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Thought-Provoking Ideas that Inspire. 

Every Last Drop

mindset Jan 06, 2021

I imagine you might be thinking the owner of this toothpaste is struggling financially to squeeze every bit of the six ounces out of the tube. If that's your thought, you'd be wrong...

The owner of this tube was born soon after The Great Depression, and his parents taught him how to take the little they had and make it go further. Nothing was wasted. Nothing was taken for granted. 

Today, this man is a millionaire who's never forgotten the hardship of The Great Depression and, most importantly, the lessons of that time. He takes every last drop of toothpaste as well as everything else in his life!

Could that be said of you? That you take every last drop out of life? How about 2020? Did you take every last drop out of it? (Did I just hit a nerve?) 2020 was hard, but it wasn't lacking in potent lessons and opportunities.

I hear excuses all the time about what people can't do. To be blunt, it's not excuses anymore, it's whining. Rather than milking life of every...

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My 4 Takeaways from 2020

mindset Jan 06, 2021
 

2020 was hard! But it’s the hard things we learn from the most.

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Who Have You Become In 2020?

personal growth Dec 16, 2020

This is one of my favorite spots very close to home. Running water is very soothing, and often comes with the promise of refreshment and the renewal of life...

As we get closer to the end of the year, this is a good time to take stock of all we’ve gained in 2020. No, we can’t focus on what we’ve lost — there’s more value in our gains.

I’ve asked you to grow during this year regardless of your circumstances. I’ve asked you to press on in the middle of hardship. So, who have you become in 2020?

If you’ve done the heavy lifting, you’ve become swoll. If you’ve been stretched, you’ve become limber. If you’ve cut back, you’ve become leaner. But only “if”...

There’s still time to turn the corner and leverage 2020 into the year you chose to pivot into your potential. Don’t let another moment pass — go get your swoll, limber, and lean on!


© 2020, Dr. Kozhi Sidney Makai. No part of...

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The Practice Of Precision

mindset resiliency Dec 02, 2020

I’ve always been fascinated by the deep connection between horse and rider. Watching my niece compete with such precision and grace is simply amazing. To achieve this level of grace and precision requires timing and connectedness...

To what degree do you deliver precision? I’m not talking about perfection here; I’m talking about accuracy and exactness. Every work and personal product we deliver has our fingerprints on it. Is your fingerprint one of precision?

I’d like to challenge you to begin the Practice of Precision. Think of it as “being exactly that and neither more nor less” — being on the money. That’s how you gain the reputation for being reliable: Precision.

Our roles in life belong to no one but us. If we don’t play them as we ought to (exactly that, no more, no less), then we hurt the production. Again, I don’t mean perfection; I mean playing our part with accuracy.

Here’s an example: My goal as a parent is...

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Those Five Words...

personal growth Nov 18, 2020
My brother, Francis, came to visit us not too long ago. Nothing is better than hosting your big brother, and giving him a backstage pass to your life. He’s extremely proud of me, and that’s probably the very best gift an older brother can give a younger brother...

Just three days ago, Francis turned 50. I love celebrating birthdays. Growing up, we didn’t celebrate Christmas the way it’s celebrated in much of the U.S. — mostly about gifts and less about the company around you. For me, it was all about my siblings coming home and chilling.

Next week, we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving here in the U.S. It’s my favorite holiday because it reminds me of my Zambian Christmases — all about fellowship, food, and family. Speaking of family, there’s nothing a younger sibling wants to hear from an older one more than...

...I’M SO PROUD OF YOU. These are the words every parent should tell their children, every couple should tell...
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What to Do with "2020"

mindset Nov 18, 2020
 

Mindset is the foundation on which 2021 can be built.

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Catastrophizing Isn’t Perspective

personal growth Nov 04, 2020
Salt Lake City is one of my favorite U.S cities to visit. The Avenues is one of my favorite spots. I’ve always been a sucker for elevations. Whether it’s the Munali Hills and Muchinga Escarpment in Zambia, or El Yunque in Puerto Rico, elevations always give me PERSPECTIVE.
 
I’m sure you’ve heard of the phrase “get a life” — I tend to tell my clients “GET SOME PERSPECTIVE.” Without perspective, big becomes small and small becomes big. Without perspective, we take ourselves too seriously. In that state of mind, everyone loses.
 
Whether or not “your” politician or political party won, be sure you GET SOME PERSPECTIVE. It’s a shame that we damage personal relationships for people who come and go; people who use us as a tool. Let’s get some perspective and get our stuff together. Catastrophizing isn’t perspective!
 
I love being a helpful guide for my clients. I get a front-row...
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What Color Is A Zebra's Stripes?

personal growth Oct 21, 2020
What Color is a Zebra?
Black, with White Stripes?
White, with Black Stripes?
 
Growing up in Zambia, these aren’t the “deep philosophical” questions I asked myself (and I don’t remember hearing anyone pose such a question). All I knew was that a Zebra Crossing was a place where humans were legally allowed to cross a road so they weren’t jaywalking. (I know, there’s so much there, but we don’t have time)...🤷🏾‍♂️
 
Questions are so important because, according to the word’s etymology, they help us solve problems, learn, and challenge. Are you like me, and are intrigued by all three of those things?
 
As a Performance Psychologist, I’m paid to solve problems; specifically, performance problems. I’m also paid to learn; about myself, my community, my environment, and my clients. And I’m paid to challenge; myself, my clients, and the status quo.
 
How are YOU using questions?
 
Are you using...
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Why Build A Bridge?

communication Oct 07, 2020
I love bridges...
Golden Gate Bridge. Brooklyn Bridge. Clinton Street Bridge in Defiance, Ohio (shout out to Tabitha’s family in Ohio). No matter large or small, I love them all...
 
Bridges are connectors. They shrink distance. They enable commerce. They mediate relationships. They provide transformative experiences. We often take them for granted, but they serve us and sustain us and our weight (see what I did there?)...
 
Metaphors aside, each of us is a bridge of sorts. If we choose to, we are connectors, shrink distance, enable commerce, mediate relationships, and sustain others when we share the burden of their loads. Key Words: IF...WE...CHOOSE...TO...
 
I might as well get this out in the open: You will NEVER find someone who agrees with you on EVERYTHING. So, stop posturing and acting like you’ve got the corner on the market for rightness. That’s the prerequisite for being a bridge...
 
Our world has many needs to be met. I...
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It’s ALWAYS About The Team

mindset team dynamics Sep 16, 2020
 
Tabitha and me walk a lot. We often observe nature teaching potent lessons. This video is a class we attended on one of our excursions.
 
Lessons from nature pose hard questions about our grit and capacity. Whether it’s wild flowers growing through concrete or ants collaborating on a gathering mission, much can be learned with increased observational acuity...
 
I doubt the ants in this video are best friends, like each other, or always agree with one another’s views. However, these ants are mission-focused and vision-oriented; I can’t think of a successful team that isn’t...
 
Coming from a guy who’s never met a stranger, please hear this: STOP trying to fashion your team around YOUR mission and vision. Whether you lead the team or work on it, the mission and vision has to be bigger than you...
 
We don’t have to be friends to focus on a common mission and vision. We don’t have to like each other either. But we...
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