You know me, I am a philosopher. I love principles. Yes, actions are great and I talk about them regularly, but the important stuff is what lies underneath--the principles.
Here are what I consider to be the principles that we must commit to if we are to leave the legacy we desire:
1. Life is best lived in service to others. This doesn't mean that we do not strive for the best for ourselves. It does mean that in all things we serve other people, including our family, co-workers and friends.
2. Consider others' interests as important as your own. Much of the world suffers simply because people consider only their own interests. People are looking out for number one, but the way to leave a legacy is to also look out for others.
3. Love your neighbor even if you don't like him. It is interesting that Jesus told us to love others. But he never tells us to like them. Liking people has to do with emotions. Loving people has to do with actions. And what you will find is that when you love them and do good by them, you will more often than not begin to like them.
4. Maintain integrity at all costs. There are very few things you take to the grave with you. The number one thing is your reputation and good name. When people remember you, you want them to think, "She was the most honest person I knew. What integrity." There are always going to be temptations to cut corners and break your integrity. Do not do it. Do what is right all of the time, no matter what the cost.
5. You must risk in order to gain. In just about every area of life you must risk in order to gain the reward. In love, you must risk rejection in order to ask that person out for the first time. In investing you must place your capital at risk in the market in order to receive the prize of a growing bank account. When we risk, we gain. And when we gain, we have more to leave for others.
6. You reap what you sow. In fact, you always reap more than you sow--you plant a seed and reap a bushel. What you give you get. What you put into the ground then grows out of the ground. If you give love you will receive love. If you give time, you will gain time. It is one of the truest laws of the universe. Decide what you want out of life and then begin to sow it.
7. Hard work is never a waste. No one will say, "It is too bad he was such a good, hard worker." But if you aren't they will surely say, "It's too bad he was so lazy - he could have been so much more!" Hard work will leave a grand legacy. Give it your all on your trip around the earth. You will do a lot of good and leave a terrific legacy.
8. Don't give up when you fail. Imagine what legacies would have never existed if someone had given up. How many thriving businesses would have been shut down if they quit at their first failure? Everyone fails. It is a fact of life. But those who succeed are those who do not give up when they fail. They keep going and build a successful life - and a legacy.
9. Don't ever stop in your pursuit of a legacy. Many people have accomplished tremendous things later on in life. There is never a time to stop in your pursuit of a legacy. Sometimes older people will say, "I am 65. I'll never change." That won't build a great life! No, there is always time to do more and achieve more, to help more and serve more, to teach more and to learn more. Keep going and growing that legacy!
These are core principles to live by if you want to become the kind of person who leaves a lasting legacy.
Friday, September 30, 2005
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Neglect
We've all heard the expression, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Well, I've got a good question for you: What if it's true? Wouldn't that be easy to do - to eat an apple a day? Here's the problem: It's also easy not to do.
Neglect starts out as an infection then becomes a disease.
Cardiovascular problems alone in America create over a thousand funerals a day... and 90% of the problem is neglect.
One of the reasons many people don't have what they want is neglect.
Neglect starts out as an infection then becomes a disease.
Cardiovascular problems alone in America create over a thousand funerals a day... and 90% of the problem is neglect.
One of the reasons many people don't have what they want is neglect.
Three Steps To Enhancing Your Personal Performance
Three Steps To Enhancing Your Personal Performance!
1. Clarity of Outcome: Before you begin any endeavor, know in advance exactly what you expect your outcome to be. By getting clear on your outcome, you will be using the awesome force of what I call the "Future Pull"... In other words, the future you create for yourself pulls you closer to it and empowers you to take the proper actions in the present... So before you do anything else as it relates to your personal or professional life, take time to get crystal clear on what your desired outcome will be... See it in your mind's eye until you feel really emotional about it...
2. Consolidation of Power: This is a fancy word I learned in 1982 while taking Martial Arts. It simply means Focus... Since you have a certain amount of time, energy, and money to devote towards accomplishing your outcome, it's important to know which activities you should direct your resources towards. If you don't take the time to determine which of the multitude of possible activities will provide you with the highest payoff, you may find yourself squandering much of your resources. Thus, apply the 80/20 rule here. The 80/20 rule states that 80% of your results will come from 20% of your activities. Therefore, it's important for you to Concentrate your efforts on the 20% of the activities that will get you 80% of the results. Most people concentrate on the 80% of the activities that will get them only 20% of the results... In a nutshell, 80% of your time should be spent on the following activities: (a) Using and Sharing your products (b) Exposing people to your opportunity (c) Attending and Promoting events (d) Engaging in personal development and (e) Learning and Teaching the system your company and support team members have set up for you... These are the high payoff or revenue producing activities...You can file your product orders and clean out your desk after hours... i.e., during non-revenue producing time...
3. Commitment to Disciplines: This is where you actually Execute your action plan... Once you know which areas you will be focused on, you can now get busy by moving ahead in those areas... It's important to remember that consistency is the key at this stage. By doing the small simple disciplines on a daily basis, eventually the compounded effect will kick in and you will "Collect Your Outcome". Every day in every way, you're either performing simple disciplines or simple error in judgments... Apply this simple three-step process and watch what happens to your personal performance levels...
1. Clarity of Outcome: Before you begin any endeavor, know in advance exactly what you expect your outcome to be. By getting clear on your outcome, you will be using the awesome force of what I call the "Future Pull"... In other words, the future you create for yourself pulls you closer to it and empowers you to take the proper actions in the present... So before you do anything else as it relates to your personal or professional life, take time to get crystal clear on what your desired outcome will be... See it in your mind's eye until you feel really emotional about it...
2. Consolidation of Power: This is a fancy word I learned in 1982 while taking Martial Arts. It simply means Focus... Since you have a certain amount of time, energy, and money to devote towards accomplishing your outcome, it's important to know which activities you should direct your resources towards. If you don't take the time to determine which of the multitude of possible activities will provide you with the highest payoff, you may find yourself squandering much of your resources. Thus, apply the 80/20 rule here. The 80/20 rule states that 80% of your results will come from 20% of your activities. Therefore, it's important for you to Concentrate your efforts on the 20% of the activities that will get you 80% of the results. Most people concentrate on the 80% of the activities that will get them only 20% of the results... In a nutshell, 80% of your time should be spent on the following activities: (a) Using and Sharing your products (b) Exposing people to your opportunity (c) Attending and Promoting events (d) Engaging in personal development and (e) Learning and Teaching the system your company and support team members have set up for you... These are the high payoff or revenue producing activities...You can file your product orders and clean out your desk after hours... i.e., during non-revenue producing time...
3. Commitment to Disciplines: This is where you actually Execute your action plan... Once you know which areas you will be focused on, you can now get busy by moving ahead in those areas... It's important to remember that consistency is the key at this stage. By doing the small simple disciplines on a daily basis, eventually the compounded effect will kick in and you will "Collect Your Outcome". Every day in every way, you're either performing simple disciplines or simple error in judgments... Apply this simple three-step process and watch what happens to your personal performance levels...
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Always do more than you get paid for
A Seminar in a sentence: Always do more than you get paid for - to make an investment in your future." I've been taught you work for yourself, not whomever your employer may be. Your reputation is what follows you to the next level, to the next job, so go the extra mile: to make a difference, to make a change, to make an impression.
When Jim spoke about the Two Important Questions he had asked a waitress in a coffee shop,
1) Are you looking out for the opportunity every week? and
2) Are you willing to spend some time every week looking out for that opportunity? These Two Questions Are Worth Millions For Every Individual, and I am thankful to Jim specially for that.
"The truth is revealing and inspiring."
Many times, the truth has to be revealed to us before it can inspire us. We have to recognize the truth in ourselves and make the necessary corrections and adjustments before we can inspire anyone else. Interestingly enough, it seems that is the very thing that we inspire others with--recognizing the truth in our own hearts and then taking the steps to change.
When Jim spoke about the Two Important Questions he had asked a waitress in a coffee shop,
1) Are you looking out for the opportunity every week? and
2) Are you willing to spend some time every week looking out for that opportunity? These Two Questions Are Worth Millions For Every Individual, and I am thankful to Jim specially for that.
"The truth is revealing and inspiring."
Many times, the truth has to be revealed to us before it can inspire us. We have to recognize the truth in ourselves and make the necessary corrections and adjustments before we can inspire anyone else. Interestingly enough, it seems that is the very thing that we inspire others with--recognizing the truth in our own hearts and then taking the steps to change.
Robby's Night
Robby's NightTrue Story -- Worth Reading!!!
At the prodding of my friends, I am writing this story. My name is Mildred Hondorf. I am a former elementary school music teacher from Des Moines, Iowa. I've always supplemented my income by teaching piano lessons-something I've done for over 30 years. Over the years I found that children have many levels of musical ability. I've never had the pleasure of having a prodigy though I have taught some talented students.
However I've also had my share of what I call "musically challenged" pupils. One such student was Robby. Robby was 11 years old when his mother (a single Mom) dropped him off for his first piano lesson. I prefer that students (especially boys!) begin at an earlier age, which I explained to Robby.
But Robby said that it had always been his mother's dream to hear him play the piano. So I took him as a student. Well, Robby began with his piano lessons and from the beginning I thought it was a hopeless endeavor.
As much as Robby tried, he lacked the sense of tone and basic rhythm needed to excel. But he dutifully reviewed his scales and some elementary pieces that I require all my students to learn.
Over the months he tried and tried while I listened and cringed and tried to encourage him. At the end of each weekly lesson he'd always say, "My mom's going to hear me play someday." But it seemed hopeless. He just did not have any inborn ability. I only knew his mother from a distance as she dropped Robby off or waited in her aged car to pick him up. She always waved and smiled but never stopped in.
Then one day Robby stopped coming to our lessons.
I thought about calling him but assumed because of his lack of ability, that he had decided to pursue something else. I also was glad that he stopped coming. He was a bad advertisement for my teaching!
Several weeks later I mailed to the student's homes a flyer on the upcoming recital. To my surprise Robby (who received a flyer) asked me if he could be in the recital. I told him that the recital was for current pupils and because he had dropped out he really did not qualify. He said that his mother had been sick and unable to take him to piano lessons but he was still practicing. "Miss Hondorf . . . I've just got to play!" he insisted.
I don't know what led me to allow him to play in the recital. Maybe it was his persistence or maybe it was something inside of me saying that it would be all right. The night for the recital came. The high school gymnasium was packed with parents, friends and relatives. I put Robby up last in the program before I was to come up and thank all the students and play a finishing piece. I thought that any damage he would do would come at the end of the program and I could always salvage his poor performance through my "curtain closer."
