Kristan came home from kindergarten one day and looked for her big brother Jordan, who was already an athlete in the 3^nd grade.

In her “Elmer Fudd” accent she expressed her dismay.

“Jowden, we played this game in P.E. today where they roll a ball to us and we’re ‘upposed to kick it!”

“You mean kickball?”

“Yeah, kickball,” she agreed. “But ‘cept  I couldn’t kick the ball!”

“Aw come on,” said the 8 year old, “Let’s go in the back yard and I’ll show you how.”

Fast forward 11 years.

As I write this, Kristan is the captain of her high school volleyball team, and she is playing a tournament in the town where Jordan goes to college.

“Please bring your whole baseball team to cheer for us!” She begged him.

I had to laugh.

Two thoughts crossed my mind:

1. Where in the WORLD did the years go?

2. Who would have guessed Kristan-the-bookworm would also become an athlete?

The thing is, she found HER game.

Some of us go our whole lives feeling like we are not athletic enough, talented enough, smart enough, or gifted enough to excel in anything.

How tragic.

The truth is, those who become champions have:

1.kept trying new things until they found what they love

and

2. They refused to quit when it got hard.

Today I hope you will cherish each moment of life, as the time goes by so quickly.

Also when you find your game – give it all you’ve got.

It’s never too late to find that thing that helps you express your strengths, challenge your weaknesses and grow up a little more.

It reminds me of the movie, The Legend of Baggar Vance, where Will Smith plays a simple but mysterious golf guru who appears to coach a down- on- his- game golfer,  back to greatness.

“You ain’t alone” he says,

“I’m right here with ya. I’ve been here all along. Now play the game, your game – the one that only you was meant to play -the one that was given to you when you came into this world. You ready?”

Your game has been here all along, waiting for you to claim it!

Keep playing to win.

I’m in your corner,

Gina

P.S. I will be one of the guest speakers in Chicago in 2 weeks at Make An Impact Live with Dr. Mollie Marti, Bob Burg, Michael Port, Carol Roth, John Morgan, Frank McKinney (Who are all NY Times Best Selling Authors,) and other life changers.

We will walk with you through a plan to unearth YOUR Big Game, Your Big Dream, and the Impact you are meant to make in the earth. You will walk away with a plan to see it come to pass.

Please check it out and reply to this email if you want to meet me there. I can get you a special price of 2 tickets for $495. That is a huge discount.

www.MakeAnImpactLive.com

Cinderella Stories, Baseball Victories and Love

- by Gina Parris

 

Have you ever witnessed a victory that was more than just a win? I bet you have.

Yesterday I watched the last game of Firstborn’s junior college baseball conference playoffs. I left at noon for a game that started at 2:00 pm in blazing heat, and ended at 9:30 pm in a flooded field, with freezing – but ecstatic fans!

At the end of four days of play, our underdogs were better than nine other teams, including two that are nationally ranked. They were undefeated tournament champs, and proved what we all love to believe:

Cinderella lives!

The post-game celebration had to be at least as magical as any fairy-tale Royal Ball. The players, coaches and parents laughed, played and lingered on the field in jubilation. The boys, who had worked so hard all year, sometimes in resentment, looked once again like Little Leaguers. The smiles were uncontrollable. One of the superstar pitchers clutched the giant trophy close to his chest as if it were a baby.

“Well you have no idea,” he whispered, “I DID go through nine months of hell for this!”

All of us who are mothers, laughed hard.

“Oh yes, we have an idea!”

I kept thinking about that scene on the drive home. What in the world would cause me to give up 12 solid hours one day, and change next week’s plans for baseball? Isn’t it just a game?

Well, yes, and no.

Yes. It’s a game. No, it’s not just about a game.

It’s about the lessons.

• It’s about setting goals and being willing to endure hellish moments of conditioning to reach them.

• It’s about overcoming the doubts of everyone around you, and the doubts inside your self.

• It’s about facing your own demons and errors and losses and choosing to still go on the field looking for victory.

• It’s about loving your coach one day, hating him the next, loving him again, and realizing that commitment is worth it in the end.

• It’s about trusting that ultimately, the Game knows.

• It knows that for better or for worse, what you do in private will show up before the crowd.

• It’s about character that is developed and that can never be taken from you.

• It’s a about taking talent that you are born with, and turning it into skill through hours and hours of dedicated practice.

