Yesterday, I was getting off a plane in Atlanta when I heard someone call out my name. It was a professional speaker colleague from the National Speakers Association. While I was glad to see him, I was also pressed for time and had several phone calls to make and work to do in the two hours between our greeting and my departure for home. I invited him to join me in the Delta Crown Room for “a few minutes” to catch up. It seemed like the right thing to do. He had asked me how things were going with my business and since one thing speakers love to do is TALK, I told him EVERYTHING. Just when I was going to bid him farewell, I asked him how things were going for him and he told me about his recent divorce and his ex-wife’s struggle with an eating disorder and other issues too difficult for me to comprehend. He was sadden by her loss and I was sad for him. He wasn’t bitter and in fact seemed to be almost grateful for having learned what he learned about relationships though he missed her dearly and had never wanted the divorce. He had definitely been through some adversity. Now he felt better equipped to handle future challenges that might come his way. All the while this was going on another friend is going through tough times with marriage challenges and wants a divorce. I am sick. I just HATE it when two people who love each other decide that they can’t work things out, particularly when it involves children. Children who will be impacted by a decision perhaps made too hastily or without full thought of the future consequences. I believe with all my heart that there is always a better solution but too often times we are so close to a situation we just can’t see clearly. Part of living rich means realizing that things aren’t always going to be perfect and seeing the good in every situation. Like I have said for years, “If you look for the good in everything, in EVERYTHING you’ll find the good.” I hope this post will encourage those who read it to find good in adversity today. Make a commitment to continue to fight for what you believe in be it the institution of marriage, a struggling business, or a dream that you have always had. It’s there. Just look for the good.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com 

I just got off the phone with my dad. I called him because my son’s hands and legs are stained dark brown from playing with black walnuts. Since my dad loves black walnuts, I thought he’d have an answer to how to get the stain off. Had I thought about it first, I’d had gone online to ask the great internet Google god the following ”oh master of all great knowledge, tell thee kindly how does one remove black walnut stain from the hands of a mischievous lad who wrote all over the road using the nuts from the tree as if a pen”. Fortunately for me, I didn’t consult Google, but grandpa (my son’s grandpa that is). His answer included information that I would have never received from Google. By the way, I think we are missing out by asking Google questions we should ask grandpa, grandma, the next door neighbor or a friend. 

I am not sure how it came up but dad told me that he had been listening to a musical program this week where the host posed this question:  “What music changed your life?”  Dad told me that hearing Fredick Chopin’s Polanise Opus 53 at age 15 changed his life. He said up until that time, he had never heard a man play a grand piano. He remembered thinking over 60 years ago, “If it takes me until I’m 45, I’d like to be able to play that piece like that man.” Inspired by Chopin, he started taking piano lessons again. Two years later, he played the Polanise in a recital.

Dad told me if he hadn’t heard that music, he might not have become really interested in music. Had he not rediscovered music, he likely wouldn’t have enrolled at Stetson University to study music. Had he not attended Stetson, he certainly wouldn’t have met my mother and if he hadn’t met my mother, I’d not be writing it. (Thanks Fred!)

I heard this story which I had never heard before because I called my dad for black walnut stain removal advice. While I’m grateful to Google for the impact it has had on me, I’m much more grateful for my dad (who by the way, has never even been on the internet).

*********

So the question of the week is what piece of music has changed you, impacted your life, moved you to action, or just is music that has meaning to you? The brain trust of the World’s Biggest Blog Party wants to know. In fact, we’re putting together a list of music that will be downloadable on the WBBP blog - music that matters. So what do you think?

