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Now Available in Audio and Video!Information Regarding Audio If you want to download the radio shows directly to your computer, right-click the links below and choose Save target as...or Save link as.... Each MP3 audio file is approximately 5.5MB in size and will take a minute or two to download over cable/DSL. The shows are approximately 48 minutes in duration. You can listen to the audio files using your computer's media player. Information Regarding Video To view streaming YouTube video of the Clay Nelson Life Balance Hour, simply click the video button and play the video segments you want to watch. What does being complete look like? How about...not having any regrets...saying what you need to say...apologizing where an apology needs to be made...saying thank you and showing appreciation...and having your integrity in place... Being complete creates the peace of mind that gets rid of all Would-have, Should-have, and Could-have kinds of thoughts! (Originally aired 12/03/08) View Video » Without question the last several months have been really rough on a lot of people… their families… their businesses. It is a tough time for many to think about being thankful, but it isn’t impossible! Think about it: Do you think it is possible to be thankful for what we have (and not worry about what we don’t have) by simply changing how we think? As we get ready to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, I think it is important for all of us to: Get out of our heads… Stop feeling sorry for ourselves (if that is where we are)… And get present to what we have to be thankful for! (Originally aired 11/26/08) View Video »
Life never gives us a break – there will always be more “stuff” waiting. The key to not getting caught up in negativity, and instead being powerful in your own behalf, is to stay present to your power! My challenge to you as we enter the last weeks of this year is staying present to this power by living from the 80% of life that is great, having a plan that gets us from where we are to where we want to be and having a clear vision that allows us to see what’s next in terms of prospects for our future. (Originally aired 11/12/08) View Video » Whether “your guy” won or not, the success of our collective future and your individual future does not rest in who will be sworn in to office in January! Your success and the success of our nation rests on us – the citizens of this nation – to be active participants in creating and building an outrageous future! None of us can expect to get to where we want to go, if we fail to get into action in our own behalf… and if we fail to tell those who are in leadership positions what we want! So what do you want your future to look like? And are you willing to participate to make it happen? (Originally aired 11/05/08) View Video » The word “Truth” conjures up many thoughts about what truths one could be referring to. But the truth that I most want to address with this show is are you being true to yourself… and are you living a life that makes you happy? Asking these questions of yourself – and being truthful with the answers – could be difficult! None of us are comfortable having the “mirror” held up in front of us, but if we don’t willingly take a look at how we feel about the life we live, the person we are, and the difference we make on the planet… how do we know if we are being true to ourselves? (Originally aired 10/29/08) View Video » Confusion comes in all shapes and sizes. There is confusion regarding how something is done, why something is done the way it is, confusion over why someone is doing what they are doing, what they are trying to say or an idea they are attempting to convey, confusion over who is supposed to be doing what, or confusion over a decision you need to make. But the truth is that “confusion” is really a result of what we are feeling about our surroundings – and our own lack of commitment. Confusion is just a place you get to in life where you forget what you are committed to! (Originally aired 10/22/08) View Video »
What if every single one of us REALLY took on accountability for our own lives? Do you see how that kind of responsibility would breed responsibility everywhere? The truth is that we don’t hold those in office to the highest levels of accountability, because all of us shun accountability on some level. We all talk a good talk, but when it comes to having our feet held to the fire we make excuses for our shortcomings, our children’s shortcomings…We don’t want to make people mad, we want to be liked. Accountability in Washington D.C., accountability in our schools, accountability in our homes starts with us! When each of us individuals are willing to be accountable for doing what is within our reach… then and only then can we hold our leaders to the same standard! (Originally aired 10/08/08) View Video » Trust is something we put out into the world - believing in the overall goodness of humanity. As our relationships and experiences expand and are generally positive, our trust deepens and grows. But when that trust is broken, it often takes a lot to repair it. Living from a place where you have no trust in the world or people around you is a hard thing to do. If you don’t believe and trust in the integrity of your connection to someplace, some person, or some thing then what do you have? To build trust in anything… or anyone… you have to first and foremost trust yourself. After all, the only person who has a say in how you think and feel is you! (Originally aired 10/01/08) View Video »
