"You're only limited by the parameters of your own mind" - Christopher Rausch

Recent Posts

  1. Happy Mother's Day
    Sunday, May 13, 2012
  2. Teamwork Is an Inside Job!
    Thursday, April 12, 2012
  3. Ask For Permission OR Beg For Forgiveness?
    Monday, April 02, 2012
  4. Invest In YOUR Future!!!!
    Saturday, March 17, 2012
  5. I've Got Something to Say
    Thursday, March 01, 2012
  6. Steve Jobs on Dying
    Sunday, February 12, 2012
  7. The REAL Value of Time
    Friday, February 10, 2012
  8. I Learned Something Today
    Wednesday, February 01, 2012
  9. To Share: Something to think about - So TRUE!
    Wednesday, February 01, 2012
  10. What They Said
    Thursday, November 03, 2011

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Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!

Well, as most of you know, my mom passed away last year after a LONG battle with various health issues. My mom was a FIGHTER through and through.

Now, me and my mom weren't ever close like most families are. She made a lot of selfish decisions which impacted my life tremendously. From making sure the cats and dogs had food, she had cigarettes, to then feeding me. I was always last...but at least I was there.

She spent $5000 to save a cat that eventually died anyway. This, was the starting point of us becoming homeless and living in the station wagon. I was pulled out school midway through the 7th grade.

I could go on and on, and someday will in a book I'm writing. However, Through all the painful years, we still stayed a team. Sometimes more like friends than mother and son. We'd go to rock concerts (mom loved heavy metal). When I was young, she did try her best to make me feel special on occasions. Disneyland, Chuck E Cheese, the races, Christmas, and my birthday.

The last few weeks of her life she changed. Nothing was more important than me. I've struggled with that since. Why? Because of the conditioning that had taken place in my life, the games and whatnot, I thought she was telling me what I wanted to hear. But, I think back to those times, and really feel blessed and thankful she shared with me how proud she was. That, she really loved my wife and thought we made a great team. Even right up until the point she took her last breath as I held her hand and caressed her forehead.

Through it all, my mom taught me lessons she didn't even realize. People ask me "Don't you feel ripped off for having to be homeless, dig in garbage cans, miss having friends etc?" My answer is always "If it weren't for those times, the lessons I learned about hard work, tenacity, never listening to other people's opinions, I wouldn't be the man I am today!"

Mother's day used to be a pain to be honest. But, now that she's gone, it's even more painful. I know she's with me in spirit

The point of all this is to cherish ALL the moments, both good, bad, fun, painful, etc. These times are what creates our character. It's what we do, how we respond, in these tough situations that impact the future. Don't become a victim of your circumstances! Change what you're doing and be who you WANT to be! Not what other people tell you to be.

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Signed,

Your Best Project Ever!

Teamwork Is an Inside Job!

Being a part of a team can be one of the most rewarding and/or most frustrating experiences depending on the leadership involved. However, I’m pleased to share with you proven ways YOU can be a successful part of a team!

Are you ready? I ask, because you have to take a deep look within yourself to see whether or not you’re part of the problem or the solution.


First, let me share with you a personal story about how I learned about my role in being a part of a team. It was early on in my career, I thought I was the best thing since bottled beer. I was smart, hard working, but lacking in a necessary component of being a good team player. That component? Simply put, understanding everyone around me. You see, I thought “I’m a person, they are people, so we must be the same right? NOPE!

Here’s the problem: I thought, that by making suggestions to my fellow teammates on how they could perform their jobs better, I was helping them. So, I thought, “I’m helping them become better at what they do, so I must be a good teammate” right?
WRONG!!!


My supervisor at the time, and at my personal request, was completely honest with me during my annual review. She said “Do you really want to know what the guys think of you?” I said smugly, “I know they love me right?” WRONG again! She proceeded to share with me my team thought I was an arrogant, condescending, you know what. “Huh? How could they?” I thought. My defenses immediately went up and said “Well, that’s their problem – not mine!” WRONG again!


