Ryan Avery, Author at Ryan Avery

May 15

How to stop talking and start communicating!

By Ryan Avery Uncategorized No Comments

I had the opportunity to have lunch with one of my new favorite authors, Geoffrey Tumlin, while I was speaking in Austin recently. He has a book out called “Stop Speaking, Start Communicating” and I highly recommend you pick it up if you are interested in being more successful in all areas of your life.

He is a military man with a good heart and has dedicated his life to study the art of communication. His new book gives, “…counterintuitive strategies for learning how to interact productively and meaningfully in today’s digital world.” Something we all can improve on!

His book is filled with dozens of tips and insightful strategies and here are three ways you should stop talking and start communicating.

Lose your friends!
Tumlin explains that, “Important relationship are being trumped by people you barely know!” Just because you hit the “like” button does not mean you are connecting. Humans are social animals. We need to feel connected. Tumlin writes, “Today it is possible to accumulate scores of friends and still feel lonely, be connected to hundreds of people and feel like no one is listening and spend hours at work, sending and responding to countless messages, but still feeling unproductive.” It is because we are focused on technology and not people. “The problem with a more tech-centered view of communication is that it encourages us to expect too much from our device and too little from each other.” You should start communicating more on a human bases so you can build real relationships, feel connected to others and feel like your voice is actually being heard! If you are feeling disconnected from others, lose your “friends” online who don’t add meaning or value to your life and focus on those around you. Tumlin says, “The main reason to prioritize isn’t to squeeze people out of your life; it’s to make sure that the most important people stay in it.”

Stop talking

In my opinion, communication is the foundation to all of your success. To many people are talking rather than effectively communicating! Talking is you getting your voice heard. Communicating is having all parties who are part of the conversation understand what it is you are saying! The better you are at being able to effectively communicate what it is you want, the quicker you will be at receiving and reaching the goals you have for yourself, your company and your family. Think about a relationship you have built over time, that you lost one time due to one or two sentences? If you stop talking and start planning on ways to react to certain situations, you might be able to build better relationships and create lasting ones. Stop talking and don’t focus on what you want to say, focus on what you want to accomplish. The better communicator you are the better relationship you build and the better life you have.

Ignore your (telltale) heart
When communication problems arise, many of us just want to start talking instead of preparing what we want to say. According to ProFound, last year, productivity losses resulting from miscommunication costs companies $37 billion, or about $26,000 per employee per year, in the US and UK alone. We need to learn strategies and techniques that can help us improve our listening skills, ask the right questions to produce the right answers and minimize miscommunication across multiple communication channels like email, texting, face-to-face and social media. When we are able to effectively communicate to others, we improve productivity, we create clarity and we save money. All strategic communications (including the unexpected ones) benefit from preparation. Take time to think about what you want to say and how you want to say it to minimize conflict, confusion and miscommunication between those you are speaking to.

If you are looking or a book to read, pick up a copy of Stop Talking, Start Communicating and learn how to improve all areas of your life. Connect with Geoffrey and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

May 15

Love0

How to stop talking and start communicating!

By Ryan Avery Uncategorized No Comments

His book is filled with dozens of tips and insightful strategies and here are three ways you should stop talking and start communicating.

Stop talking
In my opinion, communication is the foundation to all of your success. To many people are talking rather than effectively communicating! Talking is you getting your voice heard. Communicating is having all parties who are part of the conversation understand what it is you are saying! The better you are at being able to effectively communicate what it is you want, the quicker you will be at receiving and reaching the goals you have for yourself, your company and your family. Think about a relationship you have built over time, that you lost one time due to one or two sentences? If you stop talking and start planning on ways to react to certain situations, you might be able to build better relationships and create lasting ones. Stop talking and don’t focus on what you want to say, focus on what you want to accomplish. The better communicator you are the better relationship you build and the better life you have.

If you are looking or a book to read, pick up a copy of Stop Talking, Start Communicating and learn how to improve all areas of your life. Connect with Geoffrey and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

May 15

Love0

How to stop talking and start communicating!

