Discover Your Passion

Welcome to Discovering Your Passion!

At one's core, in one's heart, resides the power, that unique passion, that 'thing', we want to accomplish in life. That "it" we've at least wanted to take a shot at. That hidden desire in our lives that we've kept hidden in a box deep in our souls. It could be a new profession, a trip you've always wanted to take, learn a new skill, go back to school, 'that dream', reunite with a friend, the thing we wanted to do in life but maybe those we trusted gave us a direction that was more comfortable for them!

Stop and ask yourself..."do you spend time doing things you don't want to do in places you don't want to be, for no other reason than you feel you have to?"

Do you ask, "What am I chasing after? * Why am I chasing it? * What is my purpose?

My LifeWorks blog is here for you. Articles, tips, motivational stories, real people successes and plans will be posted regularly to help those who are ready to start their adventure. I am convinced that the greater percentage of baby boomers are ready to reinvent themselves. That's who baby boomers are in today's world.

A survey revealed that people 80 years of age and older had very few regrets for the things they had attempted in life. Conversely, the same group of people reported that they DID HAVE regrets for the things they hadn't tried in life. As one older gentleman put it, "his use on or before expiration" date had come and gone for trying those things he would have pursued if he were younger. Baby boomers and others want to discover what their passion, dream, "it" is today and then go out and achieve it.

For some it means leaving a legacy, others its about fulfillment, and for some people it's not getting cheated in being all they can become in life.

So let's get started...yesterday is gone, tomorrow is not promised, and today is all we have. I look forward to helping you and hearing what "passion" you've disocvered and brought to light.

A LifeWorks Moment

A "LifeWorks Moment" is a time, story, incident that occurred in my life when weaved into all the others, makes me the person I am today as well as my business LifeWorks. I find when I do presentations, workshops, and speeches, people enjoy being able to connect with me.

I get that look from audience members that says, "yep been there".

Its been a tough year for the the Class of '71 for the Webster City Lynx. My graduating class was a pretty good size one for a school out in the cornfields of north central Iowa. We had slightly over 200 graduates. But now we're at that age when its sad to hear but not unexpected, to learn of a fallen classmate. You're first thought is "holy cow are you kidding..." Then you stop and realize "hey we're the same age. We played on the same team, lockered next to each other." And now they're gone!

Some of my classmates have died in tragic ways. When you remember the person and then see how they have died...well it just doesn't add up.

Now the Purple & Gold of '71 will celebrate its 40th reunion in August 2011. I'm in that phase of my life where I tell people "I don't even feel 40 let alone be celebrating my 40th year after graduating." There may be a slight bit of denial going on with me!

Through the past few months several of my classmates have died. Actually enough of them passed away that it set off an alarm. So a picnic was held this past weekend for those who could attend back in Webster City. You know get the old gang back together before someone else bites the bullet. Not too many attended. But for those who did I understand it was a good time.

Forty years! Classmates have passed on. Many of us live all over the United States. Many have remarkable careers. I think the one thing we weren't thinking of in 1971 was the day when we'd share pictures of our grandchildren. Grandchildren! Are you kidding? That's tough to admit when as a baby boomer we're just never going to get that old.

And then I noticed something in one of the 'post-picnic' emails. There was a message from one of my classmates who apparently attended the picnic. This classmate wrote, "I know I wasn't very popular back then but I still remember 'the days of the Class of 71'.

Ugh! Somewhere in that line is a story. This person is in their mid-50's. They are nearly 40 years removed from that graduation night of May 1971. I feel somewhat sad for that person. Part of me wants to say "oh get on with it" and another part of me says, "well its what they remember about those days and how some people treated them."

For those who "blended in", were wallflowers, and just went about life...yep you weren't too cool then. You may have lived on the "other side of town." Or maybe your parents were blue collar workers. You may have even went to the 'wrong' elementary school. And probably like every other high school there were the "cool" kids. They may have been alittle more athletic, maybe alittle more attractive and maybe their parents had alittle nicer house and car. And I guess that buys you an attitude that says "I'm alittle bit better than you." Apparently there's still at least one class member who has that memory after all these years. So as much as we want to say "Hey we're the Class of '71 let's hear it for the Lynx..." well maybe we haven't changed all that much after 40 years.

What is Success?

How do you answer the question..."Success is...?" The problem for most people who want to be successful is not that they can't achieve success. The main hurdle for them is that they misunderstand success. Success can have many different faces. Maltbie Babcock said, "One of the most common mistakes and one of the costliest is thinking that success is due to some genius, some magic, something or other which we do not possess."

So what is success? What does success look like? Most people have a vague picture of what it means to be a successful person.

Most individuals equate success with money. Nothing wrong with that. More power to you if you are skilled with such success. But if that's your only definition of success then you might not have the best of definitions. Through the ages, great men have taught that wealth and what it brings are at best fleeting. Everyone enters the world with nothing and exits with the same amount.

For example, in 1923, a small group of the world's wealthiest men met at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. They were the "Who's Who" of wealth and power. At that time, they controlled more money than the total amount contained in the United States Treasury. Here is a list of who was there and what eventually happened to them:

*Charles Schwab - president of the largest independent steel company...died broke.

