You haven’t seen any news of Michael Jordan or that other guy currently playing in the NBA passing away, have you?

Well, it’s because they are both very much alive and well.

I wrote that headline to GRAB YOUR ATTENTION.

Even if you only know that a basketball is round …

You know who Jordan and that other guy are because of the many debates of who’s the GOAT (Greatest of All Time).

On July 31, one of basketball's greatest players Bill Russell died at age 88

Since 1966, in my first grade, basketball has always been my favorite sport.

Looking for the perfect after school treat for your kids or a tasty mid-day snack for yourself? Look no further than here. We’ve got a great recipe for you. Whip up some Granola Banana Sticks and dig in. They are easy to make and make a delicious, healthy snack anywhere, anytime!

Ingredients

1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons honey
4-1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons of milk
3 medium firm bananas
6 Popsicle sticks
2 crunchy oat and honey granola bars, crushed

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine the peanut butter, honey, brown sugar, and milk; cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Recently, retired Allstate Agency Owner and former BGI Mastermind Member Paul Phaneuf sent an old, but still very relevant, email message I had sent to him in 2010 in this very same platform we use & send to you every Sunday afternoon (mostly).

Last year, Paul and his wife Tessa moved to Atlanta from Tampa after selling their Allstate Agency.

School is never out for the pro.

This message is long.

It is LOADED with good, good stuff.

People like you and I dare to be different from the mediocre majority. If you were not, you would not be reading this message every week.

During my daily early morning walk which is about 60-70 minutes, 4-5 miles, & 8,000-10,000 steps I allow about 15 minutes at the very end of my walk to what my coach Michael McLean calls, “Listening to Your Golden Gut”.

Golden Gut time for me, requires my ear pods turned off after listening to

Michael’s daily video message,
Pastor Rick Warren’s daily message, and
A podcast episode of OptSpot Marketing.

If you’re familiar with today’s subject line, you may have heard it in a 12-step recovery room, or more likely from your learning and study of leadership.

Never Forget … YOU ARE A LEADER.

It’s not new. However, famous author, speaker, and research professor, Brene Brown has made it pretty popular in the leadership space.

This past week, I heard from more of our members, friends, and readers than in some time. This was nice. More on it toward the end, but first,

My Big Reason Why …

Aristotle believed that everything happens for a reason… and that every experience in your life was designed to shape and reform you to the greatest version of yourself.

What do you do when you make a mistake?

Are you like many people who beat themselves up when they make an error or a foolish decision?

Does your inner enemy punish you, pointing out other mistakes that you may have committed?

Despite being a positive forward thinking person … this inner enemy punishing me was something that I had an issue with for many years.

With some of the negative things going on in life and in the world, it makes some days hard to be motivated.

I know, I know. Motivation is what links us to our successes and we must stay on top of them … I was thinking the other day, “what really is motivation and how is it really defined? What really makes me want to do the things I do?”

Well, motivation is suggested to be an important link to learning and achievement.

I’ll be the first to admit I’m not perfect.

No one is perfect.

This is just a fact of life.

One of the reasons I know I’m not perfect is the amount of times which life teaches me a lesson.

The worst part about these life lessons is they usually end up “okay”. However, the actions leading to the resolution usually make it a lot more complicated, awkward and guilt-ridden than they should have been.

I tend to talk, a lot.

But only about information that I know, information that I’ve listened to, asked questions about so that I can be knowledgeable when I talk about it.

Which leads me into one of my favorite quotes from an unknown source …

“You were born with two ears and one mouth for a reason.