Darn Glad 2013 Is Done!

I'm not a superstitious person, but 20(13) was a bit_ _ of a year. With family and friend's health issues and deaths, business challenges and my attempts to understand the motivations of my two sons (ages 20 and 23). 2013 was a year of many doors closing and several new opportunities.

I really am one who maintains a positive outlook on life and what's possible, no matter how challenging a situation or person might appear. It began with the blog "The Boomer Grind - No One Ever Told Me!" This blog is a simple life review of all the life challenges I and other boomers have had to navigate, endure and prevail.

Several of my 2013 blogs reveal my beliefs, attitudes and passions for life, family and business. Doing this review is good for the soul and reminder of who I will continue to strive to be in 2014 and beyond. 

Thanks for taking a little time with these blogs and I trust they provide you insight and inspiration. They do so for me.

• Entrepreneurial Leaders Do What Matters (I'm a longtime, serial entrepreneur).
• Purpose Driven Leadership - Servant Leadership (I launched a Google+ community on Servant Leadership, which has grown to some 260 followers).
• The World According To Our Children - Future Servant Leaders (This poem sums up my experience of my sons and expectations of why they will make the world a better place).
• Your Blog Can Predict Your Success Or Failure (I am one who believes in continuous learning - personal and professional development).
• America - Greatness In The Making (I have deep faith, hope and belief in the American people who I refer to as "The Faithful Majority" in one of my books - published in Kindle version and soon to be released in a print version.
• It Is Confirmed - Boomers Will Be Rolled Into Their Graves (I'm a boomer and love it and plan on living life to the fullest and leave a legacy of love and meaning that inspires future generations).
• Jimmy V - A Coaching Legacy Seeking Cancer Cures (I'm inspired by the lives and legacies of others).
• Authentic Legacy - Zig Zigler (One of the greats who has inspired me throughout my business career).
• I Will Greet This Day With Love In My Heart (Thank God I was reminded of this by one of my sons while he was struggling with understanding himself, his life purpose and what's next for him).
• Brain Research: Positive Attitude Improves Performance (Great to see that research is proving what the positive attitude community has always believed and their belief comes from Biblical teachings).
• A Lifetime of Servant Leadership and One Servant Leader's Legacy (Both of these blogs are my thoughts on the loss of my Mother-In-Law and a mentor).

Thanks for sharing some of your time with these blogs. May you have a tremendous and blessed 2014.

~ Alan Goldsberry, Author and CEO of ZFactor Group Publishing

ZFactor blog explores and discusses a variety of techniques, tools and discoveries by successful people that will assist others to achieve greater personal and professional success. ZFactor is a proprietary coaching methodology based upon the premise that successful people think and act differently. The ZFactor methodology is proven to accelerate a person's ability to think and act differently.

I Say Merry Christmas, What Do You Say?

My amazing wife, Cindy, declared last week, she wants to be more engaging with people relative to the upcoming holiday season. Rather than just say, "Happy Holidays" she wants to be more engaging with people and get to know them better than just responding, "Happy Holidays to You."

You have to know Cindy to understand the way she thinks about other people. First, she really cares about other people and she has a quality about herself that when others are around her, they just love Cindy.

Cindy says to me, "Instead of waiting for others to say, Happy Holidays, I'm going to say - I say +Merry Christmas, what do you say?" Her reasoning is pretty simple. She wants others to know she values being a Christian and does not want to water down her belief because of some political correctness. And, most importantly she wants others to feel comfortable in expressing their personal values, as well. It's about honoring other people and the result is you get to know a little more about them.

With a little thought about this on my part - we live in a vibrant, highly mobile, multi-cultural society. If we truly want world peace for our progeny, we need to be responsible for understanding and getting to know who other people are. If I just say, "Merry Christmas" without offering the option to others to express their belief, I can sound rude and politically incorrect. That behavior does not represent the love of Christ nor does it open the door for any further engaging conversations. If I merely say, "Happy Holidays" that is not expressing who I am. This is obviously the quandary many of us have experienced in these politically correct decades, but then if you know Cindy like I know Cindy, you too will take pause and ponder upon what she says - and, consider what you will say.

