What Do You Do When the Music Stops?

blog ads 2-05Hi Friends-

Have you ever dreamed up the best idea ever, gone over it in your head a million times, and were so sure of its success? Only to have it backfire, or flop, or not have the outcome you intended?

This happened to me at the Bigger Game Expo last summer. For our opening session, Chuck and I wanted to recreate the final dance number from Dirty Dancing. The venue, Silver Bay YMCA, is reminiscent of the location used in the movie, and we knew it would be a fun way to start the Expo!

We began with a series of iconic movie clips on a giant screen that directly related to each of the Bigger Game Board squares. The last clip was the beginning of the dance sequence in Dirty Dancing, and we then orchestrated a tricky maneuver where the screen went away and standing live on stage was “Baby” from Dirty Dancing.

It was all working brilliantly, and just before “Baby” was to jump off the stage and into the arms of “Johnny,” the music stopped. It just went dead.

There was a split second of panic, but then to the credit of our two amazing dancers, Broadway star Aubrey Lynch and my niece Autumn Tamlyn, they continued the dance, without missing a beat, as if nothing happened.

The music stopped, and yet the show continued!

This happens a lot in life, doesn’t it? Just when you think you have it all figured out, something comes from out of nowhere and you’re left in a very different place than you had planned.

We had practiced and practiced (and probably over-practiced) the opening number, and each time it just kept getting better and better. We knew we had an opening session that would have folks say, “WOW!”

Little did we anticipate that my laptop computer would decide to slam shut from the stage vibrating with dancers on it, thus shutting down the music being piped into the auditorium!

The universe can have a funny way of throwing us a curve ball every once in a while. What do you do when this happens? [Tweet “What do you do when the music stops?”]

For me, I’ve learned to follow these four (4) simple tips:

  1. Slow down, notice and “be with” what is really going on – maybe it is unfolding better than the original plan. At the Expo, to my surprise, audience members immediately joined in and started to sing the lyrics from the well-known hit, “Time of My Life!” Having the audience become the “choir” of the song was just a beautiful thing, and something I would have never thought to do!
  2. Let go of perfect outcomes. I believe that in my core, the Universe conspires for our highest good. What I decide is my “highest good” is what I need to let go of – there may be a bigger plan going on.
  3. Create something from what is happening, rather than vote and react to what is happening. I was in complete reaction mode when the music stopped. I ran at lightening speed to the computer to try and fix the problem. It did not help! I missed what was happening in the room – folks were loving becoming the choir. Later we learned that many folks thought it was part of our plan; they didn’t realize that the music stopping was not supposed to happen. Wow – what a concept, huh?!
  4. Forgive yourself! Do whatever it takes to let it go so there is room for the next creative moment that wants to happen. Without forgiveness, the next moment cannot happen with joy, lightness and authenticity.

I still think back to that opening number, and for the most part I’m thrilled with the unexpected way it all happened. Sure, I can let myself become upset that the music stopped (I’m human after all!), but in the big picture of this thing called life, I know in my heart it all happened exactly as it should have.

What about you? I’d love to hear what you’ve done when the music has stopped in your life.

Namaste-
Rick

VIDEO: What Real Coaches Do

This is a short video asking well respected Life Coaches, “What do REAL coaches do?” allowing for a deeper exploration of what coaching is about from their perspective and training. Joe Drogo, ACC,  & Nina Segura, MA, CSSBB, CPCC, interview Rick.

DREAM BIG: And Remember, It’s All Made Up!

Rick's BlogHi friends,

I’m almost home for the holidays, and so looking forward to some down time with family and friends!

Chuck and I make it a tradition to “dream big” over the holidays, and map out all the things we’d like to do, the events we’d like to create, and the places we’d like to visit in the next year. When we do this together, nothing is off the table – the goal is to dream big!

It doesn’t really matter if everything ultimately happens or not. The idea is to get into that fun creative energy where everything and anything in life is possible. For me, it’s a much better place to hang out. Remember, it’s all made up J.

Dan Pallotta, our closing keynote speaker at The Bigger Game Expo, talked about innovation and dreaming big. I loved it when he said, “the world does not need practical people. The world needs more dreamers.”

Wishing you and yours a fun and dream-filled holiday season!

With thanks and gratitude,

Rick

WATCH: An Opportunity Disguised as a Challenge

Rick's BlogHi Friends-

Did you know that the average attention span of a human being is a mere 8.25 seconds. And for comparison’s sake, the average attention span of a gold fish is 9 seconds. Really?!

This information comes to us via a new study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (and to be honest, has nothing to do with my blog post below, yet I found it interesting…).

Well, I can guarantee that a shortened attention span was NOT the case when John Robinson spoke at The Bigger Game Expo. For an entire hour, John mesmerized us with his wisdom, insights and stories. If we weren’t laughing, we were all so still that you could hear a pin drop in the 100+ year-old auditorium.

John was born a congenital amputee.

And he’s never let that fact stop him or hold him back. He’s never let his circumstances get in his way, and he’s dedicated his life to helping others with disabilities.

John’s Bigger Game has taken many forms. One of them is his Journey Along the Erie Canal, a 350-mile bike trek across upstate NY, designed to raise awareness for Americans with disabilities.

