What do you want out of life?

Are you happy?

Are you healthy?

Are you financially secure?

Are you looking for a job or to change careers?

And how do you go about getting the things you want?

Good questions.

But how do you find the answers? The correct answers for you, that is?

You decide, that’s how.

Before you can attempt to succeed, Mark Rodgers, who gives a local seminar on lifestyle changes, feels people need to be taught — or rather re-taught — how to make the correct decisions and choices for themselves.

He can teach people how to make the correct choice — and avoid any pitfalls they may encounter along the way — and stick to the path that will let them achieve their goals.

Just picture three intersecting circles, which only all overlap in a very small segment in the center. Each big circle corresponds to a different segment of decision-making: mediocrity, apathy and profitability. Under mediocrity, do you have the talent, ability and vision — all three, probably less than 20 percent of your choices meet all requirements — to achieve what you want to achieve. Under apathy, do you have the focus, intensity and time to achieve what you desire. And under profitability, will you profit yourself, will you profit others, will you profit the community.

Most people don’t realize what was involved in making a good decision or even what has to be considered. It’s easier said than done for most. That’s why most people may need a little help.

Rodgers knows this from personal experience.

Rodgers is an award-winning business professional and international communicator, earning more than 100 awards. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Business and a Dale Carnegie graduate. He also is the president of the Sunrise Rotary club. He is a staunch supporter of local charities.

After a lifetime living his own life, overcoming all manner of obstacles, and also teaching others how to excel, Rodgers has put his knowledge into a simple and easy to understand life plan — and he is offering to share his advice with those who may need a change, some motivation, a direction or just a way of making a decision of what to do with their lives — right here in the Southeast.

Having worked at a variety of jobs, Rodgers’ most recent work includes 14 years of sales and training experience, in addition to running a Dale Carnegie organization. Currently, he is a sales and training expert who is the executive trainer of the program “No vs Yes/The Battle to Success,” which is an integral part of his own motivational seminar company called Power Speak 101. He developed the program himself and has been giving motivational lectures since the company first was founded five years ago.

He works with Steve Addis, operations manager and computer expert for the company, throughout the Southeast. The two have worked together for a long time, even going to Haiti to help start several schools and business ventures.

“Three years ago, I took everything I’ve done and made a program that worked for decision-making,” Rodgers said. According to Rodgers, not making the correct decision FOR YOU is the No. 1 reason why people fail.

“Your successes and/or failures in life are based on the decisions you’ve made,” Rodgers said. “To succeed, you must focus on the things you are passionate about.”

The question is, how and on what do you focus. That’s where Rodgers can help.

But after making the correct decision for you, you have to work on your goal every day. You have to be prepared for that door to open and to make sure you are ready to work through it, Rodgers said.

But you can still be destroyed by succumbing to even one of these seven “deadly” decisions.

“We are conditioned to say ‘Yes.” People don’t always consider there are lots of ‘No’s’ in any decision.”

But Rodgers can teach people exactly how to go about making the correct “No” decisions.

In fact, there are seven “deadly” No’s, Rodgers said. Any one of these pitfalls can cause a person or a business to keep from achieving his or her goals.

The first is saying “No” to distraction means saying “Yes” to focus.

Second, by saying “No” to your circumstances, you say “Yes” to accomplishing your vision of your life.

“Circumstances are temporary,” Rodgers said.

For example, Abraham Lincoln could have looked at his circumstances and never once tried to become president. It is said he came from a poor background, he lost jobs, had failed at many businesses, had lost many a political race, his sweetheart died, he had a nervous breakdown, lost several more elections — until he finally became the 16th, and perhaps the most beloved, president of the United States.

“When you say “Yes” to one of these things, you say “No” to the opposite,” Rodgers said.

Third, by saying “No” to shortcuts, you are saying “Yes” to excellence.

“You have to make a choice to be excellent,” Rodgers said.

Fourth, say “No” to pride and you’ll be saying “Yes” to listening to others — as well as learning how to listening properly.

“I already know everything I know,” he said. “If I shut up, maybe I’ll learn something.”

Fifth, say “No” to procrastination and “Yes” to urgency.

Sixth, say “No” to yesterday and “Yes” to today.

And, seventh, say “No” to tomorrow — “That’s just daydreaming,” Rodgers said — and “Yes” again to the present.

“And you are going to give into these seven deadly “No’s” if what you are doing isn’t in your heart,” Rodgers said.

Just think of all the things you should have said “No” to in the last 10 years, he asks his seminar audience.

For example, Rodgers knows of this successful company which had 110 clients. The owners wanted to expand the company to 225 clients to make more money. As they tried to expand, they said yes to shortcuts and no to excellence. That “Yes” destroyed the company.

Rodgers will even teach people the best way, the right way to say “No” to get the best results.

“But I can’t motivate anybody,” he said. But Rodgers can help people figure out how to use their skills and abilities, use them to find life’s perfect fit for them alone. “Everything I do has to do with action. Action creates energy. Energy creates destiny.”

For more information or to sign up for a seminar, call (423) 310-3118 and/or check out powerspeak101.com.