By Ryan Avery Motivation No Comments

I had the opportunity to have lunch with one of my new favorite authors,

His book is filled with dozens of tips and insightful strategies and here are three ways you should stop talking and start communicating.

If you are looking or a book to read, pick up a copy of Stop Talking, Start Communicating and learn how to improve all areas of your life. Connect with Geoffrey and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

May 05

Love0

The Absolute 5 Worst Types of People to Sit Next to on a Plane

By Ryan Avery Adventure 10 Comments

This week I have been on ten planes. I like to travel and every time we take off, I still enjoy the thrill of flying and being 30,000+ feet in the air!

However, whether you travel a little or a lot or whether you like planes or not, there are certain people that are horrible to sit next to.

These are the five worst types of people to sit next to on a plane and how to deal with them (yes, I have experienced them all):

The Bloody Nose
I am ready for my three-hour flight to the East Coast and as the first wheel leaves the ground, the guy’s nose next to me turns on like a bloody faucet. His blood starts splashing all over his shirt, legs and no one has a napkin! I am freaking out because I can’t stand blood but also trying not to make this guy feel embarrassed. This is the worst of them all for me!

How to deal with it: ALWAYS carry a napkin with you. Now in my computer bag, I have several napkins just in case this ever happens again I can assist the person sitting next to me and avoid any blood splatter on my pants!

The Electric Shaver
As I close my eyes to try to get some sleep during my red-eye flight, I hear that familiar “buzzzzzz” go right next to me and see my good ol’ seatmate is shaving his scruff on the plane! Are you serious? I kept finding little black hairs on my pants the entire trip! Not cool man, not cool.

How to deal with it: I wish I could tell you I said something, but truthfully I was so shocked and was processing what this guy was thinking that I couldn’t say anything. I literally was speechless. Next time this happens however, I will be ready to politely ask the man (or hairy lady) to wait to do that in the bathroom because I don’t wont their little hairs all over my bag and pants!

The Horrible Breath
I can take bad breath sometimes but not the constant flow of it in my face from the energetic person who wants to tell you their entire life story in two-hours. When you are sitting on a plane, you are pretty close to each other. Make sure you check your breath every now and again!

How to deal with it: Have a variety of mints and gum with you to offer them. Make it look like you want a piece first. I pop one into my mouth and then ask “would you like some gum or a mint?” this has worked 90% of the time because most people don’t like to say no and they enjoy the satisfaction of scoring a free piece of candy!

The One With BO
Oh you know what I am talking about. The one who you can smell two seats up and the one who smells like they shower using man sweat, sock juice and small bits of sewer water! The one who you try to avoid at all cost because you don’t want to get a headache from their bad odor body fumes!

How to deal with it: If it is a long flight and there are open seats, I asked to be moved. This might sound rude or mean, but this one I don’t deal with. I didn’t spend hundreds of dollars to sit next to someone who smells like they just worked out and rolled around in dirty laundry. Make sure to do it politely and go back to tell the flight attendant what is going on.

The Sick One
Whether they are throwing up their stomach or have a contagious cold, sick people should not be allowed on the plane. I am serious. You are risking infecting everyone else! If you know you are sick AND contagious, please don’t fly!

How to deal with it: Repeat the “How to” step under “The One with BO” plus make sure to carry a packet of E-mergency, travel sized Purell and wash your hands immediately when you step off the plane.

These are the five worst people that I have sat next to on the plane. What is your least favorite and are there other types of people I am forgetting? Let me know down in the comments below.

Enjoy your next flight and may you sit next to someone who does not have a bloody nose, already shaved before they got on the plane, who has minty fresh breath, smells well and is healthier than Popeye! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Apr 24

Love0

Advice from Public Speaking’s Most Prolific Author

By Ryan Avery Motivation, Uncategorized 4 Comments

Holding each other’s books!

Have you ever met one of your heroes in person? Had the chance to sit down and talk with them for an afternoon? I am happy to say I got that chance recently when I met Mr. James C. Humes, one of the world’s greatest orators and authors.