If you see this twice, I am posted it there too.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

I’m going public - I am now out of the closet. Yes I went to a casting call for a reality TV show No it wasn’t The Batchelor (I’m blissfully married to a wonderful woman and have been for over 15 years and she’s not going anywhere without me) and it’s not Survivor, The Amazing Race, The Apprentice, or The Big Loser. While America’s Got Talent, Tim doesn’t and my Real World doesn’t involve a Wife Swap. My Dancing With the Stars is limited to dancing with my little girls ages 3, 6, and 8. I have three Big Brothers and when I cook it’s usually Hell’s Kitchen…just ask my wife. The casting call I went to was Oprah’s new show called The Big Give. The show plus the incredible success of Bill Clinton’s new book Giving demonstrate a societal shift toward focusing on things that matter. When I heard about The Big Give, I made a trip to Nashville for the casting call. Sensing that there might be a big turnout, I got there early and took a seat in line behind ten other people who arrived before 6:00 am for a 9:00 call. While waiting for the doors to open people in line exchanged stories of why they were there and what they were doing to make a difference. I met a guy who worked with home owners to pay their mortgage after natural disasters. I met a man who was working on a documentary on the impact of hurricane Katrina. Through his efforts, he wanted to raise money for Katrina victims. There was the young medical student who was setting up a clinic with his father in Nigeria. Part of his motivation was to help his country overcome the negative perception due to the many Nigerian email scams. There were people of all ages, all ethic and religious backgrounds and all with the feeling that they could make a difference through their actions. It seems that there are many waiting for the opportunity to give big. When a celebrity or person of influence makes waves about the importance of giving, it seems to stir up others too.

While I didn’t make it on the show (heck, I didn’t even make it through round one), I was glad to meet some inspiring people and know that in the Reality crazed TV world we live in, there is finally a show that just might be worth watching.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

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Apparently, my post on September 30th hit a nerve as I have been hearing about it! I guess there are lots of us who feel overwhelmed balance family, career, and dealing with all the technology that was supposed to make our lives so much easier and save us so much time (just curious, what are you doing with all your extra time?). Below is her UNEDITED email used with her permission (company info removed at her request). She is a the stage in life where time is more important than money. So like me, she is trying to figure out this work/life balance thing and still make professional contributions while making a living. Here’s her email:

Looking back I have made big changes-but things sneak in and my goals get off track and out of focus too easy:

• I reduced travel (I only make 3-4 trips a year)
• I am targeting a work week of 50-55 hours now (in 2006 the 70-80 workweeks were physically killing me)
• By June 30, 2010 (my husband’s b’day) I plan to go to a 3 day work week or seasonal role. Not sure how or where this will be but this is my target. The tricky part as you know is to find a way to maintain my income with the reduced work hours. Maybe I can find this in the book you mention (The 4-Hour Work Week for those just tuning in).
• Work only a max. of 4 hours on the weekend. I have taken myself out of a leadership role with no direct reports. I am now slipping back out of necessity-recruiting someone to help me so I can meet my 50-55 hours-looking for someone that will be able to work independently and maybe eventually be able to take my full time role. I recently started working from home two days a week to reduce commuting time/gain personal time. We put in a pool this summer so I could increase my exercise. WOW -it is breathtaking with the mountain views!

• We were able to cut my husband’s work to 3 or 4 days a week. We are getting used to this adjustment to our income and it has not been bad.

All the above has not been easy and I have made painful choices along the way to make it happen. After the completion of my projects in 2007 I expect to make another adjustment-have not been able to decide what that is-which is making me uneasy I usually can quickly identify next steps.

On the personal front, we have a new subdivision going in less than a mile from us (lots starting at 200k, they keep reserving the local airport for people to fly in on their private planes to consider purchase.) Our community could be in for a big change over the next 5 years as this community launches-when it sells out we may find our financial reward resulting in our next move. Not sure where.

