If no one reads this but me, it was still well worth the time to research it and write it because I need this as much as anyone does. BLAME! One of the main reasons that we don’t change our story is because we point blame in every direction except towards ourselves. I call it a visit to the “excuse factory”.

Here’s a list of the few I’ve used already this morning:

• My internet is too slow
• The right side of my back is sore
• I don’t have the resources for a better website
• I’m out of paper for the printer
• I lost my train of thought because the power company meter reader just walked past my office window
• Oh, here’s a monkey wrench…while I was writing this list I just received a phone call with a job offer – one more thing to think about.

All This Blame is making me  feel better already, it’s no wonder my story’s not changing with all of these obstacles and distractions…it’s not my fault after all. That statement sums up why we blame everything under the sun for our lack of progress, because it takes the pressure off “US”. We can’t feel guilty about not getting things done if our internet is too slow, we have a sore back, or our website is not up to par. If the phone is ringing, the printer is out of paper and someone walks past our window distracting our brilliant mind from producing ground breaking content that will change the world…Its Not My Fault!

Blame steals our power

Here lies the problem with blame, we can’t control all of those things, so if all of those things are the reason we’re stuck, we’ll stay stuck forever. If we allow those things to determine our future then we’ve given away our power to change. We need to realize that we are responsible for our current situation, and if we’re responsible for it, then we also have the power to change it.

In his book Mastering The Seven Decisions, author Andy Andrews says…”Responsibility is about hope and control…If where you are today is not in your control, then how can tomorrows fait be better”

Shorten the list

The best way we can start Changing our Story is to scratch Blame off the list by taking responsibility. Blame makes us weak and hopeless to change, but Responsibility gives us hope for our future, and the power to take action…to quote Andy Andrews again…”You cannot let your history control your destiny”

Let’s claim the power of our decisions and Change our Story, When We Change Our Story, We Change Our World!

Blessings,

Randell

If you do not like the Story you’re living…It’s time to sit down with the Author and have a “Heart to Heart” Chat. Who’s the Author of Your Story…YOU! That should be Great news for all of us to hear, because if we’re the Authors of our own story, Then we can change it to read any way we want it to.

One of my favorite Peanut’s Cartoon Clips is when Charlie Brown is complaining to Linus about how his lunch is the same everyday, and he hates it. Then Linus asks him…“Who makes your lunch?’ Charlie Brown answers…“I Do” . It seems so ridiculously obvious to us that Charlie Brown is in complete control of what he puts in his lunch, he could enjoy something different everyday if he really wanted to change.

But, What about each one of us? Aren’t we the ones in control of our own Story? We’ve all heard the definition of Insanity, which is: “Continuing to do the same thing over and over, and expecting different results”  I don’t know about you, but I want different results… I Want To Change My Story!

How Do We Change Our Story?

The first step is to begin with the end in mind. In Steven Covey’s Ground Breaking best selling book, The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People, Habit #2 is:  Begin With The End In Mind. Essentially, Dr. Covey says that we will never create the reality of the life we want to live, until we first create it in our mind.

We must be able to visualize the life we want to live. Think about where you want to live, what will your income level be, how will you impact your community, how will your influence impact your children, what will you do vocationally, what kind of marriage do you want, and what will your legacy be? Changing your Story will probably  not begin with Chapter 1. When you Change Your Story, it doesn’t mean that you erase everything from your past and start over, it’s more of a pivoting point in your life when you decide it’s time to live the life you were born to live.

Every Good Story…

Every good Story reaches a point when everything changes. Once we can see the life we want to live, we need to understand what needs to happen for our vision to become a reality. We need to ask ourselves some more questions: What kind of husband do I need to be in order to have the kind of marriage I want? What activities can I do with my kids to make sure I am having a positive impact on their lives? How will I get into the career field that fits my personality, skills, and my passion? and what needs to change in my finances to be free to live the life I truly desire?

Asking these questions will put us on a path towards Changing Our Story.

The Action Scene!

Stories never change without Action! I have spent more than enough time envisioning the life I want to live, I have even devoted countless hours asking and answering the questions we just talked about, but I often find myself paralyzed when it’s time to take Action. Dreaming, Thinking, and Planning are all very necessary components to Changing Your Story, but they don’t mean much until you do something.

The approach that has finally been working for me is: Small Action Steps Are Better Than No Action Steps. In other words, start small. Pick one small thing that you can do in each of the major roles in your life…and Take Action!!! If you start today with a few simple action items you will begin to pickup momentum and feel more inspired to Change Your Story.

Today is the Best day to start to Change Your Story, and begin being more Intentional about Your Legacy.