Well, the recital went off without a hitch. The students had been practicing and it showed. Then Robby came up on stage. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair looked like he'd run an eggbeater through it. "Why didn't he dress up like the other students?" I thought. "Why didn't his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night?"
Robby pulled out the piano bench and he began. I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen Mozart's Concerto #21 in C Major. I was not prepared for what I heard next. His fingers were light on the keys, they even danced nimbly on the ivories. He went from pianissimo to fortissimo. From allegro to virtuoso. His suspended chords that Mozart demands were magnificent! Never had I heard Mozart played so well by people his age. After six and a half minutes he ended in a grand crescendo and everyone was on their feet in wild applause.
Overcome and in tears I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby in joy. "I've never heard you play like that Robby! How'd you do it? " Through the microphone Robby explained: "Well Miss Hondorf . . .. remember I told you my Mom was sick? Well, actually she had cancer and passed away this morning. And well . . . she was born deaf so tonight was the first time she ever heard me play. I wanted to make it special."
There wasn't a dry eye in the house that evening. As the people from Social Services led Robby from the stage to be placed into foster care, noticed that even their eyes were red and puffy and I thought to myself how much richer my life had been for taking Robby as my pupil.
No, I've never had a prodigy but that night I became a prodigy. . . of Robby's. He was the teacher and I was the pupil For it is he that taught me the meaning of perseverance and love and believing in yourself and maybeeven taking a chance in someone and you don't know why.
Robby was killed in the senseless bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April of 1995.
At the prodding of my friends, I am writing this story. My name is Mildred Hondorf. I am a former elementary school music teacher from Des Moines, Iowa. I've always supplemented my income by teaching piano lessons-something I've done for over 30 years. Over the years I found that children have many levels of musical ability. I've never had the pleasure of having a prodigy though I have taught some talented students.
However I've also had my share of what I call "musically challenged" pupils. One such student was Robby. Robby was 11 years old when his mother (a single Mom) dropped him off for his first piano lesson. I prefer that students (especially boys!) begin at an earlier age, which I explained to Robby.
But Robby said that it had always been his mother's dream to hear him play the piano. So I took him as a student. Well, Robby began with his piano lessons and from the beginning I thought it was a hopeless endeavor.
As much as Robby tried, he lacked the sense of tone and basic rhythm needed to excel. But he dutifully reviewed his scales and some elementary pieces that I require all my students to learn.
Over the months he tried and tried while I listened and cringed and tried to encourage him. At the end of each weekly lesson he'd always say, "My mom's going to hear me play someday." But it seemed hopeless. He just did not have any inborn ability. I only knew his mother from a distance as she dropped Robby off or waited in her aged car to pick him up. She always waved and smiled but never stopped in.
Then one day Robby stopped coming to our lessons.
I thought about calling him but assumed because of his lack of ability, that he had decided to pursue something else. I also was glad that he stopped coming. He was a bad advertisement for my teaching!
Several weeks later I mailed to the student's homes a flyer on the upcoming recital. To my surprise Robby (who received a flyer) asked me if he could be in the recital. I told him that the recital was for current pupils and because he had dropped out he really did not qualify. He said that his mother had been sick and unable to take him to piano lessons but he was still practicing. "Miss Hondorf . . . I've just got to play!" he insisted.
I don't know what led me to allow him to play in the recital. Maybe it was his persistence or maybe it was something inside of me saying that it would be all right. The night for the recital came. The high school gymnasium was packed with parents, friends and relatives. I put Robby up last in the program before I was to come up and thank all the students and play a finishing piece. I thought that any damage he would do would come at the end of the program and I could always salvage his poor performance through my "curtain closer."
Well, the recital went off without a hitch. The students had been practicing and it showed. Then Robby came up on stage. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair looked like he'd run an eggbeater through it. "Why didn't he dress up like the other students?" I thought. "Why didn't his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night?"
Robby pulled out the piano bench and he began. I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen Mozart's Concerto #21 in C Major. I was not prepared for what I heard next. His fingers were light on the keys, they even danced nimbly on the ivories. He went from pianissimo to fortissimo. From allegro to virtuoso. His suspended chords that Mozart demands were magnificent! Never had I heard Mozart played so well by people his age. After six and a half minutes he ended in a grand crescendo and everyone was on their feet in wild applause.
Overcome and in tears I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby in joy. "I've never heard you play like that Robby! How'd you do it? " Through the microphone Robby explained: "Well Miss Hondorf . . .. remember I told you my Mom was sick? Well, actually she had cancer and passed away this morning. And well . . . she was born deaf so tonight was the first time she ever heard me play. I wanted to make it special."
There wasn't a dry eye in the house that evening. As the people from Social Services led Robby from the stage to be placed into foster care, noticed that even their eyes were red and puffy and I thought to myself how much richer my life had been for taking Robby as my pupil.
No, I've never had a prodigy but that night I became a prodigy. . . of Robby's. He was the teacher and I was the pupil For it is he that taught me the meaning of perseverance and love and believing in yourself and maybeeven taking a chance in someone and you don't know why.
Robby was killed in the senseless bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April of 1995.
The DNA of Top Achievers
The DNA of Top Achievers
Of course by now we are all becoming aware of DNA. It is the source code that determines who we are. When we look at DNA we can see what a person will look like, what diseases they may come down with, etc. This has been a tremendous breakthrough for scientists and will continue to be so for some time, I believe.
This got me to thinking about what makes up those who are top achievers. Is there a "DNA" to them? Obviously, all top achievers wouldn't have the same literal DNA but what about a figurative DNA? Is there a common "gene" that they all have? Are there common "genes" perhaps? I think so!
If we could get right down to it, I think these are the genes we would find in the DNA of top achievers:
1) A predisposition to setting high, lofty goals. Top achievers are people who won't and can't settle for the status quo. They see average as a place they want to keep in the rear-view mirror. Instead, they continually look for ways to stretch themselves, to get better, to do better, to be better! They set their sights on goals that others have never even thought of. They want to shoot so high that even if they miss, they go higher than everyone else. This is what makes them top achievers.
2) An ability to focus intently upon reaching their desired destination. Many people can set high goals, but just as many people get sidetracked by one thing or another on their way to those goals. High, lofty goals usually take a while to get there so there will always be plenty of time to be tempted to stray away from the road that is taking you to those goals. Often, those things that sidetrack people are good things, but not the best things. Top achievers do not get sidetracked. They stay focused. They know where they are going. They have an ability to say "no" to the good things in order to get to the best things.
3) The willingness to personally sacrifice in order to get to their goal. When the going gets tough, many people quit. When the going gets tough personally, most people quit. When the going gets tough for top achievers, they remind themselves of the high. Lofty goals they have set for themselves. They remind themselves of what an accomplishment it will be for them and that the reward is worth pushing through the momentary trials. They are willing to sacrifice personally in the short-term in order to get the reward and the prize long-term. Keeping their eyes on the big picture enables them to persevere through any personal pain they may experience.
4) A predisposition to tenacity. Tenacity is the ability to "keep on going." Tough times? Keep on going! Financial troubles? Keep on going! People are suspect? Keep on going! You look like a dreamer? Keep on going! Tired? Keep on going! Want to quit and take it easy? Keep on going! Just remember this: Keep on going! The prize is ahead! Many people quit just before they were to get the reward, so keep on going!
5) The ability to see available resources and to use them accordingly. Those who are top achievers know that they cannot be lone-rangers on the way to the top. No one makes it by himself or herself. Top achievers recognize their weaknesses ? the weaknesses that if they don't cover will keep them from becoming a top achiever! They see their resources and they work to get them into a helping position so they can continue the route to becoming a top achiever. And they don't use them, they utilize them. There is a big difference! People, finances, etc are all brought in to help by the top achiever.
6) A desire to help others achieve more for themselves as well. The top achiever knows that they can make a difference for others by becoming a top achiever. They know that the wealth they make can feed the hungry. They know that the position of influence they achieve can open a door for someone who may not normally get a chance. True top achievers look at how they can bring many with them, not how they can leave many in the dust. People are helped by the top achiever, not trampled upon!
I think if we could get to the DNA of top achievers, the things we talked about above would be at the core and fiber of their beings. What about you? Did you recognize yourself at all? I hope so! The good news about the DNA we are talking about today as opposed to real DNA is that you can go out and work on top achiever DNA whereas you are stuck with real DNA. So if you lack a little in the above-mentioned areas, take heart ? you can get better and work on them so that you can become a top achiever!
Of course by now we are all becoming aware of DNA. It is the source code that determines who we are. When we look at DNA we can see what a person will look like, what diseases they may come down with, etc. This has been a tremendous breakthrough for scientists and will continue to be so for some time, I believe.
This got me to thinking about what makes up those who are top achievers. Is there a "DNA" to them? Obviously, all top achievers wouldn't have the same literal DNA but what about a figurative DNA? Is there a common "gene" that they all have? Are there common "genes" perhaps? I think so!
If we could get right down to it, I think these are the genes we would find in the DNA of top achievers:
1) A predisposition to setting high, lofty goals. Top achievers are people who won't and can't settle for the status quo. They see average as a place they want to keep in the rear-view mirror. Instead, they continually look for ways to stretch themselves, to get better, to do better, to be better! They set their sights on goals that others have never even thought of. They want to shoot so high that even if they miss, they go higher than everyone else. This is what makes them top achievers.
2) An ability to focus intently upon reaching their desired destination. Many people can set high goals, but just as many people get sidetracked by one thing or another on their way to those goals. High, lofty goals usually take a while to get there so there will always be plenty of time to be tempted to stray away from the road that is taking you to those goals. Often, those things that sidetrack people are good things, but not the best things. Top achievers do not get sidetracked. They stay focused. They know where they are going. They have an ability to say "no" to the good things in order to get to the best things.
3) The willingness to personally sacrifice in order to get to their goal. When the going gets tough, many people quit. When the going gets tough personally, most people quit. When the going gets tough for top achievers, they remind themselves of the high. Lofty goals they have set for themselves. They remind themselves of what an accomplishment it will be for them and that the reward is worth pushing through the momentary trials. They are willing to sacrifice personally in the short-term in order to get the reward and the prize long-term. Keeping their eyes on the big picture enables them to persevere through any personal pain they may experience.
4) A predisposition to tenacity. Tenacity is the ability to "keep on going." Tough times? Keep on going! Financial troubles? Keep on going! People are suspect? Keep on going! You look like a dreamer? Keep on going! Tired? Keep on going! Want to quit and take it easy? Keep on going! Just remember this: Keep on going! The prize is ahead! Many people quit just before they were to get the reward, so keep on going!
