Optimal Aging

The Power of Positivity in Business, Health, and Leadership with Jay Clark

• Jay Croft

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In this uplifting episode of The Optimal Aging Podcast, host Jay Croft reconnects with longtime friend and positivity expert Jay Clark, principal of JC Charity Services and a John Gordon-certified trainer. Jay shares how a positive mindset is not just feel-good fluff — it’s a practical, powerful tool for overcoming adversity, improving your health, and growing your business.

You’ll hear:

  • How positivity fuels resilience and deeper client connections
  • The difference between “kumbaya” optimism and action-based faith
  • Why core values and knowing your “why” help prevent burnout
  • Real-world ways small business owners can implement positive leadership
  • How storytelling creates magic in leadership and marketing

Jay also hosts the podcast Making Our World Better, where he highlights unsung heroes in the nonprofit sector. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation packed with actionable insights for fitness and wellness professionals over 50.

Guest Name:
Jay Clark

Bio:
Jay Clark is a John Gordon-certified Power of Positive Leadership trainer and the founder of JC Charity Services. He draws from a rich background in professional sports and nonprofit leadership to help individuals and organizations develop positive, resilient mindsets through workshops, coaching, and storytelling.

Links:

🎤 Host: Jay Croft
Jay helps fitness professionals grow their businesses by serving people over 50 with clarity, purpose, and effective storytelling.

🌐 Podcast Website: https://primefitcontent.com
📬 Contact: jay@primefitcontent.com
📱 Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primefitcontent
📥 Join the newsletter: https://primefitcontent.com

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Speaker 1:

Fear believes in a negative future. Faith believes in a positive future. So we want to drive people towards having faith that they can get through the hard times. I think it's just this idea that positivity really will give you the energy to keep going when things are difficult. What leads to burnout is when people do forget their why and why they're doing that stuff. There's nothing that you can't make better with a good story and no point you can't get across better with a good story. Leadership starts with serving others, and one of the things I always really have leaned into in any leadership position I've had is you know, invert that org chart. I mean, if you're the leader, you should be at the bottom, lifting everybody else up.

Speaker 2:

Did you know that having a positive outlook can improve your health and extend your longevity? It's also good for business, according to my guest this week on Optimal Aging, the show for fitness, health and well-being professionals trying to grow with more people over 50. And before we get to that interview, let me share some facts. A Yale University study found that people with positive attitudes about aging live seven and a half years longer. Over the last 70 years or so, more than 24 million copies have been sold of the Power of Positive Thinking. And in business, having a positive attitude fosters a more productive and engaging work environment, helps solve problems and enhances a positive environment. Now a lot of listeners to this show own small businesses and they encourage their clients to improve their health. So when I discovered that an old friend of mine is now professionally promoting positivity, I knew I had to get him on the show.

Speaker 2:

Jay Clark and I went to college together at Colorado State University back in the 80s. We both worked at the Daily Student newspaper, the Rocky Mountain Collegian. Jay was a snappy writer and a sports fiend probably the all-around nicest guy I knew at school. Since then he's worked in PR for the Denver Nuggets and at a series of nonprofits. His current mission is as principal in JC Charity Services. He's a John Gordon certified power of positive trainer and he hosts a podcast called Making Our World Better. Now let me be clear Jay is no wet noodle and we're not talking about holding hands around campfires singing folk songs. Positivity is real and it's powerful. Positivity is real and it's powerful, and it was a pure delight catching up with Jay as he explained how it can help businesses, health and so much more. So enjoy our conversation and give his show a listen too. Jay Clark, hello, nice to see you.

Speaker 1:

Oh, what a gift it is to be here with you, my friend.

Speaker 2:

It's incredible, isn't it? It's almost 40 years since we've seen each other 40 years and we look the same we do. Well, you're even more handsome than you were, and go ahead.

Speaker 1:

I wake up in the mornings and I go. When exactly did I turn into captain jack, like so many wrinkles?

