Tag Archives: dream

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Remember: Losers Don’t Have Accountability Partners

When I was little I had a goldfish.  He didn’t last long. I overfed him. He died getting too much of a good thing. The food poisoned his water.

I got a second goldfish. This time my sister was assigned the job of monitoring my care of the little guy; he lasted considerably longer.

Sometimes in life we need an accountability partner that keeps us on the right path. They help us stay true to our dream, our goal, our creed.

An ideal accountability partner is someone that will be honest with you.  They have the courage to correct you when you out of line.  They hold you to a high standard. They ask tough questions. They  can humble themselves enough to compliment and encourage. They call you out when you need it, and they defend you when you’re right. They check in on you, whether you like it or not. They will not let you walk down the wrong path. They will not let you quit. With them you become better.

A tall task to ask of anyone.  So, don’t ask.

I have numerous accountability partners.  It seems I have one for nearly every interest. I have a buddy I workout with, and he encourages me to do better physically.  I have other friends that help me along my spiritual journey. They send me words of wisdom and encouragement, especially when I am down or in a dark place.  I have accountability partners that check on my writing progress, my art, even my marketing and finances.  They encourage me to do more, be more, become more. And, I asked none of them to do it.

The accountability partners you need in your life are already in position. They have been with you with you for years. You either are, or are not, listening to them. If you are sure you don’t have any, stop, and listen harder. They’re there. They’re the ones telling you, you are enjoying too much of a good thing or not doing enough. Listen.

Accountability is one of the biggest keys to success I have ever discovered. Practically anyone can write a goal down on a piece of paper, but how do you keep yourself on track?  The power of an accountability partner is remarkable.  Find someone whose life in some way captures your admiration and respect and you will be on your way.

In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary became the first man to summit Mt. Everest. Please know there were over 400 accountability partners with him on that expedition. He could not fail.

Kelly Croy is an inspirational speaker and artist. Please visitwww.kellycroy.com or call  1-800-831-4825  or email at info@kellycroy.com to book Kelly for your event. • Kelly’s  presentations have entertained and amazed audiences across the nation, anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired. Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

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How NOT to Handle Your Bad Day!

I’m sure by now you have heard several accounts of the JetBlue Flight Attendant, Steven Slater, who was having a bad day, and decided to cuss-out the passengers he was supposed to be caring for, aboard JetBlue Flight 10512 over the public address system, grab some beers, deploy the emergency slide, and flee for his nearby home where he was arrested. If you haven’t, click here to read the story that is truly stranger than fiction.

Now, before I sound off on Steven Slater, and I will, let me assure you I laughed heartily and truly couldn’t get enough of this modern day spin of  Take this Job and Shove It, when the news first broke. What an odd and hilarious story.

And then reality set in.

Despite how the media portrays what happened, Steven Slater is no folk hero, and his actions are anything but admirable. Sure, we all at times get frustrated with coworkers, customers, bosses, and our jobs, but Slater’s actions are troubling. It makes a great headline and some incredible conversation, but nothing more.

Admittedly, I do not know all of the events, but I feel very safe saying he went overboard. We all have moments that could certainly make the beginnings of a bad day, but it’s only when we surrender to that moment does our day go south and end up sour.

What should we do to prevent a bad day? Here’s my advice:

1) Give up some gratitude! When you feel the pressure building to a point that you aren’t sure you can handle it, start thinking of people, situations and things in your life that you are thankful. When you start thinking about what you are thankful for it puts your life in perspective.  You remember it’s not just you. Others are counting on you.  And the biggie… many, many people have it worse than you and would trade spots with you in an instant.

2) Hit the restart button. There is no reset button, because you can never erase the score or reset the number of your lives, or turn back the clock in life, nor would you really want to. (You’d never get anywhere.) But you can hit the restart button and give it another try.  Your bruises don’t magically go away, and you may have to apologize, but you can restart your day at any time regardless of how bad it gets.

3) Do the next right thing. You do not have to be perfect.  In fact, you can’t. No need trying. Just try to do the next right thing.  Just one right thing at a time. Live in the now and make it count.