5) The ability to see available resources and to use them accordingly. Those who are top achievers know that they cannot be lone-rangers on the way to the top. No one makes it by himself or herself. Top achievers recognize their weaknesses ? the weaknesses that if they don't cover will keep them from becoming a top achiever! They see their resources and they work to get them into a helping position so they can continue the route to becoming a top achiever. And they don't use them, they utilize them. There is a big difference! People, finances, etc are all brought in to help by the top achiever.
6) A desire to help others achieve more for themselves as well. The top achiever knows that they can make a difference for others by becoming a top achiever. They know that the wealth they make can feed the hungry. They know that the position of influence they achieve can open a door for someone who may not normally get a chance. True top achievers look at how they can bring many with them, not how they can leave many in the dust. People are helped by the top achiever, not trampled upon!
I think if we could get to the DNA of top achievers, the things we talked about above would be at the core and fiber of their beings. What about you? Did you recognize yourself at all? I hope so! The good news about the DNA we are talking about today as opposed to real DNA is that you can go out and work on top achiever DNA whereas you are stuck with real DNA. So if you lack a little in the above-mentioned areas, take heart ? you can get better and work on them so that you can become a top achiever!
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Taking Advantage of Leadership Opportunities
Taking Advantage of Leadership Opportunities Will Increase Your Visibility in a Positive Way
Everyone is a leader in his or her organization. Even if you don't hold a titled leadership position, such as supervisor, manager, human resource director, or CEO, you still have many opportunities every day through your actions and behavior to model "leadership" qualities. In fact, all employees must be able and willing to assume a leadership role when the need arises, regardless of their job title. That is why many organizations have eliminated titles like foreman, supervisor, and department manager to reinforce the belief that each employee is a contributing member of the team with leadership potential and opportunities depending on the task at hand.
If you don't see yourself as having leadership qualities, then you'll miss many opportunities to demonstrate your added value to your employer, co-workers, and customers. You will also be undermining yourself, because if you're not confident of your leadership potential, then why should anyone else be? Being a leader simply means you are willing to teach and support others, be a positive role model, and be ready to serve as well as lead when necessary and appropriate. Effective leaders can be found at every level in an organization. Even if you work under someone else's leadership, you can still be a leader in your ideas and attitudes about your job.
While it may be true that some people seem to fall into the role of leader more easily than others, it is possible for most of us to develop the abilities that will help us take charge, motivate others, and make good decisions. Below are some of the top qualities leaders possess.
1. Leaders are Trustworthy and Act with Integrity
In today's business environment where teamwork is crucial, there can be no doubt that all employees must be able to be trusted by their managers, co-workers, and customers. For example, good leaders do not criticize their co-workers behind their backs, and they don't take credit that belongs to everyone on the team. Instead, they build trust by openly admitting their mistakes rather than blaming others. They give credit where credit is due, and they help others celebrate their successes. Leaders build trust with customers and co-workers by acting with integrity. They make sure their words and actions are congruent all the time, not just when it's convenient. They can be counted on to do what is fair and right.
2. Leaders are High Achievers who Strive for Excellence
Many employers who talk about their employees' leadership abilities mention words like "perseverance" and "determination." Leaders keep working to be the best they can be. They stay focused on their goals, but they keep things in perspective and realize that there is always room for improvement. They continually strive to learn more about themselves and their jobs. They integrate excellence into every task. Do you see yourself as a hard worker-as a star performer? Even though you may not own the organization, do you own a sense of pride in your work and your ability to contribute? Do you see yourself striving to outperform others and set new standards of excellence for your department and your organization? A good leader must have a strong desire to be the best by providing outstanding customer service and working hard to create an excellent, cohesive, and productive workforce. Even if they don't succeed at the task, leaders keep working at it.
3. Leaders Make Others Feel Important and Valued
Leaders value other people's worth and opinions and take the time to let them know they are important. They take the time to pay someone a compliment and keep criticisms, complaints, and negative comments short and sweet. They also make both their co-workers and customers feel important by asking questions, listening, and tuning in to their needs. They realize that such questions as, "Do you need some help?" and "Do you want me to listen for your phone while you take a break?" demonstrate their ability to tune into others' needs as well as their own. In your leadership role, how generous are you with positive words and actions? Are you committed to helping others feel better about themselves? Do you value people and their ideas? Making others feel important and valuable could help make you invaluable to your organization.
4. Leaders are Willing to Serve Others
To some people, serving others may seem like the role of a subordinate, not a leader. But in fact, a good leader believes in service to others. If that sounds contradictory, think of words such as "cooperate," "help," "work collectively," and "share" because they more accurately reflect the true nature of service to others. Organizations need employees who are willing to help each other, not whine and complain saying, "That's not my job." The future will demand that people learn new skills outside their area of expertise and use them to support other team members, even when it's "not their job." Are you willing to do what is needed even if it doesn't fall under your specific job description? Leaders support their co-workers when it counts, not just when it's convenient.
5. Leaders are Relationship Builders
An effective leader knows how to build good relationships so that individuals care more about the good of the entire team than about themselves and their own personal glory. In the workplace, employers need employees who can "run with the ball" by themselves when necessary, as well as build and maintain good team relationships. Do you work actively to build good team relationships? Hopefully so, because it is an important part of being an effective leader. Equally important are good relationships with clients and customers. In today's world, many companies do business with people they barely know, sometimes people they've never met. But the most successful and rewarding transactions, more often than not, involve parties who have developed a solid business relationship. Good leaders understand the importance of building good relationships with their colleagues and their customers.
6. Leaders Communicate Effectively
Every CEO, manager, human resource director, employer, and employee must be able to state what they need, want, or prefer with confidence and in a manner that is clear, honest, and forthright. But good leaders must go even further. They must be able to interpret the needs, wants, and preferences of their colleagues and customers to create a cooperative and successful work environment. Effective communication is the cement that binds an organization together. It is the foundation upon which successful teamwork and good customer relationships are built. It is no accident that employees who can communicate effectively and assertively soon find themselves in leadership roles.
While leadership may come naturally for some, for others developing strong leadership skills takes thought, practice, and hard work. But it's definitely worth the effort, because these skills will benefit all of your personal and professional relationships. Leadership skills are life skills.
Being a good leader is a 24-hour a day job. If these are skills you've been neglecting, start developing them now. Today's organizations need employees who are ready and willing to lead at a moment's notice. Your leadership skills and abilities will help determine your present and future employability.
Everyone is a leader in his or her organization. Even if you don't hold a titled leadership position, such as supervisor, manager, human resource director, or CEO, you still have many opportunities every day through your actions and behavior to model "leadership" qualities. In fact, all employees must be able and willing to assume a leadership role when the need arises, regardless of their job title. That is why many organizations have eliminated titles like foreman, supervisor, and department manager to reinforce the belief that each employee is a contributing member of the team with leadership potential and opportunities depending on the task at hand.
If you don't see yourself as having leadership qualities, then you'll miss many opportunities to demonstrate your added value to your employer, co-workers, and customers. You will also be undermining yourself, because if you're not confident of your leadership potential, then why should anyone else be? Being a leader simply means you are willing to teach and support others, be a positive role model, and be ready to serve as well as lead when necessary and appropriate. Effective leaders can be found at every level in an organization. Even if you work under someone else's leadership, you can still be a leader in your ideas and attitudes about your job.
While it may be true that some people seem to fall into the role of leader more easily than others, it is possible for most of us to develop the abilities that will help us take charge, motivate others, and make good decisions. Below are some of the top qualities leaders possess.
1. Leaders are Trustworthy and Act with Integrity
In today's business environment where teamwork is crucial, there can be no doubt that all employees must be able to be trusted by their managers, co-workers, and customers. For example, good leaders do not criticize their co-workers behind their backs, and they don't take credit that belongs to everyone on the team. Instead, they build trust by openly admitting their mistakes rather than blaming others. They give credit where credit is due, and they help others celebrate their successes. Leaders build trust with customers and co-workers by acting with integrity. They make sure their words and actions are congruent all the time, not just when it's convenient. They can be counted on to do what is fair and right.
2. Leaders are High Achievers who Strive for Excellence
Many employers who talk about their employees' leadership abilities mention words like "perseverance" and "determination." Leaders keep working to be the best they can be. They stay focused on their goals, but they keep things in perspective and realize that there is always room for improvement. They continually strive to learn more about themselves and their jobs. They integrate excellence into every task. Do you see yourself as a hard worker-as a star performer? Even though you may not own the organization, do you own a sense of pride in your work and your ability to contribute? Do you see yourself striving to outperform others and set new standards of excellence for your department and your organization? A good leader must have a strong desire to be the best by providing outstanding customer service and working hard to create an excellent, cohesive, and productive workforce. Even if they don't succeed at the task, leaders keep working at it.
3. Leaders Make Others Feel Important and Valued
Leaders value other people's worth and opinions and take the time to let them know they are important. They take the time to pay someone a compliment and keep criticisms, complaints, and negative comments short and sweet. They also make both their co-workers and customers feel important by asking questions, listening, and tuning in to their needs. They realize that such questions as, "Do you need some help?" and "Do you want me to listen for your phone while you take a break?" demonstrate their ability to tune into others' needs as well as their own. In your leadership role, how generous are you with positive words and actions? Are you committed to helping others feel better about themselves? Do you value people and their ideas? Making others feel important and valuable could help make you invaluable to your organization.
4. Leaders are Willing to Serve Others
To some people, serving others may seem like the role of a subordinate, not a leader. But in fact, a good leader believes in service to others. If that sounds contradictory, think of words such as "cooperate," "help," "work collectively," and "share" because they more accurately reflect the true nature of service to others. Organizations need employees who are willing to help each other, not whine and complain saying, "That's not my job." The future will demand that people learn new skills outside their area of expertise and use them to support other team members, even when it's "not their job." Are you willing to do what is needed even if it doesn't fall under your specific job description? Leaders support their co-workers when it counts, not just when it's convenient.
5. Leaders are Relationship Builders
An effective leader knows how to build good relationships so that individuals care more about the good of the entire team than about themselves and their own personal glory. In the workplace, employers need employees who can "run with the ball" by themselves when necessary, as well as build and maintain good team relationships. Do you work actively to build good team relationships? Hopefully so, because it is an important part of being an effective leader. Equally important are good relationships with clients and customers. In today's world, many companies do business with people they barely know, sometimes people they've never met. But the most successful and rewarding transactions, more often than not, involve parties who have developed a solid business relationship. Good leaders understand the importance of building good relationships with their colleagues and their customers.
6. Leaders Communicate Effectively
Every CEO, manager, human resource director, employer, and employee must be able to state what they need, want, or prefer with confidence and in a manner that is clear, honest, and forthright. But good leaders must go even further. They must be able to interpret the needs, wants, and preferences of their colleagues and customers to create a cooperative and successful work environment. Effective communication is the cement that binds an organization together. It is the foundation upon which successful teamwork and good customer relationships are built. It is no accident that employees who can communicate effectively and assertively soon find themselves in leadership roles.
