Message from Stanley Cup winner Ryan Walter

You and I need to know our STRENGTHS! Through difficult times (really, at all times) what should we be focused on doing more of? The latest research tells us what some people have known intuitively for years... Do what you love! Do what you’re good at! Do more of what is your strength! Marcus Buckingham of Gallup believes there are 4 simple ways to better understand our areas of strength. You will find them very similar to advice offered by other experts on this same topic. Buckingham's four clear questions to help you determine whether you are acting in your strengths are: 1- When you are doing “something,” do you feel very effective, and/or does time stand still for you? 2- How do you feel before you do it? Do you look forward to it? 3- While you are doing it, do you love it? 4- After you are finished, do you find yourself saying, “Oh I never want to do this again?” or, "That was cool… I feel energized - can’t wait until next time?" If, while you are doing “something,” your answers to the above questions are: “I am really looking forward to doing that!” “I really enjoy doing this - where did the time go?” “That was cool, can’t wait to do that again,” ...then there is a pretty good chance that the “something” you are doing is a “strength” for you. Buckingham suggests that strength is not so much a certain skill, rather, your strength-is-found-in-what-you-love-to-do. I believe this to be true. Four books that I have read recently on performance have all said that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become excellent at or an expert in something. How do you stay at something for 10,000 hours, if you don’t love what you are doing? William James said, “That which holds our attention, determines our action.” This week, monitor your energy through the filter of these 4 questions and send me your understanding of what you believe your areas of strength to be. For example, in response to the above 4 questions, I find that any time I am brainstorming a solution or thinking creatively, I seem to be in a place of strength. So, may I suggest that… One of my Strengths is creativity; when I am being creative, I am energized. Send me a list of yours! Thought to ponder: "Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are." --Malcolm Forbes Thanks, and have an amazing week! My passion is to help you play your very BEST GAME! (On and off the ice!) www.ryanwalter.com www.hungryfuellingyourbestgame.com Take the HUNGRY Test! In my newest book HUNGRY! Fuelling your BEST GAME, I show people how to get and stay HUNGRY. Why is this important? I firmly believe that your next season of success is directly connected to the health of your personal and cultural HUNGRY spirit!