4) Find the funny. There is something funny in every situation. Try to find it. Have a laugh. Point out the ridiculous and the absurd, then get back at it.

5) Call a time out. Find a co-worker, your boss, anybody, and tell them that you need a minute or two to collect yourself. Do whatever you need to do to get away from the situation and get a super-short break.

We have a responsibility to others, a responsibility to contribute to society and we are accountable for all that we do, as well as what we don’t do.

Kelly Croy is an inspirational speaker and artist. Please visit www.kellycroy.com or call  1-800-831-4825  or email at info@kellycroy.com to book Kelly for your event. • Kelly’s  presentations have entertained and amazed audiences across the nation, anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired. Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

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Confronting Opportunities

Many people claim they would give anything for a genuine opportunity to advance in life.  I hear it all the time, “What I wouldn’t do to have what she has!” or “Why does she have all the luck?” and even “I’m waiting for my ship to come in.”

When an opportunity does present itself, however, it would seem only very few actually step forward.  Why is that?

I believe it is because most people don’t really want an opportunity, they want a reward. They want the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, without participating in the adventure to locate it.  They want the winning lottery ticket, the instant fix, or a wonder cure. They’d rather connect on a Hail Mary pass then drive the ball down the field. They would rather wish than work.

Opportunities and rewards are not the same.

An opportunity never arrives alone. It is always accompanied by work, sacrifice, and change.

Work deters a few from seizing an opportunity, but most people understand the basic idea that they have to put forth some effort to get something back.  They just want to make certain the reward outweighs the effort. If it does they stay with it.  If the reward isn’t big enough, or it arrives too late or too infrequently, they’re gone.  Sadly, most don’t stick with an opportunity long enough to reap the benefits.

Sacrifice deters even more people from an opportunity than work. People are willing to put some time in for the reward, but they aren’t always willing to give something up.  Opportunity is always accompanied by sacrifice whether it be an investment of time, finances, or energy. The more comfortable we become in our lives the harder it is to make sacrifices for opportunities. Sacrifices can and should be made in balance with our values, and consideration for our family.

Change is the biggest road block to opportunities because the thought of becoming something or someone new just out right frightens people. People like who they are, and once they reach a certain age, they find an identity of comfort. (Tip: don’t ever get too comfortable.) They don’t realize that change is actually growth, and growth is what life is all about.  Once you stop growing, improving, and changing, the quest ends, the journey is over, and life loses it purpose. The conquering of every challenge creates a change. Opportunities change us for the better.

In your life you have been given many opportunities. You chased after some will full vigor. Some you sort of jogged after until they left your range of vision. Others zipped by without you even flinching.  You have had opportunities, and you will have more.

The best advice I can offer is this: Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you.  Figure out what you want, go after it, and make opportunities happen. Share your dreams. Ask for help.

Now give some. That’s right. Think of ways you can offer genuine opportunities to others for no other reason than that you want someone to become all that they are capable of becoming.  Do this and you will find opportunities at every turn in life.  People love, respect, and reward those who help them.

Kelly Croy is an inspirational speaker and artist. Please visit www.kellycroy.com or call  1-800-831-4825  or email at info@kellycroy.com to book Kelly for your event. • Kelly’s  presentations have entertained and amazed audiences across the nation, anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired. Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

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Please Stand By: There is Nothing Wrong with Your Television

There’s something wrong with your television if you’ve spent more time in front of it than you have working at your dream.

There’s something wrong with your dream if you’ve spent more time with it than you have spent with your family.

•••

Actually I’m wrong on both, and you know it. There is nothing wrong with your television nor your dream. You just need to prioritize and focus.

Prioritizing and focusing are two great disciplines. There are many books and blogs that can offer you advice on how to make some progress, but the truth is no one can do it for you.

You will not find time. You cannot make time.  But you can and should schedule time each day for your family and your dream.