While leadership may come naturally for some, for others developing strong leadership skills takes thought, practice, and hard work. But it's definitely worth the effort, because these skills will benefit all of your personal and professional relationships. Leadership skills are life skills.
Being a good leader is a 24-hour a day job. If these are skills you've been neglecting, start developing them now. Today's organizations need employees who are ready and willing to lead at a moment's notice. Your leadership skills and abilities will help determine your present and future employability.
Monday, September 26, 2005
Charting Your Course to Success
Being an Extraordinary Leader Through Tough and Challenging Times
Tough and challenging times will surely come. That is a given. The question is what kind of leadership we will demonstrate during those times. Those who are weak leaders will see lasting damage done, if not see the organization fall apart completely. With Extraordinary Leaders at the helm, however, an organization can actually become stronger and thrive in spite of the tough and challenging times. That should be our goal, so here are some ideas on how to be an Extraordinary Leader in tough and challenging times!
1. Keep Your Eye on the Big Picture.
When things get tough, everybody's temptation is to become acutely focused on the problem. The Extraordinary Leader, however, will keep his or her eye on the big picture. This doesn't mean that we don't address the problem. In fact, we have to address the problem. But what separates a leader from a follower is that the leader doesn't get caught up in the problem. The leader sees the big picture and keeps moving toward the vision. The further they take their followers toward the vision, the further away from the problem they get.
2. Don't Get Caught in the War or the Friendly Fire.
When it gets tough even the most loyal team members can be tempted to start shooting and, unfortunately, they sometimes shoot each other! Rather than focusing on the enemy on the outside, they begin to question each other and find many faults with one another that they normally would not have seen. The Extraordinary Leader is the one who can keep from being drug into the fray. They keep their eye on the big picture and act rationally and objectively. They understand that people are heated and are saying things they don't really mean. The people are firing because they are angry or scared. The Extraordinary Leader understands this and rises above it. This way, they take fewer arrows and they set the example for their followers.
3. Be First to Sacrifice.
When it gets tough, like when there has to be cuts in salaries etc, the leader should do just that - lead. They need to not only be the one who is rewarded the greatest when all is well, but they need to be the first to sacrifice. The Extraordinary leader says, "I know many of you are concerned with the salary cuts. I am too. In the long run we will be healthy again but for the mean time, this is necessary. Understanding this, I want you to know that I am taking a 20% pay reduction myself. I want you to know that we are in this together." The Extraordinary Leader is the first to sacrifice and will be rewarded with the loyalty of his or her followers.
4. Remain Calm.
Panic is one of the basest of human emotions and no one is immune to it. The Extraordinary Leader, however, takes time out regularly to think the issues through so they can remain calm. They remind themselves that all is not lost and there will be another day. They remind themselves that being calm will enable them to make the best decisions - for themselves and for their followers. Panic only leads to disaster, while calm leads to victory.
5. Motivate.
In tough and challenging times, people are naturally down. They tend to be pessimistic. They can't see how it is all going to work out. Thus, they have a hard time getting going. The Extraordinary Leader knows this and will focus in on being the optimistic motivator. He or she will come to the office knowing that for the time being, the mood of the group will be carried and buoyed by them and their attitude. Above all else, they seek to show how the end result will be good - and with this they motivate their followers to continue on, braving the current storms, and on to their shared destiny.
6. Create Small Wins.
One of the ways to motivate is to create small wins. The Extraordinary Leader knows that in tough times his or her people think that all is lost. They wonder if they can win. So the Extraordinary Leader creates opportunities for the team to win, even if they are small. They set smaller, more achievable goals and remind and reward the team members when they hit those goals. With each small win, the leader is building the esteem and attitude of his followers, digging them out of their self-created hole of fear.
7. Keep a Sense of Humor.
Look, hardly anything in life can't be laughed at. The Extraordinary Leader knows that even if the whole company goes down the drain, we still go home to our families and live a life of love with them. The Extraordinary Leader keeps perspective and knows that we humans act irrationally when we get scared and fail, and sometimes that is humorous. Don't ever laugh at someone's expense in this situation, because that will be perceived at cold and heartless, regardless of what you meant by it, but do keep the ability to laugh at yourself and the situations that present themselves. By doing this you will keep yourself and your team in an attitude that will eventually beat the tough times.
Tough and challenging times will surely come. That is a given. The question is what kind of leadership we will demonstrate during those times. Those who are weak leaders will see lasting damage done, if not see the organization fall apart completely. With Extraordinary Leaders at the helm, however, an organization can actually become stronger and thrive in spite of the tough and challenging times. That should be our goal, so here are some ideas on how to be an Extraordinary Leader in tough and challenging times!
1. Keep Your Eye on the Big Picture.
When things get tough, everybody's temptation is to become acutely focused on the problem. The Extraordinary Leader, however, will keep his or her eye on the big picture. This doesn't mean that we don't address the problem. In fact, we have to address the problem. But what separates a leader from a follower is that the leader doesn't get caught up in the problem. The leader sees the big picture and keeps moving toward the vision. The further they take their followers toward the vision, the further away from the problem they get.
2. Don't Get Caught in the War or the Friendly Fire.
When it gets tough even the most loyal team members can be tempted to start shooting and, unfortunately, they sometimes shoot each other! Rather than focusing on the enemy on the outside, they begin to question each other and find many faults with one another that they normally would not have seen. The Extraordinary Leader is the one who can keep from being drug into the fray. They keep their eye on the big picture and act rationally and objectively. They understand that people are heated and are saying things they don't really mean. The people are firing because they are angry or scared. The Extraordinary Leader understands this and rises above it. This way, they take fewer arrows and they set the example for their followers.
3. Be First to Sacrifice.
When it gets tough, like when there has to be cuts in salaries etc, the leader should do just that - lead. They need to not only be the one who is rewarded the greatest when all is well, but they need to be the first to sacrifice. The Extraordinary leader says, "I know many of you are concerned with the salary cuts. I am too. In the long run we will be healthy again but for the mean time, this is necessary. Understanding this, I want you to know that I am taking a 20% pay reduction myself. I want you to know that we are in this together." The Extraordinary Leader is the first to sacrifice and will be rewarded with the loyalty of his or her followers.
4. Remain Calm.
Panic is one of the basest of human emotions and no one is immune to it. The Extraordinary Leader, however, takes time out regularly to think the issues through so they can remain calm. They remind themselves that all is not lost and there will be another day. They remind themselves that being calm will enable them to make the best decisions - for themselves and for their followers. Panic only leads to disaster, while calm leads to victory.
5. Motivate.
In tough and challenging times, people are naturally down. They tend to be pessimistic. They can't see how it is all going to work out. Thus, they have a hard time getting going. The Extraordinary Leader knows this and will focus in on being the optimistic motivator. He or she will come to the office knowing that for the time being, the mood of the group will be carried and buoyed by them and their attitude. Above all else, they seek to show how the end result will be good - and with this they motivate their followers to continue on, braving the current storms, and on to their shared destiny.
6. Create Small Wins.
One of the ways to motivate is to create small wins. The Extraordinary Leader knows that in tough times his or her people think that all is lost. They wonder if they can win. So the Extraordinary Leader creates opportunities for the team to win, even if they are small. They set smaller, more achievable goals and remind and reward the team members when they hit those goals. With each small win, the leader is building the esteem and attitude of his followers, digging them out of their self-created hole of fear.
7. Keep a Sense of Humor.
Look, hardly anything in life can't be laughed at. The Extraordinary Leader knows that even if the whole company goes down the drain, we still go home to our families and live a life of love with them. The Extraordinary Leader keeps perspective and knows that we humans act irrationally when we get scared and fail, and sometimes that is humorous. Don't ever laugh at someone's expense in this situation, because that will be perceived at cold and heartless, regardless of what you meant by it, but do keep the ability to laugh at yourself and the situations that present themselves. By doing this you will keep yourself and your team in an attitude that will eventually beat the tough times.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Are You a Hunter or Fisherman?
Jim Rohn says, "Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person you become." So I have an interesting question for you (and for the moment it may seem completely unrelated, but stick with me...): Are you a hunter or a fisherman?
Now let me explain: Last week as I spoke to a group of about 100 business people, we looked at a theme I frequently speak about: Hunting and Fishing. No, not actual hunting and fishing; but instead the analogy that hunting and fishing provides us as it relates to success in general, and leadership and influence specifically. You see, there are two kinds of people: those who hunt (and are constantly tracking down success), and those who fish (or let success and leadership come to them).
So in our analogy, let me tell you why fishing is better. Fishing is about attraction. It is about magnetically having success and influence come to you. When you are hunting, everything just runs away!
How do you fish rather than hunt? Good question. Fishing is all about presenting great bait. So what is the bait? YOU! That is why personal development is so important. The more we improve, the more attractive we become to others and to success! We should make it an everyday goal to develop ourselves and improve so as to become the best people we can be. As we do that, we will begin to see success come our way with less effort than if we just sat in the same old spot personally all the time.
Take some time each day, beginning with this blog, to improve yourself, and become a fisher of success and influence!
You Are Made for Success!
Now let me explain: Last week as I spoke to a group of about 100 business people, we looked at a theme I frequently speak about: Hunting and Fishing. No, not actual hunting and fishing; but instead the analogy that hunting and fishing provides us as it relates to success in general, and leadership and influence specifically. You see, there are two kinds of people: those who hunt (and are constantly tracking down success), and those who fish (or let success and leadership come to them).
So in our analogy, let me tell you why fishing is better. Fishing is about attraction. It is about magnetically having success and influence come to you. When you are hunting, everything just runs away!
How do you fish rather than hunt? Good question. Fishing is all about presenting great bait. So what is the bait? YOU! That is why personal development is so important. The more we improve, the more attractive we become to others and to success! We should make it an everyday goal to develop ourselves and improve so as to become the best people we can be. As we do that, we will begin to see success come our way with less effort than if we just sat in the same old spot personally all the time.
Take some time each day, beginning with this blog, to improve yourself, and become a fisher of success and influence!
You Are Made for Success!
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
A Dollar and Some Ambition by Jim Rohn (excerpted from "Building Your Business" CD)
A Dollar and Some Ambition by Jim Rohn (excerpted from "Building Your Business" CD)
Capital in your business isn't what matters. It isn't the money that buys you a future; it's your skills that buy you a future. Money and no skills, I'm telling you, you are still poor. Money and no ambition, where are you? Money and no courage, you're broke. A little bit of money and a whole lot of courage is all we need.
