Good morning everybody. My name is Rick White. I'm the lead coach for 180BIZ. You're going to notice I'm not in my office today. I'm outside and it's a great day for today's conversation. So first thing I'm gonna do is you're going to notice, I hope you can see that 10 minutes. We're going to hit the start right there. You can see it's going, hot dog! Let's get started. So today I'm outside. I want to show you where I'm at. I'm going to do a little panoramic here with the phone and that's what I'm using my phone today. So look at this.

This is an absolutely beautiful park here in Harrisonburg, Virginia, that for the next four days is going to be inundated with about a hundred cub scouts. We're going to have our day camp here and it is a lot of fun. This is I think, my fifth year doing it. Oh my wife's on. Good Morning Brenda. So what I'm here to do today is to talk to you about it. See this pavilion that I'm in right now, by the end of the day is going to be set up for the cubs...

During my video blogs each week, I’m going to come up with a word I want you to think about. Just something to start your week off right.

This morning’s word is EXCEED. Exceeding customer's expectations. Let’s start with a story.

About two months ago, Brenda went away for a week.  So… Brandon, our oldest grandson, and I had a guy’s weekend.

We drove up to Washington, D.C. and went to an event called Marvel Heroes Live. We had two front row tickets. The show was 90 minutes of guys playing superheroes going after bad guys with stage blowing up, etc. Brandon had a blast.

The thing that struck me, believe it or not, was the cotton candy. One of our take homes was a huge bag of cotton candy. Not a big deal, right? You'd expect to see cotton candy popcorn and things like that at these events. The cotton candy was only, was, of course, 30 dollars. What amazed me was when we finished the cotton candy there were moist towelettes at the bottom of the bag to...

Welcome to another glorious Monday morning. My name is Rick White. I'm with 180BIZ here in beautiful Harrisonburg, Virginia and I want to welcome you all here this morning. Now I have a promise. Oh look, we got the timer and I’m setting it for 10 minutes.

Today's word of the day is DISCOURAGED. Nobody wants to talk about it. We're all super achievers, we all want to push for that next level. But the reality is you're going to get discouraged. And what I'd like to do is just talk to you really quick about what can cause the discouragement and then what you can do about it so that you can keep on moving. Because the danger is when you get discouraged, it stalls you out, it stops you from moving. And we want to help you with that. Let's talk about the first thing that can cause you to get discouraged.

The first thing that can cause you to get discouraged is comparing yourself to other people. You have to recognize that you are running your own race. When you compare yourself to...

My wife Brenda is involved with a number of different groups on social media and in one of the groups there was a challenge to share “three truths”.  They wanted basic core truths that each person lives by. This morning I thought I’d share my basic truths and I’d love to hear yours.

1. I’m here to help others. I know I’m not telling you anything new here but life is tough at times. At some point, each of us is going to stumble and fall. I believe that I’m here to help others through this crazy ride and get to the other side.
2. I’m here to make a difference. I believe that there’s something big I’m supposed to do, to make a difference, to leave the world better off than I found it. I also know the ONLY thing stopping me from achieving this is my fear and insecurities. Too many go to their graves with their dreams and music still in them and I refuse to join their ranks.
3. I’m supposed to...

When you start down the road of growth towards your GREATNESS, it’s easy to think that things are going to get better and better. And they do, your life does get better, but it’s not a straight climb up to the peak of your potential. On an intellectual level, you can understand and agree with that statement and still you’re surprised when, after all your hard work and effort, there are valleys on the road to your peak.

You see there are seasons all around us besides just the weather. Economies, relationships, businesses, and even your health have seasons and it is wise to be mindful of them. You need to look no further back than this past recession to see just how many people were genuinely surprised and unprepared for the “winter” of the economy.

As I have stepped back and become aware of the seasons all around, I came across some tips for dealing with the seasons in a way that will help you progress quickly to your greatness. My favorite is the ...

If you’re starting the day thinking, “Same Stuff, Different Day”, then I hope you had an awesome yesterday because that’s what you’re going to get today. As Benjamin Franklin so wisely put it, “If you do tomorrow what you did today, you’ll get tomorrow what you got today.”Instead of seeing today as just another boring and tedious day, you need to see it as a new beginning.

Today really is a gift that is taken for granted way too often. I guarantee you that there will come a morning that you won’t be a part of. Don’t squander your today because that’s what your life is made of. Today is a chance to do better, to become more, to see more, and to experience more. Today is a chance to care, to serve, and to make a difference. Today is a magical do over and the beauty of it is today happens every 24 hours! 

To help you maximize the opportunities that each today brings, you need to be looking for...

How many times have you caught yourself saying, “l didn’t get to it today, I’ll do it tomorrow.”? A lot I’m willing to wager. If I’m not careful, I find myself doing it too. Why is this a big deal? Because when you put off what you could do today you’re making excuses, creating stress, and living a life less than you’re capable of and designed to live. That’s the danger of tomorrow.

The past is gone and nothing you think, do, or say can bring it back. All you can do is realize that the life you have today is a result of decisions you’ve made in the past. More importantly though, you need to know that your past doesn’t have anything to do with your future. If you don’t like your current circumstances and want to make tomorrow better, all you have to do is make different choices today. Wielding the power of choice and taking action NOW makes you feel more in control, and reduces stress because...

You’re going to die. In fact, every day that you get up brings you one day closer to your inevitable end. Talking or thinking about death is avoided at all costs and you waste your days like they’re never going to end. I’m guilty of this too. I’m reading a great book right now called Living Forward by Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy which is all about living a life of intention.

Going through life one day at a time creates a focus on the activities of the day while losing sight of impact you want your life to have. They and others have talked about living intentionally for many years. Michael Gerber talks about “COD or Cash Out Day” in his awesome book, The E-Myth. Stephen Covey references it in his great book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People when he talks about “Beginning with the end in mind”. The true currencies of life are relationships and experiences; they’re...

I once read a quote that really got me thinking by Andrew Carnegie that said, “Do not look for approval except for the consciousness of doing your best.” This quote dug into my brain like a tick. I mulled it over and over. Over the years, what’s driven me to do the things I did? My answers were revealing and I think they’ll help you too.

• Acceptance. I was looking for acceptance. I wanted to fit in and belong. I wanted people to like me so I did things that I thought would get them to do just that.
• Approval. I was looking for approval. I wanted to be validated by others. This is where my self-worth and self-esteem came from.
• Appreciated. I wanted to be appreciated. I wanted others to recognize the contributions I made. This made me feel valuable.
• Impress. I wanted to impress people with my knowledge and ability. I wanted to show off what I could do others couldn’t because it made me feel important.
• Prove. I wanted...

Some of the truest things are said in movies and shows. In Star Trek: The Next Generation, the Borg famously state, “Resistance is futile”. I’ve been on an intense quest to better understand who I am today and who I want to become. I realize that the bridge between these two points is my ability to set goals, change my habits with ones that better serve me, and to discipline myself to consistently do the work. I’ve seen some successes and I’ve seen some disappointments. Last year I set a goal to lose 100 pounds. By September, I was down 60 pounds and then derailed myself and I’ve gained 40 of it back.

I’ve learned some lessons going through this that I know will help me ultimately succeed, not only on this goal but on any goal that I choose for myself that I’d like to share with you over the coming days. My hope is my lessons will help you to become and achieve whatever dreams you have. The best teacher isn’t...