What is your RANK ?

Who's Number 1 ?
Who finished first ?
Who is the best ??
Rankings. They are used all through society.
Number 1 is all we seem to be concerned with.

Waiting at the gate to board a plane on which
he had a reserved seat, Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr.
overheard the urgent plea of a soldier. "I want to go
see my sick mother before I report for duty in 3 days.
I can only make it by plane." The General stepped up
and said, "I'll give my seat to him." The general's aide
protested, "It's a matter of RANK." "Correct" said
General Roosevelt...."He outranks me. I am only a
General.....He is a Son !"

We sometimes forget how important we are to God.
We are Sons and Daughters.
Nobody outranks us to God.
We are ALL number 1 to Him.
Rejoice in that. Live in it.
Celebrate it !
Your value is set by GOD.
You finish first !

Set the Hostage Free !

Many of us are holding a hostage.
Yesterday.
Today.
Next week.
The hostage is US. The hostage is being held by.....
Our Past.
Our Personal History.
Stuff that is over.....and done.

Consultant Richard Diggs says: "One of the best teachers of persistence
is your life's turning points. Expect to experience 3-9 turning points
or significant changes in your life. These transitions can be happy or
unhappy such as divorce, death, financial setbacks, and health problems.
Turning points can provide perspective, which is the ability to view major changes within the larger framework of your lifetime and let the healing power
of time prevail. By learning from your turning points, you can grow at a deeper
level in your life and your career."

If you have hurt....pain...and loss in your past, acknowledge it,
and DEAL WITH IT !
Grieve, forgive, work through your pain with a counselor.
Doing that will help you MOVE ON.
Today is the day to let go of the hurts of your past and
BREAKTHROUGH to the future God has planned for you !

Life is .........

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss,
taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge,
meet it.
Life is a duty,
complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow,
overcome it.
Life is a song,
sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck,
make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life,
fight for it.
-- Mother Teresa

5 Critical Elements....

.....To Developing a Solution-Centered Mindset.

1. Align Your Goals With Your Passions.
Make sure your desires and passions line up
with the direction of your goals.

2. Cultivate Charismatic Optimism.
Stay hopeful...stay positive....look at the
good side of everything !

3. Seek Knowledge Relentlessly.
Read. Go to Seminars. Listen to
motivational tapes. Learn ..learn.. grow.. grow.

4. Experiment persistently.
See what works....try new things.....
....meet new people ! STRETCH !!

5. Pursue Objectivity.
See things from the other side.
Step out. Innovate.
Respect other perspectives....learn from them !

Problems or Solutions ?

The word solution comes from the root word
solvere which means "to loosen or set free."
One of the most freeing things you can do in
life is to develop a "solution-centered" mindset.
Problems big and small will always be with us.
You must approach them with an attitude that
success is inevitable.
The word problem comes from the roots pro
meaning "forward" and ballein meaning to"throw
or drive."
The bigger the problem....
The greater the challenge.......
THE MORE DETERMINED we should become
to drive forward !
There are 5 critical elements to developing
a solution-centered mindset.
More tomorrow.......

No Lights......No Action.....No Cameras.

It's 9:00 pm Tuesday September 21.
I just had an unusually quiet and peaceful walk in the
neighborhood. Nothing like the last 10 nights.
My night walks the last 10 nights have been at the
Tennessee State Fair. Lights of the midway.........
smell of the animals..........sounds of the children.......
action, action everywhere.
Then........came the cameras. Channel 4 was first.
A Scoop. A story.
There will be no State Fair after this one.
More cameras......more stories......more rumors.
My senses were completely worn out.

Hence........the quietness on my neighborhood.
No lights.......no action......no stories.
Just the moon.....a few clouds.....a light wind.
I like it that way.

Glad to be back.

