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August 1, 2009
Einstein's Formula for Success by Ron White
Albert Einstein had a formula for success. Can you believe that? One of the greatest minds of all time developed a math formula for success! I suggest you read this carefullythis may be the most important math equation you will ever see.
Einstein said, If A equals success, then the formula is: A=X+Y+Z.
X is work.
Y is play.
Z is keep your mouth shut.
Einstein no doubt had an excellent sense of humor. Lets look at the 3 variables in this equation. They are:
1. Work
2. Play
3. Keeping your mouth shut!
1. Work: Albert Einstein had a tremendous work ethic and because of that gave more to society and modern science than any person in recent times.
2. Play: Einstein, however, did not work 24 hours a day and made time for fun and relaxation. His idea of fun may have been different than yours, but that doesnt mean it still wasnt play.
3. Keeping your mouth shut: Finally, my favorite part of his success formal is to keep your mouth shut. I genuinely believe that the person who talks the least says the most. A friend of mine complains that the woman he is dating talks too much. I dont know how to break the news to him; however, the problem is not that she talks too much. It simply is the fact that he is irritated that he isnt able to talk. Now, let me just say this is not a generic man and woman statement. I am speaking about a specific person that I know. His desire is to constantly talk and because he likes to talk so much, he will talk in circles. If you let him talk long enough he will repeat the same thing three times and then contradict himself. His desire is not to hear but to be heard.
Albert Einstein, on the other hand, had nothing to prove. He felt no need to be the Chatty Cathy he could have been with his knowledge. It wasnt important to him to talk to everyone he met and talk over their heads to demonstrate his IQ. Instead, he learned the value of quietness and solitude.
Shift your mindset from being a talker to a listener. It has been said that you can make more friends in five minutes by becoming interested in others than you can make in five years of trying to get others interested in you! How do you become interested in others? You ask questions and then keep your mouth shut!
Dale Carnegie wrote a best-selling book titled How to Win Friends and Influence People. One of the key premises of this book was that everyones favorite subject is actually themselves and that the sweetest sound to their ears is the sound of their own name. Einstein knew this and realized he could influence others by choosing his spots to speak and validating others by extending them the courtesy of listening.
Ron White
Reprinted with permission from Your Achievement Ezine
August 2, 2009
Be an Optimist at All Times by Brian Tracy
Everyone wants to be physically healthy. You want to be mentally healthy as well. The true measure of mental fitness is how optimistic you are about yourself and your life.
Below you will learn how to control your thinking in very specific ways so that you feel terrific about yourself and your situation, no matter what happens.
Control Your Reactions and Reponses
There are three basic differences in the reactions of optimists and pessimists. The first difference is that the optimist sees a setback as temporary, while the pessimist sees it as permanent. The optimist sees an unfortunate event, such as an order that falls through or a sales call that fails, as a temporary event, something that is limited in time and that has no real impact on the future. The pessimist, on the other hand, sees negative events as permanent, as part of life and destiny.
Isolate the Incident
The second difference between the optimist and the pessimist is that the optimist sees difficulties as specific, while the pessimist sees them as pervasive. This means that when things go wrong for the optimist, he looks at the event as an isolated incident largely disconnected from other things that are going on in his life.
See Setbacks as Temporary Events
For example, if something you were counting on failed to materialize and you interpreted it to yourself as being an unfortunate event, but something that happens in the course of life and business, you would be reacting like an optimist. The pessimist, on the other hand, sees disappointments as being pervasive. That is, to him they are indications of a problem or shortcoming that pervades every area of life.
Dont Take Failure Personally
The third difference between optimists and pessimists is that optimists see events as external, while pessimists interpret events as personal. When things go wrong, the optimist will tend to see the setback as resulting from external factors over which one has little control.
If the optimist is cut off in traffic, for example, instead of getting angry or upset, he will simply downgrade the importance of the event by saying something like, Oh, well, I guess that person is just having a bad day.
The pessimist on the other hand, has a tendency to take everything personally. If the pessimist is cut off in traffic, he will react as though the other driver has deliberately acted to upset and frustrate him.
Remain Calm and Objective
The hallmark of the fully mature, fully functioning, self-actualizing personality is the ability to be objective and unemotional when caught up in the inevitable storms of daily life. The superior person has the ability to continue talking to himself in a positive and optimistic way, keeping his mind calm, clear and completely under control. The mature personality is more relaxed and aware and capable of interpreting events more realistically and less emotionally than is the immature personality. As a result, the mature person exerts a far greater sense of control and influence over his environment, and is far less likely to be angry, upset or distracted.
Take the Long View
Look upon the inevitable setbacks that you face as being temporary, specific and external. View the negative situation as a single event that is not connected to other potential events and that is caused largely by external factors over which you can have little control. Simply refuse to see the event as being in any way permanent, pervasive or indicative of personal incompetence or inability.
Resolve to think like an optimist, no matter what happens. You may not be able to control events, but you can control the way you react to them.
Action Exercises
Now, here are three actions you can take immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, remind yourself continually that setbacks are only temporary, they will soon be past and nothing is as serious as you think it is.
Second, look upon each problem as a specific event, not connected to other events and not indicative of a pattern of any kind. Deal with it and get on with your life.
Third, recognize that when things go wrong, they are usually caused by a variety of external events. Say to yourself, What cant be cured must be endured, and then get back to thinking about your goals.
Brian Tracy
Reprinted with permission from Your Achievement Ezine
August 3, 2009
Your Dream Can Be Your Future by Chris Widener
Here is a basic truth you must accept and believe if you are to achieve your dream:
Your dream can be a reality! Thats right; your future can actually see you living your dream. It doesnt just have to be a big wish!
When we are young, we are dreamers. Nothing seems too big for us to accomplish. Nothing seems too outrageous. The world is ours on a string, as the old song goes. Until reality hits. Reality is what others want to box you into by saying:
You cant do that.
Nobody has ever done that before.
It will never work.
Youve gone off the deep end now!
All dreamers (who eventually become accomplishers) have heard these things. Yet, they overcome them. They refuse to accept someone elses reality for their own life. They let the average people live their average lives, bound by fear, while they pursue their chosen futuretheir dream! So dont believe the people who tell you that you cant or that you wont. Believe your dream. Believe that it can be your future!
Once you have determined that you can actually live your dream, I want you to memorize this acronym. Ive shared it before, but Ive found it to be tremendously helpful for reminding and motivating us toward our dreams.
D is for Dare: Dare to dream while others dont.
R is for Relentless: Relentlessly pursue your dream, no matter what.
E is for Excellence: Strive for excellence in all you do.
A is for Abandon: Abandon any other alternative plans.
M is for Measure: Constantly measure where you are on your dream journey.
OK, thats great and motivating, but what about the practical stuff? Well, there is certainly practical stuff. No matter how lofty your dream, no matter how spectacular, you will live most of your life in the mundane. Richard Nixon said of the presidency that you campaign with poetry, but govern with prose. The vision is beautiful; the actual is mundanenot bad but everyday, so to speak.
If you are to achieve your dream, you need to plan and work, and work and plan. Here are my thoughts on how to go about reaching your dream and securing it as your future: Decide that you will do it. This may seem elementary, but many people never decide and commit to their dream fully. They simply keep thinking about it. Tell others you are going to do it. This puts you on the record as to what you are dreaming about. It makes you accountable. It will help you do it, if for no other reason than to avoid embarrassment!
Develop a step-by-step plan. This is absolutely essential. You must sit down and write out a few things:
1. A timeline. How long will it take to the end?
2. Action steps. Point by point, what you will do and when you will do it.
3. Resources you will need to draw from. What will it take? Who will need to be involved for help or advice?
4. An evaluation tool. You need to evaluate from time to time whether you are progressing or not.
5. A celebration. Yep, when you are done, you should already have planned what you will do to celebrate. Make it big!
I have found that there is no better time than the present to start making your dream a reality. So, set aside some time today to get started on your dream. Follow the action plan and set your sights for the top of the mountain! You will be glad you did!
Chris Widener
Reprinted with permission fromThe Chris Widener Ezine
August 4, 2009
Rules for Success from a Motivating Taxi Driver by Zig Ziglar
One morning in Houston, I caught a taxi to attend a breakfast meeting, and during that short ride, I heard one of the finest sales talks on America and its free-enterprise system that I had ever heard. The cab driver had been a professional healthcare provider in his native Nigeria, but he preferred living in a free society, with the opportunity to do what he pleased, and so he was very excited about being a cab driver in Houston.
During our conversation, my immigrant friend quickly turned into a motivator, and his enthusiasm led him to give me some rules for success! I offer them here so that you might benefit from them, too.
1. Pay your bills.
2. Obey the laws.
3. Keep your eyes on God. God is in charge.
4. Run from lazy, crooked people.
5. Make your workplace your home.
6. Love and honor your boss.
7. Keep your promises.
8. Mind your own business.
I was motivated by the cab driver who was excited about his dream and having the opportunity to live it. He had set his goal long ago. He was living his dream. He wasnt waiting until he could get into something better; he was performing with the opportunity he had. He was happy with what he had and was enthusiastically giving life his best shot. That, my friend, is marvelous preparation for a better tomorrow!
