Hi! My name is Gary Greeno and I’m super excited to enter the world of blogging!  This site, titled Motivation Minute is intended to help inspire and motivation you to achieve the goals and dreams you have set for yourself, your family, your business.  Motivation is an interesting subject.  We all want it.  Some seem to have it more than others.  Some of us wish we were more motivated.

As a basketball coach and educator for over 20 years I have observed people who have great internal motivation, and others who need to be motivated by outside forces. One thing I know for certain is that everyone needs to find their internal motivation if they are going to be successful.   Robert Waldo Emerson said, “Nothing great can be achieved without enthusiasm.”  And I would add that nothing great can be achieved without motivation..and motivation will lead to enthusiasm.

In this first blog I want you to consider replacing the word “problem” with “opportunity”.

The great Duke Basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski says, “Replace the word ‘problem’ with ‘opportunity’ and see what good things will happen.” 

We all have problems.  We all have obstacles in our way that we must figure out how to navigate around.   Obstacles are simply opportunities for growth and growth is never easy-but it’s always worth it.  Decide that you don’t have “problems” in your life, but you have “opportunities”.  The word problem itself brings a negative, defeating connotation. The word opportunity, however, opens up doors.

It’s all a matter of perspective, and you get to choose your perspective; you get to choose how you will view something.  Not only do you get to choose how you view it, but in every problem, you get to decide how you are going to respond to it.  Decide that you will use your problems as opportunities for growth, to expand your thinking and to find new ways of doing things.  Decide you will use your problems to motivate you and inspire you, never to defeat you.

Too many times we give up when we are faced with something negative.  Don’t give up!  Keep moving forward. You’re going to face hurdles, roadblocks and mountains that are in your path.  Don’t let them discourage you.  Just keep moving forward, because if you’re moving forward you’re making progress.  Some days the progress will be small, but even if it’s a tiny baby step forward it’s still a step in the right direction.

The human spirit is powerful!  You’re spirit is powerful, and your will and determination will get you to where you want to go.  Whatever obstacles you’re facing today, know that you CAN and you WILL find a way to keep moving forward.  The most successful people have all had obstacles to overcome.  No one has an easy road to greatness. Once you start down the road to greatness, keep moving, and don’t give up.  No pain, no obstacle, no hurdle is going to keep you from reaching your goal.  You either use your pain to propel you forward, or you allow your pain to defeat you.

No one has a problem-free life!  Expect the problems, know they will come, and get ready to seize the opportunity that comes with them!  The alternative is to get down and negative and complain how unfair it is, and that will get you nowhere!

Seize the opportunities today, and use each problem you face to get you one step closer to success!