Years ago, I was watching a television news special. Dan Rather was interviewing Bill Cosby only weeks after his son was murdered. After sharing his grief over his son's death, the comedian was asked what I thought was a very difficult, if not unfair, question. “Now that Bill Cosby's son is no longer with us,” said Rather “what is Bill Cosby going to do with the rest of his life?” Cosby contemplated the question for a few seconds and confidently said, “I think it’s time for me to tell the people that we have to laugh. We've got to laugh. You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything...you can survive it.” I think that about says it all!!!!!
Laugh It Off Productions, Rizz's Biz
http://www.steverizzo.com
steve@steverizzo.com
http://twitter.com/AttitudeAdj
Monday, December 28, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Failing At Something
Failing at something doesn't matter - It's how You Deal with it that does! http://www.steverizzo.com/SteveRizzosSecretMinuteToSuccess.aspx?vid=2
Thursday, December 17, 2009
NEVER LOSE HOPE
Never lose Hope - Even the smallest Light Shines in the darkness.
http://www.steverizzo.com/SteveRizzosSecretMinuteToSuccess.aspx?vid=1
http://www.steverizzo.com/SteveRizzosSecretMinuteToSuccess.aspx?vid=1
Thursday, December 10, 2009
For Those Who Are Still Waiting
Time
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an off hand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way
Tired of lying in the sunshine, staying home to watch the rain
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun
And you run and you run, to catch up with the sun, but it’s sinking
And racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in a relative way, but you’re older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death
The above words were written by musician and song writer, Roger Waters. I believe everyone should have a copy of these lyrics hanging somewhere in their home or office as a reminder to take advantage of the time we have on this planet.
Time is something most of us take for granted. Especially the young, they have so much of it to spare. But as we become older we are acutely aware that we are using up yet another day, another season, another year. Misuse of our time is a major reason for so much of our unhappiness.
Our lives are based on choices. If we want to fulfill our dreams and desires we must take responsibility, choose accordingly and then take the appropriate action to achieve them. A lot of people have dreams and ideas for success, but only a few decide to do something about them. There are steps to be taken. There is always a process involved. That process, whatever it is always begins with you. If you are serious about making your life a meaningful journey then you simply must take action.
It is of extreme importance that you remember that your thoughts lead to every action you take. If you are continually creating thoughts that limit your ability or stifle your self esteem you will not be taking action with the attitude you need to succeed. In fact, habitual negative thinking can stop you from taking action all together.
It doesn’t matter how old you are or what you’ve done with your life up until this point. It makes no difference how much time you feel you’ve wasted or how many opportunities you have allowed to pass you by or how many heartaches and disappointments you’ve had. What really matters is what you are willing to do with your life from this point on. Not tomorrow. Not next week, but today. Right now you have an opportunity to turn your life around. You can take advantage and choose to utilize time to work for you. It is possible for you to achieve the things you desire. All it takes is a commitment on your part to take that necessary first step.
If you’ve been procrastinating over a career move make up your mind and take the necessary first step. Perhaps your desire is to lose weight or to sop smoking. Don’t put it off any longer. Stop the excuses. Make up your mind and do it. Maybe you’ve been longing to ask someone for forgiveness or to tell someone how much you care. Do it today; for tomorrow may never come. This list can go on and on, but I think you get the point.
If you are unsatisfied with any aspect of your life, know that you have the power to change. But also know that all change requires movement. Your dreams will always remain dreams unless you take action that is driven by passion. There is always one guarantee when it comes to success. If you don’t try, you will not succeed. Albert Einstein said, “Nothing happens until something moves.” I say, “Your life won’t happen until you move.” Waiting for life to shower you with material or spiritual treasures is the slowest most painful of all suicides. Waiting leads to hopelessness. Hopelessness breeds victims.
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an off hand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way
Tired of lying in the sunshine, staying home to watch the rain
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun
And you run and you run, to catch up with the sun, but it’s sinking
And racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in a relative way, but you’re older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death
The above words were written by musician and song writer, Roger Waters. I believe everyone should have a copy of these lyrics hanging somewhere in their home or office as a reminder to take advantage of the time we have on this planet.
Time is something most of us take for granted. Especially the young, they have so much of it to spare. But as we become older we are acutely aware that we are using up yet another day, another season, another year. Misuse of our time is a major reason for so much of our unhappiness.
