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March 31, 2008
Zig Ziglar On Human Relations
Abraham Lincoln, truly one of our greatest presidents, had a rather unique approach in trying a case when he was a practicing attorney. He went to great lengths to learn everything he could about what the attorney for the "other side" would say... Then, in his arguments, Lincoln would do a superb job of presenting the case from his opponent's side of the table... On occasion, the attorney for the other side would make the observation that Lincoln had presented the opposition's case better than he could have.
Perhaps you wonder why he took such an approach. First, he wanted to be fair. Second, he wanted to win the case if he believed his client was right. Needless to say, Lincoln then presented his own side with more fervor, facts, and reasons why his side was the right side. By using this procedure, Lincoln completely robbed the opposition of anything to say and built his own case in a stronger manner... He also wove in more humor and homespun stories when he presented his case. Most people, including jurors, like and trust those who give them cause to smile and who bring homespun logic to the table.
What Lincoln did was simple. He practiced great human relations and used his abundant common sense. He wanted right to prevail and when he presented his case, as a general rule, the right side did win. Think about it. Take Lincoln's approach and I'll see you at the top!
Zig Ziglar
Reprinted with permission from Your Achievement Ezine
March 30, 2008
Focus on Ideas by Vic Johnson
"No person can be confronted with a difficulty which he has not the strength to meet and subdue Every difficulty can be overcome if rightly dealt with; anxiety is, therefore, unnecessary. The task which cannot be overcome ceases to be a difficulty and becomes an impossibility and there is only one way of dealing with an impossibility - namely to submit to it." - Byways of Blessedness
Most people who read these articles probably think that I write them for others. The truth is, I write them for me. I need them as much or more than the folks I write for.
Several days ago when I started this I was confronted with a difficulty that I allowed to fill me with a great deal of anxiety. Its not a new difficulty or even a totally unexpected one. But I was faced with a decision that will have long-term ramifications. One of those kind of decisions that wed rather not make - one of those decisions that makes you want to pull the covers up over your head in the morning.
James Allens words are so incredibly penetrating on this subject because hes basically saying that theres no problem that we should be anxious about. We can either solve it or its impossible to solve. Kind of reminds you of the Serenity Prayer doesnt it? "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and the Wisdom to know the difference."
I once heard Rita Davenport give some great advice on handling most of the problems in our life: If money can fix it, its not a problem. Well thats great, you say, but I dont have the money to fix it, so Ive got a problem. Wrong thinking. Because the truth is youre only one idea away from obtaining whatever amount of money you might need. So instead of focusing on the money you dont have (which will almost surely result in you attracting more lack into you life), focus on ideas, ideas, ideas.
Theres also another great reason not to be anxious about the difficulty youre facing today - it contains a lesson. And once you master it, you will be much stronger and wiser. My long-time hero, Emmet Fox, wrote, "It is the Law that any difficulties that can come to you at any time, no matter what they are, must be exactly what you need most at the moment, to enable you to take the next step forward by overcoming them. The only real misfortune, the only real tragedy, comes when we suffer without learning the lesson."
And thats worth thinking about.
Vic Johnson
Reprinted with permission from Your Achievement Ezine
March 29, 2008
Seeing is Believing, or Is It? by Denis Waitley
When your eyes are open, you see the world that lies outside yourself. You see the items of the room you're in, the people, and the view of the landscape through the window. You take for granted that the objects are real and separate from yourself.
However, successful individuals see the act of achieving in advance -- vivid, multi-dimensional, clear. Champions know that "What you see, is who you'll be."
When you close your eyes, images and thoughts flow through your mind. You may review memories of past events, or preview future possibilities. You can daydream about what may be or what might have been, and your imagination will take you beyond the limits of space and time. Most people attach little importance to these inner visions. They may seem pleasantly irrelevant, or uncomfortably at odds with the accepted external reality.
If you're like most people, you grew up with the idea that "Seeing is Believing." In other words, you need to physically see something with your own eyes to believe that it's real.
I know many successful individuals who live this way.
But there's an attitude that suggests, "Before you can see it, you have to believe it." This premise holds that our belief system is so powerful that thoughts can actually cause things to happen in the physical world.
I also know many successful individuals who live according to this notion of reality.
So which concept is nearer the truth? Do you have to see it before you believe it, or believe before you can see it? The answer is: both are basically true. If you can see something in your mind's eye, and you imagine it over and over again, you will begin to believe it is really there in substance. As a result, your actions, both physical and mental, will move to bring about in reality the image you are visualizing.