Speaker 2:

oh man, I know, I know. But well, here's the thing. I always say I'm just glad to be here, and I mean it because, look, I agreed wrinkles, gray hair, whatever. But you know, I never thought I'd make it this long, so I'm just happy to agree to be kicking agree.

Speaker 1:

Everybody who told me every day on the right side of the grass is worth celebrating. That's right.

Speaker 2:

I like that we've been talking here a little bit about what you've been doing and and that's why I wanted to have you come on the right side of the grass is worth celebrating. That's right. I like that. We've been talking here a little bit about what you've been doing and that's why I wanted to have you come on the show, because you are living your life focusing on positivity and not in a silly way, but in a way that approach that applies to business and to doing good in the world and to being a better leader, being a better servant and trying to make the world a little bit better in ways that have value and application in real life, right.

Speaker 1:

Correct. Yeah, you know, I think in this world that we live in, we need as much positivity as we can, and when you think about positivity, I think a lot of people think of it as, oh, it's this kind of soft kumbaya thing, and the kind of positivity that I'm really a disciple of is the positivity that you need to get through difficult and tough situations so when those confront us which they confront us all you're prepared to go through those confront us, which they confront us all.

Speaker 2:

you're prepared to get go through those? Yeah, well, I want, I'm really excited to dive into all of that.

Speaker 2:

but before we get into the nitty gritty of of what you're doing and how, it can relate to people listening to this, whether they're running businesses or whether they're just trying to take better care of themselves and others. How did you get to do this? I remember, you know, right after college, I heard you got that job at the Denver Nuggets and I thought, oh, wow, that's so exciting. Right, you were like the first one of us to get a job at a really cool organization and, yeah, I was lucky. Yeah, you weren't lucky. And then so so tell me, catch us up. You know, in a fairly condensed version, sure, how you got to what you're doing.

Speaker 1:

I was lucky enough to start my career in professional sports. I wanted to be the next great sports writer. Yeah, because you and I worked together at the school newspaper and realized that you know to get to the major league level. I was going to have to kick around and probably didn't have the talent on the writing and reporting talent to get to that level. But on the service side and the relational side I felt like my skills were a little bit better suited to that. So ended up in professional sports, which was just a great experience, and through that, with one of our players, I actually started to help start a youth nonprofit and ran that for about 15 years that was focused on youth sports and education.

Speaker 1:

Went out on my own to do some marketing a little marketing communications firm I'm not too dissimilar to what you're doing now Got back into nonprofits and then decided to go back out on my own again in pursuit of this positivity. Because I found myself in pursuit of this positivity? Because I found myself, I think, probably like some of your listeners, you know, in a dark place and not really sure what I was doing and not really confident in what I was doing, and became somebody I really didn't like and then slowly discovered some positive teachings and some positive mentors that really helped me focus more on the things that I did have and to be grateful for the life that I did have. Instead of, you know, always wanting something different and just fell so in love with it. I wanted to pursue it more on a full-time basis. That's great.

Speaker 2:

I don't want to get too busy, too deep into your business, but can you tell me a little bit about what that moment was, or what those mentors were, or what started to turn it around for you?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you know, it was just very unhappy with kind of where I was professionally because I didn't really. I was working in nonprofits but wasn't sure of the mission that I was. You know, was am I, am I doing the right thing? And and didn't really feel like I had good direction and it was starting to impact personal relationships with my wife and my children, with my friends and and I really thought, you know, if I don't turn this around, I'm going to lose some things that are the most valuable things in my world. So discovered, you know, started off with Norman Vincent Peale, power of Positive Thinking and found John Gordon's work and really became kind of a disciple of his. So John has written the Energy Bus and the Carpenter and the Seed and all these wonderful business parables about the power of positivity. That really resonated and got deeper into that and actually became a John Gordon certified trainer. So that's kind of my journey in a short amount of time but it's really I credit it for, you know, turning my personal and professional life completely around.

