Lesson One - Timing

For Judy and I to have that conversation on the 18^th tee at Creekwood Golf Course, failure had to take place, in that the previous day, wind and too much sun gave us unusable video. The next day provided much of the same; wind, sun, jets and golfers passing through causing poor taping conditions. When Bill handed me his card, I immediately knew why we came back to film at the time of day we did and why we continued to try despite the conditions. It was a matter of timing. Had we never pulled up to the 18^th tee at that moment in time we would have never met and had that conversation with Bill Bowers. I have become accustom to things happening this way if - I remain open to them and we each have this same opportunity each day.

So I have to ask myself, how often am I in such a hurry that I miss an opportunity?

Let’s blow this out a bit bigger. How often are you in a hurry and so you rush right on by opportunity? How often do we become impatient, frustrated and then become closed off to the many opportunities that present themselves? Slowing down, remaining open and looking for opportunity in the midst of what we perceive as failure will pay big benefits.

 Lesson Two - Integrity

 I learned Bill Bowers is a person of integrity. He said he could help and he did. I am finding this a rare quality in people today. When you say what you will do, then do what you say…that’s integrity! No contracts, no fine print, just Bill’s word. Thank you Bill!

 Special Thanks:

 Bob Kasarda and the team at  Gemini Video Productions whose studio recorded, edited and produced the PSA for Youth4Youth. If you need video or advertising work done I suggest you contact them. If you need a voiceover - Bill Bowers is the guy.

 Dale Sandvick owner of Creekwood Golf Course in Columbia Station, Ohio, whose hospitality and full course access for filming was over the top.

TICKETS Fore CHARITY^TM  program for the Bridgestone Invitational, at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, ends August 3. You MUST purchase your Good Any One Day Gallery Ticket online at the TICKETS Fore CHARITY^TM weblink. When you do, the PGA will donate 100% of your net ticket purchase price to charity. For information and to order go to: http://www.youth4youth.org/ticketsforecharity

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

“This is a No-Brainer.” That is what so many people have told me when I have asked them for help to get the word out on this. When I tell them the PGA Tour will donate 100% of the proceeds for a Good Any One Day Gallery Ticket through the TICKETS Fore CHARITY^TM program, they just smile and say, “This is a No-Brainer!”

Why we need your help:

Over 100,000 tickets will be sold in July and the first week of August for The World Golf Championship - Bridgestone Invitational, at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio,  August 4 thru August 9. Anyone purchasing a ticket can choose to donate 100% of the ticket purchase price to charity to help youth. My job is to get the word out to as many people as possible because you have to click the right area on the Bridgestone Invitational website for that to happen. Imagine, the number of youth we can help just because people know they have the option to donate 100% of their ticket purchase to charity. That is why I am asking for your help.

 There is no limit to the amount the PGA Tour will donate. The only limitation is people buying a gallery ticket and not doing it on the TICKETS Fore CHARITY^TM part of the website.

So Here’s the SCOOP:

Youth 4 Youth is proud to partner with the PGA Tour and The Bridgestone Invitational golf tournament through TICKETS Fore CHARITY^TM in offering  a $35 Good Any One-Day Gallery Ticket to this Prestigious Event

The World Golf Championships - Bridgestone Invitational

will take place at the Firestone Country Club

in Akron, Ohio   -   August 4 - 9, 2009

 100% of the net proceeds from each ticket go directly to charity to benefit youth!

With YOUTH 4 YOUTH receiving 75%

And 25% will benefit The First Tee of Akron, Canton and Cleveland,

a program that teaches young people life skills through golf.

Purchase tickets online by clicking this link:

http://www.bridgestoneinvitational.com/tfc

Then click on Youth4Youth

You MUST enter the promotional code: Y4Y

Facts:

• One of the top tournaments in the world
• All the top name players will be there
• Any One Day Gallery Ticket - means your ticket is good any day of the tournament. (Daily Gallery Tickets are now $35 and allow access to the Firestone Country Club grounds for one individual on any one-day, August 4 - 9, 2009. General admission parking and shuttle transportation to the grounds are included.
• All orders are completed online.
• Tuesday & Wednesday are practice days and golfers are more approachable for photographs and autographs. So bring your cameras!

Purchase tickets online by clicking this link:

http://www.bridgestoneinvitational.com/tfc

Then click on Youth4Youth

You MUST enter the promotional code: Y4Y

Thank you for helping us make a positive difference in the lives of many area youth.

