WNBA FINALS NOT SO MUCH OF A 'SHOCK'

SPORTS HEADLINE-DETROIT AND SAN ANTONIO OPEN WNBA FINALS WEDNESDAY NIGHT
For the third straight season and fourth overall appearance, the Detroit Shock will represent the Eastern Conference in the WNBA Finals versus the San Antonio Silver Stars. This ties the record of the Houston Comets (1997-2000) for WNBA championship series appearances.

Winning is nothing unique to the Head Coach of the Shock, former Detroit Pistons "Bad Boy" Bill Laimbeer. He was the center and lead villain of the Detroit Pistons teams of the 1980's that made 3 NBA Finals appearances and won 2 NBA championships during that era.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT-
I recently had someone say to me, "you are an average of the people you associate with." I found that to be a fascinating statement once I really thought about it. If that is true, who do you want to associate with? Do you want to be around winners? Do you want to be around positive people who are doing the right things every day to improve themselves and the lives of those around them? It's always a great thing to step back and see those who you allow to consciously and unconsciously influence you and determine if they are indeed the positive force you need to help get you to the next level.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT-
Sports and business have so many parallels. In order to have success you need leadership, an solid plan and proper execution. In order to have sustained success you also have to have strong leadership, an excellent plan and near flawless execution. How do you find those strong leaders, those who can execute the plan and lead their troops to execute it to it's maximum potential? Is it always the case that the best players automatically become the best coaches? Not at all, so why would that ring true in business. There are endless stories of top producing sales people who flamed out or outright failed as managers. Take the time to examine the intangible someone brings to a position, look beyond the resume and achievements to determine who is going to be your best coach to lead your team to victory.

PERSONAL FINANCES-
There are very few strategies for sustained financial success. Why, you may ask? Well, because the ones that exist already work pretty well! Some of the most basic strategies, budgeting, saving, investing wisely, taking moderate but calculated risks, are strategies that will almost unfailingly keep you in the game, if not ahead of the game financially. When you either don't follow or try to reinvent these existing strategies you are playing in a game that's much tougher to win.

GAME PLAN-
A team that wins consistently over a period of time is called a dynasty. Dynasties are rare in today's sports world because of the impatient nature of society. It takes time to develop a solid team with the right mix of players, it's vital to have the right person leading the team and crafting the message, there is a certain level of 'buying into the system' that has to take place with every player to execute the strategy, however basic it might seem. Life is full of peaks and valleys but the hallmarks of sustained excellence rarely waver across different lines of life. Determine for yourself if you want to ride the roller coaster or if you'd rather sail the calmer seas of continued success.

A LEGENDARY PERFORMANCE BY A LEGEND

SPORTS HEADLINE-BRETT FAVRE SETS NEW PERSONAL BEST WITH 6 TD PASSES IN WIN
Future Hall of Fame QB Brett Favre of the New York Jets passed for a career high 6 touchdown passes in Sunday's 56-35 victory over the visiting Arizona Cardinals.

Favre, who retired from the Green Bay Packers in the spring but returned this summer with a trade to New York holds virtually every passing record in the NFL record book including career yards and touchdown passes, has led his new team to a 2-2 record through the first four games of the 2008 season.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT-
No matter what you have accomplished in life, there is always room for personal growth and achieving great things. There's a saying that says 'Greatness knows no bounds.' This means that whatever you can envision for yourself, and even things that you can't see in your own mind's eye, are attainable and achieveable to you. We are all capable of great things, find where your passions and talents lie and excel within those arenas.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT-
In whatever business you are in, there is always a superstar. It could be in sales, technology, travel, business, industry, really anything. What usually makes that person a star is their unfailing beleif in themselves and their ability to do what they do better than anyone else. I've learned over the years that the talent difference between great workers and good workers isn't that broad. What's usually different is their belief in what they are doing and them being put in the right positions or locations to succeed. Take a look at your organization and see if your stars are in the right places to maximize your game plan.

PERSONAL FINANCES-
Favre is known as a bit of a wild card. His charm is that he will do something completely unimaginable in order to try to make a play for his team to win. Guess what, that works for him! In your finances, there is room to take such chances, every once in a while. In order to attain greatness, you have to try to be great! You can't sit and play it safe all of the time. That will rarely put you in a position to lose, but it also limits your ceiling. Take smart, calculated risks-but risks nonetheless-in the pursiut of great financial success.

GAME PLAN-
In life, business and financially, there is always an achievement that's out there to accomplish. Life's scorecard is never filled up. As long as you believe there is another level for you to go to, another rung on the ladder to climb, keep presssing onward towards your goals. Some of the most satisfying acheivements in life are those that make you say, 'I didn't know I could do that!' Believe you can do anything and live all phases of life accordingly.

SPORTS HEADLINE-YANKEE STADIUM CLOSES ITS DOORS FOR THE FINAL TIME
One of the grandest stages in all of sports has held it's last performance. The home of the most storied franchise in all of sports history, the New York Yankees, Yankee Stadium, hosted it's final game Sunday afternoon in Manhattan. After 85 years of being home to some of the greatest names in baseball history from Ruth to Gehrig to Berra to Mantle to DiMaggio to Jackson to Jeter, the time had come to replace the old stadium with a brand new, state of the art facility being built in an adjacent parking lot.

Sunday evening represented a celebration of baseball history. A gala that brought together Yankees from throughout the years to reminice and celebrate championships and memories of the past while preparing to usher in the new stadium in 2009.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT-
We are all in such a rush these days to do everything in life faster, smarter, more efficiently that sometimes we lose sight of where we have been. It's very humbling and grounding to take some time every once and a while to reflect back on our own personal history to see where we've come from. In good times, reflect on the struggles you've had to overcome to get to where you are today. In bad times, look back at times of celebration for spiritual edification, but also look back upon when you've been able to emerge from struggle for inspiration. The old saying goes, those that choose not to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT-
One of the reasons that the Yankees have had such success over the decades is what they call the 'Yankee Way'. Now there is no written definition of the Yankee Way but it's a culture that is ingrained in the organization. There's a certain level of expectations, a certain level of professionalism, a certain standard of excellence that is just a given when wearing the pinstripes. In your business, what is your 'Way'? What are the core beliefs you seek in your business practices and employees? Establish your own winning culture and make that permeate all aspects of what you do and watch the results!

PERSONAL FINANCES-
If you follow baseball at all, you know the Yankees aren't afraid to spend money! They consistently have the highest payroll in baseball and for decades have the on field results to justify it. Sometimes in life you've got to spend money to make money. The wisest investments they've made have also been some of the safest. Traditionally, it's going to be more beneficial for you to invest your money in stable, long term vehicles (stocks, bonds, CDs) than the latest, greatest booming trend. Making decisions based on today's news means you've missed yesterday's boat. The big money is already been made in most cases before you get a chance to jump in. There's always merit in taking a smart risk with a small percentage of your portfolio, but avoid the danger of trying to hit a major league home run with a wiffle ball bat.

GAME PLAN-
Take some time today to reflect on days past. What's been good and what's been bad? There have been great people who have entered your 'stadium' throughout your life, celebrate them with a quick phone call or e-mail to let them know how much you appreciate and revere them. Establish your winning ways in life, in business and in your finances. Start your personal dynasty today!