Have you ever had a feeling that you should call someone or stop and see someone?

What did you do? Did you act on the feeling? Did you suppress it?

I must admit, this is not an original idea, which most are not.This idea came from my friend Karen Flasher who I know from my daughter Libby, my wife and now through BNI. She is in my weekly BNI Chapter, the Achievers Network. Karen give our whole chapter this idea right before Christmas and it really hit me how important the concept is and can be!

As I was writing this e-mail, I asked Cathy (my wife) how Libby met Gracie, Karen’s daughter… and it was, ironically, in response to a Tug Cathy had for Libby to play with Gracie.

In my studies of NLP, there is a presupposition that says “The messenger never rests until the  message is received” Which roughly means it’s important to pay attention to a communication or symptom… also known as a Tug!

So the next time you’re thinking about calling, sending a card or note or just stopping by to see a client or old friend… do it! You’ll be pleasantly surprised how it plays out for you and the results you realize!

On the last Friday morning of the year, 2011 that is, My son John, my good friend Neil Richmund and his son Jaxon and I took a trip to the Eiteljorg Museum. John is fascinated with Native Americans and the Eiteljorg is the place to go around here to learn more about them. As a bonus, the Jingle Rails train layout was there too and it was really impressive.

It’s amazing what we can do when we think we can!

As we walked through the museum seeing and reading about the American Indian, I noticed a small sculpture in a display case. (I took a quick photo and it’s to the right here…) The sculpture was of a man sitting with a little figure on each shoulder, bent over as if to whisper in each of his ears. The title of the sculpture was “Who are you going to listen too?”

You and I both have those same little figures on our shoulders. One and unfortunately the one we listen to least tells us all the things we are capable of doing. The other and more unfortunately the one we listen to the most,  tells us all we cannot do. That’s the voice (the one right now that’s saying, “what voice, I don’t have a voice…) that sews the seeds of doubt, insecurity, low self confidence and makes all of us far less than we otherwise could be.

It’s true our mind is powerful and it’s also true that we have a choice! Which voice will you listen to this first week of a new year? I challenge you to choose to listen to that voice that looks to possibility and potential. Just tell the other voice to (literally tell it to) “Get off my back!”

A sure formula for success is employ your God given abilities and be consistent in listening to the little voice that thinks you can. If you choose to do that, I am confident you will have a spectacular 2012! (pronounced Twenty-Twelve!)

Suivez-moi doesn’t really mean “so much” read on to find it’s true meaning…

When I went from personal production to a leadership position several years ago I had an experience that I wanted to pass along to those I worked with in my new position. You see there was a time as a multi-line insurance agent that I really didn’t like my job. But it wasn’t my job I didn’t like it was the people in my office. The irony was, I was the one who hired them and I was also the one who trained them. I had abdicated too much authority!

I hired a consultant named Tim Hosey from Bloomington Indiana and I will forever be in his debt. Tim taught me much about people and about how to take control back from my team so I was the leader. I offered them a chance to have a new career and I hired a brand new team. That’s where the phrase suivez-moi comes into play. It’s French and it means follow me. One of the examples Tim used to teach me was that in World War 1, French lieutenants would yell suivez-moi to their men as they blew their whistle with revolver pulled and lead a charge up and over the trench line toward the enemy. I needed to lead with both my outlook and my actions. That’s been almost twenty years ago and I’ll never forget that powerful two word phrase and the image it still creates in my mind.

Are you leading by both your attitude and your actions or have you abdicated too much? Both are relatively easy to correct… just ask me sometime!