Zig Ziglar
Reprinted with permission fromThe Chris Widener Ezine
August 5, 2009
Dream Torture by Denis Waitley
Perhaps the greatest torture that could be devised would be for us to be forced, in our later years, to watch a continuously repeating movie of the lives we could have led, had we dared to believe in and pursue the dreams and goals that were available and attainable in our lifetime.
DONT BE A SPECTATOR
While we all say we dont have enough time to do justice to our goals and dreams, each of us has all the time there is. None of us really has a time-management problem. We really have a dream- and goal-focus problem. We spend too much energy worrying about the things we want to do but cant, instead of concentrating on doing the things we can do but dont. It is the regret for something we did or didnt do yesterday and the apprehension of what we cant do tomorrow that are the biggest energy drains on our lives.
A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. It is what you would like your life to become. A goal is what, specifically, you intend to make happen. However, many individuals become spectators, resigned to experience success vicariously through others accomplishments. They can see success for others, but they cant imagine it for themselves. Dreams and goals are previews of coming attractions in your life. You can be the script writer, the star and the producer of an Oscar-winning epic life or an extra in a B movie that someone else wrote and directed for you. Which is it to be?
STAY FOCUSED ON YOU
Make certain that your goals are not measured in comparison with others. Avoid the tendency to measure your own progress by looking over the fence at greener pastures. There are many others who have started a little earlier than you, and you may become discouraged if you see them harvesting success when some of your seeds are barely in the ground. Comparison rarely benefits anyone. Youll always be able to find someone smarter, younger, older, wiser, richer, more clever, better looking, or working harder or more effectively than you are.
When you make comparisons in which you place yourself beneath others, youre in for a discouragement that will keep you procrastinating, and perhaps even from seriously pursuing your goals. You can also find others who dont measure up to what you have become or are aspiring to be. Avoid the tendency to compare yourself with them as well. You will lower your goals and settle for average when you could have excellence. You may come to think that you deserve more success than others or that success lies ahead for you no matter what you do. Both are false assumptions.
Success isnt a pie with a limited number of pieces. The success of others has very little bearing on your own success. You and everyone you know can become successful without anyone suffering setbacks, harm or downturns. Neither is your success measured by what others say or accomplish. Only you can truly define your success, and only you can measure it.
-- Denis Waitley
Reprinted with permission fromThe Denis Waitley Ezine
August 6, 2009
From Making a Living to Creating a Lifestyle by Jim Rohn
After having struggled for so long, it took a shift in attitude for my family and me when success started to happen. When I started making a little extra money at age 25, Schoaff taught me to also let it serve as a new inspiration for lifestyle. Take my family to dinner after Id had two or three pretty good weeks and it looked like it was going to continue. I would say, Today we get to order from only the left-hand side of the menu, we dont have to look at the right-hand side. Didnt cost much, just a little extra. But you cant believe the effect on the family, wow, that these are new days.
Its called changing your life as well as changing your skills and earning more money. Its best to invest some of that early money in lifestyle. Go to the movies. Take two vacations instead of one. Just some little extra things that now the family gets inspired by this new commitment to earning more and becoming more and learning more, taking some night classes, whatever you have to do. Now you make it more worthwhile for the family by thinking of lifestyle changes that now become very exciting. Go to the concerts. My parents said dont miss anything. Dont miss the play, the music, the songs, the performances, the moviewhatever is happening.
When I started making some extra money, I opened up an account for my wife and I called it the No Questions Asked Account. I said, Here is the checkbook for a new account and its called no questions asked. Ill just keep putting money in there and you spend it for whatever you wish. It was life-changing. It wasnt a fortune. But she didnt have to ask for money anymore. I could sense that it was a little embarrassing at times when she had to ask me for money. I thought, thats not good, so the first time I get a chance, heres what Im going to do. And sure enough, I did it. The No Questions Asked Account. You cant believe what that did. It was absolutely amazing.
With that little extra money, work at creating lifestyle. Social friendships, church, community, country. All those things that make a composite of our overall life. Start furnishing that with new vigor, vitality, money, whatever it takes to expand your life into what I call the good life as well as economics.
And it doesnt always take a lot of money. How much is a movie? Even for a person of modest means. $8 or $10? It might cost $60 million to make it and it only costs $8 to see it.
When I discovered those kinds of concepts at age 25 you can imagine it was hard for me to sleep nights that first year. I got so excited about changing everything. And one discipline leads to another. One change leads to another. Feeling good about yourself and starting to make the turn to do something youve never done before, then it starts to work, wow, and then you get excited about changing other areas of your life as well.
Now after you have made your fortune, the money and extravagance might not seem as big a deal. And fortunately you can then create even more powerful opportunities, in particular, opportunities for benevolence, philanthropy and giving.
Now Im certainly not saying to focus only on external pleasures and rewards. Your relationships, health and spirituality are all of more consequence.
But in the beginning, when the rewards of your hard work begin paying off, make sure and treat yourself and those closest to you to a new world of lifestyle and celebrations.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
Reprinted with permission fromThe Jim Rohn Ezine
August 7, 2009
Problems Are a Normal Part of Change by Denis Waitley
When asked, How do you develop mental toughness in life? my response might sound negative at first. I answer, Always be prepared for a surprise. The surprise might be a negative surprise. Something is going to happen in your day, whether you are late because you got stuck behind a train or your car had a flat tiresomething is going to happen. And the key is your ability not to take mole hills and look at them as mountains.
Problems are a normal part of change. Things are changing so rapidly that there are going to be problems you face. So you must look at failure as an event, not as a person. Im not a failure. Maybe Ive had a failure or a temporary inconvenience. Ive had a stumbling block, and the idea is to turn the stumbling block into a steppingstone, and step on it instead of stumble over it. So look at failure as the fertilizer of success.
Fertilizer stinks, it smells. You see that guy putting it on his lawn and you say, Wow, that guy fertilized his lawn. You fertilize your mistakes. You dont wallow in them, lay in them, roll in them; you pick yourself up off your mistakes and learn from them. You try not to repeat that same thing again. But you look at it as a temporary inconvenience, as a detoura detour in lifenot as a failure.
Denis Waitley
Reprinted with permission fromTheJim Rohn Ezine
August 8, 2009
The Magic Is in You by Vic Johnson
"When he realizes that he is a creative power, and that he may command the hidden soil and seeds of his being out of which circumstances grow; he then becomes the rightful master of himself." As a Man Thinketh
While reading an old classic, The Message of a Master by John McDonald, I was rocked by an incredibly insightful passage: The cause of the confusion prevailing in your mind that weakens your thoughts is the false belief that there is a power or powers outside you greater than the power within you.
Stop and think about that. What keeps us from attempting greater thingsfrom reaching for the brass ring in our life? What makes us take that great idea that could make our family financially free and bury it underneath a lot of reasons why itd never work? What stops us from that career change that would result in working in a profession we could really enjoy, and could get passionate about?
Theres only one thing that EVER stops us from forward momentum and McDonald nailed it: The false belief that there is a power or powers outside you greater than the power within you.
As I once heard a speaker say, The magic is in YOU! As James Allen tells us, once we realize that we can create our circumstances, then, and only then, are we truly the master of our life and our destiny.
Regardless of your particular spiritual beliefs, you may find these words from the Gospel of John very enlightening, He that believeth in me, the works that I do, shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do. That would indicate to me that we are already endowed with the power to do amazing thingsfar more amazing than most of us will ever attemptif wed only understand and BELIEVE that the power is within, not without.
And thats worth thinking about.
Vic Johnson
Reprinted with permission fromYour Achievement Ezine
August 9, 2009
Create That Winning Feeling by Bob Proctor
I believe we would all agree that having a winning feeling is prerequisite to achieving outstanding results. A person cant possibly expect to win if theyre constantly focusing on failure! The real secret here is to capture that winning feeling of success as often as you can to create the environment necessary to succeed.
If youve been a little down in the dumps, feeling insecure or perhaps not feeling as confident in your ability as youd like, I have a great tip for you. My suggestion to anyone looking for a success track to run on, or to a person who is looking to get back on one, is to start capitalizing on short-term victories. That means specifically focus on tasks you can achieve daily. The principle is to start with an adversity over which you can succeed, and gradually take on more and more difficult tasks. Nothing succeeds like success.
Another technique used by many people in developing or maintaining a winning feeling is what we call the reflection method. Think back during a time where you were really successful at something we all have times to which we can relate. It could have been a sale, a particular speech, a school play, or standing up to the town bully. Each one of us can reflect back on a moment in time to recapture that winning feeling.
Professional sports coaches often replay winning games of the past for their team prior to a big game to stimulate and create a winning feeling!
Years ago, a good friend of mine had left his job and a company that he had worked with for many years. He was one of the top VPs with his company and had done extremely well. He had left because he wanted to start his own business. I told him he could use one of our offices until such time as he was ready to open up his own office.
In any event, I happened to be in the office one afternoon and Grant, who normally was very upbeat and positive, was really having a difficult time. After a few moments of small talk, it became apparent what the problem was. Grant had hit the terror barrier and the possibility of starting his own company was overwhelming him he just didnt think he could do it. Heres a man who had risen to the top of his field, made a high six-figure income for years and yet was still having doubts as to his ability to start his own company.