Identify the bandits that steal your time from your family and your dream and launch a counter-attack. No dream needs to lie dormant until your children are raised. No family needs to be neglected while chasing a dream. You can and should work at both.  Your life will be filled with purpose and fulfillment. Completion of your dream will benefit your family, in many ways,  and your family can certainly help you in completing a dream, if nothing more than providing the much-needed drive.

Turn the television off, set the smart phone down, let your status update read: Please Stand By: Family Time or Please Stand By: Chasing a Dream, and then, and most importantly, actually do it.

Kelly Croy is an inspirational speaker and artist. Please visit www.kellycroy.com or call  1-800-831-4825  or email at info@kellycroy.com to book Kelly for your event. • Kelly’s  presentations have entertained and amazed audiences across the nation, anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired. Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

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Do You Make This Mistake With Your Goals?

Do you only drive halfway to work, leave the car on the road, and walk the remainder of the way? Do you only pull your pants halfway up and decide that’s good enough?

If you are like me and millions of other Americans, you set some goals and resolutions for the year back in January. Well, it’s time for your six month check up. Yep, we’ve made it halfway. You haven’t stopped have you? Have you accomplished any of your goals? Are you closer to finishing them since January or are you farther away? Regardless of how you answer, you have lots of time to achieve some incredible accomplishments, and I’m here to help.

First, I’m hoping you set some goals.  I know people that argue the point, but I favor the wise saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”  And that’s how I look at resolutions and goals; they are a plan for your year. Let’s get our goals out in front of us and take a look at the person we want to become. Wiser? Healthier? Wealthier? The better-you isn’t that far away.

I wrote my goals down in my journal, so it’s easy for me to review them now.  If you didn’t write them down, well now is a great time to do it.  You can even set new ones. The year isn’t only half over, it also only half started too, depending on how you look at it. I have read about numerous studies showing the benefits of keeping written goals. I believe them because it has worked for me!

For the remaining six months we will need to review these goals more often. A minimum review would be monthly. (How can you tell if you’re making progress if there is no way to measure it? You can’t pull out your list next December 31 and see if you got lucky. Some people review them daily. Why? Because they really want results! Do you?)

Perhaps you started strong on your goals and ran out of interest or energy.  That’s why we need a plan.  Now is a great time to make adjustments and set new goals. Take a look at the next six months and plan accordingly.  Challenge yourself, but incrementally so you are rewarded when accomplishing chunks of your goals. Figure out who can help you and the resources you already have at your disposal. Break your goal down into chunks that are easier accomplished.

Why did you make these resolutions? Now is great time to recommit and invest in how you will feel accomplishing these goals and making progress toward them.  Get your emotions involved. Get fired up!

Don’t be a quitter! Last January I heard a radio commercial advertising for people to come to a bar and break their resolutions. Sad. Stick to it. When the ball drops next year, put a smug grin on your face knowing you did something with the past 365 days that wasn’t easy and made you a better person.

My super-quick plan for helping you “win” the second half of this year:

1) Get a journal! Not only do I want you to write down your goals, start dating it with actions you have actually taken towards them. This will also be where you create your plan. (e.g. July 7, 2010 ‘Today I ran around the block. Signed up for a 5k in October. Better get busy!”)

2) Have an accountability partner. Share your goals and dreams with others. You will be surprised who wants to help you and encourage you. It doesn’t have to be formal. Send them a text or post it on Facebook. (e.g. I wrote 400 words today of my novel. Keep me honest!)

3) Review your goals regularly and remind yourself why you want this! (Nuff’ said.)

I really want you to succeed. Leave a comment below with your goal and what you doing about it.  Good luck.

Kelly Croy is an inspirational speaker, author, and artist. Please visit his website to book Kelly for your next event. www.kellycroy.com or call  1-800-831-4825  or email at info@kellycroy.com •Kelly’s  presentations have entertained and amazed audiences across the nation including corporations, schools, churches, conferences, and numerous other venues where people come together to be entertained and improve their lives. Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

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Mentor: Get one. Be one.

I just finished a mentoring session tonight and as always, I feel as if I learned more than I advised. The old adage holds true, “To teach is to learn twice.”  Mentoring is an ancient practice, and one I hope to encourage.