Our lives are based on choices. If we want to fulfill our dreams and desires we must take responsibility, choose accordingly and then take the appropriate action to achieve them. A lot of people have dreams and ideas for success, but only a few decide to do something about them. There are steps to be taken. There is always a process involved. That process, whatever it is always begins with you. If you are serious about making your life a meaningful journey then you simply must take action.
It is of extreme importance that you remember that your thoughts lead to every action you take. If you are continually creating thoughts that limit your ability or stifle your self esteem you will not be taking action with the attitude you need to succeed. In fact, habitual negative thinking can stop you from taking action all together.
It doesn’t matter how old you are or what you’ve done with your life up until this point. It makes no difference how much time you feel you’ve wasted or how many opportunities you have allowed to pass you by or how many heartaches and disappointments you’ve had. What really matters is what you are willing to do with your life from this point on. Not tomorrow. Not next week, but today. Right now you have an opportunity to turn your life around. You can take advantage and choose to utilize time to work for you. It is possible for you to achieve the things you desire. All it takes is a commitment on your part to take that necessary first step.
If you’ve been procrastinating over a career move make up your mind and take the necessary first step. Perhaps your desire is to lose weight or to sop smoking. Don’t put it off any longer. Stop the excuses. Make up your mind and do it. Maybe you’ve been longing to ask someone for forgiveness or to tell someone how much you care. Do it today; for tomorrow may never come. This list can go on and on, but I think you get the point.
If you are unsatisfied with any aspect of your life, know that you have the power to change. But also know that all change requires movement. Your dreams will always remain dreams unless you take action that is driven by passion. There is always one guarantee when it comes to success. If you don’t try, you will not succeed. Albert Einstein said, “Nothing happens until something moves.” I say, “Your life won’t happen until you move.” Waiting for life to shower you with material or spiritual treasures is the slowest most painful of all suicides. Waiting leads to hopelessness. Hopelessness breeds victims.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Better Left to Chance
Holding you, I held everything
For a moment, wasn't I the king
But if I'd only known how the king would fall
Hey who's to say , you know I might have changed it all
And now I”m glad I didn't know
The way it all would end, the way it all would go
Our lives, are better left in chance, I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to missed the dance
The above lyrics, are from a song called “The Dance,” sung by Garth Brooks. This song simply and beautifully states that it's not the outcome or what happens to us that validates our lives, but rather; it's what we do and how we feel along the way that gives our lives meaning. We will never know who we are or what splendor life has to offer unless we jump in and participate in the dance. Yes, you may be entering unknown territory, but that's where the adventure is. You may be on top one day and suddenly fall the next but think about this. Isn't it better to fall than not to try at all?
We can strategically plan our lives, make careful use of our choices and take what we think are the appropriate actions to fulfill the ideal life we want, but there is absolutely no way of knowing with certainty what will happen. There are just too many variables and unexpected twists and turns that come into play. There is no sure way of knowing how our lives will wind up. Well guess what? We're not supposed to. If we did, the thrill of life would cease to exist.
As John Lennon said, “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” Ironically, as you know the unexpected did happen to him. After years of inner turmoil and isolation from fame and the music business, John Lennon got his life together and came out of seclusion. He was making a huge comeback when he was suddenly killed by a crazed fan. This happened within weeks after his new album – ironically entitled - “Starting Over” - hit the top of the charts.
I can't help but wonder; what if John Lennon somehow knew that his life would be taken by an assassin's bullet? How would he have lived the rest of his life? Would he have come out of seclusion and into limelight again? Or would he have stopped dancing to the song in his heart and suppressed his potential, he's creativity, his soul and the very essence of who he was?
Our lives are better in chance simply because if we knew the outcome we would be tempted to override the gifts of choice and free will. ( No, not Free Willy. Free will.) If we altered our lives because we knew of our fate beforehand we would never know our true potential. Our experiences would be limited for fear of moving forward.
If we possessed the magical power to see into the future and know the outcome of a particular road we chose to follow, our lives would be boring – to say the least. We would be unchallenged to discover our essence. We would be robbing ourselves of the events that cause us to grow. It is the combination of our victories, successes, and happy moments – as well as our disappointments, failures and heartaches that make up the ingredients to the recipe of our lives. It's in the not-knowing - the uncertainty that makes our lives worthwhile.