I asked Grant to go home, get a notebook and start to write down all of his accomplishments, as far back as he could remember. The look on his face was pricelessIm sure he thought Id lost my mind. I told him that the accomplishment could be small or large it didnt really matter. The point was to focus on something positive. I still remember him asking, Well, what if I only fill half a page. I just smiled and asked him to do his best and start writing.
Monday morning came and Grant was back in the office with a notebook full of accomplishments. I smiled and said, You must have been fairly confident, you picked up a good sized notebook! We both had a good laugh. Grant went on to build a multimillion-dollar financial planning company and later franchised the operation to extend across Canada and the United States!
This is a great exercise for anyone needing a bit of a boost. What would give you a winning feeling of pride and satisfaction? Remember a winning feeling is a confident feeling and one that forgets misses, and reinforces successful attempts.
Bob Proctor
Reprinted with permission fromYour Achievement Ezine
August 10, 2009
One Thing by Ron White
"Everybody I know says that they need just one thing... what they really mean is that they need just one thing more." Rich Mullins (Singer/Songwriter)
"The trouble is not getting the man that you want. The trouble is wanting the man once you get him!" Elizabeth Taylor, after her 7th marriage
Do you remember the success of the Interstate Department Store? No? Well, don't feel alone because I don't remember either. However, have you ever heard of Toys R Us? Guess what? It is the same store. The success of Toys R Us occurred when they chose to focus on ONE THING: toys.
How about 7Up? In the late 1970s, they had a 7.5% market share with one flavor of cola drink. Then they couldn't resist the lure of line extensions and, before you knew it, they had several flavors and a market share of 2.5%.
The lesson is: if you attempt to become everything to all people, you will surely only succeed in becoming nothing to everyone. In your personal life, you know the temptation. You know the temptation of always desiring what is on the other side or what you don't have. So you drop what is in your hand to grab something elseonly to later wish you could have what you used to hold. This analogy could pertain to relationships, where you live, or even a career.
The trick to life is not getting what you want. It is wanting it once you get it. The challenge is to focus on one thing. I have a friend who has five or six great ideas to make money. Which one will succeed for her? As her friend, I hope one does. But, in my heart, I know that none of them will because she can't select ONE THING and focus on it. Therefore, all her ventures are doomed.
There is something to be said for the power of focus. In business, remember that IBM used to own the word computer. They no longer do and part of that is because they got into every business you can think of. Toys R Us owns "toys," FedEx owns the word "overnight." It is about ONE THING when it comes to branding.
In life, you will not find contentment by bouncing from one situation to the next. That will only come when you are able to rest and focus on ONE THING. Decide what is important to you and focus on that ONE THING for a successful business or life. Yes, there will be rough roads, but I assure you that the answer is not in the other hand.
Action Points:
1. Examine your life and ask yourself if you are focused.
2. Ask yourself what you could eliminate in your life that is simply a distraction
3. Question your desires to see if they are only a result of wanting what you don't have or a genuine issue that you are willing to make your long-term focus.
4. Remember the lesson of Toys R Us: Line extensions don't ensure more successfocus does.
-- Ron White
Reprinted with permission fromThe Ron White Ezine
August 11, 2009
On Integrity by Zig Ziglar
Major surgery requires not only a skilled surgeon, but also a number of skilled assistants to make certain that everything happens as it should. They function as a team. No one person, regardless of how brilliant he or she is, could pull off a major operation alone.
A new head nurse was starting her first assignment in a major medical center. She was in charge of all the nurses on the operating room team. She had full responsibility for performing all the duties nurses perform. When the surgery was complete, the surgeon said, "Okay, it's time to close the incision. I need the sutures."
The new head nurse responded, "Doctor, you used twelve sponges; we've only removed eleven." The surgeon assured her that all of the sponges had been removed and he was ready to suture. She replied, "Doctor, you used twelve sponges; only eleven have been removed."
With a bit of irritation in his voice, the doctor said, "I will accept full responsibility." The nurse's temper flew and she apparently stomped her foot and said, "Doctor, think of the patient!"
When she said that, the doctor smiled, lifted his foot and revealed the twelfth sponge. He looked at the nurse and said, "You'll do." Her integrity had been tested; she passed with flying colors.
The question is, how many of us, under identical circumstances, would have risked offending the surgeon, remembering that there was a possibility we had miscounted? But this nurse felt the patient's life and health were at stake and she, without hesitation, did the right thing. Over the long haul, that's the best way to get to the top and stay there.
-- Zig Ziglar
Reprinted with permission fromThe Ron White Ezine
August 12, 2009
The First Step for Getting Better Results by Jim Rohn
How dramatically we can change our results is largely a function of imagination. In 1960, it was a technological impossibility for man to travel into outer space. Within 10 years, however, the first man stepped out onto the surface of the moon. The miraculous process of converting the dream into reality began when one voice challenged the scientific community to do whatever was necessary to see to it that America "places a man on the moon by the end of this decade." That challenge awakened the spirit of a nation by planting the seed of possible future achievement into the fertile soil of imagination. With that one bold challenge, the impossible became a reality.
The same principle applies to every other area of your life!
Can a poor person become wealthy? Of course! The unique combination of desire, planning, effort and perseverance will always work its magic. The question is not whether the formula for success will work, but rather whether the person will work the formula. That is the unknown variable. That is the challenge that confronts us all. We can all go from wherever we are to wherever we want to be. No dream is impossible, provided we first have the courage to believe in it.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
Reprinted with permission fromThe Jim Rohn Ezine
August 13, 2009
A Chance Encounter by Jim Rohn and Chris Widener
The only way things are going to change for you is when you change.
Crud!
His hand hit the dashboard as he said it. I can't stand this car!
That about sums up Michael Jones's lifecrud. And... he can't stand it.
Forty years old, a wife of 15 years whom he doesnt know how to connect with, and two kids he barely knows. Add to that a boring job that doesnt challenge him and hardly pays the bills. In a word, crud.
Where had his life gone? Out of college, he and his wife, Amy, had been so filled with dreams. Their lives were ahead of them, and nothing seemed impossible. They were full of potential and wanted to do so much. But now they were nowhere near where they had hoped to be.
Michael loved Amy, but their marriage just wasnt what it could be. They had grown apart through the years, and he had no idea how to fix it. The kids are great, but, again, there was just no connection with them like he thought normal families should have.
And his job... definitely not what he wanted. A man his age making $40,000 a year with no upside? This was hardly what he had imagined for his life. It was what it was, and it seemed like he was stuckstuck with a dead-end job and poor relationships. This wasnt the success and happiness he and Amy had planned for.
But his life was about to change...
This car is the worst, he thought as it convulsed and finally died. Going about 30 miles an hour when it stopped running, he guided it as it coasted to a stop along the road.
He was on his way to a sales call and he had never taken this road before. It was a long, winding road that acted as a shortcut between two major roads. Not many houses on this road, he observed.
After the car rolled to a stop, Michael got out and walked around the car. It wasnt as though he would be able to tell what was wrong from walking around; he knew zero about cars. He knew how to put gas in it, turn the key over, and that was about it. No smoke, he thought, that has to be good.
He popped the hood and looked at the engine. All the wires seemed connected. All the caps were on. He didnt have any idea what to do.
I should have taken shop class in high school, he thought.
Michael reached inside his jacket for his cell phone. He figured he would call a mechanic friend he knew and see if he could get some help. He flipped the phone open and saw the worstno cell coverage there!
Just my luck, he said out loud. They can put a man on the moon and clone a sheep, but they cant put a cell site up where I need it.
He looked around, trying to decide which way to start walking. About 200 feet up ahead, there was a bend in the road, but he couldnt see what was farther on, so he decided to go that way, hoping there might be a house beyond the bend.
As he walked, he kicked the gravel along the road.
Frustrated, alone and stuck. Thats how he felt right nowabout this situation and his life in general.
As he turned the corner, Michael came across something he had never seen in real life before. Sure, he had seen many in magazines and on TV, but never something like this with his own eyes.
Nice pad. Michael found himself standing in front of the most beautiful home he had ever seen. Home may not even be the right word for it. Right at the roadside was a huge gated entrance. The large brick-and-wrought-iron fence stretched at least 500 feet along the roadside, and the gate was at least 10 feet high. Behind the gate was a house that had to be more than 10,000 square feet. It was a white plantation style home that had twelve two-story pillars across the front, which made sense since the sign at the side of the gate said Twelve Pillars. It was magnificent. Michael stood in front of the gate for a few minutes, just looking in awe at the structure.
Finally, he snapped back to reality and realized that he had to get his car fixed. He didnt see any other houses nearby, but he didnt know how to get to the house in front of him, either.
Just then, he saw an old man in white overalls emerge from what looked like a workshop just to the right of the driveway. The old man walked toward the gate.
When he got about 25 feet from the gate, the old man said, Can I help you, young man?
Reprinted with permission fromThe Jim Rohn Ezine
August 14, 2009
The Entrepreneurial Spirit by Tom Peters
Fred Karl, designer of the Viking Range and owner of the company said, "I was a weird kid. I began designing towns when I was 12." We all know that "weird" can be good, if we dont judge others through our lens. Being weird increases creativity if we allow it to flourish. Fred Karl let his weirdness flourish abundantly.