The Anxiety of Nothingness

That's what I hear all the time from my
clients who are in Career Transition. I ask
them, "What did you do today in your job/career
search?" "Well, they say, I vacuumed the whole
house 3 times !" Sadly, they vacuumed the house
the previous day also. They are stuck......in the
anxiety of nothingness.

Here's what I tell them:
"There's no need!" In fact, this can be a
very productive time. Let your creative self flow!
Paint something.
Write in a journal.
Begin a career notebook.
Begin a DREAM notebook !
Talk to an old friend.
Believe me......JOY and TRANSFORMATION
await you.
But not until you submit to the anxiety of nothingness.

It can be a great time for you.
Submit.

Miley ? Taylor ? JOYCE !!

Miley Cyrus
Taylor Swift
Metallica
Bruce Springsteen
Keith Urban
Sugarland

All coming to Sommet Center soon.......
But...tonight it was JOYCE !! (Meyer)

Matt Redman rocked.
Love the song......Oh No Never Let Go

My favorite parts of Joyce:

"The world is full of mediocrity and compromise...
Be different !"

"You have to put on your clothes every day.....
put on GOD every (EVERY) day !!"

More to come......

Josiah David and Wesley David

Today I went to the best funeral I've ever attended.
Ever.

It was for Josiah DAVID Berger.
A lot like Wesley DAVID Speight.
They seemed to have a lot of similarities.

They said Josiah had a theme:
"Live Like There's No Tomorrow!"
From all I could tell.......that's how he lived.

Last week he told his Dad, Steve Berger, minister at
Grace Chapel Leipers Fork.....
"Sleep is a complete waste of time"

Over and over again he would tell people.....
"Have Heart."
He apparently had a LOT of it.

I wish I had known this great young man.
He shares a middle name with another great young man,
my son Wes.
Wes lives with the same fervor and zest that Josiah did.
I wish they had met.

Josiah died on his 19th birthday.
After a ugly car wreck.

I wish I could hug Wes right now.
Or Josiah for that matter.

I know we will see him again.
I will meet him.........some day.

Until then.......today's funeral taught me a lot.
About life.
And Love..........

I Love Daniel

I love Daniel Bell.
He really got after it tonight at Christ church PM.
It was Daniel unplugged.
He took on everybody.
The Republicans.
The Democrats.
White churches.
Black churches.
Creflo Dollar.
It goes on and on.
Then he shot it straight from I John.
Confession.
Prayer.
Repentance.
Deal with it !
Get it out !!

It was a glorious night.

I needed it.

Thanks, Daniel.

Danger or OPPORTUNITY ?

"When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis'
is composed of 2 characters.
One represents danger
the other represents opportunity"
---John F. Kennedy

Being a Life Coach and a Counselor, I help
people navigate though crisis every day.
Many of the people I see are in relationship crisis,
many are in career-transition crisis.

The biggest challenge is getting them to see
their situation in a positive light, not in a
negative, near-death situation. I tell people
all the time that a crisis will either:
Get You
or....you will Get It !

It will either make you bitter or better......
...but you cannot be both.

So will you see a crisis as an opportunity?
To grow.
To learn.
To be stretched.

Or will you let it GET YOU ?

The choice is yours.

"You Are Free to Land on Runway 2207."

It's time to go home.
How do I know ?
Because there is a 737 jet about to land on
the back porch of my condo, #2207 Destin, Florida.

Ok, it's not really a jet, but it sounds like one.
It is, instead, a short dark-headed fellow operating the
LOUDEST weedeater of all time. Right below our window.
The weedeater SCREAMS out to me.....
"Time to go home, Bill !"

Actually, it is.
Time to get back to the Coaching office.
Time to get back to reality.
No more paradise.
No more gumbo.

Real Life, here I come.
I'm excited !

Ready.....Fire.....Aim !!

Bill

The View From My Back Door

There is an interesting conglomeration in front of me right now.

Devotional books.
INC magazine.
Entrepreneur magazine.
Books by John Maxwell and Dan Miller.
The Destin vacation beach guide.
And......a view to kill!