His books inspire, his life-story motivates and his ability amazes me. In fact, his books are the major reason why I fell in love with the art of communication and wanted to dedicated my life to helping people improve their communication skills. Reading his books gave me the motivation in a major way to write Speaker, Leader, Champion with Jeremey Donovan.

His firm handshake, pink and blue bow tie and lion-gaze eye contact intimidated me at first. He lived up to the person I had envisioned in my mind. Randy Harvey introduced me to Mr. Humes’ books when I was training for the World Championship. Randy gave me a copy of one of Humes’ books “

Here are the framed front covers for most of the books Mr. Humes has written!

Mr. Humes has spoken in all 50 states, more countries that I could keep count and he was a speech writer for Nixon, Ford, Regan and Bush Senior. He wrote the words on the plaque that Neil Armstrong placed on the moon during the first landing! He has written more than 40 books and learned from Winston Churchill! He told me, “Meeting Churchill was like meeting Caesar or Napoleon, it was like shaking hands with history. Best advice Churchill gave me was to study history because in history lies the secrets to statecraft (government)!”

He’s the real deal and as professional speakers, he is one many of us look up to.

His home is like an American Museum with oil paintings hanging on the walls, vintage books that line the floor and his entry way table is a chest from Christopher Columbus dating back to 1501. It was an honor to meet Mr. Humes and during our time together I was able to get to know him and his lovely wife.

I asked why he has dedicated decades of his life to the art of communication. He paused, looked at me and said “Speech is power…” and proceeded to tell me about how Winston Churchill used his words to inspire a nation and as he spoke, reminiscing on the words of Churchill, he ended by saying “… words are the difference between defeat and survival.”

He is right! There is nothing more powerful than speech! Why wouldn’t you want to master the art of speaking?

I am thankful I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Humes as he is someone I very much look up to. Just listening to his stories, being allowed in his home and learning from him was a top ten moment for me. He offered me advice for the next time I talk on stage and shared the three elements of what it takes to make a great speech:

You Need A Great Man (or Woman)
Someone willing to step up when times are tough. Someone who is willing to speak out on issues they believe in. Someone who is willing to use their voice to make a difference. The world is full of great men and woman we just need more of them to use their voice to help our world! A great man or woman will not be made overnight. You need trials and tribulations, you need failures and a sprinkle of success stories- you need to experience life. All of the things that have happened and are happening in your life, prepare you to be a better person, to be a stronger man and a capable leader.

You Need A Great Occasion
There are only a few opportunities in life for a great man or woman to deliver a great speech because there are few great occasions. But look for them. Reach out and ask to be the speaker. Reach out and see what you can do to get yourself on stage, in front of that microphone and during the next great occasion. Think of how you can be remembered for the words you say.

You Need Great Eloquence
You can borrow the eloquence from someone by sharing their story and how they handled the situation. Think of great leaders of our time and how they were able to handle the situations given to them. Remember to share stories that make a point, pause to let the audience soak in what you are saying and end with what Humes likes to say a “Soul Shaker!” (inspirational story).

It took time, digging and a lot of research to be able to get in touch with Mr. Humes but it was worth every minute! Take the time this week to look over who inspires you, who motivates you and who you look up to. Reach out to them and come up with a list of questions to ask when you two meet. Your heroes are out there and they are willing to meet with you if you only ask! Remember to use your voice to make a difference and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

P.S. If you could interview one person this week, who would it be?

Apr 18

Love0

6 Reminders Why You Should Take a Risk

By Ryan Avery World Records 9 Comments

This week more than one thousand people came together to do something BIG! Many people planned for months, spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours to plan for an event where we didn’t reach our target goal. Was it worth it? Absolutely!

Whenever you have the word “world” in front of what you are trying to accomplish like “world record” or “world’s largest” or even “world’s best” those goals don’t come easy.