Speaker 2:

And now you are a certified trainer, is that it?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, trainer, so I can. I can run workshops on the power of positive leadership, team or mindset. And you know, if you stop and think about any organization, regardless of the size or the sector, you know who couldn't benefit from improving their leadership, culture or or mindsets.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

So it's it's, it's really great. So we run workshops and keynotes and coaching to really help people again build up those skills that, when the tough times come, you're prepared to deal with them. You know, we say it's faith versus fear. Faith and fear have one thing in common, that's that they both believe in a future that hasn't happened yet. Fear believes in a negative future. Fear believes in a negative future. Faith believes in a positive future. So we want to drive people towards having faith that they can get through the hard times.

Speaker 2:

And then I want you to tell me also about JC Charity Services and your podcast and how it all goes together Well same thing.

Speaker 1:

I think there's so many people similar to yourself and a lot of your clients that are out there doing such great work to make the world better, that are unsung, that can inspire other people. So I really started to think you know how do I start telling these stories? And the podcast was a great way. I know you know, and I'm focused mainly on the nonprofit sector with the podcast, because there's so many great small nonprofits that are doing such good work, that elevate so many people and are such an important part of their communities. These stories are just wonderfully inspiring that I get to tell. And what's great now is I've been at it for a minute, like you have, and you know it's expanding and I'm starting to get talk to more people all around the country and these stories are really amazing about, you know, people just doing every day. They're not changing the world, but where they are they're definitely making the world better, and so it's really a lot of fun.

Speaker 2:

That's what I love about this podcast and the that I I'm doing, and also the, the work that I'm doing with, with prime fit content in gyms around the countries, because the gym owners and trainers and others in health and wellbeing they're really changing people's lives. You know, totally, you know, not everybody I rage hits their sixties in in good condition, correct, you know, and maybe they're retiring and they want to make some positive changes and have a better life or feel better about themselves or enjoy their activities more. How do you do that? It's hard, it's scary, it's lonely. So here are these people to help them.

Speaker 2:

I think it's really wonderful and you know, as a storyteller, that's what I want. I'm looking for something that's got some emotional connection. Yeah, yeah, so good for you. So you talk about how positivity can be a differentiator in your business, that just being good at your job isn't enough. You've got to be. You need something else, right? You need some competitive advantage. You need something else, right? You need some competitive advantage. So tell me how positivity fits into that for a small business owner or someone who's trying to help others.

Speaker 1:

Right. Well, and again, I think you know the people that you work with, the people I work with and anybody. If you look at the environment, we're in being good at what you do. That's the entry fee, right. I mean, everybody's good at what they do. So how do you stand out in that crowd? And we like to think that positivity is a big one because, again, it gives you the strength and the perseverance to get through when things are hard. The strength and the perseverance to get through when things are hard, and it also helps you, I think, make deeper connections with with people, whether that be your team or your clients and customers. Just having that kind of that positive mindset, I think it is just, it's a differentiator because it leads to those deeper connections and it also leads to you to you know being able to make better decisions and you know be more compassionate and be more empathetic. All those things that again, are benefits to the people that you're working with and your customers. So I think, I think it's a huge, a huge advantage.

Speaker 2:

You told me a few minutes ago that it's not being kumbaya. What is the definition of positivity in this context?

Speaker 1:

I did for me, the biggest one is that is it gives you faith in a positive, that you can create a positive future, instead of fear that the future is going to be negative.

Speaker 1:

So, even when you're in those tough times where it's like how am I going to get out of this, or how are we going to solve this, or how are we going to find those next customers and how are we going to keep the business going for next month, rather than being afraid of that, you're going to be confident that you're going to be able to create a solution. Rather than being afraid of that, you're going to be confident that you're going to be able to create a solution. And again, I think that goes back to if you have that positive mindset, you're going to be able to grind a little harder, you're going to be able to keep going and you're going to keep looking for a different way to get your message out that might resonate with that extra customer who's going to put your business over the top, might resonate with that extra customer who's going to put your business over the top. And so I think it's just this idea that the positivity really will give you the energy to keep going when things are difficult.

Speaker 2:

Can you teach this positivity? Are there steps, training, methods that you help people to acquire this mindset?