Karls headquarters for Viking is located in his home town of Greenwood, Mississippi. Karl has restored old buildings to house his operations, so not only does his product, the Viking Range, generate income for the small Mississippi town, Karl is revitalizing the town through his restoration work. He remembered a bustling place in the '60s that had "gone way downhill" by the time he returned there after a tour of duty in Vietnam. The little town of Greenwood, previously sustained by the cotton industry, wasnt ever going to be the same. But Fred Karl saw the possibilities and brought all his talents to bear to create a new Greenwood.
Fred Karl designed the first Viking Range for his wife and hoped that he would sell 1,000 a year; now he sells that many in a week. Just like most startups today, he had little money. Fred Karl bartered his building design skills to obtain office space to work in. The local people called the new range Fred was designing his "Stove Project." What kept his spirit going was the encouragement from the townsupport he knew he wouldnt get if he moved to a big city. That little "Stove Project" eventually became the big business of Viking Range.
Feeling a little weird lately? Take time to see where your passion and entrepreneurial spirit is calling you. Even in corporate America, the entrepreneurial spirit must remain alive. That spirit can solve the toughest of corporate problems, if only we let it.
-- Tom Peters
Reprinted with permission fromThe Jim Rohn Ezine
August 15, 2009
Negotiating in a Nutshell by Harvey Mackay
I got a phone call from a Fortune 500 CEO one week whom I had never met. After decades of begging the government to relax their regulatory grip and let his industry experience the joys of competition, his wish had been grantedand his bottom line had plummeted.
He wanted me to talk to his top executives for two hours and zero in on negotiating strategies.
A bit overwhelmed, I said, "I'm very flattered but, frankly, I don't know if I can talk for two hours on negotiating."
Then I realized I was actually negotiating with myself. As my brain finally reconnected, I cut myself off. "Well, let me sleep on it and I'll get back to you."
Later that evening, I began to write down some of my negotiating experiences and saw that my problem was going to be holding the speech down to two hours.
I'd already brushed up against the first and second laws of negotiating that morning in my conversation with the CEO.
1. Never accept any proposal immediately, no matter how good it sounds.
2. Never negotiate with yourself. You'll furnish the other side with ammunition they might never have gotten themselves. Don't raise a bid or lower an offer without first getting a response.
Here are some more rules of the road:
3. Never cut a deal with someone who has to "go back and get the boss's approval." That gives the other side two bites of the apple to your one. They can take any deal you are willing to make and renegotiate it.
4. If you can't say yes, it's no. Just because a deal can be done, doesn't mean it should be done. no one ever went broke saying "no" too often.
5. Just because it may look nonnegotiable, doesn't mean it is. Take that beautifully printed "standard contract" you've just been handed. Many a smart negotiator has been able to name a term and gets away with it by making it appear to be chiseled in granite, when they will deal if their bluff is called.
6. Do your homework before you deal. Learn as much as you can about the other side. Instincts are no match for information.
7. Rehearse. Practice. Get someone to play the other side. Then switch roles. Instincts are no match for preparation.
8. Beware the late dealer. Feigning indifference or casually disregarding timetables is often just a negotiator's way of trying to make you believe he/she doesn't care if you make the deal or not.
9. Be nice, but if you can't be nice, go away and let someone else do the deal. You'll blow it.
10. A deal can always be made when both parties see their own benefit in making it.
11. A dream is a bargain no matter what you pay for it. Set the scene. Tell the tale. Generate excitement. Help the other side visualize the benefits, and they'll sell themselves.
12. Don't discuss your business where it can be overheard by others. Almost as many deals have gone down in elevators as elevators have gone down.
13. Watch the game films. Top players in any game, including negotiating, debrief themselves immediately after every major session. They always keep a book on themselves and the other side.
14. No one is going to show you their hole card. You have to figure out what they really want. Clue: Since the given reason is never the real reason, you can eliminate the given reason.
15. Always let the other side talk first. Their first offer could surprise you and be better than you ever expected.
-- Harvey Mackay
Reprinted with permission from Your Achievement Ezine
August 16, 2009
What in the World Are You Doing? by Chris Widener
Let's talk about leaving an impact legacy. "What is an impact legacy?" you may ask. It is how you impact people and the world around you. You see, many people glide through life and do not make much of an impact. that is unfortunate. Others, though, those driven by a purpose and passion for living, are continually making the world a better place and making an impact wherever they go. that's what I believe you want to do.
In order to help you reflect on this, I want to ask you a question: What in the world are you doing?
Here is the typical lifetypical, though not everbody does it this way. But for the most part, people's lives generally go something like this:
You're born
You eat and sleep
You play with toys
You go to school
You play Little League
You go to school
You leave high school
You go to more school, but you pay for it now
You get a job
You get married
You buy a house
You have kids
You watch your kids eat, sleep, play and go to school
You work, work, and work
You retire
You die
That's the basic life, isn't it? I know there is more to it, but that is about it for most people.
Here is that question again: What in the world are you doing?
I mean, what are you doing besides the typical "enjoying yourself while you are waiting to die" scenario? What kind of impact are you making?
What I believe sets the successful apart is that they don't just live the average life. They don't just pass time. They make an impact. They have something compelling in their life that drives themsomething that gives them an answer when they are asked the question: What in the world are you doing?
I'm helping children.
I'm creating a business that supports many families.
I lead a church.
I am defending our liberties.
I am raising great children.
I'm teaching others to improve their lives.
I help people have fun.
I create memories for people.
In other words, successful people always come down to this: I make an impact and help other people by [fill in your purpose here].
What in the world are you doing?
If you want to be successful, you need to be able to answer that by describing how you help others. Because if you aren't helping othersif you aren't making an impactyou are just taking up space, eating food and waiting to die.
If you know, then you are good to golive it and make an impact!
If you don't know, then maybe you need to reflect on what you are doing, what your life is about, and how you can explode the mundane bubble you may be living in!
The world needs impact makersso live to be one!
Have a great week!
-- Chris Widener
Reprinted with permission from Chris Wideners Ezine
August 17, 2009
Personal DevelopmentThe Plan by Jim Rohn
As we all know, our results are only as good as our plan. My mentor, Mr. Schoaff, taught me that its not what happens that determines the major part of our future, because what happens, happens to us all. Instead, he taught me that the key is what we do about it. If we start the process of change by developing a plan, doing something different in this next year than we did the previous year, it wont matter how small those efforts start. Start doing different things with the same set of circumstancesthe ones weve always had and cannot changeand see what miracles occur. If we start the miracle process and change ourselves, then everything changes. And heres what is interesting, the difference between success and failure is so subtle. Let me explain by giving you my definitions of failure and success. Here it is: Failure is a few errors in judgment repeated every day. The man says, Well, I didnt walk around the block today and it didnt kill me, so it must be okay. No, no, it is that kind of error in judgment that after six years has him out of breath and panting as he walks from his car to his office. You cant make those kinds of mistakes; it will end up costing you.
Now, here is my definition of success: A few simple disciplines practiced every day. Do you see the distinction? A few disciplines. Heres a little phrase weve all heard, An apple a day keeps the doctor away. And my question to you is, What if thats true? How simple and easy is that plan?
The fact is, when you look at successful people, you will almost always discover a plan behind their success. They know what they want, they work out a plan that will get them where they want to go, and they work their plan. It is the foundation for success. We as humans have the unique ability to effect change in our lives; it is through our own conscious choice when we engage in the miracle process of personal development that we are able to transform our nature and our lives.
You will need to have a plan, and then methodically work that plan. It is the combination of the materials and your open attitude towards learning, driven by the diligent following of a plan that is right for you, that will make this year the kind of success we know you want it to be. So let me challenge you to be no less sincere, be no less committed to the advancement of your philosophy, the set of your sail, your plan.
So, what are some good ideas on developing a plan that will work well and take you to the finish line powerfully and in style? Here are some major points to keep in mind:
Develop the Plan for You. Some people are very detail oriented and they will be able to follow an intricate plan closely. Others are a little more free-wheeling and not really detail people. That is okay too. In all the years of my speaking to audiences worldwide, people have asked the question, What plan is the right plan? And my answer, the plan that fits you. Your plan, the one you develop that is unique to you and for you. You see, each of us is unique and motivated by different factors and youve got to develop one that is right for you and fits you. Some plans will not be as intricate as others but we all must have a plan, along with goals in that plan, to move us along the program. If you are a free spirit type, dont tell yourself you are going to spend 2 hours a day with a book and tapes and journal. It probably wont happen and you will get discouraged! Whatever your personality, your strengths and your weaknesses, develop the plan around them! This is not a one-plan-fits-all proposition.
Establish Times to Spend Working on the Material. It may be every Sunday night. It may be 20 minutes each morning. It may be in the car listening to the CDs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Whatever it is, set the times and do it. In your step-by-step plan, put down points that you can accomplish every week. They should be specific and achievable. Develop the discipline and take those steps every day, which will move you closer to your goals and where you want to be.
