Monday, December 10, 2007

Doing What I Love

I was watching the Tonight Show the other day and Jay Leno was doing an interview with Samuel Jackson, who had one of the best quotes I've ever heard, which is now hanging in my office. The quote says, The More You Do What You like, The More Fun You Have, The More Money You Make!

I just love this because it was a simple quote and made a lot of sense to me. If you're not doing what you love to do in life you will never be successful. One thing I never want to do is to sit back and say, I wish I would've done this or that. I think it's a terrible place to put yourself in constantly asking yourself the question of what might have been.

On Tuesday night, December 4. I was doing what I love to do and for those who know me that would be either speaking or playing ice hockey. Being Tuesday night it was the night of ice hockey at Pines ice Arena!

I generally look forward to my games throughout the day. It's not only something that I love to do and have been doing since I was six years old. It's also something that I am very good at. I was skating down the left-hand boards and angling in on a breakaway to take a shot on goal. When my right leg went to the right and my left leg went to the left and then there was the popping sound.

I immediately knew what it was since I had already had surgery on my right knee twice from sports related injuries. My first thought was I need to find a safer sport. My second thought was, how do I explain this to my wife and my grandmother.My family had recently pointed out that since I turned 40 I've had three surgeries due to ice hockey related injuries.

Well, I went in for an MRI first thing in the morning and then went to see my good friend Dr. Howard Gelb an outstanding orthopedic surgeon who I've known since elementary school. He recently performed surgery on my right shoulder from an ice hockey game that I played in last Mother's Day. Well he gave me the news they needed to perform surgery on Friday to repair the knee. It's now Monday morning, and I've been hobbling around the house all weekend. Reflecting on the moment when I heard that popping sound, remembering all the things that love to do and I loved about the sport of hockey. Knowing now that my attention must be focused more on doing what I love and less on damaging my body. I think it's time to take up the game of golf again! At least on the golf course, I know that when I tee that ball up no one is going to come in and check me before I get the shot off.

I guess the lesson I'm finally learning is sometimes you've got to give up some of the things that you love to do as you mature and grow in life in this too will keep the doctor away .

Dr. Rick Goodman is a professional speaker who works with organizations that want to Develop Great Leaders “Through Excellence in Communication and Team Work”. For more information on Rick’s speaking programs, Audio Programs and learning programs contact (888) 267-6098 or Rick@drrickgoodman.com (www.drrickgoodman.com)

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Be Grateful and Attract Success

It's interesting what an attitude of gratitude can do for attracting success into your life! In my most recent blog I wrote about being thankful for all the different technology that I have been able to utilize in order to grow my business. The response I got from the blog, and from the companies that I wrote about was overwhelming. In fact, I almost felt bad for not mentioning certain individuals who had contributed to the success of these projects.

So I'd like to mention the rest of those individuals now from that company called Outsource2India.com http://www.outsource2india.com/ I personally would like to thank Ashok, Dave, Israel, Julious and the whole team at outsource for doing a tremendous job and being a pleasure to work with. Soon after I wrote this blog other interesting things started to happen in my life to contribute to an outstanding day!

As I was thinking about how grateful I was in reflecting on the blog I had written and the year that had passed my phone rang. It was a gentleman named Charlie Jones calling me to inform me that I was being booked to speak at the annual meeting for the North Carolina bankers Association http://www.ncbankers.org/ at the Atlantis Hotel in the Bahamas this coming June.

At that moment I thought I might want to keep getting grateful, because just like a magnet the more grateful I got the more good news I was attracting. I decide to go to the gym to work out on the treadmill, this is the best time for me to do my visualization and affirmation exercises. Five minutes into my workout I glanced down to look at my Blackberry and the red light was flashing on and off indicating that I just received a new e-mail.

More good news my new company Advantage Legal Seminars http://www.advantagelegalseminars.com/ had just been approved by the state of Illinois, to be a provider for continuing legal education thus enabling our company to operate in 20 states and growing.

I am more convinced than ever before that when we take a moment to reflect and look back at all the good things and people that we have in our life, including our family , friends and the people we serve. We will truly realize that we are wealthy people! The most magnificent thing about this concept is that when we get grateful our inherent magnet will attract all the success that we need in our life. So get started and get grateful!

Dr. Rick Goodman is a professional speaker who works with organizations that want to develop great leaders. For more information on Ricks speaking programs, Audio Programs and learning programs contact (888) 267-6098 or rick@drrickgoodman.com http://www.drrickgoodman.com/

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

A Day to Be Thankful for Technology

When I woke up this morning and opened the refrigerator the remnants of the Thanksgiving meal were still in sight. I started to reflect on that day and everything that I was thankful for that has occurred this in my life this year. I was thankful to be able to touch people's lives as I traveled throughout the United States, giving seminars on Teambuilding and Success. It was then I started to think about what else I was grateful for.