Speaker 1:

Absolutely With mindset, leadership and culture and team. What's great about the programs that we do is we do workshops and keynotes that basically give you we walk you through a proven program that teams like the LA Rams and the LA Dodgers and the Miami Heat and Nike and Southwest Airlines that have used these principles to create a plan that's very much tailored to them. So we walk through, we walk through. We have a whole series that we walk through and you come out of this with a plan of you know what am I going to commit to do differently that's going to elevate the business through this kind of positive outlook and it's really it just great stuff.

Speaker 2:

I love it without giving away the, you know the, the, the proprietary stuff or anything. Give us an example or two, like, let's just say. Let me give you a scenario. Well, first of all, you know, you and I come from a background in news where everything's very cynical and skeptical and I'm in a hurry and I'm in a bad mood and get out of my way. And it's not about touchy feely, it's not about positivity, it's about get the job done Right, yep.

Speaker 2:

And now we're in this other stage of life and in this, doing these other things in a career, and I'm meeting gym owners who are sometimes in the same way. You know. They've got a hundred things on their mind, they're trying to do everything on their own. They've got a staff that maybe they haven't had time to train, or they want to put systems in their business, but they just haven't had the time yet, or you name it. So how can you help, like that gym owner who's you know just already working 12 hours a day and can't seem to get anywhere and things aren't going well? What can you do for him?

Speaker 1:

Right. I think the first thing we always try and tell people is sit down and breathe, okay, breathe and realize. I think the step one is to take stock of everything that's going well. You know, I think as humans, you know, if we get a 99 out of 100 on a test, what's the response? Oh my God, I missed one. You know, let's go back and look at everything that's going well and take stock of that and have confidence that you know, geez, we're doing 99% of this thing right.

Speaker 1:

So for a small business owner and I go through this all the time and it's not like I have all the answers and I can implement all these practices myself all the time, because it's hard. Being a business owner is hard, it's a lonely thing, but you have to stop and go. Okay, what's working here? And then I think the other one is is you really need to lean into those relationships? I mean, you know it's the old, the old line everybody's going through something. So, whether it's yourself or your customers, you can never really. You always have to kind of keep that in mind that everybody's got something that they're dealing with. So how can I be compassionate and empathetic with somebody else or with myself.

Speaker 1:

I think that's really where it starts. You know I'm working 12 hour days. I can't get anything going. So let's let you know what's what is working here, let's let's be confident that that's going right. And then, maybe what's one thing you know, if I look at these 100 things I need to do, how do I prioritize one and make sure I get that one done, and then I can feel really good about that and maybe tackle two, and then it just kind of snowballs Again. I think it's. You know, we have to be a little kinder to ourselves and really just keep grinding, knowing that, okay, if I can get this one thing done today, maybe you can get that other one done tomorrow, and just keep going with the faith that it's going to work out.

Speaker 2:

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Speaker 2:

And what about this idea of remembering your why? Why am I doing this? Why am I working so hard? It's like, oh yeah, you want to provide for your family and you need to make a living, etc. But you can. You can do that in a number of ways. So why am I running a gym? Why am I? Why do I care? If so, and so gets a good workout today, how helpful is it to remember why you're doing it?

Speaker 1:

it's huge, and I think one of the the big things that that some of the research we've seen has shown is that people don't get burned out because they're working too hard. I mean, you know as well as I that was one of the great parts of newspapering back in the Stone Ages was that adrenaline rush. When you're at the, you know you're crushing to meet a deadline, you've been at it for 10 hours, but you're not burned out, you're energized by that, and so I think you know what. What leads to burnout is when people do forget their why and why they're doing that stuff, so why they're doing what they're doing. So the why is is hugely important, and I think you know for clients like yours, when, if you're in a gym and you're seeing somebody of who's more experienced, let's say, or advanced fans like us, if they're coming in, you're changing their life, you're, you're, you're extending their you know how, how, their vitality and and you know I can I can understand how that would easily get lost in the day-to-day.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Oh, my God, I got. You know, we got to make sure that the guys come to clean, right, or you know the equipment's broken or whatever. But you know you need to step back sometimes and goes what is my business doing? My business is extending the vitality of these people that are coming in here and trusting me to help them, and I'm helping them. These people that are coming in here and trusting me to help them, and I'm helping them. So the why is huge, because if you, once you start forgetting that, or or it starts becoming off in the distance, that's when you get burned out.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, a couple other things. Gym owners often want to and this is probably throughout any industry, just the ones I talk to every day small businesses, throughout any industry, just the ones I talk to every day small businesses, entrepreneurs. They want to do everything themselves. Do you find that a lot and how do you help them? See, the positive choice can be to delegate or to hire someone, or to recognize that you don't have to do your taxes because that's why you have accountants, you know that kind of thing.