Keep a Journal. Take notes. It may be on paper, it may be on a micro-recorder. Mr. Schoaff taught me not to trust my memory, but to write it down, to find one place to gather the information that effects change. And that advice has served me well all these years. Record the ideas and inspiration that will carry you from where you are to where you want to be. Take notes on the ideas that impact you most. Put down your thoughts and ideas. Brainstorm with yourself on where you are going and what you want to do. Record your dreams and ambitions. Your journals are a gathering place for all the valuable information that you will find. If you are serious about becoming wealthy, powerful, sophisticated, healthy, influential, cultured, unique, if you come across something important, write it down. Two people will listen to the same material and different ideas will come to each one. Use the information you gather and record it for further reflection, for future debate and for weighing the value that it is to you.
Reflect. Create time for reflectiona time to go back over, to study again the things youve learned and the things youve done each day. I call it running the tapes again so that the day locks firmly in your memory so that it serves as a tool. As you go through the material in this plan, you will want to spend time reflecting on its significance for you. Regularly set aside time; here are some good guidelines for times to reflect: At the end of the day. Take a few minutes at the end of each day and go back over the daywhod you talk to, whod you see, what did they say, what happened and howd you feel, what went on. A day is the piece of the mosaic of your life. Next, take a few hours at the end of the week to reflect on the weeks activitiesI would suggest at least one half-hour. Also during that weekly time, take a few minutes to reflect on how this material should be applied to your life and circumstances. Take a half day at the end of the month and a weekend at the end of the year so that youve got it so that it never disappears, to ensure that the past is even more valuable and will serve your future well.
Set Goals. Remember that your plan is the roadmap for how you are going to get to your goals, so you have to have them. Of all the things that changed my life for the better (and most quickly), it was learning how to set goals. Mastering this unique process can have a powerful effect on your life too. I remember shortly after I met Mr. Shoaff, he asked me if I had a list of my goals, and of course I didnt. He suggested to me that, because I lacked a set of clearly defined goals, he could guess my bank balance within a few hundred dollars... and he did! Well, Mr. Shoaff immediately began helping me define my view of the future, my dreams. He taught me to set goals because it is the greatest influence on a persons future and the greatest force that will pull a person in the direction they want to go. But the future must be planned, well-designed to exert a force that pulls you toward the promise of what can be.
Act. Act on your plan. What separates the successful from the unsuccessful so many times is that the successful simply do it. They take action, they arent necessarily smarter than others; they just work the plan. And the time to act is when the emotion is strong. Because if you dont, heres what happensits called the law of diminishing intent. We intend to act when the idea strikes us, when the emotion is high, but if we delay and we dont translate that into action fairly soon, the intention starts to diminish, and a month from now its cold and a year from now it cant be found. So set up the discipline when the idea is strong, clear and powerfulthats the time to work the plan. Otherwise, the emotion is wasted unless you capture the emotion and put it into disciplined activities and translate it into equity. And heres what is interesting: all disciplines affect each other; everything affects everything. Thats why the smallest action is importantbecause the value and benefits that you receive from that one little action will inspire you to do the next one and the next one. So step out and take action on your plan because if the plan is good, then the results can be miraculous.
-- Jim Rohn
Reprinted with permission from Chris Wideners Ezine
August 18, 2009
As We Sow, So Shall We Harvest, by Denis Waitley
Our true rewards in life will depend on the quality and amount of contribution we make. From the Scriptures to science, psychology and business, the documentation is the same. As we sow, we reap. Life is an unfailing boomerang. What we throw out will come back full circle.
The way we can build self-reliance is to recognize the number of alternative choices we have in a free society. And for every choice we make, there is a consequence or reward of that decision that we must acknowledge as our responsibility. Gods Law of Cause and Effect is forever the ruler.
During debriefing interviews, returning POWs from the wars in which we have fought during the past century said that what they missed most of all was their freedom of choice. There are two primary choices in our lives: to accept conditions as they exist or to accept the responsibility for changing them.
To attain emotional security, each of us must learn to develop two critical capabilities: the ability to live with uncertainty, and the ability to delay immediate gratification in favor of long-range goals. Losers let life happen to them. Winners make it happen for themselves and others. Losers engage in pleasurable activities, with no purpose or result in mind. Losers try to escape from their fears and drudgery with activities that are tension-relieving. Winners are motivated by their desires toward activities that are goal-achieving.
A number of research studies during the past decade indicate that the happiest, most well-adjusted individuals are those who believe they have a strong measure of control over their lives. They choose more appropriate responses to what occurs and they stand up to inevitable changes and daily setbacks with less apprehension. They learn from their past mistakes, rather than reinforce or repeat them. They spend time taking action in the present, rather than fearing what might happen in the future.
To be self-reliant adults, we need to set some guidelines:
Be different, if it means higher personal and professional standards.
Be different, if it means being more gracious and considerate to others.
Be different, if it means being cleaner, neater and better groomed than the group.
Be different, if it means putting more time and effort into all you do.
And be different, if it means taking the calculated risk. The greatest risk in life is to wait for and depend upon others for your own security. The greatest security is to plan and act, and take the risk that will ultimately ensure your personal freedom and independence.
-- Denis Waitley
Reprinted with permission from Chris Wideners Ezine
August 19, 2009
Walking a New Road by Jim Rohn
Here is a good question to ask yourself. Ten years from now you will surely arrive. The question is, where? We don't want to kid ourselves about where. We don't want to kid ourselves about the road we're walking.
At age 25, I had a day shortly after I met my mentor Mr. Shoaff called "do not kid myself anymore" day. I didn't want to be disillusioned anymore. Up until then, I had been using the crossed-finger theory. But after meeting Mr. Shoaff, I finally decided that the crossed-finger theory was not going to get me what I wanted. That it wasn't where the treasure lies. That I was going to have to make sure which way I was headed.
Then, with the help of Mr. Shoaff, I found with a few reading disciplines, and a few disciplines of mind, and a few disciplines of activity, that when exercised, can begin making all the difference in the world as to where you will arrive.
Just a few changes. Sometimes we get the idea that we're doing about 10% and there's about 90% more that we need in order to make the difference for our fortune, but probably the opposite is true. We're doing enough things to have bought and shared in the good life so far. And maybe all we need is that extra 5% or 10% of intellectual change. Activity change. A refinement of discipline. A refinement of thought. And all we need is the ideas to make those simple changes and the equity starts gathering in one year, three years, five years, 10 years.
I have a good comment for you: Now's the time to fix the next 10 years. Now, you may have to come to grips with reality and with truth; that's what was good for me when I met Mr. Shoaff. I was 25 years old, he was 44 years old. And he brought me a wealth of experience and he started asking me the tough questions. "Big question", he said, "Are you reading the books that are going to take you where you want to go in the next 5 years?"
Excellent question. See, you want to make sure. I would assume for all of you, to get to where you want to be in the next 5 years, you are either reading the right books or you're not. You're either engaged in the disciplines or you're not. But, here's what we don't want to engage in: disillusion. Hoping without acting. Wishing without doing.
The key is to take a look and say, "Where am I? What could I do to make the changes to make sure that I can take more certain daily steps toward the treasure I want, the mental treasure, the personal treasure, the spiritual treasure, the financial treasure? I don't want to make any more errors. Now's the time to adjust my daily program to take me where I want to go."
In lecturing for more than 40 years, I've gotten letters and personal testimonies of people that have done such remarkable things with just a few suggestions. And that is why seminars, tapes and books can be so valuable. Here's a key idea for us all to remember: We could all use a little coaching. When you're playing the game, it's sometimes hard to see it all.
But the key is to start right now making these changes to walk this new road. And here's what's exciting to me: just a few daily disciplines makes a great deal of difference in one year, three years, five years. And before you know it, you will be walking a brand new road.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
Reprinted with permission from The Jim Rohn Ezine
August 20, 2009
All You Want is Within Your Reach by Chris Widener
If there is one thing that I believe with all my heart it is that you can have any life you choose. You can live the life you have always dreamed of.
We live in a period of unparalleled opportunity in human history. Think about it: Just one hundred years ago, most people really only had five or six options when it came to deciding what they would do with their lives. For most, they didn't even have the knowledge that they could do anything other than take over their father's farm when they turned eighteen!
But today a person living in the western world (and many other areas of the world as well) can choose to do virtually anything they want to! The key is the word "choose."
You see, the world is within your reach. Any job you want can be yours if you decide. All of the opportunities are there for the taking. The question is whether or not you will take.
You say, "But Chris, you just don't understand. I'm 38 years old with two kids and I have bills to pay. I make $28,000 a year. I can't just go become a doctor and make big money!"
And I say, "Yes you can! If you decide to. If you will take action, you can become a doctor or anything else you want to. We live in a day and age when virtually anything is possible."
For the sake of highlighting this principle, let's look at the above example. How would this person change careers? Simple. Here is the process in specific action steps:
1. Find out from a medical school what classes you would need to take to get in. Chances are your college major would need some rounding out or if you didn't go to college, you would need to do so. Maximum time to do this: 3 days.
2. Now, go to school. Maximum time to do this: 4 years.
3. Now, medical school and residency. Maximum time to do this: 6 years.
4. Begin practicing medicine.
At this point you would be 48 years old. That leaves you 17 years to practice. Now, let's see the impact it has on your life:
1. You get to pursue your dream, making you and your family MUCH happier.
2. You will make, on average, $100,000 more per year. The difference here is manifold! If you stayed where you were, you would have earned $28,000 a year for 27 years and would earn $756,000. If you left and pursued your dream, you would earn $128,000 for 17 years (that's if you took 10 years to make the transition; most would be less.) and your earnings would be $2,176,000! This is a difference of $1,420,000! And this doesn't even take into consideration the amounts you would earn on investments with the difference in incomes.
