Can you recognize who is in alignment with your goals and dreams? Alignment is a strategic word that must always be given attention to and understood if you want to make progress in life. The following is a definition that best applies it's significance. A position of agreement or alliance; a state of agreement or cooperation among persons, groups nations, etc. with a common cause or viewpoint. The key is we must be open to recognize when alignment is about to occur in our lives, otherwise there may be a missed opportunity for growth and eventual success. The Group In 2003 I initiated the process of establishing a tennis team at the private school where I was a teacher and head basketball coach. I became very motivated to take on this project when my son Gaston started to show promise in the sport. One major thing I had to do is find other student athletes who wanted to play on a team and benefit from additional matches beyond the USTA tournament schedule. There was one particular student athlete I had to convince to play who could carry the girls team in singles and doubles. That was Suzanna Mansour. Suzi as we called her, was in my class and I knew she was a highly ranked player with a demanding schedule. I asked her to play a few matches so we could become eligible the following year, she agreed. The Cooperation The next season came around and we got approval for district play. Suzi was ready to compete. Later she revealed to me that winning the state title was now on her list of goals. After breezing through the regular season, Suzi won the district title as our number one player qualifying her for states in Tallahassee. At states Suzi's play was solid in the first couple of rounds, advancing to the state individual final. She now had to play someone she had lost to twice before. This meant that I had to dig deep for a strategy. But I was her high school coach, not her private coach. This was a paradigm shift for both of us. Suzi had tremendous knowledge about the game and was being recruited heavily by major D-1 schools that knew that as well. I had to find a way to communicate my thoughts about the match while respecting her impressive resume. Being the basketball coach at a state tennis tournament allowed me to embrace the challenge. I understood the game of tennis and trusted my ability to motivate and offer her practical advice in this situation. I had a plan. The Common Cause Shortly before the big match, Suzi was having a conversation on the phone with her father as he shared his thoughts about what she should do. I could tell Suzi wanted to focus on the match without hearing too much additional information. Before ending her conversation she said, " Dad, coach Murray has the plan." At that moment I knew we were in alignment and something great was about to happen. It was Suzi that declared our common cause. She went out and executed what we agreed upon, and won in straight sets capturing the Florida Individual State Title! The Success Suzi went on to play at Florida State and the University of South Carolina. She and my family became closer throughout her college career. In the years that followed, there were many other events that galvanized our relationship. Three years ago I received an unexpected invitation to be present on her extravagant wedding day. It was an honor I will never forget. Suzi is now Mrs. Suzanna Whitley, wife and mother living a very successful life with her husband Chet. Remember, discovering who will make an alliance with you so your dreams can be realized, will require focusing on the results you desire. How it all happens should remain in the background. Be open!

How is your confidence? Is it being threatened? Do you feel like you need to rediscover your identity to make more progress? Confidence is the Game Changer or the sine qua non for perseverance. You are in an arena whether you realize it or not. Even if it's your own arena. As a L ife Coach and Sports Performance Trainer, I believe everyone should consistently assess themselves in three key areas. Research has shown that the following can improve mental and physical health which produces greater confidence. 1. Take inventory of your fitness level. Many people fail to understand that purposeful exercise is what gives our bodies the ability to produce more energy. Get the oxygen circulating and your heart rate up, and watch your days become less draining. Consider, visiting a good Practitione r that can help steer you in the right direction if you are unsure about the status of your health. 2. Establish good eating habits. This does not mean you can't enjoy your favorite foods. Anyone who knows me well will tell you, I LOVE FOOD! Just make better decisions and discover what healthy habits work best as you learn how to be honest with yourself. You won't get great results guzzling down beers and burgers throughout the week. Research Nutrition and Supplementation . 3. Make personal development a priority for yourself and others. Read material that builds you up so you can make a greater impact on your family and those in your sphere of influence. There are a number of areas I personally work on to better myself as I process information from other coaches and authors. Posture yourself to become a lifelong learner especially in your field of expertise. Also remember, our brains use lots of carbohydrates to function and it is included in a 24 hour workout. Thus the saying, "Exercise Your Brain." Now go be that athlete! If it's difficult for you to grasp this concept, understand we all are athletes in some way. And we all need confidence to get traction when taking on responsibilities. Our creator gave each of us the ability to move, eat and think. As you get clarity about how you will address these three areas, commit to becoming the athlete who goes out into the arena of life, performing with confidence while improving yourself and those around you. How you look and how you feel will be the determining factor for your success. For more winning strategies, Click below to order the Dream Playbook !

