Gregory Q. Cheek's Blog, page 2

Power of Time, Regret, and Gratitude

A couple of weeks ago I was at Fort Stewart, Georgia when HURRICANE MATTHEW rolled through. As you might imagine, the weather was terrible, high winds, heavy rain and flooding but we certainly didn’t get the worst of it.

In our relative safety I took a few minutes to record this video, because it’s in events like these that jostle us from the monotony and routine of everyday life, and make us think about what’s really important, where we’re going, and how we use the time we have.

Really, this is a video about time. Tomorrow is no guarantee, so how are you using your time? What are you doing with the opportunities that have within your reach? If you’re not careful those missed opportunities, and wasted time can stack up into a big pile of regret, and there is nothing worse than regret.

I also talk about gratitude, which at the end of the day is appreciating how other people spend their time, and being thankful.

As you will see, it was raining quite hard and was very windy in the video, but life is full of storms. It’s how we weather those storm that defines us.

Cheers,

Greg

This video is dedicated to all service members past, present and in the future.

Ray Lewis video to the Stanford University basketball team can be found at:

https://youtu.be/07fhOVQ9wEA

 

The Power of Community College with Soccer Star Oumar Ballo

I’ve been championing community college for years. Not only did I attend community college myself, but I’ve been teaching at variety of community colleges for last 20 years. In that time I’ve had over 3,000 students, and let me tell you, they come from all walks off life.  With their grit and determination I’ve seen them go to be incredibly successful.

I’m so excited about community college that it will be the subject of my second book. As part of writing that book, I’ve been interviewing people with amazing and inspiring stories whose journeys took them through community college. It’s amazing work, and conversations I truly enjoy.

In this video I speak to professional soccer player Oumar Ballo. He’s a defender for the Swope Park Rangers in the United Soccer League and on his way to playing for the Sporting Kansas City team in the MLS (Major League Soccer).

Apart from being a community college alum, he’s an incredible young man who has gone through a lot to get to where he is today. After a hard day of training, we talk about enthusiasm, vision, optimism and action. Oumar was keen to point out that bringing positive energy everyday is one of his keys to success.

Check out the video below for more, and stay tuned for the next interview coming soon!

Cheers, 

Greg

 

The Power of Community College (my next book)

Last week I was at the CONCACAF Champions League game between Sporting Kansas City and Vancouver Whitecaps. Really beautiful stadium at Children’s Mercy Park, and I always love supporting my Kansas City teams.

Midway through the game there was a weather delay, and I had a few minutes to record this video (on Facebook live) and I talk about lots of exciting news and interviews I have coming up.

My next video is with Oumar Ballo, a defender for the Swope Park Rangers in the United Soccer League. We talk about lots of great things, and community college is of course one of them.

Check out the video below to see what’s coming!

Cheers, 

Greg

 

Shout Out in the NCO Journal

As many of you know, I started my days in the military many years ago as a humble Airman in the Air Force, and overtime, worked my way up to being (slightly-less) humble NCO (non-commissioned officer).

Now, many years later, I routinely speak at number of NCO Academies around the world, and am truly honored anytime I get to stand up in front of these young men and women.  They are doing amazing work and are at pivotal moments in their careers and lives. Being able to share some of my life-lessons with them is incredibly rewarding for me.

I can’t make it to every NCO Academy though, and certainly can’t talk with every NCO out there. Or so I thought.

This week the NCO Journal honored me by featuring my story on their homepage. This really means a lot to me, and I hope a few more NCOs out there can hear my message, no matter where they are in their careers. You can check it out here.

For those of you who are not familiar with it, the NCO Journal is the official magazine for non-commissioned officer professional development. It is published at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas, and I had to pleasure of working with Pablo Villa throughout the process of writing this story.

So I’m sending a special thanks to the NCO Journal and to all the NCOs and Petty Officers out there. Thank you for your service, you are the backbone of our military.

Keep charging and Auf Geht’s!

Cheers, 

Greg

 

Thank Yourself– Videos 1 & 2

For those of you who have been following me for a little while know that I’m all about giving thanks. I’ve written about it here on my blog before when I talked about writing thank you cards.  Incredible things happen when you say “thank you” to others and I’m living proof of that.

In these videos below, I wanted to talk about a different kind of thanks, and that’s the kind of “thank you” you give to yourself. It’s something we sometimes forget to do, but it’s no less important than thanking others. So check out the videos to hear about how some incredibly successful people do this.

As always, thanks for stopping by. If you’ve got a trick that helps you to thank yourself, I’d love it hear it! Share in the comments below.

If you haven’t gotten your courtesy look at my book Three Points of Contact, sign up to my mailing list on the top right of this page, and I’ll send you the link.

Contact me anytime at greg@gregcheekspeaks.com or on my contact page for a free 15-minute consultation.

Till next time,

Cheers,

~Greg

Live Stream this Friday, 20 May 2016!