When looking for people, don't always look for the ones with money, money doesn't matter. What matters is somebody's willingness, somebody's ingenuity, somebody's willingness to try. If they have a dollar to invest that's plenty for me. A dollar and some ambition and I can show you how to get rich and it will be one of the classic stories of the company. When recruiting somebody and they would say, "I don't have any money", I'd say "I've been looking for you for six months! Let me show you how to do it without any money."
Because here are the rules of capitalism: you can either buy and sell or, if you are in certain circumstances, you can sell and buy. That is, if you've got ambition. Now if you haven't got ambition we can't cure that and money can't cure it ? lack of ambition. But if you have a dollar and some ambition I will show you how to get rich. Even if you don't have a dollar I will show you how to get rich, because you can sell and buy. Somebody says, "As soon as the product arrives I'll sell it." No, no, you don't understand. You don't understand the magic of fortune if you say I have to wait till the product gets here. And you probably don't understand the value of your own story.
By selling and buying you are simply sharing from your own excitement and belief about the product and the opportunity. Once the customer says yes, ask for the money and then go get the product. After doing this three or four times, you will be able to buy and sell, but never let money keep you from an opportunity when you have in it's place true ambition, faith and courage.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
This article was excerpted from Jim Rohn's Building Your Business single CD. For more information or to purchase this best-selling CD in singles or quantities, visit http://www.jimrohn.com/?kbid=5500
Capital in your business isn't what matters. It isn't the money that buys you a future; it's your skills that buy you a future. Money and no skills, I'm telling you, you are still poor. Money and no ambition, where are you? Money and no courage, you're broke. A little bit of money and a whole lot of courage is all we need.
When looking for people, don't always look for the ones with money, money doesn't matter. What matters is somebody's willingness, somebody's ingenuity, somebody's willingness to try. If they have a dollar to invest that's plenty for me. A dollar and some ambition and I can show you how to get rich and it will be one of the classic stories of the company. When recruiting somebody and they would say, "I don't have any money", I'd say "I've been looking for you for six months! Let me show you how to do it without any money."
Because here are the rules of capitalism: you can either buy and sell or, if you are in certain circumstances, you can sell and buy. That is, if you've got ambition. Now if you haven't got ambition we can't cure that and money can't cure it ? lack of ambition. But if you have a dollar and some ambition I will show you how to get rich. Even if you don't have a dollar I will show you how to get rich, because you can sell and buy. Somebody says, "As soon as the product arrives I'll sell it." No, no, you don't understand. You don't understand the magic of fortune if you say I have to wait till the product gets here. And you probably don't understand the value of your own story.
By selling and buying you are simply sharing from your own excitement and belief about the product and the opportunity. Once the customer says yes, ask for the money and then go get the product. After doing this three or four times, you will be able to buy and sell, but never let money keep you from an opportunity when you have in it's place true ambition, faith and courage.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
This article was excerpted from Jim Rohn's Building Your Business single CD. For more information or to purchase this best-selling CD in singles or quantities, visit http://www.jimrohn.com/?kbid=5500
Saturday, September 17, 2005
Patience, time, knowledge
Here are three things that struck me this week and some thoughts for you on each.
Allow for the passing of time. I, for one, am impatient, and perhaps you are too. One thing I have found to be helpful - even though it is hard - is to become more patient and be willing to allow time to pass. Sometimes the only thing that is standing between you and a dream is time. Sometimes things aren't ready for you in order to make your dream come true. You may be ready, but an important partner may not be. You may be ready, but your company may not be.
So allow time to pass. And while it is passing and everything is coming into alignment so you can soar when things do come together, continue to work on yourself so you are even better when the time arrives.
I know that life is short and we want to get on with things, but we must also realize that there is a time and a season for everything, and our job is to do the work in due time. By doing so, we not only perform better and succeed more, we also enjoy the journey a lot more.
Why not see how much you can become? There are a few different kinds of people in this world. There are those who never try to become much of anything. There are those who decide that they want to attain a certain level, and then live at that level, regardless of whether or not they could go further (this includes both under and overachievers). And there are people who will stretch and go as far as they possibly can.
Which group are you in? I am certain that you aren't in that first group or you wouldn't even be reading this. But which of the two remaining groups are you in?
Are you in the group that stops at some level, or the group that constantly strives for more? I am in the group that strives for more because I want to see how far I can go. I want to see how good my relationships can be. I want to see how many great books I can write. I want to speak to as many audiences as possible. I want to see how many lives I can change. I want to see how much wealth I can attain.
I want, in every area of my life, to see how far I can go. I hope that how far I go is beyond even what I can imagine for myself at this point in my life - and that's pretty far!
What about you? How far could you go? What could you become with all the effort you have within you?
Your life is short. Give it your all. There will be plenty of time for rest when your life is over!
Ignorance is tragedy. Knowledge is one of the most powerful tools in the entire universe. It has been said that, "Ignorance is bliss," that if you don't know something, it can't affect you. That's about as bogus as it gets.
In all we do, we should first and foremost seek to understand, to gain knowledge. We should seek to know all that we can in our spiritual quests, in our relationships, in handling finances and in our health. We should seek to know anything and everything that can be stored in our minds and then transformed into the reality of lives by applied action.
Knowledge is a resource we draw on when it comes time to act. To the degree that you have knowledge stored, you will enhance your actions. For example, if you have tremendous knowledge about relationships and how they work, then you attempt to improve a relationship, you have that knowledge available to you. If you do not have that knowledge, then you are flying blind and your attempts will be at best trial and error.
So, continue to grow in your knowledge and have it ready when it comes time to act.
Allow for the passing of time. I, for one, am impatient, and perhaps you are too. One thing I have found to be helpful - even though it is hard - is to become more patient and be willing to allow time to pass. Sometimes the only thing that is standing between you and a dream is time. Sometimes things aren't ready for you in order to make your dream come true. You may be ready, but an important partner may not be. You may be ready, but your company may not be.
So allow time to pass. And while it is passing and everything is coming into alignment so you can soar when things do come together, continue to work on yourself so you are even better when the time arrives.
I know that life is short and we want to get on with things, but we must also realize that there is a time and a season for everything, and our job is to do the work in due time. By doing so, we not only perform better and succeed more, we also enjoy the journey a lot more.
Why not see how much you can become? There are a few different kinds of people in this world. There are those who never try to become much of anything. There are those who decide that they want to attain a certain level, and then live at that level, regardless of whether or not they could go further (this includes both under and overachievers). And there are people who will stretch and go as far as they possibly can.
Which group are you in? I am certain that you aren't in that first group or you wouldn't even be reading this. But which of the two remaining groups are you in?
Are you in the group that stops at some level, or the group that constantly strives for more? I am in the group that strives for more because I want to see how far I can go. I want to see how good my relationships can be. I want to see how many great books I can write. I want to speak to as many audiences as possible. I want to see how many lives I can change. I want to see how much wealth I can attain.
I want, in every area of my life, to see how far I can go. I hope that how far I go is beyond even what I can imagine for myself at this point in my life - and that's pretty far!
What about you? How far could you go? What could you become with all the effort you have within you?
Your life is short. Give it your all. There will be plenty of time for rest when your life is over!
Ignorance is tragedy. Knowledge is one of the most powerful tools in the entire universe. It has been said that, "Ignorance is bliss," that if you don't know something, it can't affect you. That's about as bogus as it gets.
In all we do, we should first and foremost seek to understand, to gain knowledge. We should seek to know all that we can in our spiritual quests, in our relationships, in handling finances and in our health. We should seek to know anything and everything that can be stored in our minds and then transformed into the reality of lives by applied action.
Knowledge is a resource we draw on when it comes time to act. To the degree that you have knowledge stored, you will enhance your actions. For example, if you have tremendous knowledge about relationships and how they work, then you attempt to improve a relationship, you have that knowledge available to you. If you do not have that knowledge, then you are flying blind and your attempts will be at best trial and error.
So, continue to grow in your knowledge and have it ready when it comes time to act.
Friday, September 16, 2005
Forging Your Character by Jim Rohn
Forging Your Character by Jim Rohn (excerpted from Leading an Inspired Life book)
Personal success is built on the foundation of character, and character is the result of hundreds and hundreds of choices you may make that gradually turn who you are at any given moment into who you want to be. If that decision-making process is not present, you'll still be somebody?you'll still be alive?but you may have a personality rather than a character, and to me that's something very different.
Character isn't something you were born with and can't change, like your fingerprints. It's something you must take responsibility for forming. You build character by how you respond to what happens in your life, whether it's winning every game, losing every game, getting rich or dealing with hard times.
You build character from certain qualities that you must create and diligently nurture within yourself, just like you would a plant and water a seed or gather wood to build a campfire. You've got to look for those things in your heart and in your gut. You've got to chisel away in order to find them, just like chiseling away rock to create the sculpture that has previously existed only in the imagination.
But the really amazing thing about character is that, if you're sincerely committed to making yourself into the person you want to be, you'll not only create those qualities, you'll strengthen them and re-create them in abundance, even as you're drawing on them everyday of your life. That's why building your character is vital to becoming all you can be.
Personal success is built on the foundation of character, and character is the result of hundreds and hundreds of choices you may make that gradually turn who you are at any given moment into who you want to be. If that decision-making process is not present, you'll still be somebody?you'll still be alive?but you may have a personality rather than a character, and to me that's something very different.
Character isn't something you were born with and can't change, like your fingerprints. It's something you must take responsibility for forming. You build character by how you respond to what happens in your life, whether it's winning every game, losing every game, getting rich or dealing with hard times.
You build character from certain qualities that you must create and diligently nurture within yourself, just like you would a plant and water a seed or gather wood to build a campfire. You've got to look for those things in your heart and in your gut. You've got to chisel away in order to find them, just like chiseling away rock to create the sculpture that has previously existed only in the imagination.
But the really amazing thing about character is that, if you're sincerely committed to making yourself into the person you want to be, you'll not only create those qualities, you'll strengthen them and re-create them in abundance, even as you're drawing on them everyday of your life. That's why building your character is vital to becoming all you can be.
Develop A Prosperity Consciousness by Brian Tracy
Develop A Prosperity Consciousness by Brian Tracy
The starting point of all riches is the development of a prosperity consciousness. You must become a financial success in your thinking long before you achieve it in your reality. Both poverty and riches are the result of a state of mind, and the most important single step you ever take on the road to wealth and financial independence is the decision to change your thinking, to impress into your mind an unshakable belief that you can and will achieve your financial goals. This must happen before anything else happens.