During my university years at the U. S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, I underwent training in aircraft recognition. All of us midshipmen sat at one end of a hall while silhouettes of American and foreign military aircraft were flashed on a screen at speeds similar to combat situations. We were supposed to write down the numerical designations and names of the planes, such as A-4, F-ll-F, F-4, MIG-21, and so forth. But the task became more difficult each week, because they kept adding more planes, scrambling the order, and speeding up the projection.
Finally, it got ridiculous, because the images were going by faster than an MTV music video so that most of us saw only a blur, and some didn't see anything. I began to see planes that weren't even invented yet.
When it came time for the final exam, I didn't know for certain which planes I was seeing. I wrote down hunches, intuitions, and reflex responses. But when the test results were announced, virtually everyone had scored a perfect 100 percent. We had seen the planes, even if we didn't necessarily believe it. For me, that test proved that images can be stored and retained, unconsciously, at incredible speeds. And those stored images, when recalled, can enhance performance.
What about the thousands of flickering images we see on a TV, computer or movie screen? What about commercials? Do we have to believe the products really do all those amazing things before we buy them? Do viewers have to think that violent scenes in movies and TV are actually occurring in real life for there to be a negative effect on their behavior? Many people believe that violent fantasy has no impact on their lives whatsoever, because they think they're too intelligent to be swayed by it.
Well, I've got news for them. Whatever you see or experience, real or imagined, consciously or subliminally, when repeated vividly over and over, does affect your behavior, and definitely can influence you to buy a product or buy into a lifestyle, good or bad. Your attitude and beliefs are, quite simply, functions of what you see day in and day out. Information can be taken in almost unnoticed. You won't react to it until later, and you still won't be aware of what lies behind your response. In other words, what you see really is what you get, regardless of whether you know it or not.
You don't need to be watching slides of airplanes, or TV shows, or music videos, video games, or commercials. You can be just lying down, or commuting to work, or walking through a park, and by seeing from within, in your mind's eye, you can change your life.
By rehashing fears and problems, you can make yourself depressed. As a result you can botch a business deal, hurt a relationship, or lower your performance. By forecasting a gloomy outcome in your mind's eye, you can act as your own witch doctor and practice a modern-day kind of voodoo that will fulfill your negative prediction with uncanny accuracy.
On the other hand, by replaying in your mind's eye the best game you ever played, you can repeat that best game again, when the stakes are even higher and the pressure is on. And by mentally pre-playing the best game you've ever imagined, you can set the stage for a world-class performance. This "instant replay" and "instant pre-play" applies to anything from a successful sales call or athletic event to the effective motivation of your teammates and children.
Choose your role models and inputs carefully. Your attitudes and beliefs are the software programs driving you every day on life's journey.
Denis Waitley
Reprinted with permission from The Denis Waitley Ezine
March 28, 2007
Attitudes of Successful Learners by Chris Widener
Hi there, Chris Widener here. This week I want to talk with you about the attitudes of successful learners.
We can choose our attitudes about anything, including learning and education. That's right. We get to choose what our attitudes are. Here is the definition of attitude: "The feeling or opinion about something or someone, or a way of behaving that follows from this." We choose our opinion about people and situations. We choose the way we will behave in relation to other people and circumstances. We choose what we believe about learning. We choose it. Learning doesn't have to be bad. It doesn't have to be anything but what we want it to be. We have the option. We can have tremendously optimistic attitudes about learning - attitudes that will help us grow in ways we have never achieved before!
The choice of a right attitude will significantly determine new circumstances. Choosing to have the right attitude will change the world around you. This isn't any sort of magic; it is just how the world works. Now, don't get me wrong. It won't cure everything and turn your world into a virtual Shangri-La, but it will significantly improve the world you live in. For example, let's say that every day you go into work and you gripe about life and work from the moment you get there until the moment you leave. Will others want to be around you? Will others ask your opinion? Will others like you? Will others ask you to join them for lunch? Probably not! But what if you come to work every day and you are the positive optimist of the crowd? Will everybody love you? No, but significantly more people will than if you are the office pessimist! Your choice of attitude will determine what kind of circumstances you get!
The same is true with learning. What we feel about learning, and what we believe about it will determine the outcomes of our learning. And the outcomes of our learning will determine the outcome of our lives.
Ultimately, our attitude is a choice. Nobody else can force you to have a bad attitude. Nobody else can force you to have a good attitude. It is simply a choice we each make.
Where are you with your attitude about learning? Is it positive? Take some time to give it some serious thought. Then, no matter where you find yourself, decide to take your attitude to the next level! If you have a really bad attitude, decide to take it up a couple of levels!