*Arthur Cutten - greatest of the wheat speculators...died abroad, insolvent.

*Richard Witney - president of New York Stock Exchange... died just after his release from Sing Sing prison.

*Albert Fall - member of U.S. president's cabinet...was pardoned from prison so that he could die from home.

*Jes Livermore - greatest "bear" on Wall Street...committed suicide.

*Leon Fraser - president of Bank of International Settlements...committed suicide.

*Ivar Kreuger - head of the world's greatest monopoly...committed suicide.

Even Greek millionaire Aristotle Onassis who retained his wealth and died at a ripe old age, recognized that money isn't the same as success. Onassis maintained that "after you reach a certain point, money becomes unimportant. What matters is success."

So what is it in life that inspires you to be successful? How can you achieve it? Who needs to be involved with your pursuit?

Whenever I used a tool from my grandfather's work shed, or his lawnmower, his fishing tackle, whatever it was I can hear him say..."just make sure you put it back better than you found it."
Given that thought, maybe we can each measure how successful we are if we use our lives and talents to make our individual worlds better as we've live in them.

Workplace Ethics and Principles

Author John Luther wrote, "Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent. Most talents are, to some extent, a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to build it piece by piece, by thought, choice, courage and determination."

American businesses focus on profitability and success. They profess doing whatever it takes to make profits. So, the question is:

Where do workplace ethics fit in such a scenario?

Well, if you see the recent cases of scandals, frauds, and irregularities that have been reported in the media related to businesses, government and corporations, it seems almost mandatory that ethics/principles need to make a strong comeback in the American workforce.

But, how do you train employees in something like ethics?

Character 360 is an ethics/principles training program, from LifeWorks, a personal and professional development business. Character 360 helps build strong teams and foster enhanced ethics thus creating increased work productivity.

Business ethics in today's world play an important role in a company's success or failure. A company has a special obligation to its customers and clients to be ethical. Research has proven that if your business is honest, fair, and trustworthy, people would rather do business with you than with a company that does not have these qualities.

A Character 360 Seminar/Workshop will promote:

• Improved productivity
• Increased profitability
• Improved employee morale
• Enhanced recruitment and retention of employees
• Better company reputation
• Long-term success

Contact me, Dick Creek, today about your company and building a stronger more productive business and reputation. Character 360 is available in the following formats:

Lunch-n-Learn

Keynote Presentation

One Day Workshop

Call me today at: 402.391.4364 to set up your event or you can email me at: rdcreek@cox.net

Take the next step towards a stronger and respected company by scheduling

Character 360

A LifeWorks Moment

Who doesn't like reading a really good book, article, column, etc. by a outstanding writer. But for me there are times I'd rather read about the author and get to know who that person is. Those times and experiences that have made them the person they are and how those times influence how they interact with people. I guess we could call it the "pull back the curtain" and "sneak a peek" approach in getting to know them. I mean really everyone likes reading a personal story about someone else!

So today I start a column with my LifeWorks blog called "Snapshot". This column will be about a time in my personal life that had an affect on who I am today and will offer you a peek behind the curtain of my life. It could be an incident that happened, a person that I have known, something funny, something sad. My hope is whatever is written will help you get to know me. That "Snapshots" will be fun to read and offer a bit of wisdom.

I had the great fortune in my first profession of my life to be a minister. That surprises many people...not sure if that's a good or bad thing come to think of it. Being in the ministry provided me tons of experiences that most people will never have. There were so many 'life' moments that occurred at any time that quoting the Boy Scouts, you just had to "be prepared".

When I was 22 years old, I got my first call that a gentleman was at the local hospital and close to dying. If I remember correctly he was a retired farmer in his 80's. As I entered his darkened hospital room, he opened his eyes and I introduced myself and who I was. I told him that a family member had asked me to visit him. He was very close to checking out and leaving this earth. I said all the right things that I had been taught to say at a moment like this. I was caring, called him by his first name, did my best to offer comfort. Not bad for a 22 year old. The old man listened intently and looked me straight in the eye. It may sound funny but I was pretty proud of myself. I mean after all I'm a 22 year old! What don't you know at that age. But then the tables were turned. I'll never forget that my hands were on the bed railing. He took his withered hand and tightly squeezed my hand and looked at me and said, "Do something I can't go yet!" There was a real sense of urgency and a hint of panic in his voice. He repeated himself, "Boy do something I'm not ready and I can't go yet." My first thought was I don't remember being in class and going over this particular issue! I had no answer that would satisfy him. Talk about feeling inadequate. The look in his eyes is something I've not forgotten...he was serious in his request. And it was one I couldn't do anything about.

Later that day the old farmer passed away. Not sure if he got things worked out the way he wanted it or not. My guess is he didn't.

What did I learn? Several things that I share with people in many of my presentations. First of all today is all you have... period. No one and I do mean no one has a guarantee they will be here tomorrow. We're all one heart beat from the end. Second, whatever needs to be resolved with another person should be attempted as soon as possible. I understand it takes two to resolve an "issue" but have the knowledge that you tried. Third, whatever you do have no regrets at the end of your way. And finally, live your life to fullest...there are no dress rehersals.

