My dreams of winning US$1 billion from Warren Buffett were shattered when the University of Dayton defeated the Ohio State University in NCAA Men’s Basketball last Thursday.  My visions of glory among my department are also very suspect because my bracket is more busted than Dexter Manley.  Every time I watch the tournament I regret not picking one school over another.  I need to do something inspirational.  For those among you who are athletes or coaches, you are all too familiar with the pep talk. You know those sport moments when your teammate or your coach brings you or the team together and with a lot or a few words inspires you to elevate your game to another level. This one is for me, for you and for all the non-athletes who enjoy my blog.

Everyone needs a little pep talk now and then. I’m just the guy to do it. I’m going to tell you what I see in you. Yes, that’s right, YOU! This is not going to be a “win one for the Gipper” kind of speech. Oh, no, this one will inspire greatness in the very soul I’m looking at right now. YOU!

I see grace, beauty, intelligence, talent and limitless potential. If you’re sitting on your ass right now, reading this, finish and then go take a walk around the block. Think about what I just wrote. Write down your goals and get after them. You can do anything. You are a winner.

I’m tired of all the excuses of what you aren’t. Stop. Talk about what you are. You have everything you need to make a difference in you, in others. It takes action. It takes discipline. It takes creating a goal and taking all the steps you need to achieve your objective. You don’t have to be an athlete to win. Just do it. Sorry, but I had to slip that one in there because it’s so true.

You should be inspired by the countless examples of people doing great things for themselves and others. There’s no reason why that can’t be you. They are no different from you. Really. What drives them to succeed? Taking action. You either have results or excuses. You can’t have both.

I’m so fired up by what I see in you. I want to follow you around and see what you achieve. I want to see you try. I want you to stop saying you can’t and start saying you can. Stop saying it’s hard. Stop saying it can’t be done. What’s hard to witness is someone who doesn’t live up to their true potential, someone who doesn’t try, someone who would rather do nothing but make excuses all day.

Stop saying you’re not pretty enough or athletic enough or graceful enough or smart enough. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop comparing yourself to others. Stop reading the bad news. Stop listening to bad advice from friends or your own negative self talk.

Before going to bed each night, ask yourself if you gave it your best today? Ask yourself what did you learn today? Ask yourself if you exercised today? Ask yourself did you help another human being or an animal today?  If you gave it your all, you win.

Steve Prefontaine once said, “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.” Yes, people, that’s right. We ALL have “the gift.” The gift of life. Let’s go out there and give it our all. Every day. Live hard. Work hard. Play hard. Exercise hard. Love hard. Give hard.  Win.

Activity isn’t hard. Life is all about giving your best every day. I don’t know about you but I’m inspired as hell. I’ve already spent an hour lifting weights this morning and I’m about to go for a run. And then I’m going to come back home and eat my lunch and finish my taxes and learn some Italian and watch some NCAA Men’s Basketball on TV and take my wife and mother in-law to dinner, where I’ll drink some wine and eat some great food and throw down some fabulous dessert and come home and go to bed and do it all again tomorrow because today and every day, I give it my best.  That’s all anyone can do.

Live for the now, friend, because when you’re dead it will be too late.  That one is worth a billion dollars.

Peace. Love. Action. Results.  Believe in yourself and others.

Ciao.