So, I tried out Cindy's saying and surprisingly it opened up some interesting discussions that would have never happen if I had blindly said, "Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays." After a couple of times I began to realize that it really is about relationship and honoring the relationships we have with others, especially with those we have just met or know professionally. Yep, I now have to admit to my wife, I'm a little slow and for the first time ever - she has thought of something before me. (and if you believe that, well, I can find the perfect coach for you.)

The responses to me saying, "I say Merry Christmas, what do you say" have typically been a chuckle and then they say, "Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays" and we all go on our merry way. A couple of the responses have been a chuckle and they say, "I'm Jewish and I say Happy Hanukkah." I respond, "Happy Hanukkah." It's about honoring who people are, getting to know them a little better, and since I'm a Christian - being more like Christ.

No matter your background, religion or race, 'tis the season to take a moment and be more loving with others. As I understand it, Jesus was born into a Jewish family and a group of Magi (from Persia - some might say pre-Muslim) came to visit him and present him gifts upon his birth. And, those gifts provided safe passage for Jesus and family to escape the slaughter of the children by King Herod. I'm figuring God has a plan and, in his infinite wisdom, He is giving us time to figure it out.

Be kind and loving to others who think and act differently than you,

~ Alan Goldsberry, Author and CEO of ZFactor Group Publishing

Jimmy V - A Coaching Legacy Seeking Cancer Cures

What challenges, issues, concerns and problems did you wake up with today? Most of us woke up with normal stuff. The important question, no matter your issues, what sort of attitude did you have and do you have? 

In July 1992, Jimmy Valvano woke up knowing he was dying of cancer. In spite of this challenge, Jimmy V believed and modeled "be enthusiastic everyday and don't every give up." And, he lived that way long before he knew he had cancer.

This is one of the fundamental truths I write about on a regular basis. Who you are everyday determines who you will become. When Jimmy V woke up that fateful morning, he was able to treat it like another day because he had rock solid habits and disciplines of the way he had lived every other day of his life. 

I was once again reminded of Jimmy V, as I watched the University of Texas and Georgetown play in the 2012 Jimmy V Classic in the Madison Square Gardens. As the game progressed and highlights of Jimmy V were shown, I knew Jimmy V would be the subject of my next blog on legacy.

Throughout his coaching career, Jimmy V encouraged others to do three things everyday:

1. Laugh
2. Think - spend time in thought.
3. Have your emotions move you to tears.

At ZFactor Group, we definitely laugh. Listen to a Blogtalk Radio Show "Two Old Sales Guys and Sales Diva." The premise of our books is "successful people think and act differently." And, when you get to know us, we are passionate about caring about one another, everyone we know and every one of our clients. 

You can listen to Jimmy's 1993 ESPY Speech, where he exclaims while reviewing the three things to do everyday, "that's a heck of a day! Do it seven days a week and you'll have something special." Jimmy V's something special has become an enduring legacy through the Jimmy V Cancer Research Foundation. Wikipedia Jimmy V. 

"You have to know where you started, 

where you are and where you want to be." 

This quote from Jimmy's speech, sums up much of what we believe and seek to deliver in ZFactor Books and Coaching. This quote is the foundation of the ZFactor methodology. ZFactor books help you know who you are, where you are and how to get you to where you want to be. 

As Jimmy V says, "you have to have an enthusiasm for life, a dream, goal and be willing to work for it."

If you are ready to accelerate getting to where you want to be, please take a moment to check out the ZFactor series of books on Amazon and get more info at the ZFactor Group website.

Don't every give up,

~ Alan Goldsberry, Author and CEO of ZFactor Group Publishing