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We are in the middle of a series entitled “We Are Here.” It’s an important reminder for us all when we think about our life, our purpose, and our calling. If we are here, we need to be here. To be present. In the first episode, I talked about the power of your purpose and how your purpose is foundational to being present. In this episode, I am going to talk about why your presence matters. The important thing to remember is that people are counting on you to bring that thing that only you can specifically bring. And while it may be something you say and/or something you do, it begins with your presence.Your Presence Matters!     Show Notes: Leverage your Influence Make a positive Impact Leave a lasting Imprint Identify all of the roles that you play in life. Write one word by each of those roles that defines why your presence matters in that role. Develop an action plan to be more present in the high priority roles of your life. Be specific about some quick-hit, high impact moments that will help you gain traction in making your presence felt. Identify things that are getting in the way of you being more present. These could be things like fear of failure (or success which sometimes brings added expectations), time wasters, and proper planning and prioritization just to name a few. Develop a plan to mitigate these risks allowing your presence to be felt in all aspects of your life. Most of all, pray that God will reveal to you why your presence matters and give you wisdom and discernment about how to be more present this year and beyond.              New Episodes of the Monday Morning Moments Podcast are released every Monday on your favorite podcast platforms as well as on YouTube. We also release The Coach’s Corner segment on Thursdays. You can subscribe below and never miss a new episode. JOIN NOW!

On the way to winning the College National Championship in Volleyball, Coach Jamie Morrison gave a pre-game speech to his Texas A&M Volleyball Team with the theme of: We Are Here. He was inviting them to be present and bring their best to this moment. Building on this theme, we are beginning a news series to kick off the year with the same title: We Are Here. The focus of this series is to inspire, encourage, and remind you that you are here. But only for a moment. The key is to be present and bring your best to this moment called your life. In this first episode, I talk about why purpose is foundational.     Show Notes: We believe that knowing your why and purpose does at least 3 things: Provides direction for your path. Provides meaning in every moment. Provides peace in the chaos      New Episodes of the Monday Morning Moments Podcast are released every Monday on your favorite podcast platforms as well as on YouTube. We also release The Coach’s Corner segment on Thursdays. You can subscribe below and never miss a new episode. JOIN NOW!

One of the most important elements of discovering you is to know yourself at a deep, soul level versus just having a surface awareness of yourself. We are in a series entitled “Discovering You.” In this podcast episode of Monday Morning Moments, I share 3 tips on how to discover the depth of your being which begins with connecting with God who created you.     Show Notes: Learn From the Past Look for themes in your life. Moments where you excelled and truly enjoyed what your were doing. Times when people told you, “You know, you’re really good at that!” Prepare for the Future I have found that it is best to hold onto my plans loosely AND to seek God and His guidance and His plans fiercely. In major transition moments in my life, I always want to hear His voice and bring those plans and my thoughts about the ideas I have to Him first. Perform in the Moment  Fully engage in the life we have been given. It’s about being present in the moment and bringing our full self to that moment. When we perform in the moment, we bring our best and encourage and inspire others to bring their best as well. And we don’t conceal or minimize who we are based on the situation, circumstance, or role that we are playing.          New Episodes of the Monday Morning Moments Podcast are released every Monday on your favorite podcast platforms as well as on YouTube. We also release The Coach’s Corner segment on Thursdays. You can subscribe below and never miss a new episode. JOIN NOW!

