I remember as a kid, hearing my Dad talk about how fast time flies; I just know that if I blink I’m going to miss something.  (Like keeping up on my blog)

I’ve had a great summer so far enjoying this beautiful world that we live in.   I’ve traveled from Banff, Canada to New Orleans, Louisiana and from San Francisco, California to Providence, Rhode Island (and a lot of places in between).  The thing I find so interesting is that no matter where I go, the world is a beautiful place and full of amazing people.    I must admit I agree with J.D. Sallinger when he said “I am a kind of paranoiac in reverse. I suspect people of plotting to make me happy.” 

I want to share one of my favorite quotes.  It was written by Charles Swindoll and has meant a lot to me over the years:

 Attitude is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what people do or say. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.

The remarkable thing is, we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.

We cannot change our past. We can not change the fact that people act in a certain way. We can not change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.

All the best,

Happy Schlappi

Bring on winter – I’m ready to “fall” apart! Just a little seasonal humor to start off this week’s blog!  The pace hasn’t slowed much from September. I was reunited with a good friend of mine, Jeff Curtiss, who brought me to speak for his company Helius. The setting for this speech was beautiful Park City, Utah. My wife, Tami, accompanied me on this speech, which just added to the natural beauty of the mountains. Then I was called upon to present to the good people of Coca-Cola in Atlanta Georgia. Due to my rigorous September schedule, I was struggling to keep my voice. I told them I made the mistake of drinking a Pepsi on my way to Atlanta. That brought a good chuckle.

From Atlanta, I flew to Beaumont, Texas. There I was greeted by a long time associate and friend, Richard Gagne. I spoke to Richard’s associates and then went to the prison the next day. I wound up the month with four speeches in a row – Skamania and Tacoma Washington, La Cross Wisconsin and Phoenix Arizona.

Everywhere I go the people of this great country greet me with warm smiles, sharing little bits and pieces of themselves and their lives. We cry, we share quiet moments and best of all… we laugh. As I travel great distances each month, I have found the shortest distance between two people is laughter. Laughter is an instant vacation, and who of us couldn’t use a vacation! It’s a blessing to do what I do.

Until next time, I remain,

Happy Schlappi

September was insane! I think I logged more sky miles than most pilots! I started in sunny Orlando and spoke for Robert Cairns and Allstate. I was truly in good hands with the good hands people! From Orlando, I flew back to my home state, and spoke in Price, Utah, for the Division of Child Family Services. What a bunch of caring and hardworking people! From Price, I jumped back on an airplane and flew to Branson, Missouri. I spoke at the College of the Ozarks or “Hard Work U.” The students at this liberal arts college impressed me with their spirituality and patriotism. From Branson, I came west, a little closer to home, to Colorado Springs. I was the guest of Colorado’s finest - the Colorado State Patrol. Many thanks to Chief Trostel and Marc Morelli for taking such fine care of me. I promise to never speed under their watch! Then from the mountains to the beach - back to Florida. This time I was in the panhandle, in a little resort called Destin. I was the guest of Mr Pug Scoville and the finest bunch of realtors from Tennessee! We had a wonderful time together. I’d like to take a moment and give a shout out to my new buddy Trasbin Stoner. Hey buddy!! Thanks for everthing! From Destin, I traveled to my second home, Des Moines, Iowa, where I spoke for the lovely Jenni Gardner and Principal Financial Group. The good people at PFG are like my second family, I spend so much time with them. I also have two brothers who work for Principal and had the pleasure of staying in a hotel with one of them during my short stay there. Next up - from the plains of Iowa, to Reno Nevada with the Nevada Chapter of Associated General Contractors. Melinda Elizondo put on a really superb meeting at the Atlantis. She and John Madole were excellent hosts and I thank them for their efforts. Back on the plane again, heading to Wisconsin this time, where I got to play 007 - that’s Schlappi…Mike Schlappi - for the Wisconsin Realtors Association. I don’t think I made a very good  James Bond though as he is usually the one doing the shooting and not getting shot at! Regardless, we had fun and it was a great meeting. Then I left Wisconsin Dells and headed back east to Rye Brook, New York and Bob Summa and the gang at Independent Financial Group. After the presentation, I went golfing with my good friend Steve Becker and others. How do I golf you may wonder? I drive the cart and use a club to push the gas and brake. I managed to stay out of the sand traps, which is more than I can say for my golfing buddies!