So, if our attitudes determine to a great degree what kind of life we have, shouldn't we focus on the best attitudes to have and then make them ours? Absolutely! If we want to soar with the eagles in this life, and if there are attitudes that will make us soar, shouldn't we pursue them with all our hearts? By all means! So here we go!
Attitudes of Successful Learners
1. "I can."
This is the most basic of all attitudes. We simply must choose to believe that we can learn. In our house we are not allowed to say, "I can't." We can say, "I'll try," or "I tried and failed," but not "I can't." Telling yourself that you can't will in effect make it so. But telling yourself that you can, will in effect enable you to learn much more. Even if you actually only achieve 50% of what you tell yourself, you will achieve at least that much more than if you told yourself you couldn't. So many people were told at a young age that they couldn't learn. Many others were allowed to engage in that kind of negative self talk (tell themselves, "I can't learn", "I don't understand", I'll never get this", etc.) and their parents and teachers didn't intervene. This enabled them to develop the "I can't" attitudes that become self-fulfilling prophecies.
I actually have a standard way of going about getting myself off of the starting block. I simply say if somebody else has achieved great learning heights, then I can too. I have to be smarter than at least one of those who has already done it. I have to be able to work harder than at least one other. There has to be at least one other person who has come from more difficult circumstances than me. And if they can do it then certainly, "I can!"
2. "This is a long-term approach."
Learning isn't something that happens overnight. Yes, you can learn individual facts, but the real growth comes when you see your learning build on itself and compound for years, when your knowledge meets up with your experience. When we take the attitude that it all has to happen immediately, we hurt ourselves in the long run because the fact is that it takes time to learn (even though we can accelerate it). If we expect it to happen immediately and it doesn't, then we can get frustrated and stop learning altogether.
Instead, we need to take a long-term view just as we do in financial matters, weight management, leadership, etc. Long-term thinking, including our learning is always the best way to go for success.
3. "Learning is valuable."
Some people have a "learning schmearning - who needs learning" attitude. They think that learning is overrated. I hate to tell you this, but not only was that wrong 5000, 500 and 50 years ago, it is especially wrong today. We live in the information age. We must gain knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge if we are going to be successful. We must tell ourselves and cultivate the attitude that learning is valuable and that it will affect our lives.
4. "I will make a difference in the lives of those around me."
People who soar are generally people who have the attitude of helping other people. Yes, they may do it for monetary gain, but they are others-focused. They want to change the way people live and experience life for the better. They are difference makers all around. This is the same in what we learn. We learn first for ourselves, but then with the goal of taking what we have learned, and what we make of ourselves, and we then help others to do the same.
I live in a town that is very affluent. Most of the people I know, work with and have as friends are very successful in this world. They have learned a lot about life and how it works. They have learned how to make money and be successful in business. One thing I can say, as almost a universal truth, is that as people, they are not self-consumed but genuinely care about others and will do what they can to help others. This is what I know to be true about the attitudes of the genuinely successful.
These are the attitudes of people who are not just successful at getting information into their minds, but in becoming good people because of that information. Learn all that you can, and be sure to keep the attitudes that will make you a successful learner and a successful person!
Have a great week!
Chris
Reprinted with permission from The Chris Widener Ezine
March 27, 2008
The 3 Secrets to Communication Mastery by Tony Jeary
Communication Mastery is a level few people operate at. Yet it's something that's actually quite easy to achieve. The difference is in the way the message is prepared and received, and it can be achieved by integrating three simple principles into your daily communications:
1. Get Clear on Your Objectives
Ordinary communicators whip off an email, leave a quick voicemail, or rush into a meeting with their minds on something else.
Communication Masters, on the other hand, imagine each and every communication event down the line to its ideal conclusion before they ever start typing, talking, or walking into a conference room. And they do it by asking - and answering - four questions:
What specific desired outcomes do I personally want from this communication?
What action do I want the recipient(s) to take as a result of my presentation?
What must the recipient(s) know, say, or do differently when my presentation is over?
When are these actions required?
Let's say, for example, that you're leaving someone a voice message. Do you want the recipient to call you back with a certain piece of information, write you a letter, tell his or her assistant to schedule a meeting, buy your product immediately, or simply get his or her mind turning in preparation for a follow-up presentation?
Articulate to yourself exactly what the goal of your presentation is, and exactly what the recipient has to do in order for that goal to be achieved.
You may even want to write down the objective in either a short sentence or short list of bullets and then keep that list handy and top of mind during the presentation.
2. Apply the Presentation Platinum Rule
We all know The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you.