You can easily find out more about our work at www.youth4youth.org

For more information contact Larry Tracey at tickets@youth4youth.org

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Being there is inspiring, motivating and it locks the moment in your memory forever. Here’s why: Your body registers the true feeling of the moment. Let’s look at golf. Being there you hear the sound of a powerful drive and from that moment on, you yourself are driven to recreate that same sound in your own drives from the tee. You see and feel that perfect chip onto the green landing one foot from the cup. You’ve seen it, heard it and felt it and from that moment on you strive to reproduce that moment in your own game. Or how about seeing someone make a putt for $1 Million Dollars? You hear the silence, you see the concentration and then you feel the joy as the ball disappears from sight into the cup. You experience the exhilarating excitement of what just happened, reinforced by the roar of the crowd. And for myself, next time I sink that 12-foot putt, I’ll hear the roar of the crowd.

In anything you do, when you see it, feel it and hear it, it makes it so much easier to achieve it!

Here is an opportunity to put this into action. Both youth & adults will be inspired, motivated and create a lifelong memory.

Youth 4 Youth is proud to partner with the PGA 2009 World Golf Championships - Bridgestone Invitational golf tournament through TICKETS Fore CHARITY^TM, where 100% of the net proceeds from each ticket go directly to charity. Yes, I said 100%. All of it! So I can’t begin to tell you how excited and energized we are by this opportunity. This allows us to maximize our fundraising efforts so we can spend all of our valuable time making a difference in the lives of youth. While you or others you know who may be interested have the opportunity to enjoy watching the best golfers in the world at this prestigious event, not to mention the beauty of the grounds at Firestone Country Club, in Akron, Ohio, August 4 - 9, 2009. For more information visit: www.youth4youth.org on the right side of the page under golf click on the pink “More Information”

Larry Tracey is author of a book for teens, pre-teens and those who once were teens, titled The Secret of the CAN. Larry is founder of Youth4Youth and believes each student has the potential to be successful. Contact Larry Tracey at success@youth4youth.org

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

 I usually put the training segments in place two days before; I pick and choose what segments feel right for the day. I used to wonder why I picked certain exercises but have come to accept rather than question the purpose. That’s where the awe or surreal part comes into play, as the exercises selected are perfect for connecting enough dots to create a clear picture. The picture becomes clear, they get it and I can step back as their process begins to unfold. The best part is when you see teens and preteens make the shift to become young adults and take responsibility for themselves and being the difference in the world around them. I become filled with feelings of excitement and pride. Excited about the future for each student and pride in each of them, as they expand their comfort zone, use their creativity, imagination and talent to create a vision of the future and begin to take action. 

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

In 7^th grade, Reese learned some hard lessons about trust. “It started out with simple things. When I didn’t do my homework, I would copy someone else’s. I would tell my mom I had my homework done so I could get her off my back,” says Reese. “My parents didn’t want me to hang around my friend Jason because they thought he was what they called a “bad influence,” but they really didn’t know him. So I would lie about where I was and who I was with.”

 ”At first, I thought it was cool. I was getting away with something. They believed and trusted me. But one day, my mom saw me with Jason at the mall and a few days later I was supposed to be studying with Sam and Rebecca and my mom found me at Jason’s house.” Reese also got caught cheating on a test and then his teacher started to look at his homework and realized he was copying from others.

 Something that really bothered Reese was when he got caught in a neighbor’s garage. Mr. Simmons garage was broken into last month and now he thinks Reese had something to do with it. Reese says, “All I was doing was borrowing a hammer.” But that didn’t matter, trust was broken and sometimes trust cannot be gained back. Three years later Mr. Simmons still does not trust or talk to Reese.

 ”By 8^th grade I had the reputation of not being trustworthy,” says Reese. “Adults were always on his back, always checking on him and not believing him. They were always suspicious even when he was telling the truth.”

By the end 8^th grade Reese had learned that:

1.      Once trust is broken it is hard to earn it back

2.      You develop a reputation for being trustworthy

3.      Trust is earned over a period of time

4.      Sometimes trust cannot be repaired or gained back

 As a freshman in high school Reese realized his parents, teachers and adults wanted to trust him. So he decided to take advantage of all the opportunities they gave him to develop trust and found being honest in everything and doing his own work in school was easier than lying and cheating. Reese now enjoys many extra freedoms at school and at home and has the reputation of being trustworthy. Most importantly, Reese has self-confidence and self-respect. 

Here are the five ways Reese built trust: 

1. Be honest - start with the truth
2. Follow the rules & keep your word
3. Do your own work and ask questions when you need help
4. Standup for your beliefs
5. Apologize when you make a mistake.

