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Dealing With Crisis – Just Good Advice

Mike Phillips — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 03:45:23 +0000

I am a Colorado Springs resident. It is really amazing how this entire community, the surrounding communities and all people in general are pulling together to help one another. The citizens of Colorado Springs, people in the community, are becoming local heroes by offering up their homes to friends, pets and strangers. Most of all the police department, the forest service and the firefighters have all been super heroes during this time.

I posted earlier this week on my personal facebook page: “Right now is the time for people to join together in one solid focus of prayers, thoughts, direction and most importantly actions to come together in this time of need. If you are in Colorado or know someone who is, execute YOUR role with confidence and do it brilliantly. Thank you to all of those already fighting on the forefront. We will persevere, unite, renew and rebuild.”

The city, surrounding areas and people here – right now are the absolute picture of community.

In light of this recent disaster that has affected our area, the place where my home is – I thought I would share some tips that were sent to me through my son’s schools district. This contains good information for everyone not just youth, but parents as well, all people. Consider replacing the words “child” or “children” with “YOU” or “YOUR”! Please share this with your family and friends. This information is comprised from more that one article.

-Mike

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Below are tips and resources for families and children dealing with the crisis of the Waldo Fire. Please feel free to share with neighbors and friends. These are recommendations compiled by the Academy District 20 Crisis Team.

From Martha Hinson, District 20 Crisis Team:

Some important tips for parents as we deal with the ongoing wildfire disaster response:
1) Please monitor and limit your child’s exposure to media during this time. Watching the fire over and over will increase trauma and stress in children and adolescents. Research has proven this in lessons learned from 9/11.
2) Also monitor and limit the amount of time your children and adolescents spend on Facebook, tweeting and other social media sites. These also have graphic pictures as well as information that may be nonfactual which will cause again undue anxiety, trauma, and stress.
3) Making contact with others can help reduce feelings of distress. It benefits all of us to get involved with activities where we can contribute and help like collecting food for evacuees as well as activities that are just fun like movies, bowling, playing games, etc.
4) Children and adolescents can benefit from spending some time with other similar-age peers.
Social supports are huge during a crisis, especially for adolescents!

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WHEN TERRIBLE THINGS HAPPEN

Provided by the National Center for PTSD

WHAT YOU MAY EXPERIENCE

Intrusive reactions

Distressing thoughts or images of the event while awake or dreaming
Upsetting emotional or physical reactions to reminders of the experience
Feeling like the experience is happening all over again (“flashback”)

Avoidance and withdrawal reactions

Avoid talking, thinking, and having feelings about the traumatic event
Avoid reminders of the event (places and people connected to what happened)
Restricted emotions; feeling numb
Feelings of detachment and estrangement from others; social withdrawal
Loss of interest in usually pleasurable activities

Physical arousal reactions

Constantly being “on the lookout” for danger, startling easily, or being jumpy
Irritability or outbursts of anger
Difficulty falling or staying asleep, problems concentrating or paying attention

Trauma and Loss reminders

Places, people, sights, sounds, smells, and feelings that remind you of the disaster
Can bring on distressing mental images, thoughts, and emotional/physical reactions
Common examples include: sudden loud noises, the smell of fire, sirens of ambulances, locations where you experienced the disaster, seeing people with disabilities, funerals, anniversaries of the disaster, and television/radio news about the disaster

WHAT DOESN’T HELP

Using alcohol or drugs to cope
Working too much
Extreme avoidance of thinking or talking about the event
Withdrawing from family or friends
Anger or violence
Not taking care of yourself
Overeating or failing to eat
Doing risky things
Excessive TV or computer games
Withdrawing from pleasant activities
Blaming others

WHAT HELPS

Talking to another person for support
Spending time with others
Engaging in positive distracting activities (sports, hobbies, reading)
Using relaxation methods (breathing exercises, meditation, calming self-talk)
Getting adequate rest and eating healthy meals
Participating in a support group
Maintain a normal schedule
Exercising in moderation
Scheduling pleasant activities
Keeping a journal
Taking a break
Seeking Counseling

Champions always WIN – DO NOT acknowledge failure!

Mike Phillips — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 03:09:03 +0000

When you attack any goal there are always two options, right? Success or failure. I would like to challenge that statement. Champions… winners… they always produce an outcome that ends in success! It may not always be the outcome that they expected, it’s an outcome none the less, therefore they SUCCEEDED in producing an outcome. If you have watched the Denver Broncos football team lately (2011 NFL Denver Broncos Team), these guys are a prime example of a successful outcome. It isn’t always pretty, in fact, most of the time it is downright ugly, but they keep winning games. Whether you credit the Broncos Defense, their kicker or their Quarterback with why they are winning games, these guys are succeeding in winning games. The reason they are winning, I believe, is because of their core belief system – 1. they believe they should win; and 2. regardless of the first downs, the plays down the field or penalties, these guys succeed in producing an outcome – and they always look at it as positive, and because of it – they keep winning games – as a team.

So let me challenge you (yes, YOU) Mr. (or Mrs.) Salesperson, change the way you think to improve yourself and ALWAYS create a positive result – THERE IS NO MORE FAILURE! You will always succeed in producing an outcome. Let’s say that your goal for any given month is to produce (sell) 40 units. You end up finishing at 20 units. Most salespeople will call this failure, then you get down on yourself, you start all the negative self talk, and you begin the downward spiral. “Why am I unable to just hit my goal?” “Why is this such a pain in the butt?” We’ve all done it to ourselves; I have to myself and I am sure that you have to yourself… right? Why couldn’t I just hit my goal of 40 units? “I failed… I only sold 20 units… I AM A FAILURE.” Sound familiar?