I’m so honored to be the 2016 Commencement speaker at Barstow College this Friday, May 20th at 3:00 PM PST. If you are in the area, please let me know. The event will also be live on live stream here:https://www.youtube.com/c/barstowcommunitycollege/live

I’ve had the pleasure of teaching for Barstow College since 1997. I’ve been able to teach 2-3 classes every semester for BCC since 2004. I have over 2,700 students that have gone on to do amazing things around the world! I’ve had the pleasure of teaching at 7 different community colleges and also the Univ of Kansas, Univ of Nevada, Las Vegas, Univ of Maryland, Park College, and the Univ of Texas. Over 130 college courses taught while having the OPPORTUNITY ( I hate the word “work” in reference to a job) to serve in the military on active duty and as a DoD civilian and now run my speaking business. It all started with Barstow College and I love this college and the OPPORTUNITY it provides for everyone.

It’s a long way from not graduating high school in Northern California. I tell every audience, “Life is not a SPRINT, it’s a beautiful MARATHON” Have a GREAT Day and enjoy the ride with ENTHUSIASM and OPPORTUNITY!

Aug Geht’s,

~Greg

Introducing The 4th Point of Contact with MMA star Sascha Sharma

This is a new series that I’m working on called The 4th Point of Contact.

As most of you know, my recent book is called The Three Points of Contact  which refers to a three point stance, a position that give you maximum stability, balance and the ability to move in any direction. Imagine a football game, when a linebacker is ready to move the moment before the ball is snapped.

So what is The 4th Point of Contact? Well, imagine now that same linebacker the moment after he has sacked the quarterback. He’s got all four points on the ground, two hands and two knees.  The 4th point of contact means truly being in control and having the upper hand.

In this series I’ll be talking to professionals from all fields, people who have mastered their craft and are truly in control of what they do. These are people who have not only used the themes from my book but taken them to the next level.

I’m honored and humbled to have Sascha Sharma as my first professional athlete on this segment. He is an amazing young man who overcame Gullian-Barre Syndrome as a teen to become one of the fastest rising MMA stars in Europe and around the world. He’s a native of Stuttgart, Germany, my home for the last 4 years,  and was recently on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF 22).

Check out the video below, and be sure to tune in to Sasha’s next fight in St. Petersburg, Russia on April 9th. More info on that here.

Cheers,

~Greg

Notes:

In this segment of The 4th Point of Contact, Sascha and I discuss the following topics, many of them from my book, Three Point of Contact ~

Self-Talk: 2:20

Thanks/Karma: 3:40

Sascha shares story from his father: 4:40

Stillness: 5:40

Healthcare: 7:14

Guillain-Barre Syndrome: 8:40

Enthusiasm: 10:00

Enthusiasm Killers: 12:05

Sascha fighting at India MMA:

https://youtu.be/XHYtP-jAQJs

Army Magazine Book Review

Since getting out of the military, I’ve kept up with what’s going on with by reading Army Magazine, published every month by the  Association of the United States Army (AUSA).  You can imagine my excitement when they got in touch to do a review of my book, Three Points of Contact.

I’m happy to announce that the review will appear in the March 2016 edition of the magazine, which is already up on their website. Lt. Col. Chad Storlie, U.S. Army retired, wrote a fantastic review, and I encourage you to check it out!

Enjoy!

Cheers,

~Greg

Greg Cheek Speaks 005 ~ Kimchi, Nori and Drawing #002

People are always asking what I do to control my weight, my cholesterol, blood pressure, stress. Running is great, and fitness certainly helps but in this episode I share a little secret about the amazing foods that help me stay in great health.

I also announce the winner for my Give Away Day, as well as a few other people who have been going above and beyond in their sharing of my videos.

Enjoy!

Cheers,

~Greg

Notes:

Healthy eating with Kimchi and Nori. Also mentioned the victory by Amy Hastings(Cragg) at the 2016 US Marathoning Olympic Trials.

Recorded live in Stuttgart, Germany.

Drawing #002 and the winners are:

German Hearts from Fasching made of Gingerbread: Deena R.

Signed book and journal: Betty L and Susan S

Book referred:

Three Points of Contact

My favorite Kimchi Dish: Kimchi Fried Rice

https://youtu.be/Lf44Fk7H24s

kimbap: 김밥 (Korean Sushi – Amazing)

https://youtu.be/Y-Y9CXGRJPU

Seattle Korean Favorites

Asian Market and outside the gate of McChord AFB – Amazing and Diner in the back.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/asian-market…

Pal-Do Market

https://www.yelp.com/biz/pal-do-world…

https://www.yelp.com/biz/h-mart-lakew…

Upcoming:

– The Relentless Piggy Bank. A great way to add resilience and fun to dealing with a difficult person or situation. This activity can be found on page 19, chapter 1, Three Points of Contact.

2 Minutes with Greg ~ Subscribe for all Friday Give-Aways

Just a quick 2 minutes video in the Stuttgart Main Train Station (Haupt Bahnhof) to talk about the Greg Cheek Speaks website and my weekly Friday give aways. If you’re a subscriber on either my website or on Youtube then that makes you a team member, and edible to win.

Subscribe to both the e-mail list AND the YouTube channel and get TWO chances to win every Friday!

The winner for Friday, 5 FEB 2017 is Kyla B! Kyla is serving in Iraq and I will be sending her journal in the morning. Not sure what I’m talking about? You can watch the Journaling video here:https://youtu.be/m4Q0uhiJzUM

Next drawing is 12 FEB for the two German Herz in the video. Again, I’ll be picking a winner from my YouTube and e-mail subscribers, so sign up today.

 

Recorded in Stuttgart, Germany on 7 FEB 2016.