We are more connected today than we ever have been. Digital Devices, the web, and social media keep us in constant contact with updates, breaking news, and everyone’s latest activities and accomplishments. We are able to witness both the best and sometimes the worst of people, many of which we don’t even know. And wile there are many benefits to being able to connect through technology, there are also a few devastating drawbacks including the cost of comparison! We are in a series entitled “Discovering You.” The point and purpose of this series is to help you discover you – the real authentic you and the one God created you to be. In the first podcast episode, I talked about the essence of your identity including who or what we mistakenly tie our identity to versus where we should actually anchor our identity. In this episode, we are going to cover the cost of comparison, and yes…there is a significant cost to be paid when we spend our time, energy, and emotions comparing ourselves to others. The cost of comparison is the thief of joy!     Show Notes: “The Truth,” song by Megan Woods “The truth is I am my Father’s childI make Him proud and I make Him smileI was made in the image of a perfect KingHe looks at me and wouldn’t change a thingThe truth is I am truly lovedBy a God who’s good when I’m not good enoughI don’t belong to the lies, I belong to YouAnd that’s the truth” 7 Costs of Comparison: Time Mental and Emotional Energy Unnecessary Anxiety Misaligned Purpose The Wrong Goals Distracted Focus Lack of Impact Instead of Comparing, Do These Things Instead: Be grateful. Psalm 139:13-14 says that God created you, and you are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” We have been created with great care and reverence by God, who designed us with unique qualities and a specific purpose.  We need to go to God first to gain clarity about ourselves. I love this quote from Louie Giglio in his great devotional book Grace and Glory: “God made you with uniqueness and specificity. He knows your talents and gifting. He wove them into you. He knows your strengths and weaknesses. He wrote down all the days of your life in His book before you were born. He knows how you’re wired, what you enjoy, and what brings you to life because He made you in His image, and He invites you to be a daughter or son of His kingdom. You don’t need affirmation or acceptance from others around you – you have everything you’ll ever need from your perfect and loving heavenly Father. You can willingly take up humility in every interaction around you.” – Louie Giglio, Grace and Glory We need to trust God’s feedback and guidance.  We need to embrace His love for us.Psalm 139:16 says: “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” God is the Creator of us and the maker of moments We need to know His purpose and follow His path for us. We can seek Him and get answers to the key questions in life: Why am I here? Where do you want me to go? And what do you want me to do We need to stop comparing ourself or our journey to other people and their journeys. This includes appreciating our strengths and our quirks. Change the words and your mindset from “If Only” to “I’m grateful”…and from “I have to” to “I get to.” We need be faithful with our calling, even if others don’t understand it. We need to ask for, surrender, and submit to God’s leadership in our lives. We need to stay focused on the mission He gave us, not the one He gave to someone else. We need to trust that the same God who created and called us…will equip us. Comparison can cause you to feel inadequate, but God will provide everything you need…to do the things He has called you to do and truly become the person He created you to be. New Episodes of the Monday Morning Moments Podcast are released every Monday on your favorite podcast platforms as well as on YouTube. We also release The Coach’s Corner segment on Thursdays. You can subscribe below and never miss a new episode. JOIN NOW!

We are beginning a new podcast series entitled “Discovering You.” The intent of this series is to help you to discover you – the real and authentic version of yourself that God created you to be. We will break series up into 3 podcast episodes. In this episode, we will talk about the essence of your identity. In future episodes, I will talk about the cost of comparison and discovering the depth of your being. Over all of the episodes, we will consider 2 Key Questions:  Who are You? Who are You Becoming?   New Episodes of the Monday Morning Moments Podcast are released every Monday on your favorite podcast platforms as well as on YouTube. We also release The Coach’s Corner segment on Thursdays. You can subscribe below and never miss a new episode. JOIN NOW!

35,000! That’s how many decisions you will make today as cited in a recent study by Harvard Business Review. Decisions about what you will eat, what you will wear, and many other micro-decisions about your day. Many of these decisions are subconscious and become almost automatic for us. Other decisions are conscious and have greater importance like how you will show up to work or a game, what job or career to pursue, and how you will give your best and live life on purpose. We are in a series entitled “3 P’s to Peak Performance.” In the first episode, I shared the first P word and talked about the power of presence, or how you show up each day. In the second episode, I shared another P word that can help you perform at your best in sports, business, and life. And that word was Process. In this episode, I am going to share the third word that can help you perform at your best in sports, business, and life. And that word is Pre-Decide. We have conducted a lot of research on this word and have had a lot of experience in working with athletes as well as business leaders and entrepreneurs on the power of pre-deciding.   Show Notes: 3 Ways you can react or respond to a challenging moment: React emotionally to the moment Choose to do nothing Respond in the right way A+B=C; A is the activating event, B is your beliefs, values, and principles, and C is the choice or better response. Make a list of 2-3 moments that tend to take you down a downward spiral. Write out what your typical reaction has been in these moments that has hindered your performance or prevented you from being present in future moments. Choose your mental toughness response and write it down. Key questions for you: What scenarios and negative moments are affecting you right now? How have you reacted to those moments? What is a better response that you can choose that will help you perform and lead at your best?           New Episodes of the Monday Morning Moments Podcast are released every Monday on your favorite podcast platforms as well as on YouTube. We also release The Coach’s Corner segment on Thursdays. You can subscribe below and never miss a new episode. JOIN NOW!

