No shame on you Ms. Betty-Sue…

As a kid my brothers and I were the quintessential young entrepreneurs. We sold everything from scented candles, oven-mittens, super-scrubbers and all sorts of candy. We even hand-picked and sold wildflowers if they were in season. Succeeding at this type of business definitely required us to have a pretty thick skin and short memory back then.

However, one specific incident that I’ve never forgotten though was the time when me and my brothers were out canvasing the neighborhood looking for lawns to cut with my Dad’s lawnmower. We weren’t having much luck at that time so we became extremely excited when we finally found someone to say “Yes” to our services.

On this particular day, a woman by the name of Ms. Betty-Sue listened to our sales pitch and gladly accepted our offer to cut her front and back lawn. Now this lawn was anything but typical. The grass was so high that we spent half of our day cutting the lawn because the blades on our mower kept getting bogged down. And, we also had to move a lot of debris.

After we finished our hard, half-a-day work, we then approached Ms. Betty-Sue with the great news. She was visibly impressed with our work and then to our surprise she said the not-so-magic words, “Boys can you come back at the first of the month when I get my check so I can pay you boys because I don’t have any money right now?” “WHATTTT!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!” We thought to ourselves. Realizing that there was nothing we could do about it, we reluctantly conceded and agreed to her wishes.

Well, when the first of the month came around we made a trip to her house, knocked on the door only to be told that she was NOT at home. We waited for a couple of hours then returned only to be told again that she had not yet made it home. This same scenario carried on for several days until we finally caught her at home, and what she said next really made us angry, “I thought I told you to come by on the 1st of the month, I don’t have any money now. You’re going to have to come back the first of the next month.” NOW THIS IS A BUNCH OF BALONEY!!! We thought.

The next month came and went with no contact with Ms. Betty-Sue and it even got to the point where her grass was in serious need of another trimming, but we definitely weren’t going to become suckers again. After a few months we then noticed that she had moved and that’s when we really realized that we’d been “Had” as the say.

Needless to say, we were highly disappointed that we were taken advantage of by a seasoned adult. But, you would be happy to know that we did not let this experience dampen and diminish our ability to continue to be kind and offer others the ability to acquire our services now and pay us later. No we refused to succumb to the bad-faith actions of the few and chose to focus on the inherent goodwill nature and abilities of the masses.

Simply put: I truly believe that the advantage of being taken advantage of gave me an even bigger advantage.

As a result, I’d like to encourage you to never grow weary of being good “to” people and doing good “for” people in this world, even when you may feel like you’ve been used, abused and flat-out-screwed.

No Ms. Betty-Sue, you DID NOT manage to steal my will or rob me of my ability to be kind to this struggling humanity! That little boy has now become a man and what you meant for bad has over the years strengthened me and turned out to be good, and for that I thank you. I will continue to lean forward in this “life” thing in service to others and smile as I attempt to Make it GREAT!

So, dare to join me and don’t let anyone compromise your kindness. Yes my friends be sure to keep your kindness keys at the ready and Make it GREAT!!!

Oh… And it’s always Ok to share if you dare… 😉

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Was having a little one-on-one chat with one of my little group-home boys today and to my surprise he told me that he now wants to be a Motivational Speaker when he grows up. After hearing this, I cracked one of my signature smiles at him then asked him “Why”. “Well, it’s because I want to motivate people when I grow up.” he said.

“Little Buddy, you don’t have to wait until your older to start motivating people, you can start now.” I said. “You can start leveraging your unique story of having an abusive, absentee Mom & Dad and in spite of it all you were able to break the cycle and become something special in the world.”

He smiled and said, “Can I start calling you Dad now?” “Naaah, Uncle “C” still works best for me little buddy.” I said with a smile. We both shared a hardy laugh then went back to shooting some hoops with the other fellas.

It’s times like these that really make me feel like I’m making a difference in service to this hurting humanity. There’s a “throwaway”, overlooked and underserved generation of youngsters out there who need our surrogate guidance and support now more than ever before if they are to have a reasonable chance to NOT just survive, but thrive in a society that’s poised and ready to pipeline them to poverty or prison.

Focusing on doing for a few what I wish I could do for the entire crew has been my mission and objective over the past five years with my group-home boys and I hope you will honestly consider using some creative ways to do the same.

No, I can’t pretend to know what the future holds for my little buddy, but I do know who holds his future and he himself has a lot to do with it.

I can only hope and pray that my future statement for my little buddy years from now will be that “He didn’t use his abusive childhood checkered past as an excuse to fail, he used it as a reason to do well and leave a positive trail.”

Simply put: I hope he decides to Make it GREAT!!!

Don’t miss your opportunities to do the same and stay in the game.

Always Ok to share if you dare… 😉

GREAT WEEK!!!

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So, I was between appointments tonight with a little time to spare and I thought it would be a great time for me and my baby-girl Chayse-Marie to drop-in to get a treat at one of our favorite smoothie shops Jamba Juice at the Marketplace in Bakersfield, California.