Think and Grow Rich:
While I was growing up, I was fascinated by stories of successful men and women and how they made and lost their fortunes, and then made them over again. I read about the importance of a prosperity consciousness in the book, Think And Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, several times. But I never fully understood what it meant until about five years ago. Then it hit me and I've never been quite the same since. Every aspect of my life has improved dramatically, especially in the area of accumulating wealth, since I finally understood what it meant by a prosperity consciousness.
Two Great Discoveries:
Here are two of the most exciting principles ever discovered in the long search by mankind for the secrets of health, happiness and great personal wealth.
All Causation Is Mental:
The first principle is this. All causation is mental. All causation is mental. That means everything that you are or ever will be will be as a result of how you use your mind. You are merely a mind with a body to carry it around with. The entire man made world that you see is simply an expression of thought. Your entire life is an expression of your own thinking. And since the quality of your thinking determines the quality of your life, if you improve the quality of your thinking, you must, you will, inevitably improve the quality of your life.
The Law of Expectations:
The second principle is what we call the law of expectations. This law says that whatever you expect with confidence, positive or negative, becomes your reality. If you confidently expect to succeed, if you confidently expect to learn something from every experience, if you confidently expect to become wealthy as a result of applying your talents and abilities to your opportunities and you maintain that attitude of confident expectations long enough, it will become your reality. It will give you a positive optimistic cheerful attitude that will cause people to want to help you, and will cause things to happen the way you want them to happen.
Action Steps:
Here are two things you can do immediately to practice these principles in your day to day life:
First, start thinking today in a positive, optimistic, confident way about personal and financial success. Continually imagine what differences it would make in your life if you were financially independent. This is the starting point of developing a prosperity consciousness.
Second, develop your own attitude of positive expectations. Look for the good in every situation. Look for the valuable lesson in every setback or difficulty. Be positive and cheerful about everything that happens and you will be amazed at the difference it makes in your life.
The starting point of all riches is the development of a prosperity consciousness. You must become a financial success in your thinking long before you achieve it in your reality. Both poverty and riches are the result of a state of mind, and the most important single step you ever take on the road to wealth and financial independence is the decision to change your thinking, to impress into your mind an unshakable belief that you can and will achieve your financial goals. This must happen before anything else happens.
Think and Grow Rich:
While I was growing up, I was fascinated by stories of successful men and women and how they made and lost their fortunes, and then made them over again. I read about the importance of a prosperity consciousness in the book, Think And Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, several times. But I never fully understood what it meant until about five years ago. Then it hit me and I've never been quite the same since. Every aspect of my life has improved dramatically, especially in the area of accumulating wealth, since I finally understood what it meant by a prosperity consciousness.
Two Great Discoveries:
Here are two of the most exciting principles ever discovered in the long search by mankind for the secrets of health, happiness and great personal wealth.
All Causation Is Mental:
The first principle is this. All causation is mental. All causation is mental. That means everything that you are or ever will be will be as a result of how you use your mind. You are merely a mind with a body to carry it around with. The entire man made world that you see is simply an expression of thought. Your entire life is an expression of your own thinking. And since the quality of your thinking determines the quality of your life, if you improve the quality of your thinking, you must, you will, inevitably improve the quality of your life.
The Law of Expectations:
The second principle is what we call the law of expectations. This law says that whatever you expect with confidence, positive or negative, becomes your reality. If you confidently expect to succeed, if you confidently expect to learn something from every experience, if you confidently expect to become wealthy as a result of applying your talents and abilities to your opportunities and you maintain that attitude of confident expectations long enough, it will become your reality. It will give you a positive optimistic cheerful attitude that will cause people to want to help you, and will cause things to happen the way you want them to happen.
Action Steps:
Here are two things you can do immediately to practice these principles in your day to day life:
First, start thinking today in a positive, optimistic, confident way about personal and financial success. Continually imagine what differences it would make in your life if you were financially independent. This is the starting point of developing a prosperity consciousness.
Second, develop your own attitude of positive expectations. Look for the good in every situation. Look for the valuable lesson in every setback or difficulty. Be positive and cheerful about everything that happens and you will be amazed at the difference it makes in your life.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Boosting Your Immune System During the Rainy Days
Boosting Your Immune System During the Rainy Days
Think the flu shot is the only way to beat the cold and flu season? Think again. Even if you're in high-risk group, the vaccination will only protect you against a few strains of the flu, so it still leaves you vulnerable to the myriad of other viruses out there. Your best bet is to support your immune system by reducing stress and getting adequate rest and nutrition. And be prepared with some powerful natural remedies in case you do catch a cold or the flu.
Colds-also called upper respiratory tract infections, or URIs for short-are the No. 1 infectious illness around the world and affect about 5% of Filipinos at any given time. It's not unusual for an otherwise healthy adult to get between two and four URIs per year. And a typical toddler can have anywhere from six to 10, especially if he or she is in school or day care. Here in the Philippines, the flu season has started same time with the rainy season, when 4 million to 5 million people can afflicted each year.
Here's a primer: Colds tend to come on slowly, mostly affect the head and throat, and usually don't cause a high fever or other prominent systemic symptoms. It's rare for a cold to progress into anything worse than a scratchy throat, nasal congestion and a headache. In contrast, the flu strikes with a vengeance that can sometimes be devastating. It usually comes on quickly with a fever, diffuse muscle aches, intense fatigue and a severe cough. The flu is responsible for 1,000 to 2,500 deaths each year in the Philippines, usually as a consequence of pneumonia.
Viruses don't cause symptoms by themselves. As soon as our immune cells realize that the body is under attack, they are activated onto releasing an array of messenger proteins and alarm chemicals. These substances are responsible for what is called the inflammatory response, with increased mucous production, swollen respiratory membranes, elevated body temperature and achy muscles. Even though all this congestion and heat can make you feel miserable, it is simply a consequence if your body doing what it has been programmed to do: Repel a foreign invader.
If your symptoms are bad enough to warrant a visit to your medical doctor, you will probably be given some combination of a decongestant (for shrinking swollen nasal membranes), a cough suppressant, an antihistamine (for drying up mucus), and/or an anti-inflammatory drug for alleviating pain and reducing fever. These medications may bring short-term relief, but they can also cause drowsiness, dizziness, anxiety and elevated blood pressure.
Furthermore, since they work by attempting to suppress the inflammatory response, they can actually increase the time it takes to recover from the infection. For example, some laboratory studies have found that suppressing a fever with aspirin or similar drugs allows both cold and influenza viruses to reproduce at a faster rate and may prolong the time it takes to clear them from the body.
If you definitely have the flu, you might be given a prescription for one of the newer antiviral drugs, such as either oseltamivir. Research shows that, at best, these drugs can shorten the length of illness by one or two days, but unless they are started within the first 48 hours of the infection, the drugs are minimally effective. In addition, they are expensive costing at least P1,000 for a five-day supply.
The bottom line for all of these interventions is that none of them does anything to assist the immune system in its task of fighting off the virus, and many of them can make the situation worse in the long run. In contrast, there are a number of natural remedies and nutritional supplements that can help alleviate the symptoms and accelerate the healing process without causing negative side effects. We have found the following to be among the most effective.
Chicken soup
One thousand years have passed since the death of the famed Egyptian Jewish physician-philosopher Moses Maimonides, but his recommendation to eat chicken soup for relief of the common cold and asthmatic symptoms lives on. Perhaps Maimonides would be pleased to learn that several medical studies have confirmed the accuracy of his sage advice. Research done in 1978 at the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Miami showed that hot chicken broth is more effective than plain hot water or other liquids at clearing up congestion and increasing airflow in the nasal passages and lungs.
Research conducted in the 1980s at the UCLA School of Medicine found that cooking chicken releases high amounts of the amino acid cysteine (which actively thins mucus), especially when it is combined with such spices as garlic and chili peppers. More recently, a study conducted in 2000 at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha found that chicken soup contains substances that mitigate the excessive inflammatory response produced by white blood cells without interfering with their ability to fight off viruses. All of this adds up to a tasty and nontoxic remedy.
LifePak balances immune support
Vitamins A, C, E, carotenoids, vitamin B6, and zinc help to bolster the immune system and give your body the nutrients to perform optimally. LifePak contains optimal levels of these nutrients to support the normal function of the immune system and keep the body healthy. LifePak has been formulated to provide the nutrients missing from diets that fail to include 5 to 7 servings of fruits and vegetables.
IgG Boost Colostrum Microfiltrate boost your immunity
The immune compounds of colostrums include special proteins and messenger molecules that work with the body's own immune system to promote optimal health and wellness. The immune supporting proteins found in colostrum provide supplemental help to the body's own production of antibodies and include immunoglobulins, lactoferrin, and bioactive enzymes that provide specific immunity in the gut. The messenger molecules of colostrums include cytokines that function as messengers between immune cells and other memory transfer factors that pass immune "memory" from one cell to another. Colostrum also contains important oligosaccharides, found in human breast milk and in the first milk of cows, which support the immune system.
One particularly active component of both human and bovine colostrums is immunoglobulin G or IgG. Providing front-line immune support in the gut, IgG sticks to invading microorganisms making them easier for the body to recognize and eliminate. IgG also neutralizes possibly injurious toxic waste products.
In the developed world, people who eat correctly and take care of their bodies usually have healthy immune systems. However, most individuals undergo periods when their immune resistance is challenged. Stress and occasional sleeplessness, exercise training and fatigue, or poor diet can diminish the body's production of immune-fighting proteins. Production can also decrease with age by as much as 10% per decade after age 50.
Our immune systems can be further challenged by international travel and commerce that increase our exposure to a global network of potentially harmful microorganisms. Recent clinical studies show that regular consumption of bovine colostrums may strengthen our immune system by providing supplemental quantities of immune proteins.
IgG BoostTM contains Pharmanex's proprietary Colostrum MFTTM, a high-quality, standardized extract of bovine colostrums that took twelve years and $50 million to develop. Derived using a patented microfiltration process, Colostrum MFTTM has an extract standardized to 50% IgG content, making Colostrum MFTTM many times more concentrated than other colostrums products on the market today. Each daily dose of IgG BoostTM delivers 500 times the IgG concentration of raw milk and provides critical supplemental immune support to your body's own antibodies. IgG BoostTM is purified from excess first milk of cows in the dairy industry and meets the strict Pharmanex 6S quality standards for safety and efficacy.
Boost your immune system now!
You can buy Pharmanex products from the following link: (Register as a customer or a distributor)
http://www.pharmanexusa.com/cgi-bin/pxweb/profile/en/registrationMain.jsp?spons_ID=PH3716571
Think the flu shot is the only way to beat the cold and flu season? Think again. Even if you're in high-risk group, the vaccination will only protect you against a few strains of the flu, so it still leaves you vulnerable to the myriad of other viruses out there. Your best bet is to support your immune system by reducing stress and getting adequate rest and nutrition. And be prepared with some powerful natural remedies in case you do catch a cold or the flu.