The one thing that kept popping up in my mind was the fact that I had learned to master some simple technologies that previously I would have never explored because I thought they were just for people that were technologically oriented. And that was not me!

It has been my experience that there are many people that are fearful of new technology and the application of it just like me. What I found out is if we embrace this technology it could finally give us an opportunity to add balance and abundance to our lives.

Right now, one of the technologies that I'm utilizing is a product called Dragon Naturally Speaking 9.0 preferred http://www.nuance.com/ it is a voice recognition software program that I'm currently using to write this blog. All it takes is the program and a headset with a microphone as I'm speaking the words are being typed right in front of my eyes. You see one of my weaknesses, was that I had never taken a typing class in high school or college. So my speed was probably 15 to 20 words per minute and that was fast for me. You can just imagine how one would take me to write it to a three-page essay or article. Now with this technology I am able to type as fast as 160 words per minute, which saves me massive amounts of time to do some of the other things that I love to do.

Another new technology I learned about was to utilize a digital voice recorder in order to produce products. In just the last year we have created six volumes of continuing legal education for our company Advantage Legal Seminars http://www.advantagelegalseminars.com/ , which is now approved in 19 states and growing by the day.

I learned about another technology called Skype http://www.skype.com/, which is a voice operated Internet provider service, and it's free. This service enables me to speak with people anywhere in the world at no charge as long as they sign up for Skype also, which is at no charge.

To take things one step further. I purchased a web cam called the Logitech fusion web cam http://www.logitech.com/ and when I pare it with my Skype phone I'm able to conduct conference calls with people around the world. This truly brings our universe closer together!

This brings me to one of my new best friends. Mr. Julious Joy who works for company called Flat World Solutions http://www.outsource2india.com/ his company provides a whole menu of services that can take the load off of small businesses. In my case, they do a great job of data entry, keeping up my e-mail, database and freeing up my time so I can work on projects that need my immediate attention. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm so thankful that I decided to embrace technology and I think you will be too.

Dr. Rick Goodman is a professional speaker who works with organizations that want to develop great leaders. For more information on Ricks speaking programs, Audio Programs and learning programs contact (888) 267-6098 or rick@drrickgoodman.com http://www.drrickgoodman.com/

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

True Leaders in Columbus Georgia

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting with leaders in Columbus, Georgia. I was speaking at the Managers and Supervisors Conference where I met some of the most fabulous and positive people I've spoken to in years. A majority of these people were teachers and educators. They were willing to learn and were excited to share the lessons that I was teaching them with their students. It's always been my opinion that teachers are the most important people on the planet, and unfortunately the lowest paid. However, their natural energy and excitement about what they were doing in life truly inspired me from the moment they walked into the seminar to the moment they left with smiles on their faces. I also had the pleasure to meet with the association executives from the Florida Society of Ambulatory Surgical Centers http://fsasc.org/ in Tallahassee Florida. I can't wait to meet with their members and deliver my newest keynote address: Striving for Excellence " What We Do and the People We Touch" at the Marriott Hotel in Tampa Florida On July 19. The executives at the FSASC also informed me that my article had just been published in the Georgia Society Of Ambulatory Surgical Centers http://gsasc.org/ Spring newsletter. I'm really excited that my article has had such an amazing effect on the people in our healthcare industry today. Every day I realize that I am truly blessed to be able touch so many peoples lives on a regular basis.

Dr. Rick Goodman is a professional speaker who works with organizations that want to develop great leaders. For more information on Ricks speaking programs, Audio Programs and learning programs contact (888) 267-6098 or rick@drrickgoodman.com (www.drrickgoodman.com)

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Lobsters and Leadership in the State of Maine

For the third time in as many months I've had the pleasure of working with some of the top leaders in the state of Maine.The people of the State exhibit a hands-on leadership quality that we all should embrace. They are friendly, involved and on top of things. I've worked with leaders in Health Care, Retail, and the Technology Sector. What I appreciate most about the people of Maine is there down to earth quality and understanding of the communications skills that make a difference. My first stop was in Waterville, Maine, where I met with new managers and supervisors from hospitals and state organizations. These are people that want to make a difference in other people's lives. Today I had an opportunity to speak in Rockland, Maine, which is the lobster capital. I met with representatives of Home Health Care Facilities, Hospitals, trucking companies, and one of the neatest boutiques I have ever seen called the Grasshopper

Working with these people and helping them with their communication skills filled me with a sense of tremendous gratification. Tonight as I sit here in Portland, Maine for the second time in the last month and a half right I had the opportunity to visit my favorite lobster Restaurant J'S Oyster Bar it's a place where the locals go. The quality I like best about this restaurant is the outstanding customer service.