• It’s about giving birth to the dream you’ve carried inside you for so long – and realizing that it’s never easy.

Baseball. Cinderella. Giving birth.

What else in life might those things remind YOU of?

I am reminded of so many things, but right now, it reminds me of marriage, of family, of commitment and pain and pleasure and anger and ecstasy.

I think of the days those boys signed their letters of intent to play ball. Surrounded by parents and coaches and athletic directors, the moment was full of hope and enthusiasm.

Like the bride and groom – surrounded by their wedding party.

The marriage begins.

The honeymoon is magical.

And then, Real Life sets in. There are good times and bad, for better or for worse.

Victory. Pain. Anger. Frustration. Victory. Loss. Victory. Happiness. Pain… and on it goes.

Finally one day the players, the lovers, decide that the commitment was worth it all. When that happens, they realize they will do whatever it takes. They will choose to keep playing to win.

That’s why we love a victory on a field. It represents more than winning a game. It speaks to the champion’s heart inside of each one of us.

I don’t know about you – but I certainly will keep playing to win! As I do, I’ll be right here…

In your corner!

 

Gina

 

 

Is attitude really all it's cracked up to be?

In my field as a motivator, I have certainly heard my share
of speeches about attitude. I've heard speakers holler about
how our altitude is determined by our attitude, and It's not
our I.Q. that matters, but our "I will." I've told my children at
times that they needed to change their attitude, and Heaven
knows I've told myself so too.

But what is attitude, really?

According to my students dictionary, attitude means "a mood,
a feeling or a way of thinking."

Most of us grow up thinking about our selves. Our attitude is
self-centered and self-preserving. Part of that is instinctive and
necessary for survival.  Often when athletes or other
professionals come to me for performance coaching
they are desperate to reach the next level of their game.
They are aching to keep their job or to make the big money, or
to become famous. It's all about them and their superstardom.
Being inward focused causes you to shrink.

It really doesn't matter though, weather your game is athletic,
financial or personal. One way to play bigger is with an attitude
that says this,

"It's not about me!"

When you realize how important you are to something bigger
than yourself, you become MORE confident.

For my athletes, they start thinking about the fans. If its professional
sports, than they become aware of how expensive it is for a family
to come watch them play. They realize that their job is to give the
fans a reason to cheer and celebrate something. It's a chance to
help the fans forget their boring or desperate lives at home.

For those in business or sales, all manipulation can end. We can
be free to serve, knowing that when we deliver what our customers
truly want and need, than we will be rewarded. There's no need to
strive in a place of neediness. Instead we focus on what we can give.

Notice I'm not saying to be focused on what others think of YOU.
Just know that putting their needs above your own will somehow
make you happier. It's one of life's paradoxes.
 
I often say that happiness is that state you feel when you love with
no conditions. This applies to business as well as personal relationships.

That kind of love comes from God and drives out fear. When the
fear is gone and faith prevails, then success is at hand.

Try it. I promise, you are more powerful than you think.

Please share your thoughts below.

I am a big believer in setting goals for your life and business, but I hate seeing
people get discouraged by the process. I am here today to tell you that no matter
how things have gone in the past, you CAN make your dreams come true.

Imagine for a moment…

…if I held a quarter up to you and asked you to pick heads or tails, before I tossed
it into the air.

You might check to make sure it is a not a two-headed quarter (because you know
I love a good laugh) and then you would make your prediction.  Let's say you chose
"heads."

What are your odds of choosing correctly?

They are 50/50.  Right!

You have a 1 in 2 chance of being correct.

Now, what if I toss that quarter in the air ten times and every single time it comes
up tails?  Now what are your odds of the next toss coming up heads?

Still 50/50. Duh!

The future is not dependent on the past.

Now what does that have to do with your goal setting? Simple. I'll say it again:

Your future is NOT dependent on your past.

No matter how the past has gone for you, TODAY, the rules of success still
apply! Your future success is not dependent on your past failures.

In fact, your odds of winning in life can always be waaaay  greater than winning
a coin toss.  You can have certainty.  You can know that whichever way the coin
lands – it is going to play into your victory.

So step number 1 to setting and achieving your goals is to forget what lies behind
and get clear on where you want to go.

How to start fresh:

A. Acknowledge your feelings about where you are today.

B. Believe that this is part of your success story.

C. Clarify what you want your life to be like.

Remember, you can't change the past, but you can change the meaning you give
to past events and change your destiny.