We are in a series entitled “3 P’s to Peak Performance.” In the first episode, I shared the first P word and talked about the power of presence, or how you show up each day. In this podcast episode of Monday Morning Moments, I am going to share another P word that can help you perform at your best in sports, business, and life. And that word is Process. Process is how you show out as some of my athletes like to say, or how you bring your best to the moment. We all want the outcome or to realize the goal, but the only way the goal is reached is through focusing on the process to achieve it.     Show Notes: Focus on what you can control. What you choose to focus on magnifies in size Every action begins with a thought Be Outcome-Driven and Process-Focused Instead of worrying about the circumstances or obsessing to try and control the outcome, focus on the process to achieve the outcome you want. “let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)          New Episodes of the Monday Morning Moments Podcast are released every Monday on your favorite podcast platforms as well as on YouTube. We also release The Coach’s Corner segment on Thursdays. You can subscribe below and never miss a new episode. JOIN NOW!

What is the secret to peak performance in sports, business, and life? And is it really a secret, or are there some key success factors that you can apply in your life to be your best in any situation? This is the first episode in a new Monday Morning Moments podcast series entitled “3 P’s to Peak Performance.” In this series, I will share 3 essential principles that can help you perform at your best in sports, business, and life. In this episode, I share about the power of your presence and why deciding how you will show up to practice, games, the office, and your home and community is so important.     Show Notes: Presence is about being authentic. Your presence should be focused on making a positive impact and being fully engaged in the process. Choosing the right presence helps nurture the right thoughts, set the right tone, and produce the right tempo for your day and your life. Worship is about breathing in God’s presence and breathing out His praise! When we breathe in God’s presence, it permeates our soul and begins to positively impact the people and the atmosphere around us.             New Episodes of the Monday Morning Moments Podcast are released every Monday on your favorite podcast platforms as well as on YouTube. We also release The Coach’s Corner segment on Thursdays. You can subscribe below and never miss a new episode. JOIN NOW!

What is a promise? A promise is something that will happen as a result of something that is said. Our words should mean something to the person we are speaking to. And when we speak to ourselves through our self talk, we should believe what we are saying, not just quote shallow cliches that have no meaning or impact in our lives. Words not only have purpose and power but they also have promise for others and for ourselves. As leaders and people of influence and in our own self talk, we need to speak with intention and commitment. This is the third episode in our series entitled “Words,” and in this episode, I share about the promise of words and offer three things that the promise of words should nurture and generate for us and for others.        Show Notes: The promise of words should encourage a response vs a reaction. The promise of your words should nurture a transformation vs just deliver a transaction. The promise of your words should build enduring trust built on a solid foundation of truth and integrity. Ralph Waldo Emerson: “What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” Psalm 12:6 declares: “And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times.” (NIV) In Isaiah 55:11, God says, “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (NIV) “Brew coffee or tea, sit with a friend and ask them questions—questions just one step riskier than the last time you talked. As you listen, observe the flickers of sadness or hope that cross their face. Try to imagine what it must be like to live their story, suffer their losses, dream their dreams. Pray with them and dare to put into words their heart’s desires, and dare to ask God to grant them.” – Andy Crouch, Strong and Weak: Embracing a Life of Love, Risk and True Flourishing           New Episodes of the Monday Morning Moments Podcast are released every Monday on your favorite podcast platforms as well as on YouTube. We also release The Coach’s Corner segment on Thursdays. You can subscribe below and never miss a new episode. JOIN NOW!