Speaker 1:

And you know, guilty as charged. I'm a huge do-it-yourself guy and that's been a big battle for me and I don't know if that comes just from you know that's how our family always did things. We fix stuff, but you're 100% correct and that can have a huge. If you can let go of some of these things, that can have a huge impact on you know, your vitality and how and your leadership and everything else and I think that is a giant part of leadership is to be able to let go and trust in people to do this. And I think, again, that goes back to how you can connect with people. I mean, if you can connect with people and find out, you know, what is this guy's or this person's North Star or what is their passion or what do they care about, and then tailor stuff that you can give them to do, where they can flourish and really take this on, I mean that's where you create human magic. I love that term. I stole that term from the guy that used to run Best Buy. But when you can trust, when you can empower people and trust people, which starts with making that connection it creates human magic.

Speaker 1:

I go back to you know it was one of the best lessons I learned when I just started in professional sports. I was the low man on the totem pole and every day when I just started in professional sports, I was the low man on the totem pole and every day when the team was in town, our head coach would stop by our office. Doug Moe would stop by my office and spend 15 minutes giving me a hard time about my dating life or talking about baseball or, you know, talking about everything other than basketball. And and I just remember that was the best 15 minutes of my day. And here's the guy that's probably the most in demand guy in our organization just stop by to say hey and check in and if that, if that guy called me today and said, will you run through a wall for me, I'd ask him which one and start running, because it was such a great connection that that was such a good lesson to me, that that just a little bit of time to connect with somebody on a consistent basis, you build that connection.

Speaker 1:

And when you build those connections, then you have that trust where, okay, I know I can give it to this, to this person, then they'll get it done. Yeah, that that only, not only buoys that person. It takes that off your. It just creates a better team and and it's so beneficial. So you're a hundred percent correct.

Speaker 2:

There are those people you know. Every once in a while you meet someone and maybe the coach at the nuggets had that where they're. Very oftentimes they're people in an elevated position, in a leadership role or CEO or celebrity or something like that. Politicians are really good at this, except there's something kind of oily about a lot of them and I don't mean that.

Speaker 2:

I mean I. I mean these special people who are undeniably special. Some have that thing they make you feel special when they're talking to you. You feel this light shining on you and you think, oh my gosh, this, I'm the, I'm the most important person in this guy's awareness and you are for that. 10 minutes or 15 minutes. Is that what you're talking about? Or does that's exactly what I'm talking about?

Speaker 1:

that what you're talking about, or does? That's exactly what I'm talking about. I mean, if you're a gym owner and somebody comes in and they're trying to improve their physical state and they get 10 minutes with the gym owner who does this all day, every day, who really knows what he's doing, I mean you're, if you can make that connection, you'll have a customer for life right and you know. Same thing, if you're the gym owner and you've got somebody who's a trainer who comes in and you start learning what they're, they're all about, why they got into training, and then you start telling them you really like how they do this, or you know asking them. You know I've got another client who's trying to do to try, and you know, improve this, how would you do it? And you start building that connection. That trainer is going to work harder for you and make your life easier. I mean it's just. It's just a great cycle.

Speaker 2:

As a writer, do you rely on storytelling at your work, at your at JC Charity Services, or in your positive presentations or your podcast? How do you apply the principles of storytelling to what we're doing, what you're doing?