You have everything you need to create a quantum leap of success in any area
your life, sport or business.
 

• You have the ability to imagine.
• You have the ability to make a commitment.
• You have the ability to find a mentor.
• You have the ability to change your thinking.
• You have the ability to get understanding and skill.
• You have the ability make a difference.
• You have the ability to take consistent action.

The hardest part of achieving your goals is making a decision. 

I've said it a hundred times. Most people don't get what they want out of life
because they don't KNOW what they want out of life.

Next week we'll talk about how to create CLARITY which empowers all of your
actions.

You can get a jump start on that by giving yourself permission to dream this week.

Ask yourself:

If I had no limits, what would I want my career to look like? What would I want my
family life to be like? Where would I like to live? What would my health feel like?
What would an average day be like?  How would I spend my time?  Ask as many
questions as you can, and be free with your answers.

You can do that because right now – you have released yourself from the limits
of the past.

You are the head, not the tail. You are blessed and not cursed. Your future is so
bright – you need sunglasses!

If you would like to join me in a 100 day challenge starting in January, than I encourage
you to click right here: BEST 100 DAYS

If you decide to sign up, than email me and I will give you a free strategy session
worth over a a hundred fifty dollars.

Until then keep playing to win, forget the past, and enjoy your game!

I'm in your corner,

Gina

“One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me
heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14).

P.S. While we're on the topic of goal setting, at least go here and get
the free videos:
BEST 100 DAYS

As Always, I love to hear your thoughts. Please comment below:

"I Will Laugh at The World"

 

This week I went to my daughter's volleyball banquet. She was
one of the team captains, and is a pretty good player. However this
year she did not get a fancy award like she did last year.

Instead she got a T-shirt. She was the only one who got such a shirt.
Why? Because on the back of the shirt was a very funny
photograph of her on the court. No, not one showing a dazzling kill,
serve or set. Nope. Well, it was sort of a dazzling set – a set gone
very badly.
There in this photo is Kristan- in bad form, legs sprawled, hands raised
with the ball totally smashing her in the forehead. In soccer it could have
been a decent move. Not in volleyball. The picture inspired side-splitting
laughter in all who know and love her, and even in many who could care
less. The photo comes with a caption, "Tullahoma… – We
keep our head in the game"
She wears the shirt proudly, triumphing in her ability to laugh at herself.
The shot has been a hit on facebook. The t-shirt has become a big
seller.

It made me think of all the coaching sessions I've had with people who
are still DEVASTATED by an event where they were laughed at in the
past. For many people there is an old memory of being laughed
at that is so painful that it subconsciously inspires pure dread
in seemingly unrelated events today.
I wondered how my fifteen year old daughter has such an ability to laugh
(and not fake laugh) at herself, and at the world.
Then it occurred to me: Laughter and lightheartedness are core values
in our house. Twenty eight years ago, I was permanently impacted
by the writing of Og Mandino in The Greatest Secret in the World. (One
of my most cherished success books EVER.)

In the Scroll Marked VII he writes in part:

"I will laugh at the world.
…And most of all I will laugh at myself, for man is most comical when
he takes himself too seriously. Never will I fall into this trap of the mind.
For though I am nature's greatest miracle, am I not just a mere grain
tossed about by the winds of time?…Will my concern for this day not
seem foolish ten years hence? Why should I permit the petty happenings
of today to disturb me?

I will laugh at the world.
     And so long as I  can laugh, never will I be poor."

When you have learned to laugh at the world, laugh at yourself,
& laugh at trials and tests, nothing can defeat you. If you can
keep your joy you can not lose your "stuff."

I've always laughed hard at life, but I used to cry when my pride
got hurt. I promise it's much more liberating to be free to see the
humor in things that come against us.

Next time you find yourself steaming at the thought of people
laughing at you, stop and think again. Maybe they were
just laughing because the moment was fun.  Some people
have so little joy and happiness in their life. I decided long
ago that I'd rather they laugh at me, than have nothing to
laugh about at all. What do I have to lose anyway? They
cant steal my joy.

Until next time – keep playing to win, enjoy your game
and feel free to laugh. It's good for your game!

I'm in your corner,

 

Gina

P.S. I'm curious how you feel about the subject of laughing
and being laughed at. Please share your thoughts below.

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