Colds-also called upper respiratory tract infections, or URIs for short-are the No. 1 infectious illness around the world and affect about 5% of Filipinos at any given time. It's not unusual for an otherwise healthy adult to get between two and four URIs per year. And a typical toddler can have anywhere from six to 10, especially if he or she is in school or day care. Here in the Philippines, the flu season has started same time with the rainy season, when 4 million to 5 million people can afflicted each year.
Here's a primer: Colds tend to come on slowly, mostly affect the head and throat, and usually don't cause a high fever or other prominent systemic symptoms. It's rare for a cold to progress into anything worse than a scratchy throat, nasal congestion and a headache. In contrast, the flu strikes with a vengeance that can sometimes be devastating. It usually comes on quickly with a fever, diffuse muscle aches, intense fatigue and a severe cough. The flu is responsible for 1,000 to 2,500 deaths each year in the Philippines, usually as a consequence of pneumonia.
Viruses don't cause symptoms by themselves. As soon as our immune cells realize that the body is under attack, they are activated onto releasing an array of messenger proteins and alarm chemicals. These substances are responsible for what is called the inflammatory response, with increased mucous production, swollen respiratory membranes, elevated body temperature and achy muscles. Even though all this congestion and heat can make you feel miserable, it is simply a consequence if your body doing what it has been programmed to do: Repel a foreign invader.
If your symptoms are bad enough to warrant a visit to your medical doctor, you will probably be given some combination of a decongestant (for shrinking swollen nasal membranes), a cough suppressant, an antihistamine (for drying up mucus), and/or an anti-inflammatory drug for alleviating pain and reducing fever. These medications may bring short-term relief, but they can also cause drowsiness, dizziness, anxiety and elevated blood pressure.
Furthermore, since they work by attempting to suppress the inflammatory response, they can actually increase the time it takes to recover from the infection. For example, some laboratory studies have found that suppressing a fever with aspirin or similar drugs allows both cold and influenza viruses to reproduce at a faster rate and may prolong the time it takes to clear them from the body.
If you definitely have the flu, you might be given a prescription for one of the newer antiviral drugs, such as either oseltamivir. Research shows that, at best, these drugs can shorten the length of illness by one or two days, but unless they are started within the first 48 hours of the infection, the drugs are minimally effective. In addition, they are expensive costing at least P1,000 for a five-day supply.
The bottom line for all of these interventions is that none of them does anything to assist the immune system in its task of fighting off the virus, and many of them can make the situation worse in the long run. In contrast, there are a number of natural remedies and nutritional supplements that can help alleviate the symptoms and accelerate the healing process without causing negative side effects. We have found the following to be among the most effective.
Chicken soup
One thousand years have passed since the death of the famed Egyptian Jewish physician-philosopher Moses Maimonides, but his recommendation to eat chicken soup for relief of the common cold and asthmatic symptoms lives on. Perhaps Maimonides would be pleased to learn that several medical studies have confirmed the accuracy of his sage advice. Research done in 1978 at the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Miami showed that hot chicken broth is more effective than plain hot water or other liquids at clearing up congestion and increasing airflow in the nasal passages and lungs.
Research conducted in the 1980s at the UCLA School of Medicine found that cooking chicken releases high amounts of the amino acid cysteine (which actively thins mucus), especially when it is combined with such spices as garlic and chili peppers. More recently, a study conducted in 2000 at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha found that chicken soup contains substances that mitigate the excessive inflammatory response produced by white blood cells without interfering with their ability to fight off viruses. All of this adds up to a tasty and nontoxic remedy.
LifePak balances immune support
Vitamins A, C, E, carotenoids, vitamin B6, and zinc help to bolster the immune system and give your body the nutrients to perform optimally. LifePak contains optimal levels of these nutrients to support the normal function of the immune system and keep the body healthy. LifePak has been formulated to provide the nutrients missing from diets that fail to include 5 to 7 servings of fruits and vegetables.
IgG Boost Colostrum Microfiltrate boost your immunity
The immune compounds of colostrums include special proteins and messenger molecules that work with the body's own immune system to promote optimal health and wellness. The immune supporting proteins found in colostrum provide supplemental help to the body's own production of antibodies and include immunoglobulins, lactoferrin, and bioactive enzymes that provide specific immunity in the gut. The messenger molecules of colostrums include cytokines that function as messengers between immune cells and other memory transfer factors that pass immune "memory" from one cell to another. Colostrum also contains important oligosaccharides, found in human breast milk and in the first milk of cows, which support the immune system.
One particularly active component of both human and bovine colostrums is immunoglobulin G or IgG. Providing front-line immune support in the gut, IgG sticks to invading microorganisms making them easier for the body to recognize and eliminate. IgG also neutralizes possibly injurious toxic waste products.
In the developed world, people who eat correctly and take care of their bodies usually have healthy immune systems. However, most individuals undergo periods when their immune resistance is challenged. Stress and occasional sleeplessness, exercise training and fatigue, or poor diet can diminish the body's production of immune-fighting proteins. Production can also decrease with age by as much as 10% per decade after age 50.
Our immune systems can be further challenged by international travel and commerce that increase our exposure to a global network of potentially harmful microorganisms. Recent clinical studies show that regular consumption of bovine colostrums may strengthen our immune system by providing supplemental quantities of immune proteins.
IgG BoostTM contains Pharmanex's proprietary Colostrum MFTTM, a high-quality, standardized extract of bovine colostrums that took twelve years and $50 million to develop. Derived using a patented microfiltration process, Colostrum MFTTM has an extract standardized to 50% IgG content, making Colostrum MFTTM many times more concentrated than other colostrums products on the market today. Each daily dose of IgG BoostTM delivers 500 times the IgG concentration of raw milk and provides critical supplemental immune support to your body's own antibodies. IgG BoostTM is purified from excess first milk of cows in the dairy industry and meets the strict Pharmanex 6S quality standards for safety and efficacy.
Boost your immune system now!
You can buy Pharmanex products from the following link: (Register as a customer or a distributor)
http://www.pharmanexusa.com/cgi-bin/pxweb/profile/en/registrationMain.jsp?spons_ID=PH3716571
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Maintaining Honesty and Integrity
For a leader, honesty and integrity are absolutely essential to survival. A lot of business people don't realize how closely they're being watched by their subordinates. Remember when you were a kid in grammar school, how you used to sit there staring at your teacher all day? By the end of the school year, you could do a perfect imitation of all your teacher's mannerisms. You were aware of the slightest nuances in your teacher's voice - all the little clues that distinguished levels of meaning that told you the difference between bluff and "now I mean business".
And you were able to do that after eight or nine months of observation. Suppose you had five or 10 years. Do you think there would have been anything about your teacher you didn't know?
Now fast forward and use that analogy as a manager. Do you think there's anything your people don't know about you right this minute? If you haven't been totally aboveboard and honest with them, do you really think you've gotten away with it? Not too likely. But if you've been led to believe that you've gotten away with it, there might be a good probability that people are afraid of you, and that's a problem in its own right.
But there is another side of this coin. In any organization, people want to believe in their leaders. If you give them reason to trust you, they're not going to go looking for reasons to think otherwise, and they'll be just as perceptive about your positive qualities as they are about the negative ones.
A situation that happened some years ago at a company in the Midwest illustrates this perfectly. The wife of a new employee experienced complications in the delivery of a baby. There was a medical bill of more than $10,000, and the health insurance company didn't want to cover it. The employee hadn't been on the payroll long enough, the pregnancy was a preexisting condition, etc, etc,.
In any case, the employee was desperate. He approached the company CEO and asked him to talk to the insurance people. The CEO agreed, and the next thing the employee knew, the bill was gone and the charges were rescinded.
Then he told some colleagues about the way the CEO had so readily used his influence with the insurance company, they just shook their heads and smiled. The CEO had paid the bill out of his own pocket, and everybody knew it, no matter how quietly it had been done.
Now an act of dishonesty can't be hidden either, and it will instantly undermine the authority of a leader. But an act of integrity and kindness like the example above is just as obvious to all concerned. When you're in a leadership position, you have the choice of how you will be seen, but you Will be seen one way or the other, make no mistake about it.
One of the most challenging areas of leadership is your family. Leadership of a family demands even higher standards of honesty and integrity, and the stakes are higher too. You can replace disgruntled employees and start over. You can even get a new job for yourself, if it comes to that. But your family can't be shuffled like a deck of cards. If you haven't noticed, kids are great moral philosophers, especially as they get into adolescence. They're determined to discover and expose any kind of hypocrisy, phoniness, or lack of integrity on the part of authority figures, and if we're parents, that means us. It's frightening how unforgiving kids can be about this, but it really isn't a conscious decision on their part; it's just a necessary phase of growing up.
They're testing everything, especially their parents.
As a person of integrity yourself, you'll find it easy to teach integrity to your kids, and they in turn will find it easy to accept you as a teacher. This is a great opportunity and also a supreme responsibility, because kids simply must be taught to tell the truth: to mean what they say and to say what they mean.
"Praise is one the world's most effective teaching and leadership tools. Criticism and blame, even if deserved, are counter productive unless all other approaches have failed."
Now for the other side of the equation, we all know people who have gotten ahead as a result of dishonest or unethical behavior. When you're a kid, you might naively think that never happens, but when you get older, you realize that it does. Then you think you've really wised up. But that's not the real end of it. When you get older, you see the long-term consequences of dishonest gain, and you realize that in the end it doesn't pay.
"Hope of dishonest gain is the beginning of loss". I don't think that old saying refers to loss of money. I think it actually means loss of self-respect. You can have all the material things in the world, but if you've lost respect for yourself, what do you really have? The only way to ever attain success and enjoy it is to achieve it honestly with pride in what you've done.
This isn't just a sermon, it's very practical advice. Not only can you take it to heart - you can take it to the bank.
And you were able to do that after eight or nine months of observation. Suppose you had five or 10 years. Do you think there would have been anything about your teacher you didn't know?
Now fast forward and use that analogy as a manager. Do you think there's anything your people don't know about you right this minute? If you haven't been totally aboveboard and honest with them, do you really think you've gotten away with it? Not too likely. But if you've been led to believe that you've gotten away with it, there might be a good probability that people are afraid of you, and that's a problem in its own right.
But there is another side of this coin. In any organization, people want to believe in their leaders. If you give them reason to trust you, they're not going to go looking for reasons to think otherwise, and they'll be just as perceptive about your positive qualities as they are about the negative ones.