When I look up this morning I see the Gulf of Mexico.
No clouds. No smog. Just the beautiful water and
clear blue sky. I wish everything was always that clear.

I'm pretty sure we head home tomorrow from this wonderful retreat.
Everyone else is already gone or heading home today.
Gretchen leaves in a few hours.
Who is Gretchen, you say ?
She is one of our many extended family members.
But that's for another blog.

Tomorrow, as we head home, Ashleigh and Ryan head for Denver.
Until.
Until the hopeful phone call from Knoxville.
(We all jump when Ryan's phone rings.)
If the call doesn't come it's University of Denver Law School here-we-come.

We're watching.....and waiting.....and hoping.
But this we know....

It's in God's hands.

The Eyes of a Kid.....at Any Age.

I was just part of something really special.
Historical. Saturday August 1, 2009.

A couple of kids took their first plunge together into the ocean.
In Destin, Florida.
They are 23 years apart. But they're both kids.
The eyes of a child are indeed priceless. To see the wonder
of the ocean....the beach....
For the first time ever.
Their eyes told the whole story.
I was privileged to see it all. I felt fortunate.

You see, God will give you a first time ever...
...no matter what age you are.
He is full of firsts. Full of wonderment.
Full of opportunities in His beauty and splendor.

Oh, by the way......these 2 kids.....
One is Dylan.....the other is his mother.

I could see it in their eyes.

For I Know the Plans I Have For You.......

She could not have realized what she set off inside
of me at the mention of that scripture.
Jeremiah 29:11
Plans to give you a hope......and a future.
Renee Connelly had just given her Dad that scripture
before that fateful night in Mississippi. Her dad was
struggling in low self-esteem, waiting for a job
opportunity to come along. Renee hated what
the wait had done to her father. Hence the scriptural encouragement.

Late that night in Mississippi, her car would hit loose gravel
and the resulting wreck would kill her and her boyfriend.

The girl in my office so reminded me of Renee.
The way she looked.
The way she talked.
Her overall Christian demeanor.

That day in Mississippi was in 1991.
I remember like it was yesterday. I still love
Renee. I was about to hire her as my youth
ministry intern. Just having her around always
lifted your spirit. I haven't forgotten.
And I never will.

Start Small, but START !

Strengthens the Heart
Builds Energy Levels
Lowers Blood Pressure
Improves Muscle Tone
Helps Reduce Body Fat
Makes You Feel Better about Yourself

Wow......It's time to start an exercise program !
Here are a few tips:

1. Start slow and build up.
Rome wasn't built in a day.....neither is your body.
Don't sign up for the Marathon yet.....gradually build
up in the first, second, and third weeks.
2. Pick an exercise you enjoy.
If you hate swimming, don't swim. Bike.
Hit the treadmill. Or better yet, take a walk in a
beautiful park or trail. It's good for the mind as well.
3. Get a Friend.
Nothing like a buddy to push you, motivate you,
and generally spend time with you.
4. Make it a set part of your schedule.
If you don't PRIORITIZE it on your schedule,
it probably won't happen.

Now.....Take the first step !
It will change your outlook on life !

A Little on the "D" Side.....

"I've been a little on the depressed side lately" he said.
I realized what his problem might be. He's been missing his Ex-buddy.
You know. Ex.
EXERCISE !!
It's a fact: Exercise is important for you both for your
physical and mental health. One study showed that exercise-
three sessions of aerobic exercise a week-worked about as well
as medication when it came to reducing symptoms of depression.
(2005- American Journal of Preventive Medicine)

Exercise has been proven to:
Reduce stress, anxiety, and depression
Boost your sagging self-esteem
Bring a sense of well-being
Produce a brighter outlook on life
Improve sleep

So....if your constantly tired, exausted, or mentally dull,
put on your sneakers and go to the gym !

Tomorrow: How to start a program.

