Conference Reflections: Part 3

It's difficult to believe it's now been one week since I've been at the conference. The day was full of inspiration and optimism, and it's so easy to go back to drudgery and pessimism. It's unfortunate, but that drudgery and pessimism is simply more comfortable. Likely because I focus more on the world's effects on me instead of the potential of my effect on the world.

Before too much time passes, there are a few more ideas I want to share with all of you from the conference:

1. From Terry Bradshaw: "Everything you do in life should be for fun."
Bradshaw was the most dynamic speaker there. He held the whole audience in the palm of his hand, and he was absolutely on fire for the entire speech. He was funny and unpredictable, but more than anything else he was passionate. For 30 minutes, I wanted to be him. He looked like he was having fun doing exactly what he was made to do, and he was impacting people in the process. That's all I've ever wanted for my professional career. And that was kind of his focus. He kept saying that you have to find what your "it" is - whatever "it" is that you were made to do and that allows you to be passionate and have fun.

He also suggested a better strategy for getting out of bed in the morning than grumbling about the alarm clock. Instead, do three things:
1. Recognize that you're alive and that's a good thing
2. Be ready to say thank you to somebody, because no matter who you are or what you've done, you haven't done it alone.
3. Smile, because your day and the day of those around you will be so much better.

Cheesy advice, but sound. Waking up with gratitude and joy (regardless of circumstance) shouldn't be a revolutionary idea. But I know on the few days I begin in this mindset, I have a ten thousand times better chance at having fun and being effective.

2. From Zig Ziglar: "Build a Homecourt Advantage."
By Homecourt Advantage, what he meant was placing your home life as your top priority. It will be difficult to be truly effective at anything if that isn't true.

3. From Rudy Guliani: "Wedding discretionary, funeral necessary."
He said to imagine you have to choose between going to a wedding of a best friend or a funeral of a parent of a best friend. If you ever have to choose, choose the funeral. At a funeral, people need you more. As a leader, you should be where people need you, not where you're most likely to have fun. People need you more when things are wrong than when things are right. This philosophy should guide your time management: where do people most need me? If you know the answer to that, you know where you can be most effective.