Speaker 1:

A hundred percent. I mean, you know it was better than me. You've been at it longer and have done more of it than I have but storytelling is absolutely the best way that people learn and the best, the best way that people connect and what resonates. So it's, you know, there's nothing that you can't make better with a good story. At no point you can't get across better with a good story. So it's critical it's. You know, as a lifelong learner, it's something I'm always trying to get better at. And you know, again, we were talking earlier about how we grew up in kind of this golden age of journalism where, you know, just always the best part about that today is that it just it inspired a love of reading and a love of storytelling. So, yeah, that that that's absolutely a pillar and a foundation for what I do and for what you do too.

Speaker 2:

And also for what I think a small business owner needs to do, because you are in the spotlight, whatever role you're in or whatever industry you're in If it's a gym owner or the head of a bakery or whatever, everyone's looking to you within that organization and they want something from you. And if all you have is sales figures or how disappointed you are because something didn't work out last week, that's not really going to connect or move as much.

Speaker 1:

Right, and if you've got a client that's come in, who, in six months, you know, think of how you've transformed them in your gym. I mean, what better story is that? Right, internally and for your team? We look what we did for this person. We just we transform them in six months. Their vitality is much better. Their life is going to be much better. Yeah, I mean, now your team feels great. Now other people are going well, wait, I want to be that guy too. So, yeah, storytelling is the baseline. And you know, tell me that all of your clients don't have those great stories. They all do they all do.

Speaker 2:

They all do. Something I'm working on right now is getting them to stop talking about themselves, which maybe is this might be a side topic from what we're talking about. But I'll say well, you know, do a, do a profile of the member who you just helped and when you were just describing, and they'll, they'll have the person say how much they love the gym. Oh, I'm Susie Jones and I love this gym because this gym is full of nice people and this gym makes me feel good and I love this gym and you should try this gym. You're like not what I meant, right? Yeah, I'm not sure if that has to do with positivity or not or it's just with editorial decisions.

Speaker 2:

Stop talking about yourself and let's hear what you did for her. The beginning, the middle of the end Right.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and you're 100 percent right. When we talk about positive leadership, one of the keys of that is how do you elevate those around you? I mean, that's really to me, leadership starts with serving others, and one of the things I always really have leaned into in any leadership position I've had is, you know, invert that org chart. I mean, if you're the leader, you should be at the bottom, lifting everybody else up. So I think if once you can get people in that kind of mindset, I think that leads to okay. How do I put these stories front and center that aren't about me but about the great things that are going on around here?

Speaker 2:

Yep, I like that you also talk about core values. How can I, as a small business owner, also talk about core values? How can I, as a small business owner, bake positivity into my core values? Or should I even bother with core values? Who has time for that? I'm a small business who cares. Tell me about that.

Speaker 1:

I think to me, core values are again another base that you have to have, because everything you do has to be aligned with those core values. And to me, the alignment that's really when you start falling out of alignment with your core values. That's when things like burnout start happening, because you do forget your why then? And you're just going through the motions and you lose that connection. You know what am I trying to accomplish here and what's my mission? And again going back not again not to talk about me, but this is where I found myself.

Speaker 1:

You know I was out of alignment with core values, and those core values, you know, live joyfully. Am I living joyfully? How can I live joyfully through my work if what I'm doing doesn't align with that? So core values are huge. I would urge everybody to spend some time really thinking about what those are, and they don't have to be super complicated and they don't have to be super aspirational. They just have to be kind of your North Star and you have to have that so you can stay in alignment with those again, because otherwise you're going to, you're going to lead to burnout and breakdown of relationships and connections, and so that it's, you're 100 percent, it's that that's a that's a serious foundation that I think everybody needs to have.

Speaker 2:

I I've seen in between newspapers and what I'm doing now. I worked at some huge multi-billion dollar corporations where you know they did have core values and whether they really followed them or not, you know to debate but but there was a lot of talk about them and the idea that this is what we're about. And they were broad. They intended to be broad enough that they could adapt with the times, but not so broad that they were meaningless. It's it's. It's tough to do, but what what I've found?