This is good advice, but those who communicate effectively use the Platinum Rule: Do unto others as they want to be done unto. Communicate the way others want to receive your message - not the way you like to be communicated to!
Everyone receives and processes information differently. Once you realize this distinction about human nature, your power and communication effectiveness will be enhanced. Master Communicators are flexible. They rarely make the same presentation twice because they know each recipient is different. They learn the composition of the person or people they're presenting to before the presentation begins, then adjust accordingly.
The best way to determine how people want to receive your message is to take a look at how they communicate their own messages to you. The more your communications are able to mirror back to the recipients their own likes and preferences, the more likely they are to respond quickly and positively to your message. If they use email, you use email. If they always call you, use the phone. (See Match your Recipient's Communication Style.)
You can utilize the Platinum Rule even if you've never met the person you are making a presentation to. Imagine, for example, that your goal is to create a joint venture between your organization and XYZ Industries, and in order to do it, you need to get your proposal to the president-someone you've never met. What does XYZ Industries' website look like? Do they have a public persona, a "vibe" they want to convey? How does the president dress - conservatively, casually, or with an edge? Are there any articles about him or her or interviews that you can read? Does the corporate literature contain any letters-from-the-president - type content that might offer some insights into his or her personality, likes, and dislikes, or do you have any shared acquaintances who may be able to give you insight?
All of this information will enable you to shape your presentation in a way that will resonate with your prospect on a deep personal level. For example, if the president is young and the XYZ is a web company, you might send an audio postcard via email. If the company is a manufacturing company without a website, you might infer that a personal letter is best.
3. Address the 'So What?' Factor
The difference between communicators and Communication Masters is that masters constantly and continuously target the recipient(s) pains, needs, and objectives with every presentation opportunity. They can imagine their recipient saying, "So what?" to each and every idea, bullet point, or sentence. And they make sure that their presentation delivers the response to that "So what?"
Most people, excited about the opportunity to sell their idea, product, or service, spend so much time talking about what excites them about the opportunity and the need they think it solves for their prospect, they never take the time to truly dig into the recipient's pains or objectives. And, this is why most presentations fail. It has nothing to do with the opportunity; the failure is in the delivery because the "So what?" factor was never addressed, and the recipient never made the connection between the needs in his life and the opportunity presented.
Your first communication should be entirely exploratory, whether by email or in person. Ask leading questions. Take detailed notes. Resist the urge to offer solutions or answers. This is difficult at first, because you are naturally excited about the opportunity you have to offer. But, it is only an "opportunity" if the recipient recognizes it as an opportunity - if it satisfies their "So what?" Once you have identified the needs, weave those into every communication. Make sure that every presentation - every email, voicemail, or face-to-face meeting - recognizes those pains and addresses them. Make constant and continuous connection with your recipients, and you will have overcome the "So what?" factor.
Achieving Communication Mastery
You're already doing the work of communicating: You're having the conversations, writing the emails, making the phone calls, giving the speeches. Simply by integrating these three principles into all of those efforts, you will transform them from mere communications into presentations ... and in so doing, multiply their effectiveness exponentially. You will accomplish more through your communications than you ever knew you could, and you'll do it in less time and with less effort than you will believe.
Reprinted with permission from Your Achievement Ezine
March 26, 2008
Conversations that Connect by Colette Carlson
Conversing naturally is key to your success in the business world. Knowing when to initiate a conversation, keeping it interesting by asking effective questions, sharing your own stories and ending a conversation with kindness is an art.
Create connections by following these seven steps:
Step 1: Exude confidence. When you're comfortable in your own skin, you make others comfortable. If you take the attitude that you bring something to the table, you will see that attitude reflected in others. Remember: Enthusiasm is infectious.
Step 2: Show up with something to say. Always be on the lookout for material. Although it may sound contrived, I read the Wall Street Journal looking for interesting, timely information that I can share at my next get-together: a party, association meeting or business affair. Think about keeping a file that you can review before your next event.
Step 3: Begin with a question. Besides showing interest in someone, one simple question can start an entire conversation. Asking something a bit unusual sets you apart from the crowd. Rather than, "What do you do?" ask, "How do you enjoy spending your weekends?"
Step 4: Find common ground. The surest way to build rapport is to find something you have in common and build on that interest. Don't shy away from topics that have nothing to do with business. They often crate the perfect connection.
Step 5: Focus on others. Putting your energy and interest in another person marks you as a great conversationalist. Englishman Raymond Mortimer once described the art of conversation in the United States as "not tennis, in which you return the other fellow's serve, but gold, in which you go on hitting your own ball." Keep that back and forth volley going with conversation.