One GIANT Leap

Forty years ago today the USA launched Apollo II,
the first manned mission ever headed to the Moon.
Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins landed
the EAGLE on the surface of the Moon on July 20. It
was the first time a human had stepped foot on another
planetary body. It truly was.....
.......One Giant Leap for Mankind !

So.......have you taken a step lately?
A step of Faith??
A Risky step??

A LEAP?
You'll never make it to the moon without a step.
Go ahead.
Take that first step.
Then.....Leap !!

Bugs.......Porky.....and Many Others.

Most Children and adults would not recognize the face
of Mel Blanc. But most everyone in America knows his voice....
.....or voices. In 1937 Blanc became the voice of Porky Pig.
Bugs Bunny followed soon after. 90 percent of the voices
of Warner Brothers and Hanna Barbera cartoon characters
were done by him.

So......where is your voice being heard these days?
Does your voice bring forth joy....happiness....and
encouragement?

Mel Blanc died in 1989.
His voice lives on.

Does your voice make a difference today ?
Will it live on after you die ??

In Case You Skip Church..........

Watch this.....

and Worship !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdq9Q8wJdjc

LIFE Entrepreneurship

Jim Collins, author of GOOD to GREAT was asked recently how he
defines entrepreneurship. He responded:

"I take a broad view of it. The traditional definition---founding
an entity designed to make money---is too narrow for me.
I see entrepreneurship as more of a life concept.
We all make choices how we live our lives. You can take the
paint-by-numbers approach, or you can start with a blank canvas.
When you paint by numbers, the end result is guaranteed.
You know what it's going to be, and it might be good, but it
will never be a masterpiece. Starting with a blank canvas is the
only way to get a masterpiece, but you also could blow up.
So...are you going to pick the paint-by-numbers kit,
or the blank canvas ?
Thats a LIFE question, not a business question !"

Well said !
What about you ??

Afraid ? Then....Do Something !!

Fear limits us all from achieving the dreams and goals we have set out to accomplish.

Roman historian Tacitus wrote: "The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise."
Its funny, studies show that those who take risks in life and those who don't take risks seem to have the same amount of fear in their lives.
The difference: those who don't take risks worry about the small and trivial things.

Do yourself a favor today...

Do Something you're afraid of !!

I skipped worship tonight.......sort of.

Headed to worship at 6:30.
Rained really hard.
Decided to skip.
Came back home.

Looked out back.........
A baby bunny
A robin
A beautiful red cardinal

I worshipped.........

Turned this on also:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji_1iArEFdQ

You're welcome to join me !!

All That Negative Chatter

Great article by Mel Robbins in this months SUCCESS magazine.
Excerpts:


"All obstacles have one thing in common.......YOU.
The only thing standing between you and what you want
is all that chatter in your head...."

"The obstacles in your day to day life are
just stories you've made up. They're just chatter ."

"You'll never quiet the chatter, so you might as well just
move forward anyway. What have you got to lose ?"



"The rest of your life is sitting on the other side
of all that chatter."



Read the rest of the article:
http://www.successmagazine.com/the-other-side-of-chatter/PARAMS/article/760

God's Cell Number !!!

Guess What ?

I GOT GOD'S CELL PHONE # !!!!!

Want it ?

Jeremiah 33:3

"Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you
great and unsearchable things you do not know......"

Call Him !!

An Important Question.....

Anthony Robbins always asks an important question at his seminars:

"If you knew you could not fail, what would you do?"

What would you try?

What would you launch??

What would you start???

WHAT'S STOPPING YOU ?

Is it Y O U ????

Do Not Let What You Cannot Do.......

John Wooden is one of my heroes.
He was the basketball coach at UCLA who
won 10 National championships and had 4
undefeated seasons. He always stressed
excellence in all matters and living up to
your potential. He once told his players
"Do not let what you cannot do interfere
with what you can do."

What great advice for the times we're living in.
Don't forget......
You CAN'T control what happens........
....but you CAN control your attitude.

