Greg Kozera

Greg Kozera

Success and Happiness in All the Chaos

Because of Covid-19, I gave a lot of thought to coaching high school soccer again. There are potential risks and exposure to the virus. Every day is full of risks. Just getting out of bed and going downstairs is a risk. Driving a car is a risk. We always need to take precautions like wearing a seatbelt or a mask. The alternative is to stay in bed. I’m coaching! This will be a challenging season because of the uncertainties with Covid and related rules. We can’t even guarantee we will play a game until it starts. This season will require mental toughness as well as the usual hard work, skills and teamwork. As a coach, hopefully I can help the boys to develop mental toughness.

One of the reasons I coach is the joy of helping boys grow into young men and learn to achieve their dreams. I remember the joy of watching the boys hoist our first state championship trophy. Tanner, was our goalkeeper. He was so short he had to a hard time touching the crossbar even when he jumped. Tanner’s heart, hard work and attitude made up for his lack of size. He won the starting goalkeepers job just before the playoffs started. When the championship game ended the newspaper took a picture of Tanner with both feet off the ground. We met on the field with tears of joy in our eyes. I told him, “You are a State Champion Keeper.” He went on to be a successful Army officer and attorney. I learned my happiness is from helping others succeed.

Happiness isn’t about acquiring things. A preacher recently suggested a different picture of hell. It wasn’t fire and brimstone. He said, “Hell

Learned Leadership LLC is having and doing everything we want and realizing it doesn’t make us happy.” Happiness from stuff doesn’t last very long. What does our happiness have to do with focusing on the needs of others rather than our own and making a difference? Maybe a lot.

Success in business and sales, as a manager or owner happens when we put others needs ahead of ours. If we give our customers what they need and want first, we have a chance to get what we need. The late sales expert Zig Ziegler said, “You can have anything you want if you first help enough other people get what they want.” At Shale Crescent USA, our prospects have access to our hard data so a decision to come to our Region is easier. Local companies can use it to expand creating jobs our Region needs. We have a large network we can access, three studies we can give away and years of experience to help companies expand in our Region.

The late Earl Nightingale said, “Happiness is an inside job”. We get to decide how happy we are based not on what happens to us but how we choose to look at it. For some people, the lockdown was a big negative. For others, it was a time of opportunity to work on their business and grow closer to family. When I began coaching high school soccer, it wasn’t about money. We didn’t get paid. It was about giving back to the school that gave my kids a great education. I did not expect the amount of joy and happiness I received. The boys helped me to dream again. A gift important in the work I now do for Shale Crescent USA.

What in your life gives you joy, especially now? Start with your spouse and family. What can you do to make them happy? In my marriage, I learned if I expected to be happy I needed to help Lynnda to be happy. What can you do to make the world a better place? One person can make a difference. Give your time, talent and money without expecting anything in return.

In these chaotic times people need joy and encouragement. They need to know people care about them. If we expect to be happy we need to first give joy and happiness to others. We all have the power to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

We all make people happy. Some people do it by entering a room. Others do it by leaving a room. You probably know both kinds of people. Which kind are you? The difference is attitude. Our attitude determines our success. We all have friends we like to be around. They make us feel good when we are with them. Maybe they make us smile or encourage us to believe in ourselves. They look for the good and find it even in the middle of chaos. They see opportunity when others see disaster. One of the keys of leadership is a great attitude. Our attitude is a choice. We decide whether the glass is half full or half empty for us. Our attitude requires constant work to stay positive. Here are three suggestions that have helped others to develop great attitudes and may help you; • Start every day with gratitude.

Think of at least 3 things you are grateful for. As this becomes a habit you will see how blessed All This Chaos Continued on page 20