You see, my intentions were good, but the execution or deliverance of my intentions was being sorely misunderstood. In a nutshell, I made them feel stupid rather than empowered. Here are the key concepts to keep in mind if you want to be a good team player:

  1. Evaluate your expectations
    1. Just because you think it should be like you see it, doesn’t mean its right. We have to adjust our expectations to be realistic for the situation
  2. Seek first to understand – then to be understood
    1. If I had really understood what they were doing, how they were feeling, what challenges they were up against, I might have handled myself more carefully. We never truly know what someone else is going through unless we ask, and more importantly, listen!
  3. Happy or right?
    1. Most of us are brought up to think “Right is good and wrong is bad.” Therefore if I’m not right then I’m wrong and won’t get the appreciation, respect, or inclusion in whatever we’re a part of.
    2. This is the BEST relationship advice I could ever give you – next time you’re in a difficult situation, ask yourself “Do I want to be happy or do I want to be right? In other words, win the battle, but lose the war. I was brought up to always make dang sure I was right.
    3. So, when you’re right, what does that make other people? Wrong! Then, if they feel wrong, what might they do? Of course, defend themselves! What happens then? Arguments, disagreements, sides are drawn, and the team morale negatively suffers.
  4. Q.T.I.P and D.C.Y.
    1. Quit Taking It Personally
      1. Often, we take too much personally. We let it infect our soul and we expect we must make it right! Sometimes, we have to let it roll off our shoulders like water off a duck’s back. Let it go! Don’t take on something you may not be able to change or even make worse.
    2. Don’t Concern Yourself
      1. Again, keeping with this theme, don’t worry about what so and so is doing or not doing. “Well they should be doing this and that!!!” That’s your expectation and sometimes not your problem.
  5. Two ears - one mouth
    1. There’s a reason why we have two ears and only one mouth!
    2. Listen, really listen more than you talk. This goes back to understanding more than telling.
    3. When you listen, paraphrase, or repeat back what you understood. This lets the person know you truly cared enough to listen and understand

In my next article, I’ll share with you ways you can handle a situation should it escalate in a full-blown conflict.


Ultimately, like I said before, too often we look at what everyone else is or isn’t doing. They aren’t meeting our expectations and we seek to make things right. Instead, look inside yourself to see if perhaps you’re more part of the problem than the solution. 


If you have a particular teamwork situation you’d like my advice on, please don’t hesitate to email me at Christopher@master-motivators.com


All my best until next time,

Christopher Rausch (A.K.A. the “Master Motivator”)

Ask For Permission OR Beg For Forgiveness?

Welcome back to another episode of "Should I or Shouldn't I" - the star of the show is YOU!

I'm sure you've heard the phrase "Ask for permission or beg for forgiveness" right?

Well, leadership is about taking RISKS!! Yes, I know, for some the word "risk" makes your bowels rumble like a scene from "Dumb & Dumber."

BUT, it doesn't have to be that bad! Listen, GREAT leaders take chances...gamble on what they believe to be the best in their heart of hearts. Will every chance result in a win? Nope..but many will if you trust your gut and give it your BEST!

Don't willy-nilly the crap...rev up the engines and
GO FORRRRR IT!!!

Live is to be lived in the game...not on the sidelines....wondering "Should I have done..."

I take chances all the time! And, ya know what, I'm extremely successful because of them!

Until the next time, live life, be yourself, and give it
EVERYTHING you've got!

Christopher - The Master Motivator!

Invest In YOUR Future!!!!

Invest In YOUR Future

Hey There!

As you may know, I'm currently attending a 4 1/2 day bootcamp on marketing, social media, book writing, etc.

I have to be honest, when I saw the cost of the bootcamp I thought "I can't afford this." Have you ever said that to yourself?