We promoted Toastmasters around the world, raised money for a good cause and helped hundreds of people become stronger speakers! We worked hard, we held ourselves to the highest standard and I am proud to say we took advantage of wanting to create history! Going for the world record reminded me why you should take that risk:

“Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.” – Thomas Jefferson

So many people wait. They think and think and think and never act. This week we acted. The world belongs to dreamers who take action. We are defined by what we act on, not the ideas in our head. Go out there and find out who you really are by taking a risk and going for those big goals of yours!

“To be wholly devoted to some intellectual exercise is to have succeeded in life.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

Devote yourself to one thing and you will accomplish so much more. We planned, acted, worked, trained and collaborated on one idea of breaking this world record and that is a success in my book. Devote yourself to a bigger goal or mission in life and change the course of history!

“You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.” – Henry Ford

No one cares what you are going to do, they want to see you going for it! They want to see you accomplish your dreams! Don’t talk about what you will do, talk about what you are doing to make your goals happen. What actions are you taking to build your reputation so you can inspire more people and accomplish more things?

“The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself.” – Mark Caine

There are enough average people in the world. There is plenty of room for you to be great if you decied to step out of the environment you are in, hold yourself to the highest standard and take that risk. Don’t be average, don’t be good, shoot don’t event be great, be the best at what you do and help change this world!

“Do something wonderful, people may imitate it.” – Albert Schweitzer

I want to thank everyone who wrote me, messaged me and called me saying how they feel inspired to go for their goals after they saw what happened with the world record. At first I was disappointed with not reaching our goal and truthfully felt embarrassed for a minute but when each of you reached out to me and encouraged us to keep going, it meant more than you know! You might not reach your goal when you go for the BIG ones at first, but you inspire people along the way. Is that worth it? Absolutely!

“Dust yourself off and try again.” – Aaliyah

As my wife likes to remind me, “What is the worst that can happen?” I am already thinking of where we can try this World Record again. I am going to reach out to a few contacts to see how we can pull this off because you have to keep going for what you believe in. You have to keep making things happen. You have to because the world deserves your energy, your passion and guts!

Thank you to everyone who supported this 1st attempt at breaking the World Record for the largest book signing in history. Together we made this event happen. This title is ours and together we will make it happen in the near future. Let me know if you have an idea for where we should try it next or how we can improve the event. Should you take a risk today, this week and this year? Absolutely! The world belongs to dreamers who take action! As always….

Dream BIG,

Ryan

Apr 11

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7 Things You Need To Break The World Record for The Largest Book Signing In History

By Ryan Avery Motivation, World Records No Comments

We are working to get ready for the World Record on April 16th. Want to know what it takes to break the World Record for the Largest Book Signing in History? Here you go:

1) 100 Sharpies
Thanks to my uncle and his connection with Sharpie, they have supported this event and provided us with 100 red (branding matters) sharpies to sign more than 5,000 books in 11 hours.

2) 5,000 copies of your book on hand waiting to be sold and signed
Thanks to the CSU bookstore and McGraw-Hill Publishing, we have 5,000 books on hand waiting to be signed. I don’t think I have ever seen 5,000 of the same book before, it is a total of three pallets and more boxes than I can count!

3) Close to 100 volunteers
From Toastmasters International, Alpha Kappa Psi, NRHH and CSU support all the way from friends and family, several CSU clubs and the Fort Collins Lions Club, this event takes almost 100 volunteers to put together! Not to mention all the teams, departments and organizations who are helping spread the event through their channels!

4) A social media team
I call them “Team 34” because it sounds amazing and well… there are 34 of them. They have come together to help spread the message across social media, to their fans and following and have posted during the pre-event, have posts ready for the day of the event and will shout out once it is over! They are amazing and give legs to the social aspect of this World Record!

5) Marathon energy
It will take more than 10 hours to sign continuously to break the record and create history with you. I will be smiling, standing, eating very little, talking, taking only 20 minutes worth of breaks and doing exercises so I don’t break my wrist! It will be a lot of energy, but worth it when we create history together!