Some businesses and schools offer mentoring programs that pair newcomers or those who are struggling, with a more experienced individual. The programs certainly have their success, but there is something less than inspiring when the relationship is compulsory, or highly recommended. An ideal mentoring relationship occurs when one who truly aspires for advancement is matched with one who is willing and able to provide instruction and direction.

You may think you don’t need a mentor, after all, you made it this far through hard work and discipline. Look how far you’ve come on your own! Who needs a mentor?

In this age of easy access to information, I fear we devalue experience, style, hindsight, and ‘exceptions to the rule’ that only a mentor can provide. A good mentor can provide you with feedback, instruction, and secrets, if you will, that would normally take you years to learn on your own, and forfeit your suffering through quite a few failures too. (Don’t worry. You’ll still have your share of both, but the mentor will allow you to take the art to a new level.) Sure, I can purchase books and DVDs on Wing Chun and learn a few moves that seemingly mirror those of Robert Downey Jr.’s fight scenes, but the real art of this ancient martial art cannot be summoned from independent learning. The same is true of all arts. Enter the mentor.

Mentoring in this age of social networking may occur to a degree through blog posts, articles, wikis, tweets, status updates, Skype video calls, websites, online videos, and emails, and that is a great start, but I am encouraging something more; a common time where a master unveils his secrets to a student privately. Two people agreeing to set aside an hour each week or so, to the advancement of the craft and the individual.

There is an unspoken covenant between the mentor and the student. I am going to share with you all that I know. You will apply it, add to it, and pass it on to someone else. The mentor doesn’t hold back.  The student doesn’t shirk.

Two common problems occur today with mentoring.  The first is that the student is embarrassed to admit what he does not know, and the second is that the mentor is embarrassed to admit what he does not know. (It seems everyone knows everything these days.)  This must be overcome.  Again: An ideal mentoring relationship occurs when one who truly aspires for advancement is matched with one who is willing and able to provide instruction and direction.

I am where I am today due to many mentors in my life.  As a teacher, a coach, a father, a friend, an artist, a speaker, and a businessman, I now have opportunities to mentor others. I do not take them lightly. I do not think of myself a master of anything, and quite frankly the term mentor makes me feel old, but there is so much to be gained through mentoring. For me, I still have my mentors that I consult with, and I have my students that I meet with too.  Successful mentoring is to not only be one, but to have one as well.

• How do you get a mentor?  You find someone’s work you admire, and you ask.  Sound easy? Well, most people never ask.

• How do you become a mentor? Do great work. Wait for someone to ask. When they do… say, “yes.”

Kelly Croy is an inspirational speaker, author, and artist. Please visit his website to book Kelly for your next event. www.kellycroy.com or call  1-800-831-4825  or email at info@kellycroy.com • Kelly’s  presentations have entertained and amazed audiences across the nation including corporations, schools, churches, conferences, and numerous other venues where people come together to be entertained and improve their lives. Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

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You Don’t Need a Title to Lead

This Memorial Day weekend my family and I joined millions of Americans across the nation in honoring the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much for our freedom and protection. The living rooms, televisions, newspapers, books, and family histories across America are full of stories about “the ordinary men and women” that answered the call to lead and performed phenomenal acts of valor and heroism. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred these heroes held no real rank or position, but simply did what needed to be done, and afterward, they sought no recognition, and even more often, they spoke little of their amazing contributions to history.

Leaders don’t need titles or positions of authority.  The labels of captain, president, chairperson, or spokesman are only as good as the character of the person to whom they are attached.  Genuine leaders are the ones who stand up for what’s right when everyone else remains seated, they speak up when everyone else remains silent, and they answer the call to lead regardless of the situation or outcome to themselves.

In an age that so desperately needs great leaders, it is sad to find so few, and even sadder to find a lack of leadership instruction and mentoring en masse.  That is why holidays like Memorial Day are so important. What a great time to recognize the leaders who paved our way, and use their lives to inspire future generations of leaders. Break out those photo albums an share the stories of the leaders within your family to your children and pass the stories down. Let each day be a memorial day to great men and women, and a call for future generations to lead.