A situation that happened some years ago at a company in the Midwest illustrates this perfectly. The wife of a new employee experienced complications in the delivery of a baby. There was a medical bill of more than $10,000, and the health insurance company didn't want to cover it. The employee hadn't been on the payroll long enough, the pregnancy was a preexisting condition, etc, etc,.
In any case, the employee was desperate. He approached the company CEO and asked him to talk to the insurance people. The CEO agreed, and the next thing the employee knew, the bill was gone and the charges were rescinded.
Then he told some colleagues about the way the CEO had so readily used his influence with the insurance company, they just shook their heads and smiled. The CEO had paid the bill out of his own pocket, and everybody knew it, no matter how quietly it had been done.
Now an act of dishonesty can't be hidden either, and it will instantly undermine the authority of a leader. But an act of integrity and kindness like the example above is just as obvious to all concerned. When you're in a leadership position, you have the choice of how you will be seen, but you Will be seen one way or the other, make no mistake about it.
One of the most challenging areas of leadership is your family. Leadership of a family demands even higher standards of honesty and integrity, and the stakes are higher too. You can replace disgruntled employees and start over. You can even get a new job for yourself, if it comes to that. But your family can't be shuffled like a deck of cards. If you haven't noticed, kids are great moral philosophers, especially as they get into adolescence. They're determined to discover and expose any kind of hypocrisy, phoniness, or lack of integrity on the part of authority figures, and if we're parents, that means us. It's frightening how unforgiving kids can be about this, but it really isn't a conscious decision on their part; it's just a necessary phase of growing up.
They're testing everything, especially their parents.
As a person of integrity yourself, you'll find it easy to teach integrity to your kids, and they in turn will find it easy to accept you as a teacher. This is a great opportunity and also a supreme responsibility, because kids simply must be taught to tell the truth: to mean what they say and to say what they mean.
"Praise is one the world's most effective teaching and leadership tools. Criticism and blame, even if deserved, are counter productive unless all other approaches have failed."
Now for the other side of the equation, we all know people who have gotten ahead as a result of dishonest or unethical behavior. When you're a kid, you might naively think that never happens, but when you get older, you realize that it does. Then you think you've really wised up. But that's not the real end of it. When you get older, you see the long-term consequences of dishonest gain, and you realize that in the end it doesn't pay.
"Hope of dishonest gain is the beginning of loss". I don't think that old saying refers to loss of money. I think it actually means loss of self-respect. You can have all the material things in the world, but if you've lost respect for yourself, what do you really have? The only way to ever attain success and enjoy it is to achieve it honestly with pride in what you've done.
This isn't just a sermon, it's very practical advice. Not only can you take it to heart - you can take it to the bank.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
What You Control
Here are three things that struck me this week and some points for you to think about on each.
One: Losers let it happen while winners make it happen. A lot of people just let life pass them by. They are bystanders. onlookers, if you will. They are not participants. "Well, I would like to do that someday." Well, why don't you? You can't just let it happen. You have to make it happen.
In fact, watching these dvd's won't change your life unless you take the ideas you learn and make it happen in your own life. ACTION brings rewards. For example, you may be compelled to start your own business, but until you take your $450 down to the business license department you won't have a business. Until you make that first call on a prospective client, it won't happen. Nobody is going to make it happen for you, except you.
So you are left with a question: Am I one of the people who stands by and lets life happen to me, or am I one who makes my life happen the way I want it to?
Two: Winners are busy doing the work within while they are doing without. There are a lot of people who go without. In fact, except for a few trust fund kids, everybody starts out with nothing. The difference between those who end up "with" as opposed to those who end up "without," is that while without, those who succeed are doing the internal mental work about how to end up "with!" Are you without right now? That's okay, just begin to do the important work of developing yourself, learning ideas and principles that will help you succeed, and taking actions that will change your life. In time, your life will catch up to the mental work you are doing now. This is the idea made famous in Napoleon Hill's book, Think and Grow Rich. Remember, it is THINK and Grow Rich, not SIT and Grow Rich.
Three: What do you control in your life? There are a lot of things we can't control: The weather, the national economy, another person's actions, etc. Successful people understand that there are tons of things that they DO control. Wisdom is knowing to let go of the things you can't control and to take responsibility over those things you can control.
What things can you control that will make a huge difference in your life? Try these on for size:
Your attitude
Your health
Your work ethic
Your relationships and associations
Your money habits
Your spiritual perspective
Your base of knowledge
So, take some time to let go of the things you spend too much time on that you just can't control. like worrying about the economy, and spend more time on things you can control, like your own personal income.
Focusing on what you can control will change your life.
One: Losers let it happen while winners make it happen. A lot of people just let life pass them by. They are bystanders. onlookers, if you will. They are not participants. "Well, I would like to do that someday." Well, why don't you? You can't just let it happen. You have to make it happen.
In fact, watching these dvd's won't change your life unless you take the ideas you learn and make it happen in your own life. ACTION brings rewards. For example, you may be compelled to start your own business, but until you take your $450 down to the business license department you won't have a business. Until you make that first call on a prospective client, it won't happen. Nobody is going to make it happen for you, except you.
So you are left with a question: Am I one of the people who stands by and lets life happen to me, or am I one who makes my life happen the way I want it to?
Two: Winners are busy doing the work within while they are doing without. There are a lot of people who go without. In fact, except for a few trust fund kids, everybody starts out with nothing. The difference between those who end up "with" as opposed to those who end up "without," is that while without, those who succeed are doing the internal mental work about how to end up "with!" Are you without right now? That's okay, just begin to do the important work of developing yourself, learning ideas and principles that will help you succeed, and taking actions that will change your life. In time, your life will catch up to the mental work you are doing now. This is the idea made famous in Napoleon Hill's book, Think and Grow Rich. Remember, it is THINK and Grow Rich, not SIT and Grow Rich.
Three: What do you control in your life? There are a lot of things we can't control: The weather, the national economy, another person's actions, etc. Successful people understand that there are tons of things that they DO control. Wisdom is knowing to let go of the things you can't control and to take responsibility over those things you can control.
What things can you control that will make a huge difference in your life? Try these on for size:
Your attitude
Your health
Your work ethic
Your relationships and associations
Your money habits
Your spiritual perspective
Your base of knowledge
So, take some time to let go of the things you spend too much time on that you just can't control. like worrying about the economy, and spend more time on things you can control, like your own personal income.
Focusing on what you can control will change your life.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Life is a do it with God, to myself, for others project.
The confidence you need is belief in your potential. If you see world class potential in yourself, you'll put in the effort. If you don't see the potential, you won't put in the effort and you'll wait for the performance, and the performance always follows the belief in self.
Life is a do it with God, to myself, for others project.
Life is a do it with God, to myself, for others project.
Saturday, September 03, 2005
Cultivate Your Child-like Thinking
Cultivate Your Child-like Thinking by Lisa Jimenez, M. Ed.
Psychologists say 68% of people miss out on opportunity simply because they are not awake to it. Did you read that clearly?
They are not awake. Most people are in a coma of routine, habit and schedule. They almost have to be. We over stimulate our calendar with so many tasks and errands that it becomes necessary to be in a robotic state of "doing" to ensure everything on the to-do list will get accomplished.
And now, the harassed style of thinking and living has become a habit ? a way of life. You can break through this negative behavior of living by making a conscious effort to become more childlike ? not childish ? but, childlike.
Find amazement with things again!
Did you know that NASA cannot duplicate the flight pattern of a dragon fly?
Did you know that a butterfly's life span is two days ? and that they are never babies? They go right from the cocoon to an adult butterfly?
Did you know the more pollution in the air the more brilliant and bold the sunsets?
Did you know that baby zebras recognize their mommies by the positioning of their stripes ? and the stripe patterns are never duplicated!
Isn't it amazing that alligators lay their eggs at different levels in the ground. And this action determines the gender of the newborn alligator?
Isn't it amazing that it is impossible to be mad and laugh at the same time?
Isn't it amazing that you can cause a grown man or woman with a tough exterior to melt like butter when you say, "I love you."
Isn't it amazing that young children who just meet each other can play like they are lifelong friends within a few seconds?
These facts may seem insignificant. However, the habit of thinking on such things can do amazing things for you. It can cause you to wake up and notice the abundance of wisdom, love, and miracles that are found in every day life!
Just imagine what your life would look like if you called on your natural risk-taking ability. Imagine what your business would look like if you cultivated your childlike thinking. Imagine what your relationships would look like if you were willing to really love!
Let this article be your wakeup call to the amazement of life. It just might cause you to be aware of the abundant opportunity waiting for you in your business and in life!
Cultivate Your Child-like Thinking!
Have a great day!
How to Stay Motivated
Be willing to say to yourself, "I'm on the right road. I'm doing OK. I'm succeeding." We too frequently become adept at pointing out our flaws and identifying failures. Become equally adept at citing your achievements. Identify things you are doing now that you weren't doing one month ago? six months ago? a year ago. What habits have changed? Chart your progress.
Doing well once or twice is relatively easy. Continuously moving ahead is tough, in part, because we so easily revert to old habits and former lifestyles. Over the long run, you need to give yourself regular feedback to monitor your performance and reinforce yourself positively. Don't wait for an award ceremony, promotion, friend or mentor to show appreciation for your work. Take pride in your own efforts on a daily basis.
Keep the end result in sight. Always see the big picture of the ultimate goal you're working for and the benefits that come with it. During World War II, parachutes were being constructed by the thousands. From the workers point of view, the job was tedious and repetitive. (Like making "cold calls" on the phone or in person.) It involved crouching over a sewing machine eight to ten hours a day, stitching endless lengths of colorless fabric. The result was a seamless heap of cloth. But every morning the workers were reminded that each stitch was part of a life-saving operation. As they sewed, they were asked to think that this might be the parachute worn by their husband, brother or son. Although the work was hard and the hours long, the women and men on the assembly line understood their contribution to the larger picture. The same should be true with your work. Each thing you do benefits the health and well being of adults and children throughout the world, not just generally, but specifically. These are the visions that drive us through tedious details to the top.
Set up a dynamic daily routine. Getting into a positive routine or groove, instead of a negative rut, will help you become more effective. Why is the subway the most energy efficient means of transportation? Because it runs on a track.
Think of the order in your day, instead of the routine. Order is not sameness, neatness or everything exactly in its place. Order is not taking on more than you can manage, without still being able to do what you really choose. Order is the opposite of complication; it's simplification. Order is not wasting a lot of time trying to find things. Order is avoiding a lot of recriminations because you didn't do something you promised. Order is setting an effective agenda with others, so neither of you is disappointed. Order is doing in a day what you set out to do.
Order frees you up. Get into the swing of a healthy, daily routine and discover how much more control you'll gain in your life.
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