You CAN'T control the actions of others.......
.....but you CAN control yours.

Focus on the things you CAN do some
thing about today !
And.....get out there and
make a difference !!

They called him "POP"

Today is Father's Day 2009.
It has sent me into deep thought.
My dad's name was Walter Speight. He died
in the late 80's. Sadly, he died from complications
from his addictions. In his last years he was known
as "POP." When he wasn't "using" he was a
pretty cool man. Gentle spirited....warm......and
actually pretty loving. He taught me some good....and
a pretty good bit of bad. Today as I think of him, I am
sad as well as convicted.

Sad....because he lived in the death-grip of addiction.
Convicted because I want to break that chain forever.

To all those men who were father figures to me..
Buck......Lytle......Joe.
Thanks.

To those of you who know me as Dad or a Father figure.......
Jill.....Wes.....Ash....
Gretch......Moose......Bear Bear.......

I Love you.

And........
Thanks for loving me !

The Think Big Manifesto

The Think Big Manifesto is a great book written by Michael Port.
The book deals with the incredible world-changing effect of BIG
thinking. (As well as the killer-effect of small thinking.)
Here is an exerpt:

"As a founding principle, the Think Big Revolution requires the formation and augmentation of intellectual and spiritual capital. The condition for intellectual capital is big thoughts. The condition for spiritual capital is love. The future of big thinking rests exclusively on the combination of both. The advancement of and growth of intellectual capital through study and learning in action with others, will replace the isolation of small thinking. This revolutionary combination will cut from under its feet the very foundation on which the old school small thoughts were generated and propagated. In place of small thoughts and small thinking, we will have big thoughts and big thinking, fully self-expressed, self-actualized, collaborative contributors to society, who know no limitations and no limits. After all, that’s what love is, too."

I urge you to go to
www.thinkbigrevolution.com
and sign up !
The world needs you !!

Ever Gone 100 Down the Interstate ?

If you have.......
you are definitely more alert and engaged
than if you're going 30 mph in rush hour traffic.
People get energized when they know they are going
somewhere fast at work. You can make a difference by doing this.
Jump in ! Get fired up !! Get known as a person who
GETS THINGS DONE !
You can push yourself to make daily progress and create a
BUZZ among your co-workers as well.
Go ahead......
Speed up!

You'll get a reputation and make a difference at the same time.

We have Peace.......

......with God.

Romans 5:1

Not there.

Still don't totally get it.

I want peace. So so so badly......

Arguments.

Anger.

Pain.

Fussing.

Fighting.



Not there yet.



But....God.... Do I Want It !!!!!!!!!!

A Single Footstep Will Not..........

Henry David Thoreau said it:

"As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a

single thought will not make a single pathway in the mind.

To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To

make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the

kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives."

So......

Negative ?

CNN news all day??

Soap operas ???

What are you filling your MIND with ??

New Path Anyone ? ? ? ?

My Friend Dana....

He wouldn't want me to tell you this.......
But.....Dana Davis is one of my heroes. I have never seen a person
face the "C" word and defeat it time and time again like
he has. (C=cancer) I also haven't ever seen anyone with
a more positive attitude. (Move over Zig Ziglar!) Dana is facing
another series of difficult procedures in the next few weeks. I don't
see how I could get through such procedures. But he does it.
With style
...and grace.
Here is part of an article he just wrote as he prepares for the next round of treatments:

"For in Christ I have everything I need to go through the valley of the shadow of death. He removes the fear; he gives the peace that passes all understanding; he gives the strength for the day; and he even gives joy in the journey. And beyond the blessings I receive, there is the grand promise that God produces lasting fruit in those that abide in the Son. Pretty amazing...

People have gone though difficult times lately. Some forecasters say things are getting better and there is reason to hope. These forecasts usually pertain little to what God is doing. He does not fret when economies crumble or wars break out or oceans roar. In fact, he tells us to expect everything to shake until only the unshakable remains. The 'unshakable' things can only be found in Christ – the goal of the journey."

"Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:4-5

We love you Dana !!
Bill Speight and Family

"I am an Accomplished........

......Failure."
She said it in my office yesterday. It was in response to the question.......
"What have you accomplished in your life so far?" Actually I disagree with her.
You see , I think that NO ONE IS A FAILURE !
You may have failed.....but you are NOT a failure !
Thomas Edison failed the first 10,000 times he tried to invent the light bulb.
Abraham Lincoln suffered political loss after loss after loss before he became President of the United States.
Were these 2 men failures ? NO !
On your way to success, you will suffer failures.
Keep going!
Never ever give up !
Success is within your grasp.....but you must keep your spirits high and your attitude positive.
And......keep taking the next step. You're closer than you think !!

From 250 to 5 Million !

Pastor Will Bowen of Christ church Unity in Kansas City knows the power of getting people to change the way they think. He created a purple bracelet and gave all the 250 members at his church one. He knew that it took 21 days to break a habit, so he told the people to wear the bracelet on their wrist and change wrists when the found themselves complaining. His purpose was to get people thinking positive thoughts instead of complaining or griping. In 21 days of not shifting the bracelet the complaining would be stopped and new habits formed.

In nine months, the Complaint Free World Project was launched and the number of bracelets went from 250 to FIVE ( 5 ) Million !! Pastor Will gets letters each day from people telling him what an impact the project has had.

What about you?
Do you need a bracelet ??

Desires......

"If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy,
the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world."
---C.S. Lewis

What are your NEEDS today?

What are your WANTS today??

Do you really NEED your WANTS??
Are any of your WANTS causing you anxiety, conflict, or envy ?

"Choose rather to want less, than to have more."
--Thomas a Kempis

Do You Have Anything That Needs Mending?

There's a famous old story that tells of a Rabbi who was deeply depressed and fatigued.
Yom Kippur, the day of atonement was approaching. The sad Rabbi was standing at the front door of his house when a cobbler came by and shouted, "Do you have anything that needs mending ?"
It was like the voice of God.
The Rabbi immediately realized what needed mending.
Himself.

So......what about you ?

"The Lord is Close to the Brokenhearted....."
Psalm 34:18

An Easy Surge of Energy !
A Psychologist named Henry Goddard has done a study on the energy levels of children using an instrument called an "ergograph." He discovered that when a tired child was given a word of encouragement or praise, the ergograph showed a sudden surge of energy in that child. When they were discouraged or criticized, the graph showed their energy took a nosedive.
You may have already discovered this.
Without a graph.

Why not give out some words today ?
Positive ones.
Encouraging ones.
Make a Difference !!

Relax.....
From a phone conversation......amidst all the hustle and bustle.....
she read me an exerpt from CAPTIVATING by John Eldredge.
See if it speaks to you.

"....we need times of solitude and silence. We need times of refreshment and laughter and rest. We need to listen to the voice of God in our hearts as He tells us what we need. Sometimes it will be a bubble bath. Sometimes it will be going for a run or a movie or a nap. Often, Jesus will call us away to spend precious time alone with him. We grow in our intimacy with Jesus as we practice listening to his urging, his nudges within.
Pay attention to them.......and follow."

A Day to Celebrate !
WOW !! I didn't know it would happen before June 1st. And....I'm celebrating !! Actually, I'm celebrating Jill's birthday today also. She is my bride of 32 years and my dream woman. But I'm also rejoicing over my new web site and the dream which is taking shape. I love to celebrate successes. Early and often ! And boy, do people need friends these days to encourage them and celebrate their victories with.
Today.......find someone to celebrate with.
A friend.
A colleague.
Or a special family member.

I celebrate the first day of this site and Blog !
Special thanks to CLEMENT for a great job on the site !
And to God who makes ALL THINGS NEW !!