We all know people who put everyone else’s needs above their own. But concentrating on the needs of others is a really great place to not have to be with ourselves. Think about it… if we actually took the time to be with the person in the mirror, would we like what we see? The truth is that it is much easier for all of us to help do for and fix others than it is to deal with ourselves. If everything you do keeps you from taking care of you… from keeping your own batteries fully charged… from being 100% happy and having fun… from taking on your own growth… then it is time to stop do-do-doing for everyone else and start doing for YOU!! (Originally aired 09/24/08) View Video » It is one thing to talk about managing change, but when the change you are faced with is so rapidly life altering, how do you really “manage” something so big; something you really don’t have a say in? Well, the solution isn’t so much in a step 1-2-3 type of answer – it is bigger than “how” you manage unexpected changes! It is up to you to make your life whatever it is you want it to be, regardless of what the world has in store. You can choose to be in action around the changes you are faced with or you can be a victim of change… the choice is yours! (Originally aired 09/17/08) View Video » The only person who can set the priorities in your life is you. You know what is important to you. And when setting priorities you have to remember to keep you first… you’ve got to take care of you first so that you have the energy (both physical and mental) to manage everything else in your life! In the midst of doing “it all”, don’t give into the temptation to drop taking care of you out! (Originally aired 09/03/08) There is so much going on around us – so much noise – that we tend to hear everything, but what are we actually listening to? Our worlds are filled with a constant barrage of input, but what are we learning from it? If we are constantly talking… if we constantly tune people out… if we merely hear things in the background without really listening to what is being communicated to us, chances are that we aren’t learning anything! Rarely do any of us really listen 100% of the time. But what if we did? (Originally aired 08/27/08) View Video »
As you consider what you want to accomplish in the last quarter of this year, I’d like you to think about the Olympic athletes that are now competing with other athletes from all over the globe. What an amazing thing they do! They train their bodies AND their minds so that they can create phenomenal results. Do all of them bring home Olympic gold (or even silver or bronze)? No, but do they deliver their personal best? Yes!! Guess what, they have the same distractions that you do -- and yet they have pushed, planned, gotten coaching, and trained in order to accomplish what it is they say they want. I believe that we can learn a lot from these amazing athletes about what it takes to succeed in whatever our goals are! (Originally aired 08/20/08) View Video » The stark realization that the lazy days of summer are coming to an abrupt end can be downright disappointing. But the summer isn’t over yet, so I have to ask: Have you done what you really set out to do this summer? Have you taken the time for you that you deserve? And if not, it isn’t too late, but it is time to get going!! The “best of intentions” aren’t nearly enough to take us from wanting to take care of ourselves to actually doing it, we have to put a few tools in place that help us take care of us! (Originally aired 08/13/08) It occurred to me that we talk a lot about focusing on the positive and having a smile on our faces. However, how do we be positive when work is stressing us out…bills are stressing us out…gas prices are stressing us out…or we’re torn between wanting to spend more time with our families and the need to bring in more money to meet the family’s needs? Let’s face it. We have a lot to be stressed about! So, if our default way of going through our day is to focus on the negatives, grumble and be down on life, how do we change our default way of being from negative to positive? (Originally aired 08/06/08) View Video »
As a business coach, I talk with business owners from around the country each day. I am privy to all of their ups and downs, and I have to tell you, I’m hearing a lot of downs right now. And the truth is that I’m frustrated, because no matter what the economy is doing, no matter what circumstances are going on around us: LIFE DOESN’T HAVE TO BE HARD… WE DON’T HAVE TO SETTLE… WE CAN HAVE THE LIFE AND BUSINESSES WE WANT! Now, I am not trivializing the problems many Americans are now facing. I simply want to wake all of us up to the power we have to turn our mediocre, complacent, life-is-hard attitudes around. (Originally aired 07/23/08)
No matter how difficult our personal situation may be, we all have things that we can be appreciative of. The really cool thing is that the more we openly acknowledge our appreciation, the more good and happiness that will return to us! Unfortunately, the exact opposite is true too! When we fail to show our appreciation for even the “smallest” things, eventually those around us will stop doing things for us!! The more we can look at the world from a greater perspective – appreciate the simple things in life, rather than worrying about what we don’t have – the more easily appreciation becomes part of who we are. (Originally aired 07/09/08) Chaos is one of those things that send some people running for cover and others absolutely thrive on it! How do we manage unexpected events without going upside down? Most of us are creatures of habit, and chaos does little to calm those of us who operate from a very A + B = C existence. But the truth is that Chaos is really more of a normal occurrence than Order, and the better we are at managing the chaos in our lives the more we will learn and grow from the chaos that is around us! After all, where do we learn the most from – those