This is what I was Thinking....

Hey Team...

I made it! 

Charlotte, North Carolina.

Today I get to speak on stage with somebody that is really special to me.. Korey Goodwin... (one of my early mentors)...

We are speaking to the team at Wells Fargo on Optimizing Performance.. 

We will speak about how they can increase their personal/ team performance by using some of the same strategies we use with high performance athletes....

Korey is a guy that got me started in Coaching...

Telling me the truth when I was 19 years old about my coaching ability... 

I thought I was a hot shot.. over-evaluating myself and my ability.. and he had the guts to chop me down to size... letting me know how I was "truly" performing.. (and it was not good)... with the intent of making me the BEST COACH I CAN BE.

Selfless leadership.

I am so grateful he told me the truth back then.. because it set me on the path I am on today... Coaching with 100% honesty- even when it hurts.

Coaching is about honesty...it is about speaking the truth to others with the intent of helping them achieve greatness...even when at times, they think they already have their sh%t together.. or are not sure if they even can get it together...

So if you are in charge of leading a team.. be honest, not fluffy...

If you are in charge of leading yourself (hint).. be honest with yourself, not filled with denial.

Honesty is the only way you can truly grow yourself..

And, while I am speaking about honesty, on the way down to North Carolina.. I dug into a book that had been on my mind for years..

As A Man Thinketh... an old classic...that can be summarized into one key statement:

YOU ARE YOUR THOUGHTS- YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES & RESULTS ARE BECAUSE OF YOUR THOUGHTS.

Now even though I was "brought down to size" by Korey (which I totally deserved)... I never gave up on myself... I knew I can do all things I desired if I got committed and got out of my own way....

If I allowed the "constructive criticism" to internalize itself and ultimately kill my spirit, then I never would have achieved and ultimately would have sabotaged my chances at future success because of a compromised mindset and pattern of thoughts....

Instead of being defeated, I got really focused on improvement... 

I needed to be a better communicator. 

I needed to be a better listener.

I needed to increase my levels of empathy.

So instead of thinking I "already arrived" at the ripe age of 19, I instead decided to be open to feedback and changed my delusional thoughts... and instead I allowed my ego to be tamed AND then allowed Korey to pour into me with everything he had.. making me a truly great Coach that would be hired by the Yankees months later.

You are your thoughts.

Be honest with yourself about yourself.. but never, ever give up on yourself...

Be strategic, but take the calculated risks...

Remember how you speak to yourself is either your fuel or your poison...you choose....

Gotta go change some Executives lives this AM!...

Let's GO!

Chase Greatness...

COACH DANA CAVALEA