In 49 BC Julius Caesar changed the course of history. He crossed the Rubicon River which was forbidden under Roman law while still in command of his troops. Caesar had been appointed governorship over a region that did not include Italy. He was ordered not to bring his army across the Rubicon. Crossing the river meant a point of no return. Despite the obstacles, Julius Caesar and his 13th legion were able to capture other provinces until he seized Rome. After considering how Julius Caesar conquered Rome, there is one thing that comes to mind. It is a Rubicon that we all will face no matter how confident and determined we believe that we are. “In life we can do one of four things in times of uncertainty”, says transformational coach David Bayer. “ We will either fight, be in flight, freeze or thrive”. I will always choose the fourth option, to thrive. However, thriving it is better said than done. Success in life, will come by way of making a tough decision that will require sacrifice. Sacrifice may come in the form of giving up material possessions, entertainment or lack of sleep when working long hours. The Rubicon we will all face in our lives is crossing the Fear of Rejection. Yes, that’s right. Most people will never go to battle for what they desire because of rejection. This is when we have to decide to thrive. We sometimes go out of our way to make sure we don't experience this like purchasing a new car that’s out of our budget to secure our place with the crowd. This is a fear that must be conquered immediately if you want to live a life of freedom. Fear of Rejection, can be very paralyzing. Jack Canfield explains, “ To get over rejection, you have to realize that rejection is really a myth. It doesn’t really exist. It is simply a concept that you hold in your head.” If you apply to get into the University of Florida and didn’t get accepted, you were not in the University of Florida before applying. The situation didn’t get worse, it stayed the same. Once you understand how to reframe these occurrences, you will move forward with greater courage to cross each Rubicon that you face.

In 1981 the pressure was on. Could I prove I was a valuable starter on the varsity football team my sophomore year? I felt confident playing receiver, but there were still some missing pieces I needed that could bring everything together. A large piece of what I was looking for showed up one day during the first week of practice. It came as I was in line for a drill when I got a nudge on my shoulder pads. I was thrown for a loop when I turned around and saw a gentleman dressed in a dark green uniform, but without his mower. He began giving me pointers about how I should run patterns against my defender. I had never seen him before and I thought to myself? " Why is a lawn-man out here at practice telling me how to play my position? I looked around and saw all of the other coaches in their gear except him. It was very strange. Later it was announced that the lawn-man was invited out as a volunteer coach. Then I thought, we must be desperate! Getting past the lack of uniformity was tough initially. But being the respectful young man that I was, I continued to take in what he had to say. After a week passed I started looking forward to seeing him at practice. The lawn-man , coach Bob Bergmann, I later found out played at Clemson University. Because of him I was able to develop into one of the best receivers in the county. Fast forward years later at Murray State University- practice was just dismissed by head coach Frank Beamer. He held the receivers out on the field to get in extra work against the defensive backs in one-on- one drills. I reported to the corner of the field where Coach Beamer met our group. When I arrived he looked at me and said, " Marc go on in, you don't need this". Even now my former teammates remind me of how good of a route runner I was while playing for the Racers. As an athlete you don't forget moments like that. Having a legendary coach give such a high praise in the midst of your peers was an endorsement that will live forever. But I did not forget who helped get me to that level. More than two decades went by before I would cross paths with him again. Coach had sold his successful business, Bergmann's Lawn Service. But he was still making an impact on young people in the class ring industry. I was very excited to see him while I was on staff at a local high school. I shared the story about Murray State. Watching his face light up was like being on the field again! I still contact Coach from time to time to remind him that I am still listening to the lawn-man. Many of us have a passion to develop and become great at something. But too often we have a fixed idea about how things will come together and whom we will learn from. Are you open to learn from someone who does not look the part? When I reflect on my initial interactions with Coach Bergmann and think about why I was able to connect with him, there are three things that come to mind. 1. Listening to coach speak with a Confident Voice helped me look past his attire. 2. I had a Strong Desire to play college football and understood that he held some missing pieces to my dream. 3. He gave me Specific Strategies for growth. In the field of life be prepared to have a lawn-man show up unannounced. And remember, their outward appearance may not meet your expectations, but if you listen for the confidence, and the specific strategy, they just may be the one. The desire is up to you.