things we do day in and day out OR those things that sneak into our tidy, orderly worlds? (Originally aired 07/02/08) There is something to be said for living life simply. Now, I’m not talking about selling your house and living in a tent somewhere. I’m talking about living life without so much stuff… at least the stuff that doesn’t make us happier! The truth is, for me at least, that the more stuff I have… the more things are piled around me, the less organized I am, the less peace of mind I have! The point is not to shut down your life, or your way of living if the way you are living works for you. However, if you are stretched to the maximum in terms of time, finances, serenity, and happiness… something needs to change! Change what? How about getting back to the basics of living! Maybe we could even learn something from our own children? (Originally aired 06/25/08) View Video » One thing I have learned in my 64 years on this planet is that as bad as a situation in my life might be, there is always someone, somewhere who is worse off than me! There are people out there with much bigger things going on in their lives, and what strikes me most is that those people aren’t complaining! They aren’t pouting in a corner somewhere. They are out living life… they are out creating a way around or through their circumstances. They create instead of complain! (Originally aired 06/18/08) View Video » Every single one of us has an opportunity to make a difference on this planet. No matter what our financial status might be, the color of our skin, our gender, our physical or mental abilities, where we live, the kind of car we drive or the clothes we wear - we all can make a difference! I want to encourage others to get involved and make a difference in their communities, for organizations and causes that are tugging on their hearts, and I want to show everyone that making a difference is really an easy thing to do! (Originally aired 06/11/08)
No matter how much we have to do – no matter how much our jobs or our homes and families demand of us, everyone encounters boredom. Yet, we can’t just chuck our responsibilities out the window because we aren’t lit up about what we are doing! And besides that, what if our boredom with life isn’t about life, but instead our attitude toward life? We create our own boredom… and on the flip-side, we have the power to choose and create our own happiness. (Originally aired 05/28/08) We’re always in such a hurry to do something… to reach an end goal. We want what we want NOW, and we sometimes focus so intently on the end result, have you ever considered what you are missing out on along the way? Consider this question: What would your life’s journey be like if you slowed down enough to really enjoy getting to where you want to be? What would your life be like if you took on everything you do as if it were a garden that you are growing, nurturing, and preparing for harvest? (Originally aired 05/21/08) Alyce Faye Eichelberger Cleese, a well-known psychotherapist, published author, and radio show host, interviewed Clay Nelson on her weekly radio show, A Few of My Favorite Things. This fun and playful discussion will help you get to know Clay Nelson as a person – his likes, his dislikes, his background, his passions, and so much more! (Originally aired 05/14/08) ...and Not Having to Drive Anywhere! With prices skyrocketing – from the gas we need in our cars, to airline tickets, and the food we put on our tables – the majority of us are looking to cut back on our spending. What’s the first thing to get cut out? Entertainment and travel! Yes, the kids are groaning, because they are bored! Parents may even feel a bit stir crazy! But what if spending recreational time as a family wasn’t about the money you spend while you do what you do? What would it be like to not have to drive somewhere to be entertained, and have just as much fun, if not more fun, just being a family? (Originally aired 05/07/08) View Video » Who do we have to be to have a say in how our life turns out... even when we are faced with change that we don’t have a say in? The price of gas, the state of the economy, road construction making us late for an appointment, children growing older, the loss of a loved one — these are all examples of change that we don’t have a say in. We don’t create it, it just happens and we are left with the aftereffects. These are the very types of changes that can put us into a huge victimized pit of despair, but only if we CHOOSE to go there!!! Don’t relate to change like it is something that “just happens” and then you react to it. Think ahead about changes. Have a plan, and then choose to live it! (Originally aired 04/30/08) Disappointment is a reality of life. The odds of being successful in everything we do is very small and besides, if we only do the things that we are sure to excel at, then we probably aren’t reaching high enough! But when we are disappointed it can hit us hard. So what do you do? How do you deal with the disappointment you’ve encountered? (Originally aired 04/23/08) View Video » Have you ever watched a bully attempt to push someone around… maybe you’ve been pushed around too. What happened? Frequently we give in, but why? Because most of us don’t really believe that we have a choice in what goes on in our lives and in and around our world. But the truth is, we DO have a choice and we all have the power to make a difference in our lives and the lives of others, and only we can make it happen! (Originally aired 04/16/08) Getting going when you don’t wanna is all about recognizing that you are stopped and then making the CHOICE to play… making the CHOICE to have fun… making the CHOICE to be your word, and asking for help when your brain is stopping you. We can’t always lay