Awhile back I was watching The Super Bowl at a hotel I was staying at. There were well over 100 people in the lounge area. Everyone was yelling and cheering for their team to win. It was an incredibly close game. Every time a team scored or made a great play, fans would jump out of their seats and cheer them on. It was obvious that everyone was excited and enjoying themselves. But that excitement and enjoyment was coming from the anticipation of not knowing which team was going to prove to be victorious.
My question to you, dear reader, is this – what would be the point in watching The Super Bowl or any other sporting event if we knew beforehand which team would win? Who could deny that it's in the not-knowing that makes it exciting? It's the same with our lives which have often been referred to as a game. Unlike any other game however; the goal in the game of life is not to win or to be the best, but rather it's to follow our hearts and to experience, learn, grow and become.
For a moment, wasn't I the king
But if I'd only known how the king would fall
Hey who's to say , you know I might have changed it all
And now I”m glad I didn't know
The way it all would end, the way it all would go
Our lives, are better left in chance, I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to missed the dance
The above lyrics, are from a song called “The Dance,” sung by Garth Brooks. This song simply and beautifully states that it's not the outcome or what happens to us that validates our lives, but rather; it's what we do and how we feel along the way that gives our lives meaning. We will never know who we are or what splendor life has to offer unless we jump in and participate in the dance. Yes, you may be entering unknown territory, but that's where the adventure is. You may be on top one day and suddenly fall the next but think about this. Isn't it better to fall than not to try at all?
We can strategically plan our lives, make careful use of our choices and take what we think are the appropriate actions to fulfill the ideal life we want, but there is absolutely no way of knowing with certainty what will happen. There are just too many variables and unexpected twists and turns that come into play. There is no sure way of knowing how our lives will wind up. Well guess what? We're not supposed to. If we did, the thrill of life would cease to exist.
As John Lennon said, “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” Ironically, as you know the unexpected did happen to him. After years of inner turmoil and isolation from fame and the music business, John Lennon got his life together and came out of seclusion. He was making a huge comeback when he was suddenly killed by a crazed fan. This happened within weeks after his new album – ironically entitled - “Starting Over” - hit the top of the charts.
I can't help but wonder; what if John Lennon somehow knew that his life would be taken by an assassin's bullet? How would he have lived the rest of his life? Would he have come out of seclusion and into limelight again? Or would he have stopped dancing to the song in his heart and suppressed his potential, he's creativity, his soul and the very essence of who he was?
Our lives are better in chance simply because if we knew the outcome we would be tempted to override the gifts of choice and free will. ( No, not Free Willy. Free will.) If we altered our lives because we knew of our fate beforehand we would never know our true potential. Our experiences would be limited for fear of moving forward.
If we possessed the magical power to see into the future and know the outcome of a particular road we chose to follow, our lives would be boring – to say the least. We would be unchallenged to discover our essence. We would be robbing ourselves of the events that cause us to grow. It is the combination of our victories, successes, and happy moments – as well as our disappointments, failures and heartaches that make up the ingredients to the recipe of our lives. It's in the not-knowing - the uncertainty that makes our lives worthwhile.
Awhile back I was watching The Super Bowl at a hotel I was staying at. There were well over 100 people in the lounge area. Everyone was yelling and cheering for their team to win. It was an incredibly close game. Every time a team scored or made a great play, fans would jump out of their seats and cheer them on. It was obvious that everyone was excited and enjoying themselves. But that excitement and enjoyment was coming from the anticipation of not knowing which team was going to prove to be victorious.
My question to you, dear reader, is this – what would be the point in watching The Super Bowl or any other sporting event if we knew beforehand which team would win? Who could deny that it's in the not-knowing that makes it exciting? It's the same with our lives which have often been referred to as a game. Unlike any other game however; the goal in the game of life is not to win or to be the best, but rather it's to follow our hearts and to experience, learn, grow and become.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Pay It Forward
On September 8th 2009, I donated my time and lead an effort to empower a staff of over 500 employees at a soon-to-be-closed American Airline call center in Windsor, Connecticut. The event was held at the Mohegan Sun Hotel and Casino, in Uncasville Connecticut.
I have flown all over the country with American Airlines during my career as a comedian and a speaker. Throughout the years I got to know some of the workers very well. One person In particular is Barbra Bell. Or as I like to call her, My miracle worker.
When I learned of the pending closure, I decided that I was going to somehow help the departing workers find optimism during these trying times. I t was my way of saying "Thank You" for the many years of outstanding service they provided. I told Barbra that I was going to speak to the entire group at a venue in their area. Her response was "How in the world are you going to do that!?" My response to her was "I don't know, but I will find a way."