Where Have All The Leaders Gone?

Take a look around where you work. Maybe in your church. Your child's sport's team. What about your city, state and even federal government. Stop and look in your own family. Has it struck you that our society has a shortage of competent, inspiring, dedicated leaders? For all the woes we face in our country and families today, as a society we need to be about the business of identifying new potential leaders.

Dale Carnegie was a master at identifying potential leaders. Once asked by a reporter how he managed to hire forty-three millionaires, Carnegie responded that the men had not been millionaires when they started working for him. They had become millionaires as a result.

The reporter next wanted to know how he had developed these individuals to become such valuable leaders. Carnegie replied, "Men are developed the same way gold is mined. Several tons of dirt must be moved to get an ounce of gold. But you don't go into the mine looking for dirt," he added. "You go in looking for the gold."

That's exactly the way to develop positive, inspiring, dedicated leaders for our businesses, families and communities. Look for the gold, not the dirt; the good, not the bad. The more positive qualities you look for, the more you're going to find.

HAVE YOU MADE IT A PRIORITY TO FIND POTENTIAL LEADERS AND SUPPORT THEM?

Fathers...Who Needs Them?

Let's be honest. When it comes to the holidays we celebrate in this country, one in particular ranks fairly low on the holiday ladder. I mean Halloween, Easter, July 4th, Memorial Day and others in many ways garner more attention... and dollars spent. Now give Hallmark its due. There is a dollar to be made with this holiday so I guess that's good as we strive to turn our economy around...(wink)

I would contend that a particular national holiday needs to leapfrog many of our current U.S. holidays and dare I say challenge Christmas for that top spot. Keep in mind when God sent down the 10 Commandments with Moses there was nothing about observing Christmas in them. Not a word. BUT there were instructions about FATHERS. There it is in Commandment #5..."Honor your father...." I read all Ten and found nothing about Christmas...which most people in some way spend time and money on and will tell you its the most important holiday. Not to...well...even if you go into debt...you just do celebrate Christmas. Duh. We measure the economy of the greatest nation on earth by how many dollars are spent at Christmas to determine if we had a 'good holiday season'. I'm not here to bash Christmas. Although I do have some opinions if you'd ever care to hear them.

Next Sunday could well be the most important holiday of the year...Father's Day. If you look at Father's Day from a scriptural perspective, I can build a bullet proof case for Fathers over mangers, wise men, gifts and cute adorable children..(mine once)...dressed as angels.

I can build a huge case for the need and support of fathers in today's society. Who cares if a kid gets presents at Christmas if there is no father or even a male figure in that child's life! Many of our issues with children, young people, and even young adults stem from the fact that there are NO fathers involved. When did this society dumb-down the importance of fathers. The need of fathers crosses all social and economic landscapes. From poor neighborhoods, to the guy in the corporate boardroom, to the man maybe sitting in church, they all need to step up to the plate and fulfill their roles as fathers.
Sadly a good deal of men don't recognize the role of being a father. Simply being a 'donor' to an egg to create a human being is not being a father! That is at its best just fulfilling a biological step in making a baby. And oh, for men today, please understand that an infant grows into a child, then an adolescent, then a teenager, young adult, a grown up adult, and maybe someday a father themselves.
So who needs fathers? Well their children do. The mothers of their children do. Our schools do. The churches they may attend do. Our places of business do. Country clubs do. Government does. Little League teams do. Children's clubs do. I mean really we need fathers everywhere we turn.

In 2010, I would guess we have less fathers then we did 20 years ago. Oh sure we have more children, but less fathers. The need for loving, competent, interested, time-giving fathers may well be at a critical stage in our country. Mothers have been bailing fathers out for too long attempting to fulfill both roles. In my opinion, Moms were never meant to do both...they're just capable of pulling it off sometimes. But even Moms have limits.

So here comes Father's Day on June 20th. I have a father who is 81 years old and as I've gotten older I'm amazed at how smart he has become! I'm not sure my father graduated from High School. I know he's a decorated Korean War veteran spending 4 years in the Navy. I know he was gone for weeks at a time when he worked as a fireman for the Chicago Northwestern Railroad. I know when he worked for the local factory and it went on strike, my father picked up a job with a survey crew to earn some extra dollars for food. My Dad held the stick that the other guy looks at through his scope. Dad said they called it the "idiot stick."
I know that when my dad faced the challenges of drinking he got help and has mentored countless others throughout the years. And I will always remember watching my father hold my mother's hand the last hours of her life as she slipped away from him. My father was not perfect and he would tell you so himself. But I do know this. He worked at being a father...he learned about being a father...he taught me about the cost of being a father, and without his example, both good and bad, I'd be less of a father today.

The other day in an elevator, a woman turned to another and said, "Oh my gosh its June already and I need to start thinking about Christmas gifts." Ugh
Maybe some of us can spend more time thinking and planning and promoting strong, loving, involved fathers for our children. That would be the best gift ever!