Habits-Attitudes-Beliefs-Expectations

opportunityisnowhere

What did you see when you read this string of letters? Did you see "opportunity is nowhere"...or did you see "opportunity is now here." Which phrase describes your mindset as 2010 approaches-the first or the second? Let us all focus on the second phrase!

Habits-Attitudes-Beliefs-Expectations

When you interact with your family members and your co-workers, do you act like Lee's brother or do you act like the hockey coach? Do you encourage them, do you cheer them on, or do you hold them back by telling them all of the "reasons" why they can't do something?

Habits-Attitudes-Beliefs-Expectations

Every reader of my blog (including me) has a "hockey coach" in his/her life-someone who has told us what we can't do-someone who has told us that we are not smart enough to succeed in school, we are too old to go back to school, we are not qualified to accept that promotion, we are not capable of starting our own company, etc. ad nauseum. However, each of of us also has someone who, like Lee's brother, encourages us-they cheer us on, they help us study for that exam, they encourage us to go for that promotion, etc. ...so, who do we listen to? Are we listening to the right person, just like Lee did all of those years ago?

The hockey coach said that Lee couldn't play hockey because Lee couldn't skate. However, Lee's brother suggested that Lee could play goalie on the hockey team-he could wear snowmobile boots that would help to stabilize Lee when he stood in front of the goal. Also, goalies by definition don't have to skate much, if at all. So Lee gave it a try.....and it worked. Lee played the position of goalie for 8 years of Junior Hockey in Canada without having to skate.

Playing hockey in spite of his cerebral palsy gave Lee the confidence to live a productive and useful life-he went on to get married and he and his wife Pat had 2 daughters. Lee traveled all over the United States to speak as an advocate for people with disabilities. He touched a lot of lives while he was among us.

But there is more.....

Habits-Attitudes-Beliefs-Expectations

Lee was one of the first students in Canada with cerebral palsy that was "mainstreamed"-he attended public school along with students that were not disabled. He did his school work using a typewriter, since he could not write with a pen because his CP caused him to shake too much.

Like all Canadian boys, Lee wanted to play hockey. Hockey in Canada is as popular there as football is in the United States. But there was a problem-once again, CP prevented Lee from doing something he wanted to do-it prevented him from skating, which you have to be able to do in order to play hockey. But then Lee's older brother stepped in and changed Lee's life.....

Habits-Attitudes-Beliefs-Expectations

Lee was from Canada. He died 10 years ago this month in Seattle, Washington. Lee developed a severe infection that raced through his body and killed him before the doctors could do anything about it. Lee left behind a wife and two daughters. I think about Lee often because every month I tell the following story to my students in my job search/career development training classes.

Lee had cerebral palsy. Although this disability did not cause Lee's death, it definitely presented him with challenges during his entire life."Cerebral palsy, also known as CP, is a term used to describe a group of chronic conditions affecting body movement and coordination..... It is caused by damage to one or more specific areas of the brain, usually occurring during fetal development.....faulty development or damage to motor areas in the brain disrupts the brain's ability to adequately control movement and posture." (Source-United Cerebral Palsy website)

The true story of Lee's life is one of victory and triumph in spite of his disability. It will help you examine your beliefs about yourself and about the people you work with and manage........

Habits-Attitudes-Beliefs-Expectations

The workplace is made up of people that have a whole bunch of habits, attitudes, beliefs, and expectations-most of them positive. But what about the negative ones? Do these negative/bad habits, etc. "infect" your employees and your culture in unhealthy ways? Do they prevent your employees from using more of their incredible potential? Absolutely!

To illustrate my point, I want to tell you a true story about a friend of mine-Lee Bussard-from Canada.....