Here is the twist… YOU STILL SUCCEEDED IN PRODUCING (or SELLING) 20 UNITS! Start right now talking to yourself as a winner, and you will continue improving your results. Start asking better questions – such as, “What did I do to sell each of those 20 units? What was the process? What made the prospect say, ‘YES?’” There are all kinds of things that could have produced these positive results, it could be the process (that you actually followed), your confidence level or how you contacted the prospect on your initial approach. If you repeat these steps from those 20 sales then you should be able to reproduce the result for 25, 30 or 40 units! Keep in mind… SUCCESS LEAVES CLUES and if you are struggling to look at yourself to get the result, get someone else to look from the outside; look for an honest opinion.

Once you have found a process and a recipe for success then the biggest key YOUR PINNACLE POINT is to practice, drill, rehearse and repeat. TRAINING is a huge part of success. It’s why the military gets up at 5:30 every morning to run drills and train, it is why multi-million dollar sports players show up to run basic drills usually six days a week – they practice and train on the basics to continually produce the result that they want. They practice until. They practice until, when faced with adversity THE TRAINING KICKS IN!

So until next time – practice and train to produce the result that you want and remember that the ONLY result you want is a successful outcome!

Making The Impact!

Mike Phillips — Thu, 19 May 2011 03:17:16 +0000

This show is all about MAKING THE IMPACT! Whether it’s personal or business, relationships or self improvement, YOU have to make an IMPACT to MAKE a CHANGE. You have to make an impact for anything to take hold. You have to start with an impact for progress to initiate and success to bloom!

Join me tonight to make some change and make some impact!

Listen to internet radio with Lead The Team on Blog Talk Radio

Spring Clean Yourself! Go, Go, Go!

Mike Phillips — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 02:12:41 +0000

So “The Boys of Summer” are back, spring training (baseball) began again some 10 days ago, for some that means spring is here, or it is at least right around the corner! I am all about the power of positivity; good mind, good attitude, good body equals good life! Being that we are in that “spring-time” frame of mind and some of us are just coming out of hibernation, right now is prime time to dust off those running shoes, tune up the bike and find a workout buddy! Just to clarify – the definition from the Webster’s Dictionary Website – aerobic exercise is “exercise that increases the need for oxygen” – so you have to get off your buttocks and move around – spring clean yourself! PLUS – Here are a few cool psychological benefits from aerobic exercise: losing fat produces a better self image, reduces stress, enhances your mood and pumps up those endorphins. As much as we (may) hate this… exercise is beneficial to our physical, mental and emotional well-being. And right now, while it may still be chilly outside in Colorado, I’ve even dusted off the workout tools, inclusive of my Wii Fit – hey, don’t knock it until you try it, and I’m getting going myself! So, right now let’s focus on the mental bonuses.

Mental Bonus #1 – Better self image and self confidence. Quite simply when you look in the mirror, even if no major change has happened you know that something is happening and you feel better about yourself. Additionally, once you start to SEE a physical change, you become a confident powerhouse. Note: Pro athletes are over the top in shape and over the top in confidence (and/or ego) – coincidence, I think not!

Mental Bonus #2 – Stress relief. Proven fact that exercise reduces stress hormones like cortisol, and increases endorphins – and opioid (morphine-like) “feel-good” chemicals that are produced in the brain.

Mental Bonus #3 – Great things come in three’s folks – mood enhancement, it’s like Viagra for your emotions. As I mentioned above get’s your “feel-good” chemicals going and puts you on a natural high.

So there you have it, short and to the point, a brief look into spring cleaning yourself! It starts with the right attitude and as with anything, the only way it works is if you TAKE ACTION! For those of you that don’t know, it takes 26 spaced repetitions to learn something or create a habit… so get to going and by Summer you’ll look better, feel better and have a better outlook.

The Champion Mindset – The 11 Traits

Mike Phillips — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 02:47:59 +0000

Several weeks ago I did a Blog Talk Radio episode on my show RE-ignition titled, The Champion Mindset; if you haven’t listened, please tune in there and check it out! One of the things that I define in that episode are 11 traits that overall affect and define the champions mindset. That’s right 11, not a top 10 list. I thought it appropriate, as 2011 kicks off, to recap these 11 traits, you know, like 11 for 2011! These are not in any particular order, one is not more important than any other, they are all important and vital in my opinion. So here they are below, the 11 traits or qualities that are key in defining the champion mindset. Here’s to you and your success in 2011!

Determination – firmness of purpose. It is making a decision then pushing and seeing that decision through; refusing to see any sort of stop or barrier.
Endurance/Persistence – this ties right in with determination. It is keeping going… until (you get to your goal). Approximately 80% of sales are made after the fourth or fifth attempt!
Dedication – complete devotion to a task at hand. Your passion will help drive your dedication.
Vision – you have to see where you are headed, see the path out in front before you have walked it. Can you see what’s coming?
Goals – simple. Champions have clearly defined goals and continue to put effort into achieving them.
Preparation – Plan your work; work your plan! More than just a plan in your mind, a clear definition of strategies and tactics to get to your goals.
Adaptability – the overall ability to move and change to respond to any circumstance. Achieve the unexpected!
Focus/Alertness – your thoughts lead to your actions. This is the uncanny ability to create results from your thoughts, your focus turns to instant action.
Timing/Punctuality – be on time. Professional athletes, successful business people, champions – they don’t just show up, they show up early ready to perform!
Confidence – this is the gained through knowledge and the other traits on this list. It will transform you, the way you carry yourself and the way you think.
Honesty/Integrity – produced by balance in all areas of your life. It comes from having no fear; you should not have to bend your integrity to fit different situations.

So there it is, be a champion, be a success, chase your dreams! The number eleven, to me, even looks like goal posts – let’s kick this year far, straight and fast through the goal posts!