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At
first, Sam was offended by this statement. People
are very protective of their attitudes; Sam’s
was miserable and he was recruiting. He
wasn’t open to change.
“But,
as I thought about it,” Sam says, “I realized he
was right. My attitude was off the charts and it was
defeating me. In order for my life to get better, I
needed to get better, and the starting point to
getting better was with my attitude.”
With
almost no money or dignity, Sam had little more to
lose. So he thought about where he was, and where he
wanted to be. He learned the value of being grateful
for the small things. He wanted his life to be
filled with meaning and purpose.
“Being
a janitor and working nights was tough. But it was
work and it helped,” said Sam. “I learned to
appreciate my job, but I also knew there was a
different calling in my heart. And you cannot
succeed where there is no passion or heart. What
happened next helped me to discover the gift in my
failure. There are hidden opportunities in our
adversities if we are open to embracing them.”
Sam
began to volunteer working with teens, and was asked
to teach Sunday school. He agreed only reluctantly,
because of his huge fear of public speaking. The
fear of speaking was so intense that he almost
canceled the first day he was to teach – three
times! He kept calling the church and hanging up on
the secretary.
It
was a rough start, but the message of encouragement
came through strongly. Soon, teens were asking Sam
to speak at their clubs and schools, and his calling
was revealed. About a year and half later, he was
speaking for the Billy Graham Evangelical
Association, and eventually to audiences as large as
75,000.
“And
to think I would have missed the opportunity had I
not been open to changing my attitude, acting on new
choices and believing I was born with purpose,”
said Sam. “And the truth to this story is, we all
are born with purpose. We all face adversities daily
that knock the kick out of us, but our attitude is
always a choice. And in my personal and professional
opinion, it the most important choice. You can’t
achieve true greatness with a mediocre attitude. You
can’t lead others with an average attitude. You
can’t have a successful relationship with a
defeatist attitude. You have to get this right, and
your perception will change, thereby affecting your
results and outcome.”
Adding
a chalk art presentation created a unique connection
to Sam’s audience. “The combination of music and
watching nothing become something before their eyes
is amazing,” states Sam. “To top it off, when I
do the lightshow, the picture comes to life.
It’s one of those things we don’t put in my
demos, but when you see it live – WOW!
You’d think the group was watching a forth of July
show!”
Around
the office, Sam often refers to his program as being
A.D.D. friendly. People want to be captivated,
challenged and inspired. He puts a lot of
effort into preparing for each speech he gives,
handwriting them before every talk. “It’s my way
of mentally preparing to give my all,” states Sam.
“I am well over 1,300 hand-written speeches – no
joke!”
Today,
Sam gives close to 100 speeches a year and loves it!
He has a passion and purpose to drive him. He
has authored 16 books, all of which have a strong
emphasis on attitude.
“To
be regarded as an Authority on Attitude
is a privilege because I see so much power in our
attitude,” states Sam. “If someone asks me to
describe what I do, I tell them that I work with
organizations that want to rekindle enthusiasm and
improve the quality of performance, and I do it by
creating an experience of inspiration through art,
humor and attitude! It’s a mouthful, but
it packs a lot of impact.”
“One
great aspect of my speaking career thus far is my
audiences know that I am not all show or high on
myself. I don’t claim to be a know it all,
but by the time the program is over, they recognize
that I am a credible expert on Attitude – as it
applies to life, business and relationships. The
experience I try to create is one of sincerity and
authenticity, and that’s important to me. I think
a huge plus is that my program is not boring. Ask
anyone! I say that confidently, because I am
A.D.D. and it’s hard for me to listen to a lot of
speakers. I have to have some sparkle behind the
information. So that’s what I try to create. I
keep everyone on the edge of their seats with humor,
art, stories and material that they can relate
to.”
Learn
more about Sam Glenn’s Programs, click here.
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