On The Fly

In this 200th episode – Earl Nightingale . . . The audio segment you heard in the intro was the voice of Earl Nightingale. I've been thinking about this special 200th episode for a few months now, considering what would be fitting. So, I went back and listened to many of the early episodes of On the Fly. I asked myself these questions, Why a podcast? What did I want to share with others? And who unknowingly had the most significant influence on my life? Little did I realize it then, but in hindsight, one person's destiny and life’s work influenced my thinking for the better. Allow me to introduce you to that person and how he changed the lives of countless millions by serving others through the power of the spoken word. His name is Earl Nightingale. He was born on March 12, 1921 – March 25, 1989. Earl was an American radio broadcaster, author, philosopher, and entrepreneur fascinated with human character development, motivation, and meaningful existence. A Marine who served du...

In this episode, Our First Podcast Anniversary . Wow! It's hard to believe the first episode of On the Fly went live one year ago yesterday! In my subconscious, the seed for this project was planted many years ago, listening to the radio program Our Changing World by Earl Nightingale. When challenged with the question, "What would you do if you knew you could not fail?" Without hesitation, Host a radio show . Then we discovered podcasts. An On-demand radio program. How cool. Was it easy? No. It took many years to refine my writing skills, purchase the right equipment for a working studio, find the right music, learn to record and edit my program. And - find a way to deliver it. I'm proud to say; this podcast became the medium to express my voice. The absolute joy of discovering what motivated me. An exciting, rewarding, life-changing experience. Was it fun? Absolutely! Preparing a weekly production kept me learning, growing, and encouraging myself to explore just ...

In this episode - The $25,000 Idea . . . Have you ever heard about the single idea for which a man was paid $25,000? I’ve been scouring my audio library for thoughts we could share. And was reminded of the simplicity and power of this story that Earl Nightingale shared in his seminal work Lead the Field; here  it is; The president of a big steel company had granted an interview to an efficiency expert named Ivy Lee. Lee told his prospective client how he could help him better manage the company. The president broke in to say something to the effect that he wasn’t managing as well as he knew how.  He went on to tell Ivy Lee that what was needed wasn’t more knowing - but more doing. “We know what we should be doing. If you can show us a better way of getting it done, I’ll listen to you – and pay you anything within reason you ask.” Lee then said he could give him something in 20 minutes to increase his efficiency by at least 50 percent.  He then handed the executive a blan...

In this episode - Possibility Thinking . . . Dateline - November 22, 1987. “Doctor Schuller, Lori, and I have decided to marry and I’m wondering what’s the “Possibility” of you performing our ceremony?” With a broad smile, Dr. Robert H. Schuller winked at me and said, “It’s a very good possibility. However, my schedule is rather busy, so  you will need to contact my secretary to make the arrangements.” So, the next day, Lori called. “What date are you considering?” She asked. “October 22nd, next year, possibly a morning ceremony.” “I’m afraid he’s out of town that day. The earliest he is available is 6:00 pm.” “That’s fine, we can work with that.” After confirmation with Dr. Schuller’s secretary, Lori called the events manager for weddings the following day. “Who is your Pastor?” “Doctor Schuller.” With a professional demeanor, but apparent disbelief in her voice, “You do know Dr. Schuller does not perform wedding ceremonies anymore? Also, our time slots for weddings and recep...

In the episode, The Idea of Service . . . “All of our income, tangible and psychic, of any kind, comes to us from making the best use of What We Are - as learning, growing, thinking, imagining, productive creatures in the service of others.” Have you ever considered how the fate of one person has influenced your life for the better? Allow me to introduce you to that person and how, through serving others, he changed the lives of countless millions. Recently, as a volunteer for the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, we launched an educational initiative on YouTube  titled  "The Inside Loop ."  Using the computer interface, Zoom, we can conduct interviews with retired U.S. Marines (in their homes) from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. This got me thinking about a former Marine who served during WWII on the USS Arizona, which was attacked on December 7, 1941, in Pearl Harbor.  Killed were 1,177 of the 1,512 crewmen on board at the time; he was one ...