Step 6: Be inclusive. Excluding others in the group is a conversation killer. Make eye contact with everyone in the group, not just the person who asked you a direct question.
Step 7: Close a conversation with class. When a conversation naturally lulls, take advantage and say, "It's been my pleasure talking with you, I hope our paths cross again soon." Before leaving, be certain to thank the hosts.
Colette Carlson
Reprinted with permission from Your Achievement Ezine
March 25, 2008
The Power of One-on-One by Denis Waitley
The secret to being a good role model and mentor is in finding out what others want and helping them succeed. The secret to being a good and wise communicator is the patient listening for those desires in others, and also in learning from the experiences of others by questioning and listening thoroughly, so that we may learn from their successes and failures.
Frank Sinatra learned his superb breath control in singing from his first band leader, Tommy Dorsey. In large part, the person Helen Keller became was because of Anne Sullivan. Plato learned from Socrates. Jesse Owens credits his winning of the long jump in the 1936 Olympics to a tip given to him by his top German competitor, Luz Long. In the middle of the event, after Owens had already fouled twice on takeoff, Long gave Owens a helpful hint on how to correct his takeoff point. The result was a record breaking leap of over 26 feet which stood for more than twenty years.
Artists have always learned more from observing other artists than from going to classes or observing nature. In a sense, you and I are master artists who have the opportunity to breathe new colors, shading and perspective into the lives of other artists who are struggling with their oils, brushes and canvases. Think back to the people who have had the most influence on you. You will likely find that they have been people who really cared about you -- your parents, a great teacher, a coach, business associate, a good friend -- someone who was interested in you. The only people you will influence to any great degree will be the people you care about. When you are with people you care for, their interests -- rather than your own -- will be uppermost in your mind.
Our success in getting along with others and communicating effectively with them depends solely upon our ability to recognize their desires and needs, and help them fill those desires and needs with positive actions.
In the communication process, knowledge is not always wisdom; sensitivity is not always accuracy and sympathy is not always understanding. All customer service and the ability to gain trust and repeat business is based on empathy. Empathy is "feeling with" and never assuming anything until you have "walked a mile in the other person's moccasins." Since it is impossible to know the road another has walked, the best alternative is to ask questions with interest and respect, and listen for the hidden agendas and desires.
In this way, you can be a Renoir to the next Monet!
-- Denis Waitley
Reprinted with permission from The Denis Waitley Ezine
March 24, 2008
Are You Aware? by Ellie Drake
"Awareness Precedes Action."
Common Pitfalls to be Aware of in Business:
Here are some possible resistances along the way, not necessarily for us to avoid and resist, but most importantly to be aware of and know that they are there. Even the most dedicated traveler on this journey, will come across pitfalls.
First pitfall: Obsessive goal orientation -
Although it is great to set ambitious goals, the best way to reaching them is to cultivate modest expectations along the way, and most importantly to celebrate every small achievement. Remember every step in this journey is it's own destination. As an example, when we are climbing a mountain, we must be aware of where the peak is, however if we keep looking at the peak, we might become overwhelmed and enter the state of judgment and analysis. This by the way, will cause a reverse effect, sometimes making us go backwards. Let's make sure that we keep our eyes on the path, enjoying every step in this process, understanding that the peak is only a land mark. By the way, we must also realize that the peak is only a step in the journey from which we choose the next peak. Life is full of peaks for a person who wants to live their potential as a human being. Therefore, we might as well enjoy the process of getting to each of them.
Next pitfall: No goal setting -
Sometimes as human beings, we tend to refuse to set goals merely because we are carrying the burden of having set them in the past, but not having accomplished them. We must realize that if we do not accomplish a goal, it's only because we are human. But as long as we learn from it, and keep on setting healthy step by step goals, we will end up accomplishing a majority of them in the long run. Those who have succeeded, have also failed. The only difference is that they succeeded more than they failed. Therefore, setting healthy goals along the way can sharpen and empower us. Persistent healthy goal setting will end up being persistent goal getting!
Next pitfall: Little competitiveness -
A healthy level of competition is essential in business. It provides some spice. It sometimes brings about that extra level of willingness. It is true that the most important competition should be to compete with ourselves. However, it is important for us not to resist competition especially if we resist it because of not wanting to be disappointed. This is perhaps another subconscious pattern. So let's welcome a healthy level of competition understanding that we can be on the right track, but if we don't move, we might get run over.