6) Training schedule
I have been practicing like I would for a marathon. I have been practicing smiling for hours at a time (even when I do my ab routine. Try smiling the entire time you do P90X abs!), signing my name thousands of times a day, standing for long periods of time and I even taught myself how to sign with my left hand. There is a major training schedule involved with this record because to get to 5,000 signatures without permanent damage, you need to be smart about it!

7) Most importantly…. 5,000 people!
We can’t do this record without you! If you have ever wanted to be part of history, we need 5,000 people to show up onsite or online on April 16th and be part of history! You can pre-register now and we will send you an email with the order link to purchase your book on that day! Help us create history and get your names in the record books! If you need three reasons why you should join us, click here! Or, if you are ready to be part of history, Register below:

Sell Tickets Online through Eventbrite

This is what you need to break the World Record for the Largest Book Signing in History! Join us on Wednesday April 16th and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

P.S. Please share this article on your social media accounts or via email with your friends and family. Together we can do this!

Apr 05

Love0

When is the right time to leave a company to start your own?

By Ryan Avery Leadership, Motivation No Comments

One year ago today, I stopped working for an organization that inspired me. Everyday I went to work, I was excited by the mission, the people I worked with and my roles and responsibilities to help improve the lives of those we served. I had potential in the organization and the proposition of leaving to start working for myself was a difficult one to make.

I decided to leave my job at Special Olympics Oregon to become a full time speaker for three reasons:

1) I asked myself, “One day, when my kids ask me if I went for my dreams, I want to make sure I can tell them ‘yes’ with all honesty.”

2) Worst case scenario, I can always get a job again

3) As long as Chelsea was on board, I would be all in!

The decision was rational, frightening and exciting all balled into one. I felt like a peppy puppy having to choose between a run on the beach or a playdate in the park! How do you leave a job you love to create a company you know nothing about?

Here are six questions to consider if you are looking to start your own company:

This was AveryToday, Inc. “Headquarters” when we started last year. Dream BIG right?

Are you ok with taking a step backwards financially?

We planned for me leaving but we had to save more, spend less on things that are considered “fun” and use our finances to start a business. We even moved from Oregon to Texas to move in with my parents to save money on rent, you get better tax benefits when you own a Texas corporation and my mom and dad were willing to help support us emotionally throughout our transition.

I am not saying you will go backwards when you start your own company, but are you willing to if needed and invest your money into growing you company rather than living the lifestyle you already have? Are you willing to go three steps back to go five steps forward in the future?

Are you ok with working harder than you ever have?

When you start a company, there is a lot to learn. At the beginning stages of our company there were no weekends. We woke up early, went to bed late and replayed that schedule over and over again until I lost what day of the week it was.

Today, is a little different. I have a schedule, I take personal time and I still work harder than ever but those beginning months can be brutal if you are not prepared for your business to survive. It takes every ounce of energy you have.

Are you ok with things rapidly changing?
In this past year I have quit my full time job, moved from Portland to Houston, wrote a book, put on a 50-city North American Tour, planned a book tour and a world record, delivered keynotes, workshops and private coaching to leaders all over the world, I moved back to Portland, and now I am scuba certified. When you start your own company, things seem to always be changing. You do things you have never done. Are you ok with this?

Are you ready to be your own boss?
This is the biggest thing you need to think about… Are you self-dicipled enough to make your company survive? Stop here. Think about this and come back to read the rest. Seriosuly think about what you are going to do to be self-dicplined because no longer is anyone telling you what to do, when to do it and how it should get done. It is 100% up to you. This is both freeing and very difficult to manage.

Do you already have a base and slight proof you can make it on your own if you try?
We didn’t start our business by chance. It was our choice to leave but we planned, outlined how much money we were making, how much we could be making if we took it full-time. Planning doesn’t always work. Those first six months were brutal. We didn’t meet any of our financial goals for the first six months but we kept pushing ourselves and used the proof we had to remind each other we could keep doing what we were doing. If you can do it once, you can repeat it twice!

Is your family okay with taking the leap with you?