Blessings,

Randell

Why do birds keep coming back to  an empty feeder? I have four birdfeeders at my house that I keep full of birdseed all winter long, but come late spring I stop refilling them until the following fall. I’ve noticed something a bit interesting to me – the birds keep coming all summer long, even though the feeder is completely empty.

I will watch the same bird land on the feeder, examine it intently, and fly back to a tree branch 30 or 40 feet away. He will sit on the tree branch for a moment and then fly back to the same feeder and examine it again. This same bird will do this over and over again until I just stop watching…it’s probably doing it right now.

Why would a bird continue to waste it’s energy returning to something that is unfulfilling, and completely unsatisfying. It seems that he would realize that this opportunity has dried up, and he could better feed his family searching among the berries and seeds of the field…it’s got to be better than the store bought food anyway.

This bird has allowed something that was once a promising opportunity, trap him in a life of mediocrity that will eventually lead to his destruction if he doesn’t make a change soon.

Opportunity Or Trap?

This blog post was inspired by a piece I read in Andy Andrews book, Mastering The Seven Decisions. Andy says: “Way too many people trade out their freedom for security, and they don’t even realize it. There’s a difference between an opportunity you seize and a trap you walk into.”

Not every door that is opened for us is the right door for us to walk through, it could even be a trap. I am currently working with a gentleman who is considering a new position with a huge international company. It’s a GREAT opportunity…or is it? Here’s the deal – this move would require that he relocate and leave an area that he loves. This occupation is also 180 degrees from his true passion, which is medical research. But, But, But…It’s a GREAT opportunity, with GREAT benefits,  with a GREAT income, with a chance to advance with the company, and probably move around some more.

This Is How We Get Trapped!

The problem with chasing the wrong opportunities is that they can trap us in a mediocre life, we’ve all heard the saying that Good is the Enemy of Great…and it’s true. We tend to settle for goodness to the point that we miss real opportunities for Greatness! When we pursue the wrong opportunities it’s kind of like boarding the Titanic…it looks so promising, but in the end it is so destructive. We long to be free and live the life we were born to live, and until we are, we are not really living fully alive.

Avoid The Trap!

Here are 3 quick tips to avoid the trap:

1. Know Yourself…Understand what you’re Passionate about, and what it is that you Value most. Uncover your Personality traits, Do you like to be around people? Do you enjoy a fast paced life or prefer a little more relaxed pace? Are you a big picture thinker, or would you rather focus on the details? Determine your Skills and Abilities.
2. Evaluate Every Opportunity…Run every opportunity through the filter of the answers to item #1. Is it an opportunity you’re passionate about, and does it align with your Values? Does it lend well to your Personality? Do you have the Skills and Abilities to carry out the functions of this opportunity with Excellence?
3. Will it meet the needs of your Family…Financially, Socially, Spiritually, Enviromentally, and Relationally?

If you Evaluate every opportunity against these criteria, you are well on your way to Avoiding the Trap, and being more Intentional About Your Legacy.

Blessings,

~Randell

When Should we Look Back?

I can think of three good reasons to look back in our history:

1. When we can Learn Something
2. For Motivation
3. To Build Confidence

Look Back to Learn Something:

Some of our greatest learning opportunities come from some of our most difficult times. Several years ago I was in the residential construction business and occasionally we would have a project that wasn’t very profitable, in fact, some we actually lost money. I would spend hours looking back at what went wrong.

I would ask questions like: did we order too much material, did we source our material from the wrong vendor, did we have more labor hours than we anticipated, were we encumbered by poor site conditions, or was the weather a major factor?…Then the big question, How can we prevent this from happening again?

The key point is, not to let prior mistakes, or poor judgement keep you from moving forward. Look back to learn, then proceed forward with more knowledge.

Look Back For Motivation!

There is just something about looking back at past success and past failures to motivate us to even better future results. I have used some of my earlier speaking presentations to motivate me to improve my presentation skills in order to have greater impact on y audience.

What’s interesting is that I have been motivated by poor performances because I didn’t want to feel that sense of failure again, and I’ve been motivated by some pretty good presentations because I loved the results and wanted to experience those results more consistently.

Look for past experiences that will motivate you to experience better results.

To Build Confidence.

There are two great ways to build confidence:  The first is to take action and do it well, and the other actually makes the first easier…look back at times when you were victorious over difficult circumstances. Take some time to remember overcoming obstacles to experience great results.

If you look back through your life, you will be amazed at some of the things you’ve been able to accomplish despite challenging circumstances. Go ahead and be a little impressed with yourself from time to time…people love to do business with confident people, not arrogant, but confident. We need to seek humility, but there is nothing wrong with allowing past successes help propel future achievements.