Next pitfall: Over competitiveness -
Competition can provide the spice. However, when the spice becomes the biggest ingredient in the meal, then the player will get sick. A person who thinks about nothing but winning, will end up losing. The focus should be on one's purpose, and also enjoying the process. A healthy level of competition is good. An obsession with winning and competing will take us out of the flow. After all, we know by now that the Ego is never in the flow.
Next pitfall: Inconsistency -
Consistency is the only way to grow. Inconsistency takes energy and time. Being consistent, even on a part time basis, is much more powerful than coming in and out of this flow. Remember the example of the Rabbit and the Turtle? Sometimes in business, it is better to have a turtle mind set, than that of a Rabbit. I remember to create in my business, I had a rabbit-turtle combo. That means have the mind set of a turtle, with the motor skills of a rabbit. But that is perhaps another Article. One step at a time! Starting with consistent steps.
Next pitfall: Perfectionism -
For me, being a perfectionist brings about an instant self criticism component. I am glad to say that I have learned to be good to myself. Therefore, I have realized that to let go of perfectionism, means to get out of the way, and perform to the best of my ability in the moment. This also brings in an understanding that the next level will be more effective, and more efficient than this level. However, the next level will not occur, unless the current level is experienced fully without judgment and attachment. It's to believe that we can not merely wait till we are good. We must first do, and then we will be good. I have truly learned that perfectionism is one of the biggest blocks to creativity. I have also learned when I am creative, I accomplish more. When I accomplish more, I feel good. But to be creative, I now know that I must first feel good. So in this equation, the enzymes that catalyze the reaction are feeling good and being creative. This equals accomplishment. Perfectionism is the stop sign. It is the resistance in the way. Once again, I want to take the road of least resistance. So in the world of creativity, flow, and accomplishment, perfectionism is not an enzyme. It is a fungus! That should give you a nice mental picture! Ok. Moving right along!
Next pitfall: Plateaus -
In business, we so often resist plateaus. We feel that if we experience a plateau, then that means that something is not quite right out there with our business or our company. Although that sometimes can be true, but this definition can end up being one that exhausts and drains us. I have learned in my business to not resist the plateaus, but rather have them be an indication of perhaps an internal modification that might be required. That means that during a plateau, we could look inside and improve or change something that could allow us to grow. One step toward internal growth can sometimes end up being hundreds of steps toward external growth. Therefore, one will realize that a plateau can now be embraced rather than resisted. Building a business is so much more fun as well when a thing such as a plateau is looked at differently.
Reprinted with permission from Your Achievement Ezine
March 23, 2008
All Life Wishes to Reward Its Benefactors by Jim Rohn
Parents, leaders, employers, teachers and volunteers have you discovered one of the great positive mysteries of life? Here it is - All life seems to wish to reward its benefactor.
If you become the benefactor, you will receive these incredible rewards. If you are the benefactor to the garden, the flowers seem to bloom and say, "Look at me. Look how bright and beautiful I am because you took care of me. I wish to reward you by being beautiful, lovely, spectacular."
Your own children, if you become their benefactor, they want to reward you with their progress. I taught my daughters how to swim. And my daughters would say, as they were about to dive, "Daddy, daddy watch, watch, look, look, watch" as if to say; 'look what you have created here, you've spent the time with me and now look at me. This is the payoff. ' Watch me dive." I was their benefactor.
I have found that all life wishes to respond to the benefactor. The ones who give their time, give their effort, give their patience, give their ideas, the benefit of their experience. Whatever has benefited from that, wishes to respond. The crop wishes to grow. The child wishes to show you how much progress they've made.
And remember that whatever you move towards tends to move towards you. Just as when you move toward education, and education starts to seek you out. Or when you move toward progress and progress seems to want to now embrace you. You will find that, just as predictably, as you move towards helping those in your care they will wish to repay you with their own success and accomplishments.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
Reprinted with permission from The Jim Rohn Ezine
March 22, 2004
Conceptualize Your Purpose by Mark Victor Hansen
What were you put on earth to do? That's a mind-blowing question, because most people don't know the answer. Lots of folks get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, sit in front of the television and go to sleep. Thats their day. That is not anyone's purpose in life. That's not a life at all.
Don't get me wrong I'm not throwing blame or fault. In most cases, they probably don't know any better. This was how their parents lived each day; this was how they grew up. Maybe they think this is it this is all life has to offer.
Well, I'm here to sound the wake-up call.
There's a great scene in the movie "The Matrix" between Morpheus, a mentor, and Neo, his student. Neo has just woken up and discovered that what he thought was reality was just a world 'that had been pulled over his eyes to shield him from the truth.' Morpheus wants Neo to let go of what he used to think of as "reality," his mundane, day-to-day existence, where his true purpose was neither recognized nor realized. I want you to create a new world, a new reality, where you recognize that you have a purpose for being on this planet, and realize that your purpose is waiting for you to figure it out.