Well, I asked myself one simple question and I STRONGLY encourage you to ask yourself the same one:

"If I go and learn, really learn and apply what these successful people have ALREADY done, is it reasonable and possible for me to recoup my investment doing what I love?"

Once I asked myself that question I knew without a doubt I HAD to invest in myself! If we can't make money doing what we love, then it's a message that maybe we shouldn't be doing it!

There's ABSOLUTELY no doubt I won't make this money back and then SOME!!!

MESSAGE: Do NOT die with your music inside of you!!!

Live life - don't just exist in it!

All my best,

Christopher "The Master Motivator"

I've Got Something to Say


Davey Jones, Whitney Houston, Steve Jobs, Russell King Jr., Daniel Parmetor, and Demetrius Hewlin all have one thing in common: They're dead.

I know you must be saying to yourself, "I know the first three, but not the last three." Well, you may have heard about a shooting in Ohio a few days ago. Those last three, are kids who'll never see their next birthday.

Is this dramatic? Does this center-punch you in the gut? If so, then my job is done.

Yesterday, when I heard Davey Jones, at the young age of 66yrs, died of a sudden heart attack, my own mortality hit me in the face. The truth is, no matter if you have a GAZILLION dollars like Steve Jobs, or you're a kid in school, we're all going to die someday.

The problem I have is I see SOOOO many people, including yours truly, only existing in life. We're waiting for this to happen, or for that to change, or worse, we're blaming people in the past for why we aren't happy.

To put it bluntly: That's all busllshit! Let me repeat: that's ALL BULLSHIT!

The only person we have to blame or hold accountable, is ourselves! It's our choice every single moment of every single day what we focus on. If we focus on the news and let the crap affect us, then it's our choice. If we choose to see beautiful flowers, great smells, see someone's smile, that too is our choice.

Today, I learned of a one-week old baby going in for open heart surgery. Can you believe that? Can you imagine what the parents and family must be going through? Now, are your problems that bad? I bet, if we all threw our problems into one big pile, we'd gladly take our own back.

So what to do?

I tell you what - ask yourself: What am I (yes you) doing to make the changes I know I need to make? In other words, are you part of the problem or part of the solution?

Live your life, those 1,440 minutes you get every day with passion and enthusiasm! Rose colored glasses? NO!!!! Be honest with yourself! Get your shit together and stop complaining about stuff that won't matter in five years...much less five days.

I thank you for opening up your mind to my words. You are tremendous and just by the mere fact you read to the end, means YOU care!

Is life hard? Does it really suck sometimes? YES YES YES! But the only person who can do something is YOU!

So, get off your ass and live life! Give to those in need, laugh out loud, dress stupid to work, be yourself!

Until next time,

All my best,

Christopher

Steve Jobs on Dying

Hey There, 

Well, I'm sure you've heard by now, Whitney Houston died yesterday. Death is interesting because it makes us think. Too bad we don't think that hard before something terrible happens. I found this amazing little piece from Steve Jobs I want to share with you. It made me think and I trust it will do the same for you!

 

“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.” - Steve Jobs

Simply put, LIVE life...just don't exist in it! Listen, we only get ONE shot to make the absolute MOST of every minute we're blessed to be here. Are you making YOUR's count? If not, give me a call, I can help you get on track!!

All my best,

Christopher

The REAL Value of Time

The Real Value of Time






Can you hear it? Tick-tock, tick-tock, the second hand of life’s clock ticking by, only going forward, never back.


Greetings my friend and welcome to the rest of your life! As cliché’ as it is, the beginning of a New Year usually means one thing – New Year’s resolutions right? Well, if you’re anything like me, you start off with a really big list of wonderful things you want to accomplish, but usually end up frustrated wondering where all the time went right?


Now, what would you do if I gave you 1,440 dollars every day of your life IF you spent each of those dollars wisely? Here’s the kicker, if you don’t spend them that day, or don’t spend them wisely, you get zero! Well, if this was a bet in Vegas I’d gamble everything on fact you’d spend every single one of those dollars very carefully right? I mean, who in the heck wouldn’t???