We quickly found a parking space and briskly crossed the lot headed toward the shop full of anticipation when I suddenly realized that I had forgotten my wallet. “Ughhh, Not Again!!!” I exclaimed. Then suddenly I realized that out of crisis comes OPPORTUNITY! 😉

“Chayse, I have some of my newly released books and CD’s in the truck and I can just grab one of them and sale it to someone out here in the courtyard. With this many people here, there’s bound to be some sucker, I mean some person who believes in Personal Development like we do.” I said jokingly. We both laughed and then headed back toward my truck to retrieve the goods.

After getting the goods I boldly went into the center of the courtyard then stood up on the center concrete planter-box and belted out, “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE!!!” I then proceeded to share my story of desperation for a Jamba Juice treat for me and my daughter and my willingness to bless someone with my Best Selling book and bonus CD at a reduced price. Then it happened…

To my surprise, NO ONE even remotely seemed interested. I then walked the circle inviting the listeners to engage and invest in this heck-of-a-deal and great story, but still NO TAKERS. I then looked at Chayse and said, “You can’t expect everybody to ‘get it’ and be interested in what your doing, but you have to be bold and keep going.” She smiled back at me with a look of concern.

Then I looked up and saw a young couple with their two boys walking across the parking lot close to our direction. “AHA!!! Let’s go Chayse-Marie, let’s be BOLD!” I said. We approached the young family and gave them our spiel-of-speech and Eureka! They actually were interested in being a part of our story, but there was a catch. They didn’t have any cash… Ughhh…

But to our surprise and amazement, they then suggested we stroll over to Jamba Juice and they would purchase our treats in exchange for the book and CD. “You’ve got a deal.” I said, and off we went. We chatted a bit more and exchanged a few niceties as I sent them on their way with a freshly autographed book and a banging CD. Now we have a new family of friends Jake and Ashley Axt and their two handsome boys. If you see them around town, please give them a thumbs-up and warm smile. It’s people like them who make this “life” thing just a little bit more special.

So what does this mean for you? Well, it’s simple… I want to remind you that not everybody will understand what you’re doing or want to be a part of your cause or worthwhile story, but if you keep your enthusiasm and kill’em with your bright eyes and winning smile, it’s just a matter of time before someone(s) will step-in to your space and affirm you.

Me and Chayse set out for a treat tonight and ended up with so much more, not only a treat, but some new friends and a GREAT story to tell. I think once again little Chayse-Marie is a believer in the power of fighting through the “No’s” to get your “Yes”.

I’m not sure what your message is or what you’re doing but I encourage you NOT to miss your opportunities to master your moments and let those around you see you do it so they can realize that they can too. Let’s continue to Make it GREAT!!!

GREAT DAY!!!

Oh… And always Ok to share if you dare…

MrMakeItGreatNOW.com
MrMakeItGreat.com

This message is for that guy who just lost the very thing that may have made him feel like a man the most and for that man who’s had the very thing that gave him his since of worth and value stripped away on a fateful day. What is this thing you may ask? Well, it’s quite simply a “job”.

Be encouraged today and understand that that job you do should NOT define you. Loss of employment does NOT equal loss of dignity and enjoyment. Loss of work and occupation should NOT equal loss of worth and unhealthy frustration.

This “life” thing is full of difficulty and uncertainty but a midst the difficulty and uncertainty lie’s a silver-lining of opportunity in some way, shape or form. We just have to be creative and find it. Yes my friends, crisis creates opportunity; opportunity to reinvent yourself and re-purpose your gifts and talents into other areas of service to this hurting humanity.

Warning though… Don’t expect this transition to happen overnight but stay positive, proactive and progressive and maintain a healthy respect for the process and watch things eventually start to swing in your favor. Not doing so just might lead to the Dreaded “D” of Depression.

Yes Indeed my friends, most setbacks are just creative, clandestine set-ups for major comebacks. So, SHAKE-OFF the stinking thinking and divorce yourself from all thoughts that DO NOT serve your positive purpose. Surround yourself with those who are looking to do better, be better, know better and see better and go Make it GREAT!!! Then tell me all about it.

GREAT DAY!!!

Always Ok to share if your dare… 😉

My book can definitely help you stay fired-up and focused on your journey if you dare. Get your FREE copy today if you just agree to “Pay-it-Forward”: www.MakeItGreatNOW.com

Over the years I’ve found that one of the most difficult skills to learn in this “Life” thing is how NOT to take the “No’s” of rejection personally.

That’s right my friends, many people the world over continue to fall victim to the covert power of the word “No”. Time-and-time-again they continue to allow the “No’s” and the “No-Show’s” of rejection to consume them from within over-and-over again ultimately causing them to wave the white flag of surrender in their worthwhile quest and endeavor.

But NOT you!

You understand that “NO” is just an acronym that means “Not Open” to your suggestion or value proposition at this time. Go ahead and except a “No” for an answer at this time with an understanding that you’re one “No” closer to receiving your “YES”!

I truly believe that the mark of one’s true conviction and belief is their ability to go from one No-to-No-to-No without losing their winning smile and enthusiasm. So, I encourage you today to KEEP GOING and never-ever-ever take the “No’s” and the “No-Show’s” personally. Others will eventually warm-up to the idea of joining your quest and cause when your success eventually exceeds their expectations.

So, keep plugging and chugging away from day-to-day and NO your way to your YES and Make it GREAT!!!

GREAT WEEK!!!

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MrMakeItGreat.com
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