Author Archives: Rick

The Start of 2016 and A HUGE Leap for Me!!

You may have noticed my absence over the last few weeks. Then again, you may not have noticed. Anyway, I’m, “Back and better than ever!!!” (Thanks Mike Greenberg.)

2016 is off to a HUGE start.

First off, I am now self-employed. Yep. You read that right. I’m working for myself.

After 18+ years in auto sales and management, I took the big step on January 4. As a few of my friends say, I’m now FUNemployed. (Add that to my tab Shaver.)

This new adventure was prompted by many things. Over the next few weeks I’ll share the process and discussion leading up to the final decision.

Today though, I’d like to share what the immediate future looks like for #TeamTheule.

I’ll be working on creating a business with three specific areas of focus.

The first area, the one that will be bringing in money first, is a Voice Over career. I’m going to begin auditioning and soliciting for work on February 1st. I’ve been working on this for a couple of months. I’m excited about the opportunity. The training I’ve received has been first class.

The second area of focus will be my writing. I’ve been looking forward to more time in my schedule to finish my first book. It’s getting close! I have a target date for publishing, but I’m keeping it hush-hush for a bit longer. The title of the book is “Looking for Joy” and will be about my journey over the last 20 years dealing with depression. I look forward to sharing my story and encouraging others in their own journey.

The blog will see a significant increase in as well. Every Wednesday will see a regular post, and there will be one or two additional posts on random days. I look forward to increasing the level of conversation we’ve had here over the last few years.

The third area I’ll be working on is a speaking career. With the help of a few outstanding friends, I’ll be developing a speaking career around multiple topics including my depression story.

Thanks so much for continuing on this journey with me. Please subscribe to receive these posts in your inbox. Also join the conversation with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!

Have a great day! Keep hustling!

What CHALLENGE am I going to overcome today?

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What challenge am I going to overcome today?

I’ve been thinking about this question for a while.

If this is to be a daily question, it may be easier. Little challenges every day may be easier to identify.

For me, I’ll start the day with the challenge of getting out of bed. I mean, I get up every day, but I certainly don’t get up early enough to be productive with the hours BEFORE heading to work.

This has been my challenge for quite a few months now. I’m still failing.

Certainly there are other challenges I can focus on. My eating habits for one. My exercise habits for another.

Good grief. Do I overcome ANY challenges each day?

I’m kidding…sort of.

It seems we often focus too much on the failures of our day. Do we even give a moment to the success of our day?

How about you? Do you focus on the failures or the successes? What challenges do you overcome each day?

This post is one in a series of posts centered around the “7 Questions Guaranteed to Create Intensity in Your Day” found in the book 20,000 Days and Counting by Robert D. Smith. (Find the 1st post HERE.)

What memories am I going to create today?

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What memories am I going to create today?

So far in this series on creating intensity in your day we’ve discussed brightening people’s days and being grateful.

Today we look at memories! Specifically, GREAT memories.

We all have memories. Good and bad.

But, do we intentionally set out in the morning to create great memories?

I’m guessing most of you are like me. You set out each morning looking at what you need to do during the day. What tasks need to be completed. What you’ll have for lunch. What meeting or sporting event you’ll be attending in the evening.

You don’t think about making memories.

What if you did? What if you set out each morning with the intent to make great memories?

I’m asking myself the same thing. How would the day go? How would I be intentional about memories?

Sure it’s a bit easier when we’re on a vacation.

We plan some of those vacation memories. At least we plan for the opportunity to create memories. Trips to the lake, to Washington, D.C., to Florida, to the mountains, etc. Our expectations for memories are on high alert during those times.

But what about during your normal daily routine?

What could possibly be memorable about a typical day in the life?

Well, here’s a picture of one of mine. I love this picture. It wasn’t staged. It wasn’t intentional. But it does accurately depict my wife and sons.

This is a great memory.

It still isn’t something planned. It is a memory I was on alert for that evening. And I believe that is something we can all plan. We can plan to be alert to memories as they happen. We can “help” things along when we are looking for a way to create a memory.

I love going to baseball games. (I don’t do it often enough. I need to plan better.)

Does planning for the baseball game constitute planning to create a memory? Not necessarily, but it can certainly create a situation and opportunity!

Funny things happen at sporting events.

I specifically remember going to a Detroit Tigers game a few years ago with my dad and my sons. It rained most of the 2+ hours we drove to the game. During the game we roasted and toasted. We sat in the blazing hot sun for hours. I have absolutely no idea which team won the game. I do remember it began storming immediately after we got back in the car to drive home.

Great memory? Maybe. Certainly something I’ve remembered and my boys remember.

What great memories do you have? Do you have even a tiny bit of intention to create a memory as you go about your regular day? Let me know!