Looking Back Can Create Forward Momentum!

Take a few minutes and look back to Learn, Be Motivated, and to gain Confidence, it’s a great step forward in being more Intentional About Our Legacy!

Blessings,

Randell

When I was 18 years old, my first job right out of high school was working in a small plastics factory in a not so good area of town. I worked a night shift where we started at 6 PM and worked until 6 AM, we would work three days on and then we would have the next three days off, at which point we would start another three day cycle.

One night at about 2 AM a man came in the building and was talking to a fellow employee, the rest of us assumed he was a friend bringing lunch or something. There was only three of us working that night so when our fellow employee called us over to his workstation we thought he was going to introduce us to his friend.

When we arrived at his workstation the intruder pulled out a gun, held us at gunpoint and demanded we hand over our wallets. Once he had our wallets in hand, he had all three of us line up against the wall, and then he had us lay on our bellies with our hands straight out in front of us…

My Life Passed Before My Eyes

I’m sure you’ve heard it said that just before you die, your entire life passes before your eyes. Well, I’m here to tell you, that’s the truth, thousands of freeze-frame moments passed before my eyes in a split second, I literally saw my entire life in slow motion in the blink of an eye.

Obviously  the intruder finally left and we were all still alive, yet in that moment we were frozen while our life passed before us. We were “held up”, but we were not in control. Most of the time in life, when we are “held up” its of our own making.

So what’s your Hold-Up?

What’s holding you up while your life passes by? Is it fear? Is a lack of confidence? Lack of knowledge? Are you too young? Or are you too old?… Whatever it is, now is the time to take action.  Start today by taking one step, every journey starts with the first step, stop waiting for everything to be perfect, start where you’re at today, and activate the gifts and talents you already have by taking that first step and change your world.

Stop waiting…It’s Time to Pull the Trigger

An Extraordinary Legacy doesn’t just happen…We must be Intentional, Start today by taking the first step towards an Intentional Legacy!!!

Blessings,

~Randell

If you are at the end of your rope in your work or your business, a longer rope may help for a while but it is definitely not the answer. A longer rope, such as a promotion, a few days off, a special project, or a raise in pay, may rejuvenate you for a while, but ultimately a longer rope would just serve as a diversion, and soon you will find yourself at the end of it once again.

My Finger Prints Are Embedded At The End Of The Rope!

I have dangled at the end of many ropes myself. I have stretched ropes by creating new ideas, going after new emerging markets, and chasing the next big thing, only to find myself in that familiar place once again, at the end of the rope. Stretching the rope buys you a little more time, but each time you stretch the rope it gets a little thinner and harder to hold onto, eventually something is going to give.

I was climbing the wrong rope!

When I finally found the right rope it made all the difference for me. Don’t get me wrong the climb is still hard, it still takes determination, persistence, personal development, and an investment of time, but it is worth it all because of “one thing”…Vision!

What’s at the other end of the rope?

You see, there must be a worthy goal at the other end of the rope, something that means more to you than almost anything else, it’s the one thing that you must see come to realization in your life. It is a goal that you can put your whole heart behind, it is what you go to bed thinking about and what you wake up thinking about, it’s the smile on your face and at the same time it’s a concerned look in your eye. It is in fact your Vision, and until you identify it, you will find yourself at the end of the rope over and over again.

Vision is fuel for successful living!

The Bible says” without vision the people perish” Proverbs 29:18.

Use these three simple exercises to gain clarity on your Vision.

1. Identify Your Values…What do you care about?,  What do you believe in wholeheartedly ?, What moves you to action?
2. What desires has God placed in your heart? …What accomplishments of others cause you to celebrate?  Make a list of things that make you smile. Who do you admire  for their impact on history?
3. Think about the perfect day… What would your perfect day look like?  Where would you be?  Who would be with you? What would you be celebrating?  What would you be most grateful for?

Pondering these thoughts will go a long way towards helping you identify the Vision you have for your Career, Business, and Life. Defining and drawing your Vision is one of the first steps of being Intentional about your Legacy!!!

Blessings,

Randell Mark

I first heard that phrase from a cassette tape in 1982 from leadership expert and keynote speaker Bob Goshen. Although I have not consistently lived by that principle it continues to roll through my mind still 30 years later.

Who really wants to be moderate anyway? Nobody is” turned on” by somebody or something that is just moderate.  Living only a few miles from Lake Michigan, my wife and I often enjoy sitting on the pier watching the boats come in and out of the channel heading out to the big lake.While the boats are in the channel they are in a “no wake zone“, this means they float at an idle speed leaving no wake behind the boat. The real fun begins when they get past the end of the pier, without exception every boat goes full throttle. It’s as though the real ride doesn’t even begin until they are at full throttle.