Well, I hate to burst your bubble, and although I have better hair than he does, I’m not Donald Trump with 1,440 dollars to shell out every day.  However, the incredibly important lesson I’m about to share with you changed my way of thinking forever and I’m certain it will have the same impact on you.


To be honest, I was using dollars to prove a point, but what I’m really talking about is minutes. You see, every day we’re blessed with 1,440 minutes to spend however we see fit. The problem, which I’m positive you can relate to, is most of us waste a lot of them right? Over the course of the last two years I’ve had the pleasure of talking with a lot of older people. And, about 99% of them shared with me “Christopher, I wish I’d done this and that with my life” or “I wish I’d realized just how precious each moment of life really is!” And finally, “If I had it to do all over again, I’d really…” In other words, they have serious regrets. Simply put, regrets SUCK!


Here are my two main goals in life:

        1. Leave this world without any regrets

        2. Stay the heck out of a hospital!

I’m certain if I’m constantly working on achieving those two goals, no matter when my time’s up, I’ll have lived a full life. You want the same right?


Until then, seriously consider your bank account of non-refundable time every morning. Spend those minutes like dollars and you’ll be well on your way to living a tremendous life!


All my best until next time,


Christopher Rausch (A.K.A. the “Master Motivator”)

I Learned Something Today

Hey There,

I learned something today I'd like to share with you. Sometimes we stay where it's safe out of fear of what might happen next if we...step outside of our comfy zone.

Whether it's a relationship, a job, or whatever, ask yourself this:

If I were single, would I look at (my current partner), and say "Wow...I'd like to meet that person!" or...."Pass..." If it's the latter, then you know the answer to your dilema. If NOT, then you know you need to get your ass to work on YOUR part of the bargain. We've heard it a thousand times, but it bears repeating here "Relationships and communicatioin are a two-way street." Sadly, sometimes we drive the wrong way

Again, same holds true for your job. If it's not working now, and you wouldn't want it if you were searching, then you're settling. Sure, for financial reasons I can see staying at a job you are unhappy with, BUT, I can't see staying there while doing NOTHING to gain new skills etc. for when the right job opens up.

Too often, we sit in our crap, bitching and moaning, but doing nothing to change it...or sometimes more importantly....OURSELVES.


"Seek first to understand...then to be understood"

All my best,

Christopher

To Share: Something to think about - So TRUE!

Read this all the way through and tell me it didn't make you think! Enjoy!

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.

The woman apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days."

The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations."

She was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day or didn't call it "green."

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right. We didn't have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana . In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right. We didn't have the green thing back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.


****************************************************************************************************************************************
Told ya it would make you think!

All my best,

Christopher

What They Said

Hey folks....Christopher here to talk about "What they said." How many times have I heard "Well, that's what they said" and usually about shit they didn't know crap about.

Listen to me: True, I've learned a LOT from what other people have shared with me over the years. HOWEVER, please, don't believe something is true just because someone said it. More importantly, don't neccessarily believe it's true if you see it in print as well.

"So, Christopher, who do I listen to?" My answer: Your gut and your heart!

It's complete bullshit when we claim we don't know what to do about a given situation. We know...we just are too afraid of rejection and stepping out of our comfort zone to say it out loud and do it.

Life is too short to listen to what they said....they said what you should do...they said about the future of the world....live YOUR life for today! Tomorrows are not guaranteed.

If I had a mere $1 for every time I heard someone learn the lesson "You don't know what you got until it's gone" I'd be a zillionaire.

The news...the media...the so called "Experts" are full of crap! Well, maybe not all of them, but you get my point.

My final thought....make a legacy so that someday, your family, friends, the world, will hear about what they said about how you lived your life to the fullest!

All my best for your success and happiness!

Christopher