**** Tim’s comments ****

The first step I made yesterday was to increase productivity by purposeful planning and reducing time on email. I scheduled two email reading times - one at 12:00 and the other at 4:00. NO READING EMAIL AT OTHER TIMES. I disabled the feature on my computer that automatically sends email as it comes in and now send/receive mail twice per day and will do this all month. It was a big step for someone who conducts LOTS of business online and MAY be an email addict. I may have to enter a 12-step program to wean myself off checking and responding to emails as they come in. “Hi, my name is Tim….I have a problem”

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

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This week was a week my wife and I had kind of dreaded for several months. Here was the schedule: Monday I flew to San Francisco to speak Tuesday am. Then I flew directly to Las Vegas to speak Wednesday morning. Then I flew from Vegas ”toward” Lansing but was derailed in Detroit and had to spend a night in the “Bates Motel” at the airport arriving after midnight and then departing to Lansing before six am. Then home Thursday night for a quick change, repack and get another departure to San Antonio Friday afternoon. Even IF everything ran smoothly, it loomed challenging for both of us. Don’t get me wrong, I love being a professional speaker. However, after being out most of the week before and then traveling every day for six days, travel takes it toll on both the traveler and the “single” parent left home to care for five children. Through all of this, it’s been one of the “richest” weeks of my career. If you have been following the theme of these posts, you know that it’s NOT about the money. While I mostly try to write about people who are living rich lives because they give, I am guilty of taking the occasional diversion to write about others ways in which life is rich. This week was one of the richest I’ve had in awhile:

• It started Monday in San Francisco (one of my favorite places to visit). My hotel was right at the end of the famous San Francisco trolley and while I didn’t get to ride it, I did get to walk down to the water and watch an almost full moon rise over the bay bridge there. My client I worked with, Sue Barret of the National Exchange Carriers Association, gets my vote for Meeting Partner of the Year. She was absolutely fabulous in every way possible. While in San Francisco, I also met David Douglas who is a volunteer with Airline Ambassadors, founded by Nancy Rivard (Nancy is on the REAL Richest People in America list). David had heard about my project from Nancy and he came to hear my presentation. He is an amazing guy with a ton of energy who has an organization called Global Volunteer Network – combing volunteering with unique travel experiences. In a few weeks, he’ll take a group of people to Nepal, Indonesia, and Thailand to both to see some incredible sights and work to help people there (there will be a post dedicated to David soon). David rode in the car with me to the airport and we talked about partnering on some projects that we may be working on together. He’ll also be one of the blogger for the World’s Biggest Blog Party while he is traveling for two months.
• Wednesday, I met with Harry Hoopis who is one of the top agents at Northwestern Mutual life. Harry and I had a short meeting before we both spoke at the Sales Mastery Forum. He’s invited me to Chicago to discuss joint venturing on some projects. He’s quite a success story and I’m excited about our possible projects. I also met a new speaker friend named John O’Leary. At age nine, John was burned over 100% of his body and indeed has “Risen Above”. He’ll likely have a post here with his story too.
• Thursday, I spoke for the Brain Injury Association of Michigan. The people who attended this meeting either cared for those with brain injuries or had injuries themselves. There’s probably a book just in the people who were there who had been dealt a blow worse than most could imagine yet had incredibly positive outlooks. I was the inspirational speaker to kick off there conference and I was the one inspired. One of the people I met there was a gentleman who started a television show for disabled vets. He asked if he could interview me on camera after my speech. After our interview, he told me that his show airs to over 60 million households on PBS. Unfortunately, I missed ABC newscaster Bob Woodruff who closed the conference the next day. His story is incredible.

Today, I’m enroute to San Antonio to close speak at Combined Council of Automotive Credit Unions. “Oddly” on my flight to Knoxville, I was seated behind a speaker friend I met when I worked as a trainer for Career Track seminars many years ago.

While, being the closing speaker on a Saturday can be a tough assignment, I’m preparing for yet another rich experience to cap off an amazing week. While there’s no guarantee that days or weeks that we might dread can produce results like this week ultimately will, think about how much more positive and productive we’d all be if we eliminated the dread and replaced it with expecting rich results. Here’s my take - we’d all be more wealthy.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

I was gazing out the window of my home office noticing things looked “different”. While it’s still hot as blue blazes, the shadows are different. My gaze was broken by the view of my six year old handling a broom much too big for her. As she swept, she was singing. The picture of her singing while sweeping, made me smile. As I watched her handle the broom, I wondered how quickly she’d grow to be just as tall. That simple memory is one I want to savor.