Our lives are no different than the boats in the channel, if we are living moderate lives it’s as though we are in the “no wake zone“. I don’t know about you, but I want my life to be leaving a wake, a positive wake. I want to make a positive difference in this world and it will never happen being moderate. Being moderate is boring, being moderate is in effective, being moderate is dangerous, and being moderate leaves no wake…FULL EFFORT IS FUN, and FULL EFFORT changes everything.

I was listening to an Andy Andrews Podcast recently where Andy was interviewing Christian comedian Ken Davis. Ken made an awesome statement about how he wants to finish his life here on earth. He said “I want to cross the finish line with my chest pushed out as far as possible“…out of breath…FULL EFFORT!!! I agree with Ken Davis, I don’t want to stroll across the finish line, I want to cross it wide open, completely “Spent”…as Zig Ziglar says, “physically exhausted, but emotionally exhilarated“

It’s time we get out of the channel, leave a WAKE, and have some FUN… Let’s go FULL THROTTLE  being Intentional about our Legacy!!!

Blessings,

~Randell

FEED THE FARMER B4 THE ANIMALS

If I could only share “one Thing” with someone just going into business, it would be this…”Feed The Farmer B4 The Animals”. Using the metaphor of you as the farmer, and the animals as your business, you need to be “well” in order to grow a healthy business.

Our Family During The Early Business Years

This has not always been my philosophy, but I wish it would have been.  In 1997 I walked away from a job with great pay, great benefits, and tons of flexibility to pursue the dream of self employment.  My wife and I had four kids, our oldest was 13 at the time, and the youngest was 4, yes we were just entering the most expensive years of raising a family…what was I thinking?

The way I had it figured was, if we don’t feed the business first, then it will not be able to provide for us, which makes perfect sense, and carries an element of truth, but is fundamentally way off. If you travel this path long enough you will probably end up frustrated at home, and blaming your business for it…after all it gets everything first.  I made the same mistake that many business owners make, of always paying themselves last.

The business bills always came first, the electric bill, gas bill, advertising bills, job material bills, while bills at home went unpaid, or paid at the last possible minute, including our mortgage.

After battling this for years, I finally realized that I needed to pay myself first.  Just as the farmer cannot properly care for his animals if he is not strong and healthy, we as business owners cannot give our business the attention it needs if our own core needs are not being met. For instance, how can we possibly have the energy to focus on our business if we are worried that our electricity will be turned off at home, if we can’t afford groceries for our family, or if we’re avoiding phone calls from bill collectors.  These distractions steal our energy, rob us of our creativity, cause pain in our relationships, and shoot huge holes in our confidence.

Our Family All These Years Later

To build a strong and healthy business, we as business owners need to be giving our best self…we need to be “whole”.  Here is a quick example of how to prioritize the finances of your new business:

1. Pay your Taxes First…do not pay anything until you pay your taxes. Despite what you may have read, the IRS is not that friendly.  If you don’t pay your taxes, they will visit you, usually without an appointment, and at the worst possible moment.
2. Take care of your Family’s Core Needs.  Pay yourself enough to cover Food, Shelter, Utilities, and Clothing. Once these basic needs are met, it is a lot easier to focus on growing your business.
3. Pay business bills.
4. At this point it comes down to Values. Invest in family fun, and business growth as you see fit.

If you will practice these principles you can avoid much of the stress and pain of starting and growing a business that will leave a Legacy for years to come.

“Randell Mark” Olson,  The Intentional Legacy Group, LLC

Basically, we’ve discovered a way to make your journey through this life much simpler. Life is still challenging, but we’ve learned how to leverage that, to use those challenges to our benefit. We’ve discovered that anyone can lead a successful life starting right from where they are right now, but it’s going to take that shift in perception using a very strategic method for uncovering your greatness.

Anyone can achieve greatness! I don’t care who you, or where you’ve come from. The opportunity to make your life sing is now, and we’re going to help you get there. Better yet, once you understand something that we want to teach you, you will be so fired up with a joy that surpasses all understanding to start going after life like you deserve it!

In this video,  I share how these behind the scenes “Moments Of Greatness” by the people who know me best have truly been the inspiration to keep me focused on what matters most.

This has been a major reason for my quest to help others Discover and Live Their Best Life, I want to be someone who can provide these behind the scenes “Moments Of Greatness” that will have a lasting impact on their life.

Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on this, and Thanks for watching.

“Randell Mark” Olson