So is it possible? Yes. Does it take time? Yes. Is it hard? Yes. Is it scary? Yes, and that is why most people won't do it.
It isn't for lack of opportunity. It is usually because of one of the following:
- Lack of vision
- Lack of tenacity
- Fear
The truth is that you can do anything you want to. Stop telling yourself excuses! Go to battle against a lack of vision! Pick yourself up and get tenacious! Look fear in the face and stand up to it! Your whole life depends on it, my friend!
The choice is yours. Will you continue to limp along in life because you don't have the courage to run for your dream? Will you continue to allow the fear of poverty keep you from pursuing the riches, both materially and emotionally, that lay within the vision you have of what your life could be?
You CAN live the life you have always dreamed of. All you want is within your reach. But to pick it up, you must first empty your hands of what they already hold. Then you must reach for it, take a hold of it, and possess it!
-- Chris Widener
Reprinted with permission from The Jim Rohn Ezine
August 21, 2009
Carpe Diem! Seize this Day! by Dr. Denis Waitley
What each of us is doing this minute is the most important event in history for us. We have decided to invest our resources in this opportunity rather than in any other. It is helpful to remember this when we consider the passage of time.
As the years pass, I am acutely aware that the bird of time is on the wing. At my fiftieth high school reunion, I saw old people who claimed to be my former classmates. We all had big name tags printed in capital letters so we wouldn't have to squint with our reading glasses on trying to associate the name with each well-traveled face. It was only yesterday that I was really enjoying high school. What had happened to the five decades in between? Where had they flown?
To the side of the bandstand, where the big-band sound of the late 1940s and 50s blared our favorite top-ten hits, there was a poster with a printed verse for all of us to see. I read the words out loud:
"There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.
One of these days is Yesterday, with its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday. We cannot undo a single act we performed; we cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone.
The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow, with its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise, and poor performance. Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control. Tomorrow's sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds; but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is as yet unborn. This leaves only one day: Today.
Anyone can fight the battles of just one day. It is only when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities - Yesterday and Tomorrow - that we break down. It is not the experience of Today that drives us mad, it is remorse and bitterness for something which happened Yesterday and the dread of what Tomorrow may bring. Let us, therefore, live this one full Today."
Malcolm Forbes believed the important thing is never to say die until you're dead, and he lived that example to the hilt. It is, as we realize when we suddenly attend our fiftieth high school reunion, a short journey. But it also is difficult to be depressed and active at the same time. So get active! And make today your best day ever!
-- Dr. Denis Waitley
Reprinted with permission from Your Achievement Ezine
August 22, 2009
Building Rapport by Tony Jeary
What: Dictionary.com defines Rapport as...
1. A relationship of mutual understanding or trust between people
2. A feeling of sympathetic understanding
3. A sympathetic compatibility
In the world of presentations, all of these can apply. In our context, Rapport is an important connection made between the presenter and the participants based upon some level of real or perceived commonality.
Why: Rapport is important because it reduces tension. It allows the audience members to be more open to your message, more likely to accept your logic and facts, and be ready to respond favorably to your proposed actions.
Without rapport, the presenter is at risk of being dismissed out of hand, without getting a chance to get the facts on the table or argue the case. In extreme cases, people may say (to themselves) Who you are speaks so loud I can't hear what you're saying.
How: The ability to build rapport begins with knowing your audience.
With a clear picture of the participants' backgrounds, likes and dislikes and views on the subject at hand, you can be prepared to build a positive relationship. Importantly, you can also avoid sensitive areas and potential hot buttons that might otherwise cause unintentional triggering of emotional reactions.
Here are nine specific suggestions on how to use your audience knowledge in a positive way to build the rapport that you need:
1. Meet & greet beforehand, and turn these people into Audience Champions who can provide support during the session.
2. Make contact. Shake hands, and when appropriate, demonstrate warmth by placing a hand on their shoulder or even by giving a hug.
3. Use a Host Introduction. This provides trust transference and establishes initial credibility.
4. Demonstrate that you've done your homework. Communicate the research you've done and the knowledge you have about the participants' situation. Share their thoughts, and express the doubts that they may have about you or your proposition. Show how what you're going to say directly relates to and benefits their world.
5. Understand that like attracts like. When people are similar to each other they tend to like each other. When people are not like each other they tend not to like each other. Language and attire are the first tip-offs if you're presenting to a corporate board, suit up and use the big words. If you're meeting on the plant floor, lose the tie and adjust your vocabulary accordingly.
6. Adjust your body language, tonality, volume, pitch, and speaking speed to suit the audience. These factors can have a significantly greater impact on how your communication is received than the words that you use in your pitch. Especially in one-on-ones, sales situations and small groups, try to match the voice tonality and physiology of the other person. If they are fast talkers and your pace tends to be slow it would behoove you to speed it up. If they sit ramrod straight and cross their legs you do the same. You will be amazed at how this simple technique will help you make your point.
7. Eye contact is very important as well, both before and during the presentation. A friend and associate of ours, Jim Heaney, recommends that as you shake hands, you hold eye contact long enough to note the color of the person's eyes. This demonstrates that you care about them personally and can make them feel special. In large room settings where you can't see well past the stage lights, pick target faces in the audience and hold your direction for about 7-10 seconds. Even though you don't make literal eye contact, you'll be perceived as making a connection that will add warmth to your delivery.
8. Demonstrate Caring and Generosity. Give away things of value, make yourself accessible, and incorporate a personal touch. Learn people's names and use them.
9. Prove you respect their time begin and end on time.
Benefits:
A. Good rapport, established early, will get you past a critical "credibility checkpoint", and open minds to what you have to say and message you are trying to deliver.
B. In addition to basic receptivity, skilled use of the techniques noted above will set you up for a more effective and a much easier "close." People will be open to what your call to action is suggesting.
C. In addition to credibility and compatibility for the moment, a good job in building rapport for a single event sets you up to come back again, and gives you a leg up for future presentations.
Action Plan:
- Before your next presentation, think about who will be attending and do your homework.
- Plan ahead to set up key supporters. Contact and arrange for both a strong Host Introduction and for positive Audience Champions.
- Work out the words that both you and your supporters will be comfortable with, and be careful not to go overboard with glowing comments. The rest of the audience will spot an insincere "shill" a mile away.
-- Tony Jeary
Reprinted with permission from Your Achievement Ezine
August 23, 2009
We Will See What Happens by Ron White
A few years ago, my sister and I were the first ones down the tunnel to board our flight for Norfolk, Virginia. Just as we were about to board the plane, a mechanic emerged from inside the aircraft and blocked the door with his arms. He turned to the flight attendant and hurriedly stated, Weve got problems!
I thought to myself, "Why did I have to be the one to hear that? Why couldn't I have been at the back of the line? I didn't need to know that!" Very soon, we were back in the terminal waiting. Eventually, we again boarded the plane. I tried to put my secret knowledge out of my head and waited for the pilot to give us an explanation. Pilots take courses to ease passenger's minds, right? They know what to say to calm nerves.
Unfortunately, I don't think this pilot took that course. Soon his voice boomed throughout the plane, "Sorry for that delay ladies and gentlemen. We had no power on the plane. But, we have a generator on the ground right now and we are going to jumpstart the engines. Once we get them going, we will get up in the air and head to Norfolk and see what happens."
Click.
That was it. That was all he said. See what happens? We are going to get up in the air and see what happens? Couldn't we have just a little better plan than that worked out?
At this point, all I could do was nervously laugh. One woman started yelling, "Oh no! We are going to crash!" There were sighs of desperation and nervous laughter spreading throughout the cabin like a tidal waveand we hadn't even taken off yet! Thirty minutes passed and we were still sitting there. Then came the voice of death (I mean the pilot) over the intercom again: "Ladies and gentlemen, I know you are frustratedso are wewe know you are hot, we only have one engine going right now and it is working double time."
Click.
There were moans as it seemed we had all boarded the vessel of doom. It seemed that without question we were all seated in an aluminum casket seat buckled next to strangers. After all, the pilot said he was frustrated. He told us our one engine was working double time and his elaborate plan was to get up in the air and see what happens! Then we did. We got up in the air and what happened? Nothing happened, other than thrust and lift. We arrived in Norfolk and no sooner had the wheels touched the tarmac than a round of applause burst out as everyone simultaneously exhaled throughout the airplane.
Although I do sincerely like to have a better plan than 'see what happens worked out when flying, it really isn't such a bad life strategy. All too often, I will watch people chase their goals and become frozen with inaction because they don't have all the necessary pieces or guaranteed results. When in reality, they will never have all the pieces. Success will never be guaranteed. The best thing that you can do is just get up in the air and see what happens. Adjustments can be made in the air or should I say in the middle of the process.
If your effort is to build a business, then listen closely: "Get up in the air and see what happens!" Don't give yourself all the reasons why you can't. Do not wait until you have everything you need. You never will!
If your mission is to start a friendship, say "hello." Get up in the air and see what happens! Don't stress over what you will talk about. Wing it with mid-air adjustments. The results could be enormous. Do not allow yourself to stay on the runway because you feel the flight is doomed. The only doomed flight of friendship is the one that stays on the runway.