In this episode - Open the Box. . . When you receive a gift that’s beautifully boxed, what’s your first impulse?  My guess is you would enthusiastically open the box. Let me ask you this, what if, in a flash of insight, you realized that you’ve had in your possession the most precious gift on earth yet you’ve never taken the time to open the box? I’m referring to the power of your creative imagination. Earl Nightingale summarized it best, “We become what we think about, but the thinking is up to us.” Let’s examine our daily thoughts, what do you think about? Are your thoughts dependent on your reaction to situations and others? If so that special gift we’re talking about is not being used at all. And if we’re not careful our imagination can lead us into confusing complications. So let’s strive for simplicity.   It's been said the brain has four powers, think of them as switches you can turn on and off.   Switch number: The power to absorb informatio...

Podcast - Change in Behavior . . . Hard to believe it ’ s been over nine months already, my work at Cenergy Power has energized me now more than ever.  To paraphrase Earl Nightingale, when you engage your mind with work you enjoy, in the service of others, you will thrive. In January 2019 I recognized that it was time, once again, to continue the lifelong journey of self-evaluation and personal expression. Like many, I needed a change in behavior. But what to do about it?  Then it hit me, stretch yourself. “ Re-Fire! ” Don’t retire. And what better way to do that than go back and revisit old friends. Books . . . Books that made a powerful impact on my thinking and my professional behavior.  “ Of course, the parables co-authored by Ken Blanchard.” But this time, re-read those books with the intention of put ting the learning into action. In the book,  Know Can Do! “ Learning is a journey from knowing too doing.” Learning involves a change in behavior in order to be v...

In this episode - Acres of Diamonds . . .   "Each of us is, at this moment, standing in the middle of his or her Acres of Diamonds."  Just this week (February 17, 2022), I've rediscovered this powerful message once again. This got me thinking. Are you struggling with success? I challenge you to listen to this Podcast every morning for one month and practice positive principles. It was over 60 years ago  that Earl Nightingale wrote and produced what has become known as  "The Strangest Secret ."  An LP record sold over a million copies, making it the first spoken-word recording to achieve Gold Record status.  The promise of his message was this: "We become what we think about." I must have been about nine when that quote first entered my mind. Our family's morning breakfast routine was to listen to  "Our Changing World,"  Earl Nightingale's daily five-minute radio program. It was syndicated on our local radio station: "WBYS - ...

Attendance problems, constant complaining, and derogatory comments about fellow co-workers, “You can’t imagine how miserable it is working with these morons.” Did you know the mostly deadly disease on Earth is Hardening of the Attitudes . Admit it, you’ve ca ught yourself sharing the misery of your “difficult co-workers” with other staff members on break, at lunch, before or after work? Zig Ziglar called it stinkin’ thinkin’ - boy was he right on. Thankfully there is a way to change this destructive self-talk. It’s a simple daily process. “Catch someone doing something right.” Yes, you heard me correctly, a simple process, however, let me warn you it’s not easy. This takes a concerted effort on your part to   change your attitude. According to Earl Nightingale; “Our environment, the world in which we live and work, is a mirror of our attitudes and expectations.” What a profound statement. This says to me that the attitude and expectations of my family, friends, an...

"Every day, we put in place plans and ideas that will determine the shape and substance of our tomorrows." Consider for a moment the power of that simple statement. It was 60 years ago when Earl Nightingale wrote and produced what has become known as The Strangest Secret.  An audio recording that sold over a million copies, making it the first spoken-word recording to achieve Gold Record status. The premise of that powerful message was simply this, “We become what we think about.” A truth that had been handed down through generations crafted in many different languages. The bible states it this way, “As you sow, so also shall you reap.” Or this one, “Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” - Robert Louis Stevenson Face the facts; we all want excellent results from life, in our home, our work, and in all our interactions with other people. Be it financial, intangible, or both. Earl said it best, “The most important single...