Through his company, Our Ability, John’s mission is to mentor, connect and inspire people with disabilities towards education and employment.john copy

Most of us, I dare say, would not be as forthcoming as John if we were in the same situation. John is comfortable, content and confident with whom he is. Nothing stops him. “I’m proud of who I am, I’m proud of the body I’ve been given and I wouldn’t trade that for anything,” John told us.

“You have it within yourself to make whatever change you want in your life, to take bold action, to look at yourself in the mirror tomorrow morning for who you are and not for who you are not,” he said.

I couldn’t agree more (Hear more from John and watch the 3:00 min. video clip above).

More to come-
Rick

WATCH: The Surprising Ways Complaining Hurts Your Career

Picture_24Hi friends,

I’ve just finished my stay-cation and I’m getting things lined up for what looks like a very busy Fall. During my stay-cation I was fortunate to have the opportunity to be interviewed by TIME magazine for an article they are working on. Chuck and I traveled down to NYC for the afternoon, not really sure what to expect. I must say, it was fun!

Here’s a video clip they just published in advance of the article, and I wanted to share it with you.

Take a look when you have an extra 2 minutes, and please feel free to share and/or comment!

Much more to come-
Rick

Click here to watch and learn more!

How Dr. Christmas Got His Dream Job

Rick's BlogIn my book, Play Your Bigger Game, I share my belief that you can shape your life as a game of your own design. And if you can play your life as a game, why not make it the most exciting, challenging game possible, one that allows you to fully express your talents and creativity?

When you play your bigger game, you can create a life that is dynamic, engaging, and wildly inspiring, and you’ll never feel stuck again.

One of my favorite stories of playing The Bigger Game is about my dear friend Bob Pranga, who was my very first coaching client over 20 years ago. He does a remarkable job of living life to the fullest and expressing his talents and creativity… I love to share his story this time of year!

Click here to learn how he created Dr. Christmas and is quickly becoming a household name.

Namaste-
Rick

sparkle

Fun Expo News!

Dear friends,

With great anticipation and excitement, I’m thrilled to announce that registration is officially OPEN for the next Bigger Game Expo – June 11-14, 2015!

The Bigger Game Expo celebrates the power, the potential and the magic of the human spirit! It’s a place where hope is made real.

Bigger Game Expo

Chuck and I have been busy lining up a great bunch of speakers and have confirmed:

Elizabeth Gilbert - Bigger Game ExpoElizabeth Gilbert
Elizabeth “ran away from home” for a year. Her travels through Italy, India and Indonesia resulted in the bestselling Eat, Pray, Love, a memoir about her process of finding herself by leaving home.

Her iconic TED Talk, Your Elusive Creative Genius, has attracted over 85 million views to date and is ranked as the 14th most-viewed TED Talk of all time.

Dan Pallotta - Bigger Game ExpoDan Pallotta
Dan is a builder of movements. He invented the multi-day charitable event industry with the AIDS Rides and Breast Cancer 3-Days. These events altered the landscape of options for ordinary individuals seeking to make an extraordinary difference.

In addition, 12 other speakers will share their Bigger Games. Click here to see who is confirmed!

We’re planning lots of fun things – including a cocktail cruise on scenic Lake George aboard the Mohican cruise ship.

Come for inspiration, engage with like-minded people, and leave with fresh perspectives and inspiration for changing the way you look at your career, family,Mohican - Bigger Game Expo community, the world, and, equally important, yourself.

I’ll be sharing lots more information in the months ahead, and I so hope that you’ll consider joining me!

More to come-
Namaste,
Rick

Bigger Game Expo

Honoring My Dad

blog ads 2-01My Dad was a lively, funny person who probably would have made a great comedian, or an actor, but instead he worked in human resources for General Motors.

Sadly, he passed away in 2001 on Father’s Day. He was always one to be a bit dramatic!

His death was sudden and a surprise to my family and myself. I continue to miss him, and with Father’s Day weekend upon us, I always seem to reflect back on my Dad and our time together in this life form.

His job at General Motors was not always fulfilling. I can remember many a night when he’d arrive home frustrated and upset with what transpired in his day. Back then it wasn’t the norm to jump from job to job, so he fought the good fight and headed back to his job each morning. He had a family to support and my Mom would ever so gently remind him of this. There were many frustrations for him, but he was at least driven by the promise of a comfortable retirement.

But that didn’t happen. A few years before his retirement date, the pension package was changed such that he received not nearly what he’d planned on. My father was disappointed in the way things turned out.

Me and my Dad

Me and my Dad

In his later years, he often told my brothers and me that we should design our lives around doing something we loved, something with a compelling purpose. He helped us realize that the focus of our lives shouldn’t be making it to retirement age; what counted were the experiences along the way, the fulfillment found in the journey itself.

“At the end of your life, you want to look back and say, ‘That was a great ride,’ rather than, ‘I wish I’d done something else,'” he’d tell us.

I’m sure it wasn’t easy for Dad to admit that he was somewhat disappointed in the way his life turned out, but I admire and appreciate that he wanted something better for his sons.

Dad didn’t want us to make the same mistake he made. He was deeply proud of being a great provider, and boy was he an inspiring father to his three sons, perhaps without even knowing it. He instilled in us a hunger to live a fulfilling and meaningful life.

My Dad worked in the human resources department, and I guess when I really think about it, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. I love working with individuals, groups, and organizations, big and small, to help them realize their true potential.

Thank you, Dad. The work I do in the world is because of you. Your life lesson has stayed with me, and has become my own compelling purpose.

More to come!

Namaste-
Rick