Looking at Success Through the Eyes and Heart of Gina Yarrish

Written by Tony Mussari, Sr.
Edited by Kitch Loftus-Mussari
Photographs by Tony Mussari, Sr.
Copyright 2015
Mussari-Loftus Associates
The Face of America Project

You cannot find peace by avoiding life. Virginia Woolf

The horrifying images of what happened in Paris flashed though my mind as I drove to the Lakeside Skillet Restaurant at Harvey’s Lake. The sun was shining, but it was dark and overcast in my heart. Again and again, I asked myself these questions: How could the tragedy happen? Why did it happen? What can we expect down the road?

When I entered the Irregulars Think Tank breakfast and meeting room, my mind cleared, and for the next two hours, I was mesmerized by the genuine feeling of community and the palpable desire for personal and professional growth. These are the characteristics of the men and women who attend these meetings.

The room is always filled with the sounds of pleasant conversation and information that is designed to help people in many different ways.

Cholly Hayes does a wonderful job as the MC of the meeting, and Bobby Zampetti, his friend and the secretary of the group, is an excellent organizer and publicist. They both share a common vision. The mission of the Irregulars Think Tank is rooted in growth, development and good will.

The atmosphere is welcoming, the speakers are well-informed, and the information they share is transformational. These are a few examples of the Irregulars Think Tank culture. Tony Ingargiola, a videographer for WBRE TV, brought his new digital camera, and he enjoyed explaining the technological marvel to anyone who asked him about it. Santo Agati, a congenial man, shared wonderful stories about his life experiences with everyone at our table. Kyle Ostopick, a young insurance salesman, engaged everyone he met in pleasant conversation about topics of mutual interest, and Rich Burkhardt, a 1970 college graduate, initiated a conversation about his college memories.

A Perfect Fit

Gina Yarrish is a perfect fit for the Irregulars’ culture. She is a successful business woman, a talented life coach and an innovative director of Equine Assisted Learning Programs and Workshops. Gina is candid, pleasant, personable, and thoughtful. On this Saturday morning, she wanted to help people better understand what it takes to create success. To do this, she began her presentation with a compelling summary of her personal history.

She was born to an unwed mother. She was adopted. She earned her real estate license during her senior year in high school. She bought her first home when she was 21 years old, and her first rental property two years later. For the next 16 years she traveled in the fast lane on the highway to success. Then it happened. She woke up one morning with severe pain in her chest. She had a cardiac catheterization, and her life changed forever.

She realized that there is more to life than accumulating wealth and taking on other people’s problems. In order to change, she had to leave what she was doing. She moved to Pennsylvania. She bought a 180 acre farm, and she built a house. The rest as they say is history.

Starred Thoughts

These are some of the starred thoughts from Gina’s insightful presentation “3 Keys to Creating Success:”

1. Ask yourself the question what is holding you back?

2. The factors that contribute to no forward movement are fear, self-sabotage, doubt, perception and excuses;

3. Understand that everything in life is about patterns and habits;

4. There is always a different way to look at something;

5. Notice what you are noticing;

6. You cannot get to where you are going without seeing it;

7. You must have a vision, and you must have a plan;

8. To create a life that produces the things that you want, you must get out of your own way;

9. Find someone who will tell you what you need to hear when you need to hear it in a compassionate way;

10. Never stop learning and growing;

11. When you know what it is you want to do, don’t stop moving forward.

Gina used her knowledge and care of horses to help her listeners better understand how her horses add value to the personal and professional teaching and coaching she does for individuals and businesses at YarCorte Acres.

These two thoughts got my attention:

1. Horses give us visual feedback;

2. Horses mirror your emotional development.

A Special Moment

During a private moment after her presentation, I asked Gina to share the most important lesson she has learned in her lifetime. Without hesitation, she replied, “The importance of unconditional love.”

That special moment can best be described by the words of Anne Frank:

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.

The members of the Irregulars will come together again next month to learn about handling challenging situations in the classroom.

Gratitude

Thank you, Cholly Hayes for facilitating this wonderful meeting.

Thank you, Bobby Zampetti for all that you did to make this a very special event.

Thank you, Gina Yarrish for several memorable moments. You are a radiant Face of America on its best day. Those of us who had the privilege of hearing you speak about the essence of success are in your debt. May Providence continue to bless the important work you are doing.

Please provide feedback to: tony.mussari@gmail.com