MLK 1

"The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important."  ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

Vincent Van Gogh 1

"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together." ~Vincent Van Gogh

Lee Iacocca 1

"Apply yourself. Get all the education you can, but then, by God, do something. Don’t just stand there, make it happen."  ~Lee Iacocca

Finishing the Boston Marathon

I’m the kind of man who likes to get my money’s worth, so when it came to running the 112th Boston Marathon, I made sure I experienced everything — including the medical tent. Read more

Giving back

Most people want to do some good that is purely charitable. We strive to help worthy charities by giving of our time, our money and our resources.

If you’re looking to be charitable, we think these charities deserve your support.

The ALS Association Greater NY Chapter – For those of you who know me and my family, you know we lost our father in Oct 2006 after a long “battle” with ALS. ALS is a devastating terminal illness. No family should have to watch their loved one die “an inch at a time,” as my father described it. We’ve been supporting their annual walks since their LI inception. Help us find a cure to ALS.

Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition – An amazing local organization founded, staffed, and supported by breast cancer survivors and their friends and loved ones. Another small agency in need of our support and generosity .

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island – I’ve been a volunteer “Big” since 2003. BBBSLI is in desperate need of men to volunteer and be paired up with a boy or young man who needs a positive male role model in their life. Talk about an impact. Give of your time and help build a man.

Hobblejog Foundation – Founded by my amazing and tireless “Big Sis”, Susan Hahn, who survived a life threatening injury (getting hit by a car going 50 mph while walking her triathlon bike across the street). It’s a message of hope and perseverance AND helps kids!

Kilimanjaro Education Foundation – founded by Todd Grossman, a man I completely admire and respect. Through this foundation, Todd and the KEF folks are making real and significant change in a local village. In fact, 98 cents of every dollar goes to the local village.

Partnership for Student Advancement – PSA was founded by Anne Bonfiglio to help high school students get started on the right career path. A little money goes a long way and the more money she receives, the more students she can help. Response-Able Consulting has offered pro-bono coaching/training services and donated to her program. Please give generously.

 

Is Fear Getting the Best of You?

The Long Island Coaching Alliance hosted our first ever (as far as I know) public coaching event on Sat, 4/5. Given it was our first time trying something like this, attendance was low. I guess you could say if we hadn’t shown up, the room would have been mighty empty.

That wasn’t so surprising to me. Something else happened that morning, however, that did surprise me.


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Send the Entire Message

What’s so difficult about communication? Lots!

From a brain perspective, every person thinks differently, so the words and gestures that we hear/see/interpret during a conversation are filtered through an intricate system of beliefs and mental maps that give meaning to the messages you send and I receive. To complicate matters, the way many people receive and deliver their messages nowadays is more and more electronic. I probably email back and forth with my friends and colleagues more than I actually speak with them (did I just write that?!). I also rely on the web to find information about people and businesses that interest me. And let’s not forgot "Crackberries."

So what’s the catch?

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What’s Wrong with My Goals?

This article continues my focus on Goals, a topic I presented in the Winter 2007 News-you-can-use-letter (see Coach’s Corner) and I recently wrote about on my personal blog.

One of the primary reasons people don’t achieve their goals is because they are not truly connected to them. By this I mean, there is not a strong enough emotional attachment to achieving the goal to generate the needed motivation and discipline for success. It is probably a good goal, it might be stated correctly, it may even BE achievable — but you’re not likely to achieve it if it is not something you absolutely MUST achieve or accomplish before you die.

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Indira Gandhi quote

"My grandfather once told me that there are two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was less competition." ~Indira Gandhi

Ann Landers quote

"The lord gave us two ends — one to sit on and the other to think with. Success depends on which one we use the most." ~Ann Landers