In the movie "Field O f Dreams" Kevin Costner hears a voice "Build it and they will come."
Well, I heard a voice inside me that said, "Ask and they will do it." That's exactly what I did and that's exactly what happened.
The first person to jump on board was Diane Goodman, President of Goodman's Speakers Bureau. Together we created an event themed "Don't Stop Believin." The following are those who graciously donated to the cause. Gina M. Rodigau, CMP, director of hotel sales at the Mohegan Sun, who allowed us to use the beautiful Cabaret Theater for the event. Darby O'Brien, advertising and public relations, who helped promote the event. Dattco, a New Britain based bus company, volunteered to provide American employees with no-cost transportation to the event and back. And the magnificent Passing Zone, my friends and a much sought after juggling act, who performed with me. By the way, these guys received four standing ovations. Wait, there's more. The event was also sponsored by Al Parinello, Executive Producer of the film "Clear Blue Tuesday."
This entire event brought together five industries that were hit by the current economy in an act of mutual support. As I said in the press release, "These are trying times. It's time we all look at the big picture and ask ourselves what it is that we can do to help each other." The message, "Pay it Forward."
Without a doubt, giving of ourselves is the one activity that makes us realize that we are all connected, and that it's this connection that plays a big part in making the world wonderful. Words cannot express the emotions and the gratitude from those who attended the event on September 8th. It is without a doubt one of the most gratifying feelings a person can experience. I can honestly say that I am the happiest when I've done something nice for someone. Don't just take my word for it. Try it for yourself, The next time an opportunity arises, take the initiative and perform an act of kindness for someone (even a stranger) and notice how you feel. For example, the next time you are walking through town and notice a parking summons on someones windshield, go over to the car, yank that sucker off, rip it up and throw it away! Why should that person have to pay for it? See, you feel better already, don't you?
These are trying times my friends! Once again, the message, "PAY IT FORWARD" Let's help each other.
I have flown all over the country with American Airlines during my career as a comedian and a speaker. Throughout the years I got to know some of the workers very well. One person In particular is Barbra Bell. Or as I like to call her, My miracle worker.
When I learned of the pending closure, I decided that I was going to somehow help the departing workers find optimism during these trying times. I t was my way of saying "Thank You" for the many years of outstanding service they provided. I told Barbra that I was going to speak to the entire group at a venue in their area. Her response was "How in the world are you going to do that!?" My response to her was "I don't know, but I will find a way."
In the movie "Field O f Dreams" Kevin Costner hears a voice "Build it and they will come."
Well, I heard a voice inside me that said, "Ask and they will do it." That's exactly what I did and that's exactly what happened.
The first person to jump on board was Diane Goodman, President of Goodman's Speakers Bureau. Together we created an event themed "Don't Stop Believin." The following are those who graciously donated to the cause. Gina M. Rodigau, CMP, director of hotel sales at the Mohegan Sun, who allowed us to use the beautiful Cabaret Theater for the event. Darby O'Brien, advertising and public relations, who helped promote the event. Dattco, a New Britain based bus company, volunteered to provide American employees with no-cost transportation to the event and back. And the magnificent Passing Zone, my friends and a much sought after juggling act, who performed with me. By the way, these guys received four standing ovations. Wait, there's more. The event was also sponsored by Al Parinello, Executive Producer of the film "Clear Blue Tuesday."
This entire event brought together five industries that were hit by the current economy in an act of mutual support. As I said in the press release, "These are trying times. It's time we all look at the big picture and ask ourselves what it is that we can do to help each other." The message, "Pay it Forward."
Without a doubt, giving of ourselves is the one activity that makes us realize that we are all connected, and that it's this connection that plays a big part in making the world wonderful. Words cannot express the emotions and the gratitude from those who attended the event on September 8th. It is without a doubt one of the most gratifying feelings a person can experience. I can honestly say that I am the happiest when I've done something nice for someone. Don't just take my word for it. Try it for yourself, The next time an opportunity arises, take the initiative and perform an act of kindness for someone (even a stranger) and notice how you feel. For example, the next time you are walking through town and notice a parking summons on someones windshield, go over to the car, yank that sucker off, rip it up and throw it away! Why should that person have to pay for it? See, you feel better already, don't you?
These are trying times my friends! Once again, the message, "PAY IT FORWARD" Let's help each other.
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