Look around today. Notice what is different. Make an imprint in your mind of a memory you want to remember… welcome to September.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

Last Sunday, I saw an email plea from a new speaker buddy, Brad Montgomery who I had gotten to know this summer at my National Speakers Association convention. Brad was in a panic. Several months ago, he had been booked to speak in Utah to a group of teachers never imagining that there would be a mining tragedy in the area in which he was to speak.  So he reached out to his fellow Certified Speaking Professional community (of which I am proud a member). He posed a question for us all. He asked what to do? You see, Brad is a commedian, a funny man, a make-you-laugh-till-milk-comes-out-of-your-nose guy. Yet he was puzzled about how to use humor in this situation. Was starting with a moment of silence appropriate? Be less funny? Ignore it? What to do?

Our community responded in a big way for him and much of it was just support for Brad. This my response to him: 

As you saw from the responses we have all been there. I was the motivational speaker at a health care association meeting right after 9/11. Two years ago, I was speaking on the day of the London terrorist attack. It’s not a fun place to be but it’s your responsibility to give it your best. Reach inside and pull out stuff you didn’t even know you had. As I thought about your plight, I was reminded of someone I had interviewed for a big State Farm Agents rally. She consistently ranked in the top 1% of agents. Half way through her best year ever, her husband dropped dead of a heart attack. She was relating this story to me and told me, “On the other side of adversity is ALWAYS something better”. I have quoted her many times with adding that it’s normal to have grieving and a period of suffering but at some point a silver lining appears. Perhaps more miners will be saved in the future, there will be an increased emphasis on safety, other employment options will be pursued, etc. When I have asked audiences about the worst thing that they have ever experienced in their lifetime the most common answer is 9/11. Sometimes I have asked them to come up with at least 7 positive things that have happened as a result of 9/11….lists include increased patriotism, higher respect for law enforcement, closer family relationships, more civility, etc. While the comedians were quiet about 9/11 right afterward, at some point people began to laugh again and laughter as you know is healing (this month’s readers digest is dedicated to humor). So what do you do? I think you do a piece on adversity and talk about coping skills that are available in dealing with adversity and go into your best stuff. People do need to laugh and even if for the moment, forgot about their troubles. YOU are the man to make that happen!

Hillary was right about one thing, it takes a village. I’m glad for the many villages for which I am a part. Glad to be able to give advice and more often glad to receive it even if I sometimes means “mining” the business of others. Note: Click here to read about how Brad handled his challenge.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

While the temperature doesn’t agree, the calendar says summer is rapidly coming to an end. After almost ignoring that we owned a boat for June and July, we have decided to play catch up and pack as much lake time into what is left of a fast fading summer. Last night, we were out boating on the lake until dusk. We watched the sun set and the moon rise. It was a glorious evening - an evening that makes summer fit like a glove. After too much travel and too much kid activity earlier in the summer, we are rushing to fit in boating time as each day gets shorter and we inch toward fall.As we drove up to the lake, the water was almost pure glass. I still get excited when I see a glassy lake and think about the smile that will be on my face as I pursue a game of tug ‘o war against a boat. It’s almost impossible to ski too much in my view.