Do you have any disappointments on the table that you have yet to resolve or get past? Perhaps you feel you have done everything that can be done to move on from the “What Could Have Been”? May be it was a career opportunity or relationship that fell through or fell apart? What next? How does one maximize their productivity after there has been so much emotional effort put into something that did not come to fruition? When the dynamics of life stretch us beyond our usual capacity to handle hardships and trials, we must begin to think in terms of reframing the situation. It is very important to recognize that we only have so much control over difficult equations that life places before us regardless of how brilliant we think we are. Yes, we do have control over many areas of our lives that are fueled by desire and discipline; but that to requires a constant flow of evaluating and re-evaluating to deal with unwanted mistakes. To get past disappointment there must be a psychological conclusion to the losing season so we can move forward and reframe life’s unattractive portraits. First of all, there needs to be a level of understanding in our mindsets that obstacles are a prerequisite for success. No great leader or entrepreneur has ever made an impact in his or her field without resistance of some sort. In whatever form it appears, we should develop a pattern of using life’s resistance to build strong leadership muscles that will benefit us both professionally and personally. The second step in reframing is to ask, “How did I grow from this unwanted experience or outcome?” Unless we can identify areas of growth, there is a good chance we will remain stuck. Once we identify the value of how we grew, we can use it to pivot and oscillate our strengths in a way that will create sustainable impact for future projects and ideas. Thirdly, we all should look deep inside and admit any faults that occurred on our part and take responsibility for actions that were detrimental to our vision. This includes negative self –talk as well as the damaging affect of blaming others for every mishap that came our way. It’s amazing what happens when we except error even when it is obvious that someone maligned us some way. Lastly, the most valuable attribute that will be acquired from reframing your experience is the ability to help others get unstuck and arrive at their desired destination. Getting your mind off of your own problems helps put the previous three steps into action. Now you will become very valuable to those that you have inspired and they will view you as a beautifully framed portrait to be admired.

One of the most neglected aspects of life is learning to lead. True leadership demands moving out before others, even when things look treacherous. This play is not for Everyone. But then again, not everyone goes after his or her dreams. But those who do must know the feeling of being a forerunner. The English dictionary defines a forerunner as one who is a predecessor or one who goes ahead of others. In the sport of skiing, there are those who test the course before the other skiers complete in a race. As a tester or forerunner, you will find out firsthand where the rough spots are on the course before anyone else does. When you have a passion for something and a great idea, external and internal forces daring you to move forward and take action, will confront you. Whether you pursue them or not is up to you. But understand this, your plans will never develop if you are unwilling to solidify the mind-set of a forerunner. I believe that everyone has the ability to be a forerunner in some area of calling. In His infinite wisdom, God gave all of us an invitation to greatness. However, we do not all respond accordingly to this invite because we soon discover that a steep price comes along with it. When your dream becomes bigger than the price you have to pay, then you will become a forerunner. Once you get to the place that you realize how impactful you can be in the lives of others by hunting down you dream, you will become a forerunner. We may not become a forerunner in every career field, but certain aspects of life will trigger something inside to cause us to move out and start gaining ground in that arena. Begin to identify areas that you can launch out and run the play of a forerunner. As a blazoner, you will face your share of criticism simply because others find it hard to comprehend whey you are so compelled to do business on the high seas while they remain in their comfort zones on shore.

A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts. James Allen, As a Man Thinketh Good or Bad, in the mind of man is where all ideas are birthed. As the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) slogan states, " A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste." Wasting your mind is wasting your life. The Mind-set formation in The Dream Playbook is very important because we can spend our lifetime shaping our minds to be productive or destructive. Understanding the type of mindset you will live by will ultimately determine what you will accomplish. Solidifying a prolific mind-set that applies to every arena of life will give you a tremendous advantage. Your mind-set be structured but fluid. It must give you the ability to mingle with the poor and needy as well as the wealthy. Developing and intention that gives you an edge with the educated and uneducated will allow you to expand and feed your vision and maximize your efforts. I suggest you read these two books if you really want to find out where your mind-set is currently. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck The Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby K. Payne.

Dear Business Dad's, I had the pleasure of teaching my kids Gaston and Hannah tennis, golf, soccer, basketball and track with the help of other professionals in each sport. They both are now tennis instructors and love what they do! My son Gaston, won the individual state title in high school and was the hitting partner for many well known professional women's players for a few years until he recently accepted a coaching position at The Citadel. Between the time frame of him being eight to eighteen years old we embarked on an incredible ten year journey together that was filled with ups and downs, trials and triumphs. What kept me going? What made me stay with my kids and put in quality time to make sure they were grounded not only as athletes but good people? What made me pass up other professional opportunities that came my way? There was only one thing I would remind myself. I would say, "Marc, you do not get this time back." My plan was to be able to look at my kids and them look at me and say, "Dad, you gave us your all." I believe every father wants to do what they think is best to provide a good life for their families. We all have had seasons in life when we pushed very hard to make our financial goals become reality. But at what cost? Somethings you cannot purchase regardless of how successful you are. Having a great relationship with your kids is what will secure your legacy down the road. So, as you evaluate your time, personal and professional goals, ask yourself, Are your kids on your spreadsheet of dreams? Remember, you do not get this time back!