If your goal is to learn a new skill, "Get up in the air and see what happens!" It might not be as challenging as you thought. You might be smarter than you thought. It could be fun!
When traveling, I hope that my pilot has a more detailed plan than, "We will see what happens." Although, in life, it isn't such a bad strategy.
-- Ron White
Reprinted with permission from The Ron White Ezine
August 24, 2009
Overcoming Self-Limiting Beliefs by Brian Tracy
The worst beliefs you can have are "Self limiting beliefs." These exist whenever you believe yourself to be limited in some way. For example, you may think yourself to be less talented or capable than others. You may think that others are superior to you in some way. You may have fallen into the common trap of selling yourself short and settling for far less than you are truly capable of.
These self-limiting beliefs act like brakes on your potential. They hold you back. They generate the two greatest enemies of personal success - doubt and fear. They paralyze you and cause you to hesitate to take the intelligent risks that are necessary for you to fulfill your true potential.
For you to progress, to move onward and upward in your life and your business, you must continually challenge your self-limiting beliefs. You must reject any thought or suggestion that you are limited in any way. You must accept as a basic principle that you are a no-limit person, and that what others have done, you can do as well.
When I was a young man, coming from a difficult upbringing, I fell into the mental trap of concluding that because other people were doing better than I was, they must be better or smarter than I was. I accidentally concluded that they were worth more than I was. I must therefore be worth less. This false belief held me back for years.
The fact is that no one is better than you are and no one is smarter than you are. If they are doing better, it is largely because they have developed their natural talents and abilities more than you have. They have learned the laws of cause and effect that apply to their lives and work before you have. And anything anyone else has done, within reason, you can probably do as well. You just need to learn how.
-- Brian Tracy
Reprinted with permission from The Ron White Ezine
August 25, 2009
Success is Easy, But So Is Neglect by Jim Rohn
People often ask me how I became successful in that six-year period of time while many of the people I knew did not. The answer is simple: The things I found to be easy to do, they found to be easy not to do. I found it easy to set the goals that could change my life. They found it easy not to. I found it easy to read the books that could affect my thinking and my ideas. They found that easy not to. I found it easy to attend the classes and the seminars, and to get around other successful people. They said it probably really wouldn't matter. If I had to sum it up, I would say what I found to be easy to do, they found to be easy not to do. Six years later, I'm a millionaire and they are all still blaming the economy, the government, and company policies, yet they neglected to do the basic, easy things.
In fact, the primary reason most people are not doing as well as they could and should, can be summed up in a single word: neglect.
It is not the lack of money - banks are full of money. It is not the lack of opportunity - America, and much of the free World, continues to offer the most unprecedented and abundant opportunities in the last six thousand years of recorded history. It is not the lack of books libraries are full of books and they are free! It is not the schools the classrooms are full of good teachers. We have plenty of ministers, leaders, counselors and advisors.
Everything we would ever need to become rich and powerful and sophisticated is within our reach. The major reason that so few take advantage of all that we have is simply neglect.
Neglect is like an infection. Left unchecked it will spread throughout our entire system of disciplines and eventually lead to a complete breakdown of a potentially joy-filled and prosperous human life.
Not doing the things we know we should do causes us to feel guilty and guilt leads to an erosion of self-confidence. As our self-confidence diminishes, so does the level of our activity. And as our activity diminishes, our results inevitably decline. And as our results suffer, our attitude begins to weaken. And as our attitude begins the slow shift from positive to negative, our self-confidence diminishes even more... and on and on it goes.
So my suggestion is that when giving the choice of "easy to" and "easy not to" that you do not neglect to do the simple, basic, "easy"; but potentially life-changing activities and disciplines.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
Reprinted with permission from The Jim Rohn Ezine
August 26, 2009
Accentuating the Positive by Dr. Tony Alessandra
It's been estimated that we each have upwards of 50,000 thoughts per day. How many of yours are negative? Sometimes you have to do a mental spring cleaning to get rid of those negative ones that have become ingrained attitudes. Stopping self-destructive thoughts is like stopping any other bad habitit takes time and effort.
Among the most effective ways to do this are visualization and affirmations. Affirmations are positive statements about yourself that you repeat over and over in your head until they're programmed into your subconscious.
Visualization, or "imagineering" as Walt Disney called it, is mentally picturing yourself the way you want to be. You've heard the old saying "I'll believe it when I see it"? Well, the reverse is also true: "I'll see it when I believe it!" Affirmations and visualizations may not feel true at first. They may not even be true! But they can become so.
Consider what happens when you tell yourself over and over, "I'm lousy at remembering names." There will never be any improvement there. So if you catch yourself saying, "I'm terrible at remembering names," stop and immediately say to yourself, "I'm good at remembering names."
Or consider the effect of telling yourself, "I'm feeling pretty good today." Or "I can lose ten pounds." Or "I am good at getting people to see things my way." Anything you say to yourself over and over will actually influence your reality.
Writing down your affirmations in some handy place-above your desk, on your bathroom mirror, on the dashboard of your car-will help keep them in mind as well as in sight. Use affirmations and visualizations to project what success will feel like and look like. Imagine, in as much detail as you possibly can, how you feel as the boss singles you out for exceeding your quota, or how the audience hangs on your every word during your speech, or how your confident presence causes heads to turn everywhere you go.
-- Dr. Tony Alessandra
Reprinted with permission from The Jim Rohn Ezine
August 27, 2009
Attitude is Everything by Jim Rohn
The process of human change begins within us. We all have tremendous potential. We all desire good results from our efforts. Most of us are willing to work hard and to pay the price that success and happiness demand.
Each of us has the ability to put our unique human potential into action and to acquire a desired result. But the one thing that determines the level of our potential, that produces the intensity of our activity, and predicts the quality of the result we receive is our attitude.
Attitude determines how much of the future we are allowed to see. It decides the size of our dreams and influences our determination when we are faced with new challenges. No other person on earth has dominion over our attitude. People can affect our attitude by teaching us poor thinking habits or unintentionally misinforming us or providing us with negative sources of influence, but no one can control our attitude unless we voluntarily surrender that control.
No one else "makes us angry." We make ourselves angry when we surrender control of our attitude. What someone else may have done is irrelevant. We choose, not they. They merely put our attitude to a test. If we select a volatile attitude by becoming hostile, angry, jealous or suspicious, then we have failed the test. If we condemn ourselves by believing that we are unworthy, then again, we have failed the test.
If we care at all about ourselves, then we must accept full responsibility for our own feelings. We must learn to guard against those feelings that have the capacity to lead our attitude down the wrong path and to strengthen those feelings that can lead us confidently into a better future.
If we want to receive the rewards the future holds in trust for us, then we must exercise the most important choice given to us as members of the human race by maintaining total dominion over our attitude. Our attitude is an asset, a treasure of great value, which must be protected accordingly. Beware of the vandals and thieves among us who would injure our positive attitude or seek to steal it away.
Having the right attitude is one of the basics that success requires. The combination of a sound personal philosophy and a positive attitude about ourselves and the world around us gives us an inner strength and a firm resolve that influences all the other areas of our existence.
-- Jim Rohn
Reprinted with permission from Your Achievement Ezine
August 28, 2009
Leadership Prep by Chris Widener
So you want to be a leader? Or you want to be a better leader? It can be done, you know. No matter where you are in your leadership journey, you CAN move forward. You CAN lead better. You CAN lead more people. You CAN lead your organization to higher ground. Yes, you CAN!
But let me tell you this: You wont do it via osmosis! It wont just happen. Growing in your leadership is not something that comes from the fairy godmother of leadership. You cant touch the hem of a great leaders garment and become Super-Leader! Oh, that it were that easy!
So what does it take?
Time.
Experience.
Training.
Hard Knocks.
A Mentor.
Discipline.
And a few others.
But lets start at the very beginning. You want to be a leader. Thats good. You want to be a better leader. Thats good too. But what comes first? Preparation. Leadership Prep. What is it? What needs to happen in order to get yourself ready to become a leader? As you get ready to take the next step in your leadership journey, take the time to go through a little reflection on Leadership Prep.
Before you become the leader you want to be:
Count the cost. Leadership is hard. There will be times that you say, Leadership isnt worth it. These people are crazy and I dont deserve this. It is true. You dont deserve it. But you choose it. You choose it because you want to lead people. You want to improve their lives. You see the higher ground that they cannot see and you desire to take them there. It will take time. It will take money. It will sap your strength and energy. Count the cost, my friend. Leadership is not for the weak and timid. Yes, the rewards are great, but so are the sacrifices. Prep yourself for the cost of leadership.
Assess your strengths and weaknesses. Too many people dive into trying to lead and end up dying out because they were not honest with themselves about their strengths and weaknesses. They get going and realize that they should have strengthened themselves in certain areas because now it is killing their ability to lead. If you know your strengths, then you can focus yourself on them and allow yourself to be successful through them. If you are aware of your weaknesses, you will be able to stay away from them, or hire to cover them, and thus allow yourself to become even more successful as a leader. So prep yourself by becoming exceedingly clear on your strengths and weaknesses.