Discussion Questions

1. What ways do your parents give you to develop trust?
2. How can you show your teachers you are trustworthy?
3. How do other students know you are trustworthy?
4. What is one way you can become trustworthier? 

Larry Tracey, writer of this article, is an author and founder of Youth4Youth, which teaches success, leadership,  honesty and trust by promoting school safety by treating everyone with respect. His latest book, The Secret of the Can, is available at www.TheSecretOfTheCan.com

If you or someone you know is interested in teen or parent coaching visit www.larrytracey.com/coaching and request information.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

So yesterday, I spent an exciting day at John Marshall High School in Cleveland, Ohio, with many dedicated teachers and administrators. We laid the foundation for building a Youth4Youth Change Team and facilitating 3 Challenge Days. John Marshall is the largest high school in the Cleveland Municipal School District and is one of the schools we are implementing the Youth4Youth and Challenge Day model.

We are looking for other school districts that would like to become involved as one of our model schools. Do you someone interested? Contact Youth4Youth at model@youth4youth.org to express your interest.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Decisions, decisions! How many decisions will you make today? Try counting them and you will soon discover you are constantly making decisions; hundreds if not thousands each day; should I get up, what do I wear today, what will I eat, shower or wash my face and that’s only the beginning.

How does someone become a good decision-maker? It’s simple! Start making decisions. Decision-Making is a skill; it’s like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it becomes. The best part is it increases your self-esteem and self-confidence. You develop pride in yourself and gain more respect & trust from your peers and adults. You begin to make bigger decisions that take you faster and further in life. The best part is - anyone can do it! 

Decision-making Tips

1.) Make a decision to develop a daily routine.

This decision helps you get each day off to a good start. If you prepare the night before you will end your day as a winner and be ready for a good start in the morning. 

2.) Put yourself in situations where you have to make decisions.

Make a decision to become involved with clubs or organizations in your school, church or community. You will learn both decision-making and leadership skills. Note: When you first join a club or organization it is normal to feel uncomfortable. Step out of your comfort zone. Years from now you will look back and say, “That was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!” For more on youth leadership and decision-making visit www.youth4youth.org

3.) Ask a trusted adult or role model for advice.

Adults will help you consider things you never thought about because of their life experiences. Take their insight and use it to help make the best decision. Who are the adults in your life that can help you look at your options in different situations? 

4.) Decide who you will be as a person.

Who you are is your character and it is based on your morals and beliefs. As we mature, we learn to gather facts and knowledge and include that information in our decision-making. There are times when we will find the best decision may not always be the most popular one or one I like, but it may very well be the best decision. When in question about a decision, “Listen with your heart.”   

Larry Tracey is founder of Youth4Youth, an author, parent and teen coach and trainer who teaches success, leadership and decision making skills. Members of Youth4Youth believe each student has the potential to be successful and work to create environments in which all students are given the opportunity to discover and begin development of their potential. Contact Larry Tracey at success@youth4youth.org

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

 Oops, I almost forgot…what about all those things you haven’t finished. We call those “incompletes.” You know, that person you said you’d call or text right back and you’ve forgotten. Or school projects you have to finish or have put-off due to lack of time or urgency. These things add up by consuming all your attention units, daily.

Imagine if you were able to focus most of your attention units on your dreams and direction in life! You had the habit of not getting distracted by the drama of life. You had “confidence in” rather than “worry about” the future or the past and you had such an exciting day today that you can hardly wait until tomorrow. Creating the habit of investing your Attention Units wisely will help make those dreams come true, quicker and easier.

 Let’s start with the basics: An attention unit is your ability to remember and keep information in the forefront of your mind. Think of it as the storage capacity of a computer data stick. You only have the capacity to hold so much “stuff,” so a lot of important information gets lost or misplaced. The results are forgotten assignments, missed deadlines, broken promises and agreements, feelings of frustration, guilt, self-doubt and “if only I would have.”

 The Facts:

1.      There are only 24-hours in a day. (This will never change - don’t invest time wishing it were different.)

 2.      Attention Units - we only have so many. The idea here is to free up as many as possible each day to allow you to reach you maximum potential on any given day. (i.e. the more I get done in my 24 hours)

 So what’s the answer? Develop habit patterns that work to support your success. In this case the same old same old is a great thing. Make it work to your advantage as you develop habits that will make your success inevitable.

Being organized is the most effective habit to begin with. In starting, place your attention units here.

 Here are some quick tips that will help you stay focused, do more and be more.

