Finding your "Personal Bundini"

Don't let the title of this blog confuse you! I want you to think for a moment of the person, or persons, in your life who have motivated you to do your best. Think of how energized and creative you felt when someone close to you believed in you...even when you didn't believe in yourself. Remember the hardships and struggles that you have faced throughout your life. Who did you turn to? Who was there to make you laugh or to offer an idea? Who was there to listen to you when you probably sounded like a crazed maniac? Who was there to keep you on the right path instead of taking shortcuts?

Drew "Bundini" Brown was Muhammad Ali's Chief Hype-Man. Bundini, as he was affectionately called, never boxed professionally and he was known to have struggles with drugs and alcohol. But what Bundini did for Ali's career and stature as the greatest is probably the most under-rated contribution in sport's history! Success in any sport is a function of attitude, motivation, dedication, desire, etc. I could probably list a number of disputable functions but I want to focus on attitude for this blog. I could have chosen a number of "Chief Hype-Persons" from the annals of sport's history. But since Ali is such a global figure, I wanted to talk about someone who my readers could connect with.

Bundini was there for Ali through the ups and downs of his long career. Bundini always called Ali the Champ and kept him positive through their pre-fight routines and news conference shennanigans. Ali was always a strong-willed individual and probably didn't need much help in the self-motivation department. But everyone in life experiences periods of doubts and uncertainty. And it is at those crucial moments that we need a Bundini to hype us up! To tell us that we're worth our salt! To tell us that we're smart! To tell us that we're unique! This is not just empty flatter. A true Bundini will know your past accomplishments and moments of excellence. The very things we often forget when we are frustrated with personal or professional challenges.

So by now you see the connection to career management, right? The career search can be long and frustrating for some people. It's a time when you will have to confront your worse fears and travel down some lonely roads. It's a time when you will have to manage rejection, expectations, and perceptions. Those who are able to do this well will set themselves up for success. Understanding how powerful attitude is to this process is key. The way you view each day and the activities you have each day will determine your success. If you go to bed with a bad attitude, it's probable that you'll wake up with a bad attitude. And then you view everyone and everything in a negative way. Changing your attitude is the key and it does not happen in a single action but rather it is an ongoing, transformational process. Think of it as part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and doing the routine things such as brushing your teeth or washing your hands daily. You have to take that same care with maintaining a positive attitude that will help you to overcome the challenging times in life.

So what are you waiting for??? Get out there and find your Personal Bundini!!

The Antidote to the Job Search Blues

It's easy to get down on yourself during these times of economic hardship. But there is a way to get through the anxiety of finding a job this fall. Shifting your Attitude from negative to positive! Sounds easy, right? Well, actually, it is. It all starts with who your circle of friends and associates are. Companies have long practiced this (or at least have tried to). If you can develop a community of positive, like-minded people you can achieve more than you ever thought possible.

Now this doesn't mean to go out and find your clone. It just means that you need to be smart about who you spend most of your time with. Surround yourself the "Positive Influencers" instead of the "Negative Influencers". Spend your time with people who are natural motivators and feel good types. People who are usually in a good mood and seem to reflect stress like Superman reflects bullets. These people will keep you in a good mood and have you laughing when you feel like crying.

And when you are in a good mood, you are more relaxed and creative. And that positive energy feeds on itself and allows you to develop and implement sound career goals. It allows you to take in advice from your support group which includes Career Coaches, Mentors, Classmates, Friends, Family, Former Co-workers/Boss, etc. Once you are on this path, the job search becomes a little easier because you are building momentum. And it's all due to a little attitude shift!