Friday, January 29, 2010

Steve's Nothing But The Funny Stuff

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a flat tire, no spare, and a dead cell phone.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

LIVE!

Steve Rizzo, "Don't just survive, step outside your comfort zone & LIVE!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Your Foundation To Success

The key to creating the success and happiness you desire is to build your life on a rock-solid foundation. Read that again my friend. Why? Because it seems to be something most people don't ever consider. Let me ask you a question. Would you build your dream house without a strong foundation to support it? I think you get the point. Whenever you set out to build the life you want, for your sake and for the sake of everyone involved in your life, build a strong foundation first, because when things aren't going the way you want and it seems that your world is falling apart all around you, you can always re-build your life on a rock-solid foundation. How do you create a rock-solid foundation? Well, I'm glad you asked dear reader.
Successful and happy people have good times and bad times just like everyone else. They are not exempt from distress and affliction. What distinguishes them from the rest of the pack is their ability to make a shift when faced with a potentially negative situation or circumstance. That is to say that they focus on what's working in their lives, rather than fixate on what isn't working. Instead of wallowing in their problems, they create and direct thoughts to find solutions, or to at least to make them feel better. Truly successful, happy people are always grateful for what they have and they seldom complain about what they don't have or what life is currently throwing at them. They create healthy habits and make conscious choices to enjoy themselves during the process of whatever they are trying to achieve. They know that the journey towards the goal is where their life unfolds and true happiness is experienced. And last, but certainly not least, successful and happy people always take time out to laugh. They intuitively know that humor is the instant mind-shift. Humor can neutralize negative thoughts and emotions before they blossom into emotional chaos. Even the slightest shift on how you perceive yourself and your surrounding world, (especially during trying circumstances), can change your reality. All of the examples in this paragraph are the criteria that successful and happy people live by. This is the rock-solid foundation they live their lives on. Read this paragraph again and again until you have a complete understanding.
This is not brain surgery my friend. It's more like a brain adjustment. It's simply a matter of shifting your focus and way of thinking to create a healthier perspective towards challenging circumstances and even life's tragedies. If you adhere to this creed and make it a habit in your daily life, you will thereby be building your life on a rock-solid foundation. You will create within you the “bounce-back-factor.”

Friday, January 22, 2010

Don't Fear The Mountains!

Don't fear the mountains in the distance, they can challenge you, keep your head up, & sometimes help raise you higher than you thought possible.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

I Know What Stress Is

People go to comedy clubs because they want to laugh. Why do they want to laugh? The same reason they have sex. It makes them feel good. That's the bottom line. Laughter simply makes you feel good. It charges your inner battery and helps you to cope with tough times. When you laugh, your body releases endorphins. Endorphins are manufactured by the body to relieve pain and reduce stress. Usually produced during periods of extreme stress, endorphins naturally block pain signals produced by the nervous system.

I know what stress is. I fly over 300,000 miles a year. Yes, that's a lot of flying. Sometimes I'm in 7 cities in 10 days. Sometimes I have a half day seminar to give and my butt is dragging. You know the feeling. The one thing that gives me more positive energy, more than anything else is when I turn my Humor Being loose in a public setting. I am known for doing or saying out of the ordinary things in front of complete strangers that totally takes them by surprise. What cracks me up are the people that don't get it or don't know how to respond. Here's an example.

I'm in hotels a great part of my life. And I'm always having fun with hotel staff. Once when I was at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, maid service knocked on my door; when I opened the door the woman said, “Mr. Rizzo can I turn down your bed?” I looked at her and said, “Why, is it too loud?” She didn't get it. You should have seen the look on her face as she walked away mumbling and confused. After she walked away I left my room. When I returned later that night I noticed that they did turn down my bed. I think turn-down-service is a wonderful service, but for the life of me I will never understand the little piece of chocolate that's placed on your pillow. Let's think about this shall we. You're supposed to consume the chocolate before you go to sleep. Hmmm, I started thinking. “Why don't hotel people know what the rest of us know? Chocolate does not help you sleep!” In fact, it has the complete opposite effect! Laughing at the absurdity of this ritual, the comedian in me decided to have a little fun. I called the front desk the next morning. This is the conversation took place.

Front desk person: “How can I be of service this morning, Mr. Rizzo?”

Me: “I'm just calling to thank you for the chocolate that was on my pillow last night. It really helped me sleep.”

Front desk person: “You are most welcome. I'm glad you slept well, Mr. Rizzo. Is there anything else we can do for you sir?”

Me: “Yes, as a matter of fact, there is. I was wondering, maybe tonight, if you could put a vile of crack and a pot of coffee on my pillow. I think that will help me sleep!” Wait until you hear the response I got.

Front desk person: “Oh, I don't think we can do that! First of all crack is illegal! And as far as the coffee goes, all you need to do is call room service before you retire!”

Yep; that's right, another one just didn't get it. But just because they don't get it doesn't mean I can't have fun. I can't stress to you enough how turning my Humor Being loose and laughing at situations I create lifts my spirits. And it's even an extra boost when others are laughing along with me.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Scars can remind us of where we've been, they don't have to dictate where we're going! Happy New Year, it's yours to put to good use!!