Twenty-four hours have passed and the feeling of last night still fuels me. As I sit quietly writing this with a sweet baby girl within reach, I am reminded of the nights I skied with my best friend at dusk. I started writing letters to my son when my wife and I found out we were pregnant with our first child. I didn’t want to have to play catch up some day when I was in the twilight of life to tell him everything I wanted to tell him (and since a bunch of girls). Below is a letter, I wrote to my son nine years ago this month:

August 6, 1998

It’s the time of day, here at the lake, when my best friend and I most like to ski. In past years, we’d be rushing to fit in one more slalom run each. We’d each have a ski, life vest, and gloves and try to milk the glassy water one more time. The silhouette of him slicing the water and throwing up a fifteen-foot high spray is a picture that will be forever etched in my mind. We always seemed to ski better when the sky was crimson and the moon was rising. We knew we had to hurry if we were going to enjoy that last little bit of day. It definitely was my favorite run of the day. It may have been because I was never sure if that would be my last one for awhile. Tonight, I am here alone, you are home with mommy, and Mr. Walter is soaking in a bath. It makes him feel better. He may have already had his last slalom run at dusk. He has cancer. He may only ski again in his mind. Only God knows for sure. How I wish for one more night together with him whole. I would give anything to watch him glide effortlessly across the water right now. Tomorrow he’ll be here again and the two of us will be together. I’m sure we’ll watch the sunset and reminiscence about ski days and ski nights. We might even tell his dad about the night ski adventure when we nearly beached the boat. Everything will be almost the same, except he won’t be whole. He has taught me so much in our friendship. He and his dad taught me how to ski and helped me fine-tune my skiing on everything imaginable, including my own bare feet. Often, he would learn a trick and then teach it to me. Sometimes, I would learn a trick first and teach him. He always seemed to learn things faster, though. Now his teaching has stretched way beyond skiing. The last three years and a half years, as he has fought a horrible disease, he has taught me about life, about priorities, and about laughter. As always, he has learned something much faster than me, but this time not by his choice. While he lived a full life, he seems to be saving the most important things for the end. In what is likely the sunset of his life, he is rushing once again to try to get it all in. He is writing letters to his children and making them videotapes. He is trying to squeeze in a lifetime of advice onto a splice of tape. There are many things he wants them to know that he might not be able to tell them. He is seeing friends and family and he is making peace with God. While the lessons he has taught me have been hard lessons, they have helped me clarify my own priorities and focus. My son, I hope I am able to teach you these things without you having to experience the pain I and so many others have, watching Mr. Walter suffer. I am not sure why it’s so, but it seems like the most sacred and memorable times are as time is running out i.e the last ski run, the last minutes in a game, the moments before a big speech, the night before final exams, the day before a wedding, or the last moments of life. While we’ll continue our quest to milk summer for all it’s worth, we’ll try not to wait until sunset to play catch up.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

Today I met Olive ….(well, over the internet). I would bet she is the oldest blogger in the world at 107. Does anyone know someone older? It would be interesting to find the youngest blogger in the world, the person blogging in the most remote area of the world, the person who has the most blog entries, etc.

Olive, you are invited to the Worlds Biggest Blog Party starting September 11th. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies. He is founder of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

My National Speakers Association convention ended Thursday night with our big awards banquet. The Speaker Hall of Fame Awards were given out to five new recipients. I was one of sixty people nominated and while I didn’t get it this year, I was very humbled to be nominated for an award that is held by motivational speakers like Les Brown and Zig Ziglar and statesman Colin Powell and former president Ronald Reagan (of course there are a dozens of other professional speakers who have the CPAE that aren’t as known). The 2007 inductees included Jack Canfield, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Bob Danzig, former CEO of Hearst Publishing, David McNaulty, Roxanne Emmerich, and Susie Vanderlip. It would have been fantastic to have be a part of the 2007 class. But perhaps 2008 will be the year in New York City.

One of the best things that happened though, occurred after the convention. As I was boarding the plane in San Diego, I bumped into my speaking colleague (and now great friend) Jana Stanfield. The gate agent thought we were together together and commented that we weren’t sitting together. She moved our seats so we were together and we had the most amazing conversation on the way home… both about a new potential speaking focus for her and my plan to host the Worlds Biggest Blog Party - Connecting the Globe for Good. Stay tuned…

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies. He is founder of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com