around on the beach or wherever your preferred place to get away from it all is. But you can have a clear mind and a go get’em attitude whenever you choose to have them. Remember: You can complain about the life you have or create the life you love. Choose! (Originally aired 04/02/08) View Video » Being patient is really no more than a choice we make to not act impulsively, give things the time they deserve and give people the respect they deserve. Meaning -- patience is really about self-control! Choosing not to yell, and instead calmly discussing an upset. Choosing to not be crabby with the check-out clerk, because of the long line. Choosing to slow down and be respectful, even when you don’t feel like you have the time to do so. Choosing to make room for others to learn at their own pace and to even contribute to you! Mastering self-control and patience takes practice, choosing to be patient when we might not otherwise have been! Get present to who you are being… where you leave people… and what you ultimately want to accomplish. (Originally aired 03/26/08) How many times has someone said this to you… or how many times have you felt this way about another? “You never listen to me... You didn’t hear what I said!” Do you ever hear complaints like this from the people in your life? What are they really saying? Well, it’s not about hearing someone… it’s about getting the communication! Real listening is one of the greatest gifts that you can give-—to another and to yourself. So let’s take a look at what it’s like to listen effectively and get the communication. (Originally aired 03/19/08) View Video » If we allow ourselves to crawl under a rock, because we are avoiding an uncomfortable situation, what might we miss out on? If we soldier on with a chip on our shoulder or fear in our step, what do we lose? If we make others wrong consistently for how we feel, what relationships are we giving up on? The more time we spend “avoiding”, the more time we waste! So how do we avoid avoidance and take on life head on? It’s about clearing, communicating, and getting committed. (Originally aired 03/12/08)
Life has a way of throwing things at us… getting us right in the gut when we least expect it, and it all happens on top of the balls we are already juggling and very often even dropping! There is never a good time to deal with all of the things that come up in our lives. So how do you keep from becoming overwhelmed by your circumstances? How do you keep “it” all together, manage the changes in your life, and manage the demands that are placed upon you each and every day? This is called dealing with your circumstances! (Originally aired 03/05/08) Boldness isn’t about who is loud and who isn’t. Being bold is about standing up for what you believe in – whether it be a cause or even yourself! What do you choose when you are pushed? When you step out and visibly take a bold stand on any issue, there are going to be people who don’t agree. So why do it… why go out on a limb? TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE! (Originally aired 02/20/08) Goal setting and accomplishing those goals should and can be fun and made more meaningful when paired with the power of purpose. Most people, when first asked, describe their purpose in life rather casually as “to be a good father” or “to be a successful businesswoman.” While these are great things to "be", what about YOU and who you are committed to being not only for others, but also for yourself? (Originally aired 02/13/08) Have you ever looked at two different people… one who seems really happy and one who doesn’t? What do you think is the difference between them? How unstoppable could you become by giving up the belief that life is supposed to be hard, getting present to the positives of your life, communicating fully with those around you and learning to ask for help when you need it? Remember: You are the only person who has a say in how your life turns out… this includes how happy you are! (Originally aired 02/06/08)
...When the World is Pushing Back. Have you turned on the news lately? The economy, bad weather…Did you let the news get you down? As with everything in life, we have a choice. We can complain about life's circumstances and let them stop us or we can create a way around life's circumstances (or even through them), and choose to keep moving forward. Why not take on the world with the unstoppable attitude of “Watch out World, because here I come!”? (Originally aired 01/30/08) View Video »
Complacency plagues all of us at one time or another, but it doesn’t have to stop us. Instead of limping through each day, we can choose actions that restore our sharp edge, invigorate our spirit and lighten our step. Thinking won't do it... action will! This program looks at the causes and costs of becoming complacent, and offers tips to get yourself moving again. (Originally aired 01/23/08) View Video » Complacency plagues all of us at one time or another, but it doesn’t have to stop us. Instead of limping through each day, we can choose actions that restore our sharp edge, invigorate our spirit and lighten our step. Thinking won't do it... action will! This program looks at the causes and costs of becoming complacent, and offers tips to get yourself moving again. (Originally aired 01/16/08) View Video »
A continuation of last week's discussion. When it comes to commitment, it is easy to say, "I am going to do this." Or "Who I am committed to being is this...", but what actions do you follow those words with? (Originally aired 01/09/08) View Video »
When it comes to commitment, it is easy to say, "I am going to do this." Or "Who I am committed to being is this...", but what actions do you follow those words with? (Originally aired 01/02/08) View Video » |
Completion