What is the purpose of words? We are in a series simply entitled “Words,” and we are exploring the power, purpose, and promise of words. We use words every day both to talk to ourselves and to talk to others, but do we really understand why they exist and why it is important to use the right word in the right moment? In the first episode, I talked about the power of words and how we need to think deeply about our words in order to have the best impact on the people you lead and influence. We also talked about how it is so important to choose the right words in your own self talk, because words have power to build up or tear down. In this episode, I want to talk to you about the purpose of words.       Show Notes: While we could probably come up with many reasons for why we have words, I think this simple definition of the purpose of words is very practical:“The purpose of words is to help find courage, purpose, and meaning in any moment.” The thing about words is that they spring up from what’s going on in our heart. Proverbs 4:23 says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”‭‭(‬Proverbs ‭4‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬) I love what Ephesians 4:29 says about our words, especially as it relates to feedback:“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”(‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬) 4 Cs Concerning the Purpose of Words: Communicate Connect Create Commit Key Questions to Consider When Connecting With Others: Who are they? What’s their story? What’s most important to them? What are their priorities? What are their strengths? What are they most passionate about or what energizes them? What do they need from me? How can I help them achieve their goals? How can I help them become the person God created them to be? New Episodes of the Monday Morning Moments Podcast are released every Monday on your favorite podcast platforms as well as on YouTube. We also release The Coach’s Corner segment on Thursdays. You can subscribe below and never miss a new episode. JOIN NOW!

Words have power! Either to bless, encourage, and heal or to curse, hurt, and wound. We are beginning a new series appropriately entitled “Words.” In this series, we will explore the power of words, the purpose of words, and the promise of words. We will talk about the importance of choosing your words wisely both in leading yourself and your self talk as well as leading others. Whether you are a business leader, coach, athlete, student, parent, or spouse, you will gain insight into how to become more discerning and effective in how to use your words to encourage, inspire, and help others become their best! In this episode of Monday Morning Moments, I share about the power of words and offer 3 tips on how to choose your words wisely.      Show Notes: I love what J. R. Miller says in the book “The Building of Character”:“There have been meetings of only a moment which have left impressions for life, for eternity. No one can understand that mysterious thing we call influence… yet everyone of us continually exerts influence, either to heal, to bless, to leave marks of beauty; or to wound, to hurt, to poison, to stain our lives.” 3 Tips for Choosing Your Words Wisely: Ponder Your Words Measure Your Words Pray About Your Words As Harriet Beecher Stowe:“The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.”I don’t want to leave “words left unsaid and deeds left undone” that I know God wants me to say! I love the lyrics to this song by Hawk Nelson and MercyMe appropriately entitled “Words”:”You can heal the heartacheSpeak over the fearGod, your voice is the only thingWe need to hearWords can build us upWords can break us downStart a fire in our hearts orPut it outLet my words be lifeLet my words be truthI don’t wanna say a wordUnless it points the world back to You”             New Episodes of the Monday Morning Moments Podcast are released every Monday on your favorite podcast platforms as well as on YouTube. We also release The Coach’s Corner segment on Thursdays. You can subscribe below and never miss a new episode. JOIN NOW!

Philippians 4:6-7 is a great verse and reminder that we should not be anxious about or fear anything or any situation but in everything and in every season and situation we should be bring our requests – our fear, anxiety, depression, and doubt to God – knowing that He will provide a peace that surpasses all of our human understanding in every moment. This is another episode in our series entitled “The Path to Peace: 10 Bible Verses to Develop Faith Over Fear.” In this week’s Monday Morning Moments podcast episode, I share more about this verse and its relevance in our lives and our mental health.     Show Notes: Philippians 4:6-7 – “6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  This verse offers a command with instruction, and the promise is inherit in the verse. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul wrote this letter a group of people in a church who were facing and dealing with anxiety, fear, and even persecution. He was echoing the words of Jesus who spoke several times about not being anxious. In fact, Paul was probably the first mental health coach as he often spoke about how to deal with fear and how to renew our mind to positive and productive thoughts. I have used many Bible verses that He wrote as the foundation for the keys to a championship mindset that I coach and teach the athletes that I get to work with. Paul follows up this verse with instruction on what we should focus on and where we should direct our attention to in order to not be fearful. He says in Philippians 4:8 – “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”(NIV) This verse provides a checklist to discern if we should entertain a certain thought, which ultimately leads to an action: Is it true? Is it noble? It is right or true? Is it pure? Is it lovely? Is it admirable? Is it excellent or praiseworthy?             New Episodes of the Monday Morning Moments Podcast are released every Monday on your favorite podcast platforms as well as on YouTube. We also release The Coach’s Corner segment on Thursdays. You can subscribe below and never miss a new episode. JOIN NOW!