So, what did I learn in all my travels this past month? Very simply this - there are good people all over this wonderful nation of ours; and everyone is doing the very best they can with what they have. Who could want more.

Many thanks to my Marketing Director extraordinaire, Marcie, for keeping me organized; and as always, my love and appreciation to my beautiful wife Tami, for all her love and support, for which nothing would be worth it without her.

Ciao!

Happy Schlappi

Hello my friends,

Summer is waning, kids are in school, and cooler temperatures are ushering in what looks to be a wonderful fall season!

In August, I had the privilege of speaking at the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, New Mexico. No, I didn’t see any UFO’s, but a few people commented the lights on my wheelchair made me look like a flying saucer. I had a wonderful visit with Dr Sonia Cowen and the impressive cadets of NMMI. The future of our military is in good hands with these capable young people.

I spent a day in southern Utah at Enterprise High School, participating in the opening festivities of the new school year. One the way home I spent a good deal of time at milemarker 233- stuck in a traffic jam. I had been traveling all month, was in a hurry to be home and was looking forward to a nice break from work, and spending some quality time with Tami and the kids. As I sat in my car, waiting…waiting…waiting…I could feel myself starting to get annoyed, resentful, and frustrated with my current circumstances. And I started to whine! You know how we do when someone else’s misfortune blocks OUR lane of traffic! “Why me, why now, this is now what I need,” blah blah blah. Then, just as I was starting to serve up some cheese with my whine, a thought occurred to me. Hmmmm. Who would I rather be - the man lying on the stretcher in the middle of the road in 110 degree heat watching his entire year’s work go up in flames? Or me - the guy sitting in an air conditioned car, munching on a granola bar and listening to talk radio? I knew then it was time for a heavy dose of attitude therapy. I started thinking of someone other than myself. I started looking around at all the dozens of cars that were in the same situation I was in. The man in the white shirt and tie with his bluetooth, briefcase and blackberry (don’t wanna be him). The young mother with three car seats, five children, a crying baby and flying froot loops (definitely don’t wanna be her!). This is a really good tool to use for attitude adjustments - think of someone else rather yourself! Try it - you may be surprised at the outcome. However, I must warn you. This will make you a less selfish, more caring individual, and your life will be much happier. So, if this isn’t what you want, then don’t try it! Anyway, as I started to think of all the other people that were involved in this little drama, my attitude started shifting. I decided it wasn’t that bad being me and being stuck at milemarker 233. The seats in my van were comfortble, the granola bar was tasty, the conversation on the radio was entertaining, the scenery was nice and I had nothing else to do but sit back, relax and take it all in. Life is good, I decided. And why was life good? Because I chose to make it that way.

Until later,

Happy Schlappi

There is nothing like speaking to a bunch of athletic directors. Their energy is contagious and you can tell they really love what they do…and so do I. I was in the beautiful northwest last week, speaking for the Washington Athletic Directors and my good buddy Jim Meyerhoff. I flew into Seattle and drove to Yakima. The trees are so green and full of leaves. I was thinking what if I was here just a few months later, and someone was to ask me to describe the trees. I would tell them the leaves were scarlet and golden, and the ground beneath the trees was like a carpet of fallen leaves. What if I was traveling down this same road in the dead of winter and someone asked me what the scenery was like then. I would reply the trees were bare, looking like dead wood, void of life. So which one of these is an accurate description of the trees on the road to Yakima? They all are. It depends on the season you are in. Isn’t that like life. How you look at life depends on the season you are in. Susan Bissionette wrote “An optimist is the human personification of spring.” As summer winds down and we move into the changing colors of fall, then in to the cold, harsh winter, may we all take the time to find spring!

Later, Happy Schlappi