Honor Through Remembrance.

Thank you to all who have served, are serving, and those considering future service.

Kelly Croy is an inspirational speaker, author, and artist.

Please visit our website to book Kelly for your next event. www.kellycroy.com info@kellycroy.com 1-800-831-4825

Kelly’s  presentations have entertained and amazed audiences across the nation including corporations, schools, churches, conferences, and numerous other venues where people come together to be entertained and improve their lives. Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

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Start Something You Can Be Proud Of

When my wife and I purchased our first home, we were blessed to have some friends help us move in.  I remember two of my buddies were maneuvering a couch through the front door. I was carrying a box of my wife’s dishes, and a dear friend was carrying a box of my books.  One of the books fell out  and landed on the sidewalk. As a result, twenty men’s lives were forever changed.

The book was titled Starting and Running a Profitable Investment Club. It had been on my shelf for years.  It was something I had always wanted to start, but just didn’t have the gumption.  My friend encouraged me to pursue it, and together we called all of our friends. Now, twelve years later I can tell you with all sincerity it was one of the smartest and most worthwhile decisions I have ever made.

Our initial thought was of course that the investment club would make us wealthy beyond imagination, and in some ways it has. The real treasures  have been the friendships formed and strengthened, the confidence we gained to pursue new ventures, the fellowship at each meeting, providing each person with a genuine purpose, and the ability to serve others and our community.  We have gained knowledge of finances, networked with other people and organizations, started businesses and charities, and we have strengthened leadership skills. The benefits of a club are truly too numerous to name. (Did I mention it’s also just plain fun?)

You need to start a club. It’s easier than you think, and you will be so happy you did.

Your club might be an investment club like ours, or perhaps you have always wanted to be in a book club, a Bible study group, or maybe you like to work out and you want to glean ideas off of other athletes.  Regardless of your interests, there are so many people out there that just want to be part of something and are waiting for an invitation. Your club needs a purpose, but it can truly be about anything! Having somewhere to go each month, genuine interaction with others, and experiencing something new is what clubs are all about.

I remember hearing stories about my dad rounding up a bunch of high school students that were cut from the high school basketball team. Dad was their age and decided it would be best if they just started their own team.  (Seriously, this really happened.)  They called themselves the Marysville Giants.  Well, dad’s team scrimmaged all of the basketball teams in the league. This did wonders for the boys on the team.  They had fun, improved their game, and really boosted their confidence.  The high school teams they played improved as well from the scrimmages.  It was a win-win for everyone.  My brother and I thought my dad’s stories were more fantasy than fact, until an elderly man produced a worn picture  of  The Marysville Giants at my father’s funeral, and with a tear in his eye, named every boy on the team, including himself.  More than fifty years later, this man honored my father for having started a club basketball team.  It changed his life, he told us.

Clubs change lives.

Dad’s team didn’t go on to win any trophies, or championships that I know about, but it gave each member a purpose and truly helped them through life.  Dad’s team I suppose was nothing more than a club, but don’t tell the veterans on that team.  To them it was real and it was war!

Whenever I was down in the dumps as a kid growing up because I didn’t make a team, or didn’t get invited to a party or something, dad would look at me and say, “Well, …start your own!”  And I did.

Two of my proudest accomplishments in life outside of my family and business have been the clubs I helped start. Once you a start a club it will take on a life of  its own. Make a list of like-minded people you think might be interested. Pick a date on the calendar and invite them over.  Have some snacks. Explain what it is you want to do and why.  All the resources you need can easily be found in the library or on the internet.  But remember, it wasn’t that book that fell out of the box twelve years ago that started the club; it was action.

Kelly is an inspirational speaker, author, and artist. Please visit our website to book Kelly for your next event. www.kellycroy.com info@kellycroy.com 1-800-831-4825

Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and professional speaker. His presentations have entertained and amazed audiences across the nation including corporations, schools, churches, conferences, and numerous other venues where people come together to be entertained and improve their lives. Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.