We’ve been talking about the Fish! Philosophy, discussing why Choose your attitude was Fish! Philosophy step #1 last week. This week, let’s talk about why step #2 is Be there. 
 
We’ve all felt it. You’re telling someone something you feel is meaningful and the next thing you know, they’re checking the latest vibration on their phone. Immediately, an invisible wall goes up and suddenly you feel you’re more alone than if you had actually been alone.
 
Perhaps you’ve been lucky enough to experience the opposite. Every once in awhile you meet a person who has truly learned the value of being there mentally, as well as physically, for others. They make eye contact. They ignore interruptions to your conversation. They ask questions and engage in the conversation. There is nothing quite like leaving a person who just made you feel like the most important person alive for the few minutes you were together, is there?
 
Too often, we are physically present, but mentally elsewhere. When we are sitting at work, our minds are at home. When we’re finally at home, our minds at work. We can’t seem to get our bodies and our minds at the same place at the same time.
 
When I work with organizations to help them adopt the Fish! Philosophy, they are often stunned at how the simple skill of learning how to be there positively affects job satisfaction, productivity, retention, and company culture. The truth is, being there changes lives. After all, the only words more powerful than I love you are the words I’m there for you. 
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​Does your company culture need a powerful energy lift? Let me show you how the Fish! Philosophy can turn around your organization.  

John turned their story into s 30 minute film, accompanied by a short book, and the Fish! philosophy was born.
 
The first step in the Fish! philosophy is Choose Your Attitude.  This step can seem as if we are putting on rose-colored glasses and simply ignoring the difficult things in life. No doubt, there is a lot of “stuff” in our lives that threaten to weigh us down. We deal with depression or anxiety, divorces and bankruptcy, difficult relationships and health problems. We are always going to have “stuff”, but this is the way to rise above the “stuff” and find joy and peace in your life in spite of it.
 
In 2008, the world faced a terrible financial crisis that affected untold millions. And yet, life went on. Along with banks collapsing, foreclosures, divorces and deaths, there were also babies being born, bar mitzvahs held, and companies thriving. And in all of that, the only power you and I could never lose was our power to choose our own attitude. 
 
It has been proven over and over again that it takes a positive attitude to achieve positive results. When we choose to manage our attitude to look at what is going right, we are able to see our full circumstances more clearly, and see the pathway to improvement and possibility. When we choose to look at things in a more positive way, it gives permission to the people around us to do the same, and pretty soon, we have a team of people who are primed to create positive change out of whatever circumstances we find ourselves in.
 
As Helen Keller pointed out, “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.” Determine today that from this day forward, you will carefully choose your attitude.
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​Next week, we’ll touch on the importance of simply being there.
If you’d like to implement the Fish! Philosophy in your organization, call me for a free quote. 

As a leadership trainer, I love helping organizations and people recognize the power they have over their own happiness, not to mention the influence they can have on their influence over others. One of my favorite ways to teach this lesson is by sharing the famous Fish! Philosophy.
 
The four simple principles of the Fish! Philosophy can change any person…any organization…from one of apathy and boredom, to one of excitement, energy and joy! And it can happen faster than you think.
 
The Fish! Philosophy was developed by the Seattle Pike Place Fish market. These fish mongers had a sweaty, dirty job, repetitive day after day. Like all the surrounding fish markets, the atmosphere had become draining. There was no energy and the employees could hardly wait to leave work each day. But one day, they realized that it didn’t have to be that way. They could choose to make their fish market world famous, and turn those same hard-working jobs, into meaningful opportunities to serve others, all while having a wonderful time themselves.
 
Over the next four weeks, we’ll discuss the four principles of the Fish! Philosophy:
1. Choose Your Attitude.
2. Be there.
3. Make their day.
4. Play.
 
You may wonder, what does the Fish! Philosophy have to do with me? Good question! Do you want to have more energy? Do you want to enjoy your work? Do you want to create better connections with those around you? Would you like to increase your influence with your family, friends and coworkers? Would you like your challenges to fly by with fun and excitement? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s time to learn about…and embrace…the philosophy that has enhanced 80% of Fortune 500 companies.
 