The lobsters are superior to any restaurant I've ever been to and the diversity of their clientele is incredible. People from all walks of life come to J's. It's not the prettiest place in the world. In fact, I think some people call the restaurant a dive. However, when you walk into J's they make you feel like you're at home. I think we could all learn a lesson from the quality of customer service st J's . You don't have to be a fancy place to offer excellent customer service, and now days we all have competitors. The quality of our service will be directly proportional to the longevity of our business. Those business's that deliver the best quality and customer service are those that will succeed for years to come! So the next time you're in Maine go down to the wharf and experience true New England gem!

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Pay It Forward

On Tuesday of this week I had the opportunity to work with an outstanding group of individualswho were either new supervisors or were learning to improve their leadership skills at a company called Gardner Denver in Houston, Texas http://gardnerdenver.com . I always enjoy sharing information with individuals who really want to make a difference. It was obvious to me from the first minute of training that these individuals had the raw skills to develop into great leaders. It was interesting to note that their challenges were no different than the many challenges managers and supervisors are facing today. How to make their operations more efficient and customer service oriented while growing their company on the global level.

I get excited every time I have the opportunity to work with people who truly want to make a difference. The group left wanting to set goals for the future and help increase the productivity of their company by attracting outstanding talent for their organization. We covered various topics including Goalsetting, Time Management, Project management and Relationship Skills. We also covered the New York Yankees http://newyorkyankees.com and the return of Roger Clemens a Hall of Famer who has shown in the past what it takes to be a great leader . This was the only part of the seminar that didn't go over too big. However when I left at the end of the day everyone was still enthusiastic about the exciting possibilities and challenges they now faced.

It reminds me of the movie Pay It Forward. If every day we could make a difference in other people's lives so that they may touch others and make a difference as well, we will be following the theme of the movie and be making a difference in the lives of all the people we come in contact with. This is the true meaning of leadership!

Dr. Rick Goodman works with organizations that want to develop great leaders by mining the gold within their own organization. For more information on Rick's leadership training programs go to www.Dr.RickGoodman.com

Monday, April 23, 2007

True Leaders Accept Responsibility

One of the true cornerstones of leadership has always been the ability to accept responsibility. A true leader admits their mistakes and changes direction for the benefit of their constituents. I consistently use the example of great leaders who did and did not accept responsibility for their actions.The one example I use on a regular basis is that of President Nixon. During the Watergate scandal he repeatedly exclaimed "I am not a crook". On the other hand when President Kennedy sent troops into Cuba he admitted to the American public that it was a huge mistake and he apologized to the American people and earned their respect for that. Had President Clinton stated that he had an affair with Monica Lewinsky he would have a saved our country millions of dollars and possibly his own reputation which has taken years to repair.

Now we have Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez and his inability to recall events that he played a roll in over 72 times. What this country really needs is for someone, in fact anyone to step up who can gain back the trust of the American People. The time has come for the American people to turn things around.


Dr. Rick Goodman is a professional speaker who works with organizations that want to develop great leaders. For more information on Ricks speaking programs, Audio Programs and learning programs contact (888) 267-6098 or mailto:Rick@drrickgoodman.com (http://www.drrickgoodman.com/)

Saturday, April 14, 2007

A Whirlwind of Activity

The last three months have been a whirlwind of activity I have spoken in Lincoln, Nebraska, Washington, DC, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Erie Pennsylvania in the next three months my schedule’s busier than ever before. I’ll be covering Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Indiana, Vermont, Mississippi, North Carolina and back to Maine again. I’m really looking forward to that Maine lobster to tell you the truth.
Life has been taking on a new and exciting turn in the last three months.Our new seminar company Advantage Legal Seminars has just been approved for its audio and live seminars in its 10th state and is rapidly growing. Soon we will be adding three new programs from highly respected attorneys. The website is also being overhauled with a brand-new look and can be found by going to www.advantagelegalseminars.com.
My new article Striving for Excellence “What We Do and the People We Touch” has just been published in the Florida Society for Ambulatory Surgical Centers spring magazine called Surgiwatch which can be found on their website at www.fsasc.org the article examines just how important the doctors, nurses and administrators are to a healthcare organization.
The best part about today, though, is I’m done working and I have accomplished my goals and objectives for the day. Right now I’m getting ready to go to the Florida Marlins game with my best friend Mitch, who I’ve known since sixth grade it doesn’t get much better. I’m designing my day in creating my life!
Now it’s time for you to create the life you want, “You Have the Ability to Choose”! If you don’t believe you have the ability to choose. Read my newest article titled. You have the ability to choose at http://www.drrickgoodman.com/site/you-have-the-ability-to-choose.html.
Dr. Rick Goodman is a professional speaker who works with organizations that want to develop great leaders. For more information on Ricks speaking programs, Audio Programs and learning programs contact (888) 267-6098 or Rick@drrickgoodman.com (www.drrickgoodman.com)