If you don't know your purpose, then your first purpose is to get a purpose.
When you look at the lives of the most successful people who ever lived, you can see that they had a definite purpose and they knew it. Some examples are: Christ His purpose was spiritual, and stated in John 10:10, which reads: "...I am come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly."
Walt Disney's purpose: "To make people happy."
Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller's purpose: "Humanity's comprehensive welfare on spaceship earth."
Henry Ford's purpose: "To mass produce, mass distribute and have cars mass consumed."
Andrew Carnegie's purpose: "To manufacture and market steel."
Mother Teresa's purpose: "To care for and comfort the poor, sick and needy all over the world."
I don't want you to confuse a purpose with a goal. Goals are great! I teach goal setting, and believe it is crucial to achieving any kind of success. But goals alone, left by themselves, can be indiscriminate and undirected. We can have hundreds of goals (and I hope you do), but we may only have one purpose that we work for our entire life. That purpose should be the underlying core that gives our goals direction and meaning.
Discovering your purpose will put your life into crystal-clear perspective. You won't see the world you once knew. You will see another world, one in which you are a necessary and intricate spoke in the wheel.
The saddest places on earth are graveyards. Not because people are buried there, but because dreams, talents and purposes that never came to fruition are buried there. Graveyards are filled with books that were never written, songs that were never sung, words that were never spoken, things that were never done.
You have talents and gifts that no one else can offer. There are things you can do that no one else is capable of doing quite the way YOU can do them. Don't rob this earth of your purpose by taking it to the grave with you. You see, we all have a purpose, a reason for living, breathing and existing. We all have unique talents and gifts that were created and given to us to be shared. Our task is to understand this and figure out what our purpose is. We owe it to the Universe AND to ourselves!
"You will become as small as your controlling desire, or as great as your dominant aspiration."
Mark Victor Hansen
Reprinted with permission from Your Achievement Ezine
March 21, 2008
Time: Your Most Valuable Commodity by Jeffery Combs
Regardless of our company, product, or services, what we are really selling is our time when we are in free enterprise. Most people don't have a true concept of money, and they don't realize that time is money, and so almost everyone gives their time away.
We hear in corporate America and in investing the term "ROI" a lot which stands for "Return On Investment," but what is much more important to an entrepreneur is our "ROTAE" or "Return On Time, Action, and Energy." These are our strongest resources and we cannot afford to waste time. Most people view that time works against them as an enemy. Successful people use time as their ally. There are 86,400 seconds, or 1,440 minutes, or 24 hours in every day. Success is not really about what we do, but what we do daily. Time is our most precious resource and everything we produce is a byproduct of how we manage ourselves in the time we are given each day.
On a daily basis, I devote 14 to 16 hours to my craft, which I truly love, personal development and self-empowerment. I have never for one minute considered devoting this much time to my freedom as work. When you love what you do it is a pleasurable endeavor, not a painful one. When I sit down to do my tasks I know what I desire to accomplish and I make good use of my time.
As I stated earlier, most people don't have a concept of time or money. Mention money and people become very uncomfortable. Mention time management and you get similar responses. When it comes to time, the average person equates time with work and that they have to "work hard." In free enterprise, we don't get paid for time. "Trading time for dollars," is what most Americans do over and over, which is called a job, and jobs usually keep people broke because they are paid what the job is worth. The average person then brings a $10 - $15 an hour job mentality to their enterprise and is under the misconception that if they 'work real hard' they will get rich. Occasionally this philosophy works, but not very often. To be successful in free enterprise, our thoughts about time and time management must change. We get paid for 'results', not 'time,' and if we want to make more money here we have to become more 'valuable'. How valuable we become through the service we perform is a real key issue. The key question we should be asking ourselves is, "How do I turn time into money?" How we manage our time effectively is going to have a direct reflection on our overall long-term results. I have found through my numerous years as an entrepreneur that there are four phases of the way people manage or mismanage their time: 1. spare time, 2. part-time, 3. full-time, and 4. all-the-time. Unfortunately, most people confuse themselves and think they are doing one of these last three phases when really they are spare time because that is the kind of effort they are devoting to their freedom.