Your family depends on you, they have to be okay with the above as well because this is not a decision you make alone, it is one y’all (yes I am from Texas) must make. Have a conversation with your family, tell them what you want to do. Ask them what they need and are how they are willing to help or support you on your dreams.

I went from employee to entrepreneur in 24-hours and today I own two successful business. I have a long way to go, more to learn and a whole lot more people to serve but I am ultimately glad I took the leap. You only live once, right? Take the above decisions to consider owning your own business. As scary as it was, looking back on this year, I made the right choice. You are not too young or too old to start, but what you must do is make a decision, start planning for the life you want to live and go for it!

As always…
Dream BIG,
Ryan

Apr 03

Love2

6 Things to Do After You Publish Your First Book

By Ryan Avery Communication, Motivation 9 Comments

My first book arrived on my doorstep and I felt like a stork dropped off a baby! It has a glossy finish, the red cover makes it stand out and when you fan the pages, you can almost taste that “new book” smell!

After my wife and I jumped up and down for a good three minutes, we shared our joy on Facebook and you have been so amazing to share your support. Thank you!

I want to write this article to help published authors, or those looking to publish, know what to do once they get their book in hand so they can sell more copies, help more people and continue to grow as an author.

Here are 6 things to do after you publish your first book

1) Celebrate!
Seriously, this is the first thing you should do. Take time to reflect on what it took to get that book in your hand. Go get a drink. Go get fro-yo. Shoot, go do both! You spent so many months or even years of your life writing, editing, researching for this book, it is now time to go and celebrate with those you love!

2) Send copies to influencers
Before your book comes out, make a list of all the people you know who will be able to help market your book to their lists. Send them a free copy once you receive your book (or ask your publisher to send the copies with a note on their letterhead). Ask them to share it with their fans, friends and/or family to help get word of mouth promotion and social credibility.

3) Get reviews on amazon.com

On a continual basis, have those you know who have enjoyed your book and have reached out to you if they would consider writing a review on amazon.com about the book. The more reviews you have, the more social proof you build for those who don’t know you as an author but are interested in purchasing your book. It just might be the tipping point for them to press buy now!

4) Write handwritten thank you letters
Books are not written alone. In fact publishing one book can take a team of up to fifty people. You can have editors, line-editors, copy-editors, researchers, assistants, agents, publicists, co-authors, marketers, designers and whole lot more people behind the scenes helping to make the book a success. Remember you wouldn’t have a book if it was not for them! Take time to write handwritten letters to everyone who has been part of the team and share with them how thankful you are they were part of the project. Remember to always be building your relationships!

5) Promote it
Before your book launches, you should put together a promotion strategy. How many interviews do you need? How often will you post on social media and what will the content consist of? Are you going to have a giveaway? Multiple giveaways? Can you get on TV, the radio, in your local newspaper? Are you reaching out to companies, organizations and associations who could benefit from your book? Create a strategy that has a pre-launch, first week and post-launch promotion plan.

6) Package a keynote, workshop, community based off of your book
Your book should not stand alone. Create a keynote, workshop or even a community around your book that you can sell, market and help even more people. Don’t let your book be the last interaction they have with you. How can you write a speech that enhances your book but they still want to read it? How can you teach a workshop that teaches what you say in your book but they want to buy a hard copy for their friend, family member or co-worker? How can you build an online community around your book that brings like-minded people together to continue to work on what you are passionate about? Package these items together and promote them on your website, LinkedIn, word of mouth and start serving even more people with your words!

Follow these 6 things to do after you publish your first book and watch your sales go up, your reach broaden and the offers to keynote at conferences come in. Congratulations on your first published book- you are one of 0.05% of American’s who write a book each year! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Mar 26

Love0

Home with a Holocaust Survivor

By Ryan Avery Motivation 5 Comments

His stature reminds me of a grandfather figure, his personality is a hybrid between Mr. Rogers and the male version of Betty White and he has more energy than most people do after their morning cup of coffee.

