you want to achieve versus what you may be giving up to reach your goal. 

4. Be excited. There's no point in setting goals if you can't be a little excited about the idea of achieving them. You may even need that excitement at some point along the way. If you want to be able to do 100 pushups, you may want to quit at 50 and getting past it may only happen if you can get excited about your vision of doing 100.

5. Repeat step 1; think about things that are going to make you happy.

6. Be proud of your accomplishments. Achieving goals takes mental strength. You need focus and the strength to keep going during times when you want to stop.

Small goals lead to bigger goals. So start small and don't stop.The end of the year is the beginning of a new year. It's a good time to start setting goals, but when you achieve a goal in April, set another one. Keep the momentum going and enjoy the ride. Remember that Dove chocolate quote, that happiness is not in the circumstance of achieving your goals, it's in you every step of the way.

Enjoy Life.

Coach Randal Suozzo, CPC, ELI-MP
www.coachsuozzo.com
www.facebook.com/Passion DiscoveryCoaching