Do you need courage? Are you going through a season of life where your strength has been drained? Or are you being called to a new position of leadership and you are wondering if you have what it takes to lead? We are in our series called “The Path to Peace” based on an upcoming book project I am working on entitled The Path to Peace: 10 Bible Verse To Develop Faith Over Fear. In this podcast episode of Monday Morning Moments, I share Joshua 1:9, which is another verse in the Bible that is a command with a promise.     Show Notes: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (ESV)              New Episodes of the Monday Morning Moments Podcast are released every Monday on your favorite podcast platforms as well as on YouTube. We also release The Coach’s Corner segment on Thursdays. You can subscribe below and never miss a new episode. JOIN NOW!

You have an enemy, and it’s not who you think it is. Many times, we see other people as the enemy. We see them as the person who annoys us or the person who is stealing our joy. We see them as the cause of our conflict and struggle. And while it is true that other people may be annoying you and causing major league “trouble” for you, we have to understand that there is a another enemy who is working behind the scenes to come against you. As a part of living in a broken and imperfect world, there is a an enemy who is waging a spiritual battle for your soul, your purpose, and your impact. This enemy wants to steal your joy, kill your purpose, and destroy your impact. Yet, we have a Savior and a Good Shepherd who came to protect us, provide for us, and position us to live out our purpose all for the glory of God. This is another episode in our series entitled: “The Path To Peace.” In today’s Monday Morning Moments podcast, I share what Jesus said in John 10:10 about this enemy, what the enemy is trying to do, and how we can find peace in Jesus.     Show Notes: John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (ESV) Steal Your Joy Use or create moments that discourage and defeat you and keep you from having joy in the moment. Focus our attention on everything that is going wrong or could go wrong distracting us from the joy we can have in our lives. Kill Your Purpose Lie to you and tell you that you don’t have a purpose. Point to your mistakes and say that given your past, you could never have a purpose or platform to make a difference Destroy Your Impact Leverage regret and shame over past moments Create roadblocks and cause us to focus on the apparent lack of momentum in our lives toward a goal to try and keeping us from continuing to move forward through these moments. Work in and through other people to try and limit our effectiveness.Leverage regret and shame over past moments We have to realize that there is a spiritual warfare going on all around us. In fact, Paul tells us this in Ephesians 6:12, which says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (NIV) New Episodes of the Monday Morning Moments Podcast are released every Monday on your favorite podcast platforms as well as on YouTube. We also release The Coach’s Corner segment on Thursdays. You can subscribe below and never miss a new episode. JOIN NOW!

Have you ever experienced a challenge or difficulty in your life? A circumstance so bad you didn’t know how you were going to make it through? Fear, doubt, and deep anxiety can creep into our lives causing us to stop, stumble, and/or steer away from the path to peace. This is another episode in our series entitled “The Path to Peace,” based on an upcoming book project I am working on entitled The Path to Peace: 10 Verses to Develop Faith Over Fear. In this podcast episode of Monday Morning Moments, I share a verse that gives us the proper perspective and the right response to have peace in any moment…including the valley moments in our life.       Show Notes: In chapter 16 of the Gospel of John in the Bible, Jesus communicates a bunch of things to His disciples…mainly that He will be leaving them and why this is a good thing. They are confused about this and wonder how this could ever be a good thing. They also don’t understand how the “Helper” that Jesus promises could ever be better than having Jesus in the flesh with them. At the end of chapter 16, Jesus says these words: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV) Importance of a Proper Perspective and the Right Response A proper perspective about a situation and the right response can help us move through challenging moments, discover the path to peace, and realize growth in the process and successful and impactful outcomes. The path to peace will be filled with trouble; yet, we can experience peace in the process because of what Jesus did on the cross and what He offers us in any moment. It’s helpful to know that there will be challenges so we are not caught off guard at any moment (Perspective). And it’s even better to know that we have someone who can help us conquer any fear along the way (The Powerful Response)!               New Episodes of the Monday Morning Moments Podcast are released every Monday on your favorite podcast platforms as well as on YouTube. We also release The Coach’s Corner segment on Thursdays. You can subscribe below and never miss a new episode. JOIN NOW!