If you’re ready to take your life, or the life of your organization, it’s time to go Fish!
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​In four one-hour sessions, Becky can help transform your company culture, and help your team make their work – and their lives – more positive and productive. 

​Carson had been trying to learn to ride his bike for a solid year without success. He was terrified. And the more he fell, the more terrified he became. He got to where he would give up quickly out of frustration, but he really wanted to learn, so he never gave up.
 
One day we took the family camping and brought our bikes along. He once again gathered the courage to try his bike so I strapped on his helmet and protective knee, elbow and wrist pads and Ken took him to the top of the gentle hill where we were camped. Our hoots and hollers could be heard throughout the camp when he was able to keep his balance and pedal his way all the way to the bottom of the hill! We were so happy for him!
 
As he rode past me for another attempt, he turned to me and said, “Mom, do you know how I knew that today would be the day I could finally ride by bike? I heard the winds of change!

Change. We want it. We fear it. We vote for it. We avoid it. So how do we make it actually happen?

Often, we find ourselves walking down a path that we really don’t want to go, but somehow we don’t seem to be able to stop ourselves. We overreact to a negative comment by a spouse or coworker; we procrastinate a project; we ignore our bodies when they tell us they are full; we avoid the conversations that could heal hearts. There are hundreds of entrances to this well-worn path, and we feel drawn to walk down it for the thousandth time, despite the fact that it leads to only one destination…misery.

Paths are created when we choose to take the same route to a given destination, over and over again. The more we walk the path, the easier it is. The grass and weeds give up their fight, the ground becomes hardened as it packs down beneath our feet, and it becomes ever so much easier to find.

The interesting thing about paths is that they are also easily destroyed. The best way to destroy a path is to leave it alone. This can be terribly hard to do. We like paths that feel familiar and safe to us, even if we aren’t that thrilled with their destination. To choose a new path can feel scary. The brush can be prickly and intimidating, the way may be strewn with numerous chances to stumble, and the destination may not be guaranteed. But one thing is certain: if we do not want to end up in the same destination, we must be committed to choosing a new path.
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The good news is that every time we choose to ignore the siren song of the old pathway, we give Mother Nature another day to take it back for herself. The grass and weeds begin to claim their old territory, and after some time, we will scarce be able to recognize it as what once was our favorite place to stroll. As our new path becomes more familiar and comfortable to travel, we will pass by those old pathways with nary a glance, as nature will have mercifully turned it into nothing more than a story of what used to be. 

​The world would have you believe that you cannot be trusted…that the only way to finally be happy with your body is to turn your will (and your money) over to them. In return, they promise to give you a slimmer and trimmer you before you can say “swimsuit season”. But can they? Can they really?
 
Countless studies have shown that diets don’t work. And those who engage in diets end up slowing down their metabolism and gaining even more weight when the diet inevitably comes to an end. That doesn’t sound like a very “happy new year” to me. But there is good news!
 
YOU. DO. NOT. NEED. TO. DIET. That’s right. You. The person who may have put on a few pounds this holiday season. You do not need to give your power away to any diet program, pill or promise this year. You can find peace with food and with your body once and for all and you don’t have to buy any special food. You don’t need to deprive yourself of all of the normal, enjoyable foods of life. You can learn to be an intuitive eater (#shameandguiltnotincluded).
 
You can learn to listen for your own hunger. You can enjoy the foods you really love. You can learn to honor your body’s satiety cues. You can have more health, vitality, and freedom than you’ve ever experienced before. Now THAT’S what I call a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
 
If you are ready to end your war with food once and for all, join me on Instagram and Facebook for regular support on your journey From Food to Faith. This is one journey that I can guarantee has the power to make this one very Happy New Year indeed!

Book Becky for a speaking engagements for 2019
Every good leader has a vision for their organization. Let me help get your vision into the hearts and minds of your organization. Contact me for more information.