 1. Develop systems to keep organized.

A system is a habit of always doing the same thing the same way. Always put your books in the same place. Always put your homework in the same place. Here are a few other areas to develop habits to stay organized: locker, sports bag, book bag, desk, bedroom, study area, laundry and dirty clothes, dresser and the inside of your car.

 2. Plan tomorrow the night before.

Know what you are going to wear the night before. Know what you have to do tomorrow. What commitments do you have? Review tomorrow in your mind just before you fall asleep and see yourself being successful in everything you do.

 3.      Develop the habit of using a daily planner.

Most schools now have Agendas for each student. Learn to use this great tool. Learning to use this tool effectively frees up so many attention units that it’s unreal.

 4.      Develop the habit of writing down assignments and always taking notes.

Add commitments you make to others and yourself. Always know where your agenda is and keep it with you most of the time.

  Speed Tips For Getting Started and Successful Results:

First, do a major cleaning of your world - locker, sports bag, bedroom, study area, laundry and dirty clothes, dresser and the inside of your car.

 Create a daily checklist to make these habits a part of your life. Before long you will notice your attention units are now focused on your dreams and direction in life. Remember, it takes 30 consecutive days of doing something before it becomes a part of your unconscious habit pattern. (The key word here is consecutive.)

 Oh, I almost forgot! Rumors and gossip, worrying and putting things off - are all wasted attention units that hold you back in life. I know, no one’s perfect and some days we all get distracted by the drama of life. Make a commitment to yourself to not get distracted too long!

 If you have a question or comment email: AttentionUnits@youth4youth.org

PS. The world rewards action! What is one action step you will take right now?       © 2008 Larry Tracey All Rights Reserved

Larry Tracey is founder of Youth4Youth, an author, keynote speaker and trainer who teaches success and leadership life skills. Members of Youth4Youth believe each student has the potential to be successful and work to create environments in which all students are given the opportunity to discover and begin development of their potential. Contact Larry Tracey by email: success@youth4youth.org 

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Here are four easy ways to help you train daily and develop your leadership skills:

1.  Read. Always have one or more books you are reading that are uplifting, inspiring or positive. It’s not the amount you read it’s the quality of the information and when you read it. Start your day with a page or two and I highly recommend ending your day with a page or two. The purpose is to always be pointing your mind in a positive direction, while increasing your leadership skills and creativity.

2. Take lots of notes. Taking lots of notes makes learning easier. Not only does it    increase our memory and understanding, notes identify what was important and easily allow us to expand our thoughts and ideas.

3. Set Goals. Your goals MUST be in writing. Make sure they are achievable, measurable and specific and have a date when you will accomplish each goal. READ your goals daily. (Ideally, do this first thing in the morning and just before bed. Hmm…sound familiar!) SEE yourself (leaders have vision) as how you would be when you achieve your goal. FEEL the feelings you will feel when you have reached your goal. BELIEVE it’s possible and then let it go and go about your day.

4. Step out of your comfort zone. We all live within a box called our comfort zone. As a leader you will want to find one opportunity each day to step out of your comfort zone. It may be asking a question in class or speaking up when you see someone being treated unkindly by others. You may volunteer to do an    assignment, read in front of the class or help someone who doesn’t understand something. The more we expand our comfort zone the bigger our box becomes. The idea is to make the world your box! Then, no matter where you go or what the challenge is, you are willing to go for it with confidence. 

Your leadership development happens over time. Have patience, practice these easy steps and one day you will realize you are the one making the path and leaving the trail for others to follow. And if others see you as lucky…you will know in your heart — The World Rewards Action!   © 2008 Larry Tracey All Rights Reserved

Larry Tracey, writer of this article, is an author and founder of  Youth4Youth. Y4Y teaches success, leadership and promotes school safety by treating everyone with respect.  His latest book, The Secret of the Can, is available at:

www.TheSecretOfTheCan.com

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Head coach of Covenant girls basketball team FIRED. Wow! Teaching the qualities of integrity, heart, ability, honor and teamwork can be tough. Beating another team 100-0. Many people are divided on this. Is everyone looking at the poor me syndrome – “Look at these poor girls who got beat or were they victims of defeat” I know when I get my butt kicked there is a lot of personal growth in it. What is your opinion? If you were either team – what would be your thoughts and feelings and reasons why?

Larry Tracey is founder of Youth4Youth, an author, keynote speaker and trainer who teaches success and leadership skills promoting school safety by treating everyone with respect. Contact Larry Tracey at 216-410-4307 or email success@youth4youth.org

Bookmark It

Hide Sites