I’ve been mentoring these five fabulous kids for almost four years.  We call ourselves “The Saturday Club” because I pick them up every Saturday and we go swimming, biking, horseback riding, skating—you name it, we’ve done it!

As a reward for good report cards, we also take trips to Florida, Chicago, Gatlinburg and other interesting places.

These kids grew up in one of the most dangerous public housing projects in Louisville, and I’m trying to show them other options because I believe:

We Become Our Environment

Think about it....

If you grew up in a loving, happy home, it's a good bet you're a loving and
happy person. :) 

If you're surrounded by "neg-a-holics" at work, chances are good you may also
become a gloom-and-doomer. :(

If your goal is to lose weight, but you always have some kind of fattening food within
arm's reach....  well, you get the idea!

Take a good look at your immediate environment and determine if it's conducive to
your goals. Ask yourself, "Do my surroundings move me CLOSER to my goals or do they move me farther AWAY?"   And then make some changes.

If you want to lose weight, lose the candy dish and surround yourself with HEALTHY snacks (that means NOTHING chocolate-covered!)

If you want to meet other single people, put yourself where other single people gather: the library, golf course or practice tee, grocery store, art galleries, sporting events, your church, the park (take a dog, even if you have to borrow one), concerts and bookstores.  What else could you add to this list?

If you want to get out of debt or save more money, remove "spending temptations" from your environment: stay away from the malls, toss those shiny catalogues and don't go near Ebay!

(If you want your attendees to say, "This was the BEST conference I ever attended!" have Susan present a high-energy keynote or break-out.  Check her availability at http://www.susanmillerspeaks.com/contact_susan_miller.htm )

If you want to be a more positive person, stay away from negative people.  Now, I know this sounds like a real BFO  (Blinding Flash of the Obvious!), but I'm often asked in my seminars,

"Susan, I'm very positive; but I have to sit near a real whiner.  How can I stay positive?" 

My answer is, "You may not get to choose WHO you have to sit next to at work; but
you DO get to choose who you talk to on breaks or at lunch. 

So CHOOSE to stay away from neg-a-holics the way you stay away from someone with a bad cold.  Don't let their bad attitude infect you!"

Note to parents:

Like my “Saturday Club,” your kids are like sponges.  Take a close look at their environment, especially the people they’re around and see who or what they’re “soaking up!”