Don’t try! Be!

blog ads 2-05Have you ever experienced a time in your life where you seemingly met someone quite by accident… only to realize soon thereafter that it was no accident at all?

I believe that the universe has a way of pointing us toward people, things and places that we should experience.

I’ve been to Sydney, Australia about a dozen times, and each time I visit I instantly feel at home, completely at peace. I’m not sure why, but I just “go with it” and love every minute of every day that I am there.

Another such instance happened two summers ago at Lake George, NY. Chuck and I attended what was supposed to be a music festival in our small town park on the lake. The event was cancelled at the last minute because of the weather. As we turned around to head home, we literally ran into Ronen and Elizabeth Yaari, who were vacationing at the lake.

We struck up a conversation (have you ever known me not to do that!), and long story short, the next night we were having dinner with them, Ronen’s brother, and their families.

What fun we had! As they were telling us about their lives and projects they were working on, Chuck and I looked at each other and instantly knew that we just had to have Ronen and his brother Eyal speak at our then-upcoming Bigger Game Expo.

They agreed and were a smashing hit! I hope you’ll watch the video clip we’ve created about them and their bigger game; they are the perfect example of Bigger Game Players who weren’t necessarily looking to play a bigger game. Heck, they didn’t even know what it meant to play a bigger game. What started out as a “simple” bike ride across Israel, which is an amazing feat unto itself for sure, ended up compelling them to create a documentary, and then to facilitating workshops on diversity.

Like the Yaari Brothers, be open for your bigger game to find you. Don’t try! Be! Let go and trust the process, for the universe is always in play. Dare to know that the universe is always conspiring for your good!

Namaste-
Rick

Tips for Conquering Fear & Empowering Yourself

com-180x180Happy Friday everyone!

Earlier this year I was excited to be given the opportunity to do a “live” TV interview in Pittsburgh to help promote “Play Your Bigger Game.” Just moments before the interview I had a classic GULP moment, and it almost didn’t happen.

You can read about my “adventure” on Maria Shriver’s website by clicking here. She is such an inspiring bigger game player, and I’m honored to now be listed as an “Architect of Change” on her site.

Enjoy!

Namaste-
Rick

It Takes a Village

About 5 years ago, I hit a very tough stretch in my life. Within a 6-month period, I lost my Uncle, my Mother, and my 15-year-old dog, Abby.

It seemed to be one devastating blow after another. And then I became sick. I was at a friend’s birthday party, when all of a sudden I passed out. I was standing with a glass of red wine in my hand, and literally fell to the floor mid-sentence.

Fortunately I recovered quickly and was admitted to the hospital overnight for observation.  My ongoing stress of “keeping it all going,” coupled with my exhaustion from constant traveling, finally led to an infection, that ultimately triggered a physical breakdown of my body.

It was during this time that I learned – really learned – the importance of surrounding myself with allies.

Two weeks after recovering from my physical breakdown, I seemed to have an emotional breakdown of sorts. I really started to freak out – about everything.

So I did what I would normally do, I called my business-and-life partner, Chuck. I unloaded a couple of truckloads of my angst on him. I whined. I complained. I bitched about traveling too much. You name it, everything was fair game, and I was on a roll!

To his credit, Chuck was compassionate and attentive to my needs for a good 20 minutes. Then he let fly with the best “Get your act together or let’s stop this business” tirade that I’ve ever received. Chuck went ballistic, but in a way that showed love, support, and nothing but encouragement.

Basically he told me that if I wanted to do good and meaningful work, he was there for me always – but only if I took proper care of myself; asked for help when I needed it; and took full responsibility for getting my act together physically, emotionally, and mentally.

We all need wake-up calls like that from time to time, don’t we? While it was really hard at the time, looking back I know that this episode in my life was a good thing.

What would your life be like if you considered everything that happens to you, good or bad, to be an ally for you? Think about your past and how situations that seemed horrible at the time eventually proved to have positive effects. I’ll bet you can come up with at least a few.

Chuck was the perfect ally during this troubling time for me. He was a true partner, one who cared enough to say, “Enough is enough!” He gave me empathy and support, and he also provided a reality check.

As a result of Chuck’s tirade, one of my calls for support went out to Dr. Carol Ann Malizia, a chiropractor and wellness expert. Little did I know the impact this woman would have on my health and well-being. She quickly became an ally in my life.

Dr. Carol Ann literally taught me to “feed” my true potential. As she says, “The time has come for us each to feed ourselves not only spiritually and emotionally, but also nutritionally.”

I value Dr. Carol Ann’s wisdom and knowledge so much that I asked her to be a speaker at the Bigger Game Expo. She wowed the crowd! She has the ability to present information in a clear, concise manner. She’s intelligent and authentic (I’ve compiled some clips of her speaking – take a look – it’s only 1:41 long. I find her so inspiring!).

And now my niece, Suzanne, and her husband, Erik, are also chiropractors and wellness experts, and very involved in my well-being. A holistic and natural approach to a healthier life is now the norm for me, and something that will help keep me on top of my game.

What allies do you have in your corner? If you already know, touch base with each of them as soon as possible and remind them who they are to you. If you don’t yet have your own dream team, I invite you to start. I find it helpful to create a list of the people in your life and, next to each name, write what sort of ally you hope that person is or will become. Creating a list will help make it real!

During one of my workshops, we were discussing the Allies square on The Bigger Game Board, and a participant said, “It’s ‘all-lies’ to think that we can get through life without allies.” We all laughed, and I thought it was a brilliant concept. Remember to look for allies in every situation – the good, the bad, and the ugly – and turn it all into positive energy.

Allies make the world go round!

Namaste-
Rick