Settle in for the marathon, not the sprint. Very few - I mean VERY few - people get big leadership assignments at early ages. And when they do, even fewer of the few see things happen fast in their leadership. No. Usually things happen slowly. Why do we think they will happen fast then? Because those are the only stories we hear on TV and read about in magazines. Twenty-five-year-old starts business that grows to $20 million a year in sales in JUST TWO YEARS, Sells a lot better than Forty-five-year-old works hard for twenty years and builds lasting business that makes a difference in her community. Right? Right. So, unless you are one of the chosen few, you will need to prep for a marathon, not a sprint. This is both a mental and emotional adjustment that needs to be made. Prep for the long haul!
Develop a learning attitude. You have perhaps heard it said, Leaders are readers. It is true. Even more so, leaders are learners. I dont know any leader who has attained any level of leadership who doesnt keep himself or herself on the edge of learning. One of my mentors runs a company that you would all know by namein fact, you probably used one of their products today, no matter where you live in the worldthat does billions of dollars a year in revenue (Yes, with a b) and he still takes time each year to go to a school of leadership! He is already a tremendously successful leader, yet he is still working on it! THAT is a learning attitude! If you want to lead, prep yourself for it by developing a learning attitude.
Acquire a love for people. In reality, we do not lead organizations or businesses. No. We lead people. We are successful if we know how to lead people. People are the name of the game. And the best way to become a leader of people is to love people. Others can tell instinctively whether or not we love them and have their best interests at heart. If they do not know that we care for them, they will not follow. Leadership is the art of directing people we care for and desire to help. In other words, we love people. If you have an issue with people, chances are you are not ready to lead them. To prep yourself for leadership, acquire a love for people. If the other things are in place, then they will want to follow you.
You CAN become a leader. I truly believe that. If you are already a leader, I know you can become better. Take a long, hard look at yourself and see if perhaps there are some areas you need to prep yourself in regard to leadership so that when you really get going you dont have to stop and go back!
Leadership Prep - thats the place to start!
-- Chris Widener
Reprinted with permission from The Chris Widen Ezine
August 29, 2009
The Power of Personal Charisma by Brian Tracy
Become An Irresistible Person
Websters Collegiate Dictionary defines charisma as a personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthusiasm for a public figure.
Develop Personal Magnetism
Charisma is also that special quality of magnetism that each person has and that each person uses to a certain degree. You have a special charisma to the people who look up to you, who respect and admire you: the members of your family and your friends and coworkers. Whenever and wherever a person feels a positive emotion toward another, he imbues that person with charisma, or attractiveness.
Project Yourself Positively
In trying to explain charisma, some people speak of an aura. This aura is a light that is invisible to most people, but not to everyone, and that radiates out from a person and affects the people around that person in a positive or negative way. The halo around the heads of saints and mystics in many religious paintings was the artists attempt to depict the light that people reported seeing around the heads of these men and women when they were speaking or praying, or in an intense emotional state.
Control the Impression You Make
You also have an aura around you that most people cannot see but that is there, nevertheless. This aura affects the way people react and respond to you, either positively or negatively. There is a lot that you can do, and a lot of good reasons for you to do it, to control this aura and make it work in your best interests.
Sell Your Way to the Top
If youre in sales, this aura reflecting your level of charisma can have a major impact on the way your prospects and customers treat you and deal with you. Top salespeople seem to be far more successful than the average salespeople in getting along with their customers. Theyre always more welcome, more positively received and more trusted than the others. They sell more, and they sell more easily. They make a better living, and they build better lives. Salespeople with charisma get far more pleasure out of their work and suffer far less from stress and rejection. The charismatic salesperson is almost invariably a top performer in his field and enjoys all the rewards that go with superior sales.
Influence People Around You
If youre in business, developing greater charisma can help you tremendously in working with your staff, your suppliers, your bankers, your customers and everyone else upon whom you depend for your success. People seem naturally drawn to those who possess charisma.
They want to help them and support them. When you have charisma, people will open doors for you and bring you opportunities that otherwise would not have been available to you.
Exchange Your Personal Relationships
In your personal relationships, the quality of charisma can make your life more joyous, happier. People will naturally want to be around you. Members of your family and your friends will be far happier in your company, and you will have a greater influence on them, causing them to feel better about themselves and to do better at the important things in their lives.
Action Exercises
First, identify the people with whom you seem to have a lot of charisma - the people who know you, like you, respect you the most. How could you increase your charisma with these people?
Second, identify the people who have charisma to you, the people you most like and respect and admire. What is there about them that you could copy or emulate?
If you think charisma, youll have more of it.
-- Brian Tracy
Reprinted with permission from The Chris Widen Ezine
August 30, 2009
How Do You Measure Success?
Quality of life, in America today, is often measured by the amount of money you make. Success is defined by the kind of car you drive. By the neighborhood you live in. By the toys you own. After all, he who dies with the most toys wins. True or false?
Life was difficult before remote controls and automatic door locks. Skiing was so boring before the new shape skis hit the market. Fishing without a carbon-fiber rod was next to impossible. And the best part of life today is that big-screen plasma HDTV, the one with the universal remote that controls everything. It's the best escape devised yet from an otherwise dull evening.
In contrast, the people of the remote Himalayan country of Bhutan were recently rated as having the poorest quality of life of all but one other country in the world --- after all, their average annual per capita income is only $500. Ironically, however, when you visit the country, there are no beggars, only beautiful, snow-capped peaks, virgin forests, and clean air. The crime rate is extremely low, no one is in a hurry, and there is a strong sense of community. You might almost think that instead of depending on their belongings to entertain them, they've learned to enhance their lives by building relationships with each other.
Be careful to avoid the trap of, "the more you buy, the more you need". Because oftentimes then the more we think we need, the more unhappy we are with what we have. So this year, before buying those new golf clubs, stop and think. Will that $1,000 bring you more happiness through a bag of irons, compared to a few days off with your family, or as a donation to an organization, or a person who is trying to make a difference. It's your choice. It's how you measure it.
So this week count your blessings instead of your possessions. Spend more time with those you love, instead of spending more money on things you lack.
-- Denis Waitley
Reprinted with permission from The Chris Widen Ezine
August 31, 2009
Establishing Dreams and Goals by Jim Rohn
One of the amazing things we have been given as humans is the unquenchable desire to have dreams of a better life, and the ability to establish goals to live out those dreams. Think of it: We can look deep within our hearts and dream of a better situation for ourselves and our families; dream of better financial lives and better emotional or physical lives; certainly dream of better spiritual lives. But what makes this even more powerful is that we have also been given the ability to not only dream but to pursue those dreams and not only to pursue them, but the cognitive ability to actually lay out a plan and strategies (setting goals) to achieve those dreams. Powerful! And that is what we will discuss in detail this week: How to dream dreams and establish goals to get those dreams.
What are your dreams and goals? This isn't what you already have or what you have done, but what you want. Have you ever really sat down and thought through your life values and decided what you really want? Have you ever taken the time to truly reflect, to listen quietly to your heart, to see what dreams live within you? Your dreams are there. Everyone has them. They may live right on the surface, or they may be buried deep from years of others telling you they were foolish, but they are there.
So how do we know what our dreams are? This is an interesting process and it relates primarily to the art of listening. This is not listening to others; it is listening to yourself. If we listen to others, we hear their plans and dreams (and many will try to put their plans and dreams on us). If we listen to others, we can never be fulfilled. We will only chase elusive dreams that are not rooted deep within us. No, we must listen to our own hearts.
Let's take a look at some practical steps/thoughts on hearing from our hearts on what our dreams are:
Take time to be quiet. This is something that we don't do enough in this busy world of ours. We rush, rush, rush, and we are constantly listening to noise all around us. The human heart was meant for times of quiet, to peer deep within. It is when we do this that our hearts are set free to soar and take flight on the wings of our own dreams! Schedule some quiet "dream time" this week. No other people. No cell phone. No computer. Just you, a pad, a pen, and your thoughts (you get to do this in the workbook exercises this week).
Think about what really thrills you. When you are quiet, think about those things that really get your blood moving. What would you LOVE to do, either for fun or for a living? What would you love to accomplish? What would you try if you were guaranteed to succeed? What big thoughts move your heart into a state of excitement and joy? When you answer these questions you will feel Great and you will be in the "dream zone." It is only when we get to this point that we experience what Our dreams are!
Write down all of your dreams as you have them. Don't think of any as too outlandish or foolish - remember, you're dreaming! Let the thoughts fly and take careful record.
Now, prioritize those dreams. Which are most important? Which are most feasible? Which would you love to do the most? Put them in the order in which you will actually try to attain them. Remember, we are always moving toward action, not just dreaming.
Here is the big picture: Life is too short to not pursue your dreams. Someday your life will near its end and all you will be able to do is look backwards. You can reflect with joy or regret. Those who dream, who set goals and act on them to live out their dreams are those who live lives of joy and have a sense of peace when they near the end of their lives. They have finished well, for themselves and for their families.
Remember: These are the dreams and goals that are born out of your heart and mind. These are the goals that are unique to you and come from who you were created to be and gifted to become. Your specific goals are what you want to attain because they are what will make your life joyful and bring your family's life into congruence with what you want it to be.
Jim Rohn
Reprinted with permission from The Jim Rohn Ezine
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