Speaker 2:

I haven't done a personal core values for myself, but I have found myself out of alignment a few times and it would be helpful, you know, because it gives it, would give me the definition like hey, something's not right here. I don't like what I'm doing. Why not? Oh, because I work for people who are doing work that I don't believe in, or because I don't like being in traffic for three hours a day, or because I don't get to see my kids enough. Whatever it is, if you just sort of stop and think for a minute and then find a solution, it's so easy to complain right or get lost in that right.

Speaker 2:

Oh, my back hurts. I'm just getting old. I guess this is the end of it for me right or what's the solution right.

Speaker 1:

How can I, how can what, why, how can I move? That's going to loosen up my back and make my life better or what? What treatment can I find? And the other part of the core value equation that I really love about some of the work that we do is it's almost like the New Year's resolutions you make the New Year's resolution, but what's the commitment behind that? So, if you've got core values, what commitments are you going to make to uphold those? If you've got core values, what commitments are you going to make to uphold those?

Speaker 1:

And I think that's a step that gets overlooked. A lot is okay. I've got these core values. I've got a mission statement. You know what am I going to commit. How am I going to commit to carrying those out day to day? So you know, I think that's almost as, if not more important is, if you know what you want to do, what are you going to commit to doing that?

Speaker 1:

And again, you know, in your sector, this is a huge thing. If I'm going to come to a gym, that's a commitment I'm making, right how am I going to keep that commitment? Am I going to go three times a week? Am I going to go twice a week. I got to figure out a commitment and figure out a way I can keep that commitment. Otherwise, my goal of getting in better shape. You know, same thing. If I'm a business owner, same thing how am I going to serve my customers in the best way possible? What am I going to commit to today to make that happen? So that's always a question I always like to ask is okay, I want to. I would love to give positive leadership workshops to some of the big organizations in Denver. Okay, what's the commitment that I need to make to make that happen? Still wrestling with that, but that's where it starts. If I have a goal, that's great. You hear people talk about goals all the time. What's your commitment to making that goal happen? So that's another key big thing for me.

Speaker 2:

The way I interpreted a lot of what you're saying is the idea that we have to be realistic in our goals or we will fail, and then we will get frustrated and then we won't get anywhere. And people our age will often say, oh, I got to get back to the gym Cause like when I was in college, and I say no, no, you're not 20 years old anymore and you are unlikely to ever be 20 years old again.

Speaker 2:

Don't chase something impossible. You cannot travel back in time. Who are you now? Where are you now? What can you do now? That's where we're starting with. And then you know, start slow, start easy. Don't say you're going to go five days a week for two hours a day. Cause guess what You're probably not going to do. That Right, and I think there's a pragmatism to being positive as well, absolutely, and it's and it's it is being realistic.

Speaker 1:

And again, that's that's where I think there's a little misperception and is oh, positive, you can do whatever you put your mind to. I think it's it's more like let's, what can I? You know, let's be realistic here. Can I commit, if I want to get in better shape, can I commit to going to the gym twice a week for 40 minutes? I could probably do that. Yeah, and you know what, if I can keep that commitment, I'm going to get results. I'm going to feel pretty good about it.

Speaker 2:

That's right. Well, jay, this is great and I feel like we could. We could talk about this all day and I want you to tell people where they can go to learn more about you and your podcast and your, your power of positive philosophy, that kind of thing, whatever you want to direct them to.

Speaker 1:

That's great and I'm grateful for the opportunity you can just. You can find me at makingourworldbettercom. That's where you can find my podcast and my positive work and learn more about my bizarro background. But it's, it's. It is just such a pleasure and honor to reconnect with you. Yeah Well, same to you. It's been a real.

Speaker 2:

it is just such a pleasure and honor to reconnect with you. Yeah Well, same to you. It's been a real, it's been a real pleasure. I love what you're doing. Obviously, I reached out to you after all these years cause I wanted to share it.

Speaker 1:

Grateful for that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and it's delightful to see you thriving in it.

Speaker 1:

Likewise and keep it going down there in the ATL.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely All right. Thanks, Jay Cheers.

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Jay Croft

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