I had the opportunity to sit down with 88 year old Holocaust Survivor, Alter Wiener, at his home and ask him questions about life, Hitler and why one should use their voice to make a difference.

His book From a Name to Number: A Holocaust Survivor’s Autobiography is #57 on Amazon.com out of 47 million books. It is a book I would recommend everyone read and learn more about his story, the history of the Holocaust and how he is changing lives around the world by sharing his message.

We sit down for our interview and he asks if I want anything to eat or drink. I politely decline but then my wife Chelsea asks if she can get up and get him any water before we start. With a smile on his face he replies “If you wanted to offer me something, you should have done it in 1945!”

We laugh and start the interview. Time gets swept away as I am mesmerized by his stories, his authenticy and ability to replay the tragedies of his three years being tortured in concentration camps. The interview lasted hours but four things stand out that are reminders for all of us going though tough times or who struggle sharing their message:

“Don’t be bitter-be better.”
After spending three years in concentration camps, getting his teeth knocked out, facing months of starvation, having his entire family murdered (only four survived out of 128 members of his family) and living conditions so horrible sewer rats had better living situations then them, he realized he could make two choices after he was free. He could be bitter his entire life or get better. He chose to get better and not blame every German for the atrocities of Hitler.

If there is anything making you bitter in life, get over it. Decide right now you have the choice to get better and live a life of love. Love creates so many opportunities for all.

“There are only two races in this world, good people and bad people.”
It was hard for Alter to comprehend why Hitler would do what he did to so many, millions in fact, especially innocent children. He told me it does not make sense to hate, to have prejudice against others who look different than you, who act different than you or who do things different than you. Only focus on two races, those who are good and those who are bad and this world will be a better place starting tomorrow.

How are you judging people based on their identities?

“Appreciate what you have.”
For months Alter would go without seeing a flower, a child or woman. He was starving, overworked and in horrible living conditions that are incomparable. As we sat in his quaint apartment, he talked about how everyday and every moment he appreciates these small things he has in life that we take for granted everyday like a refrigerator, pockets, and everyday freedoms.

Look around you, what you can be thankful for today that you have in your life others don’t? Identify ten things that you can give thanks for no matter how big or small.

“I am not telling my story for me, I am telling it for you.”
Alter does not share his story because he enjoys it. In fact, it is incredibly difficult for him to relive his story. It causes him pain, suffering and takes him back to the worst part of his life. However, he shares his story because he wants us to learn from it. He wants us to appreciate life, to learn from each other, to give back and do more good things for our neighbors. He wants to share his story so something like the Holocaust will never happen again.

What story do you have? What message is inside of you that would help others live a better life? Share your story, your message and let others know they are not alone and their is hope in the world. Your story matters!

After the interview we talk about his age, abilities and how busy he is. He gives us that similar smile and says, “I don’t have time to die, I am too busy!” He is a man I will always remember and his story I will never forget. I am thankful I had the opportunity to meet Alter and I hope we all can continue to learn from his story, history and others who share similar stories.

Keep using your voice to make a difference and as always…

Dream BIG,

Ryan

P.s. Share this article and let’s help Alter’s story stay alive and learn from his life lessons.

Mar 18

Love0

100+ Letters Later

By Ryan Avery Motivation, World Records No Comments

After writing more letters than I can count, I am finished with the letters you requested to help me train for the World Record on April 16th. You rock!

It has been an experience, I have spent way more money than I thought I would ever spend on postage and I enjoy when people post on my wall they received their letters! I still have one month to train for the World Record and for those of you would like a letter, I am going to write ten more to those who have not already received one.

How you enter!

1) Share this post with your family or friends via at least one social media network where you tag Ryan Avery or @AveryToday

2) Send me your address via email at info@averytoday.com

I will send ten letters to the first ten people who email me and share this article! Can’t wait to keep producing letters and thank you to everyone who sent in their addresses and let me write them! Y’all are amazing. Keep enjoying your week and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

P.S. If you still need to register for the World Record, make sure to do so today and break a world record with us on April 16th and be part of history!