Let's look at time management. The term 'time management' is really a misnomer because time itself is really unmanageable. It is a resource constantly being depleted at a predictable rate 60 minutes an hour, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. What we have the ability to do is manage ourselves in a way that will make effective use of time. There are two key components to managing ourselves that have to be understood. The distinction between them can assist us to take stress out of our lives and put more productivity, satisfaction, and freedom into it. These components are efficiency and effectiveness. The distinction is efficiency is doing a task correctly, while effectiveness is measured in results, and when we are in free enterprise results are everything.
A big mistake I see people making is trying to make better use of their time by trying to do what they are currently doing more efficiently. It is a good idea, but the wrong starting point. It doesn't matter how efficiently we manage our time if we aren't spending it pursuing the results we desire. Our most effective use of time is the action part of the process, and 80% of our time should be spent prospecting and attracting new accounts, not shuffling papers, reading books, listening to tapes, gossiping, procrastinating, getting ready to get ready, and a multitude of other excuses people use to divert their attention from the very physical activity that will pay them. Do the right tasks inefficiently and our businesses will survive. Do the wrong tasks efficiently and we will go broke. Take the right action efficiently and someday we will be set for life. Efficiency is only valuable when it contributes to effectiveness.
Do what is urgent first, not what is important. Becoming successful requires a mindset that creates urgency in numbers, in action, in task, in leadership, and in all areas. Successful people get tasks done now that is self-motivation. Average people don't take on this sense of urgency; they 'get to it' when it is important, and usually too late; the train has left; they procrastinate. The ability to distinguish between urgency and importance is crucial to creating and living successfully because the inability to distinguish between them gets many people in trouble and ultimately results in broken dreams and shattered lives.
Every day we have situations that arise situations happen, and we have things to do. Some are urgent and some are important, some are both, and some are neither. We have to understand that urgent situations are seldom important and important situations are seldom urgent. Most people spend 80% of their lives responding to the urgent as if everything that is urgent is important. You have to learn to separate the two. It is important that you take the proper action with a sense of urgency but not with a panicked or fear-stricken mindset. For instance, closing a sale or enrolling a client to use your product is urgent, but developing a flourishing organization is more important. Having a new car and wardrobe is urgent for a lot of people, but saving, investing, and developing a prosperity consciousness is much more important to becoming financially independent.
If we spend our time overreacting to the tyranny of the urgent, our lives will be far less successful than they could be. This is the very reason so many people today are working harder, living poorer, and feeling more time starved. They allow urgent situations to dictate how their time is spent and important situations go neglected. I am sure you can imagine what happens when important situations are neglected. Sooner or later they become urgent and important. They end up becoming crisis, i.e. money crisis, health crisis, enterprise crisis, family crisis, etc. Most would be preventable if we chose to spend our time doing what is important instead of overreacting to what is urgent. We have to learn that we are the sum of our choices and decisions. One of the most important choices we can make is to decide what is important, then commit ourselves to spending your time achieving important results, rather than responding to urgent and unimportant distractions. Procrastinating and getting ready to get ready is the main thief of the dreams of the average entrepreneur.
Jeff Combs
Reprinted with permission from Your Achievement Ezine
March 20, 2008
Killing the Giant when He Is 3 Feet Tall by Ron White
The salesperson who makes excuses might say:
'They said our price was too high'
'It was too far for them to drive.'
'They wanted it in blue.'
'They said the competition had a better product.'
Every salesperson has an excuse for why they don't make the sale. It is only the professional sales person who will, after the call, evaluate what took place and decide what he could have done better to have made the sale.
So the next time you get one of the objections above or another realize that often times it is your fault that it came up in the first place.
Let me ask you this If you had to fight a nine foot tall 230 pound giant with 15% body fat would you rather do it when he was three feet tall and growing or when he was nine feet tall and indestructible?
When you allow a prospect to verbalize an objection such as, 'Your price is too high' all of the sudden the giant (or objection) has gone from being three feet tall and a thought in the prospects mind to being verbalized and a real nine foot tall giant!
When a prospect verbalizes an objection it becomes real to them and much harder to overcome. Therefore, the best way to handle the objections is before they are verbalized or put another way when they are three feet tall.
Sit down and list all of your common objections and then weave the answers to these objections into your sales presentations before the customer has a chance to say them out loud.
For example, I often promote my seminars by speaking around Dallas at sales meetings for different companies. When I first got started at this years ago I would often hear the objection at the end, 'Let me know when you have one a little closer to me. This is too far to drive.' Wham! Just like that the door was closed. Nothing I could say at that point would make the sale because they were allowed to say the objection and make it real.
So since I knew this was an objection that I was going to get at offices far away from my event - I would weave into my presentation before they could bring it up, 'You know you are fortunate to be as close to this seminar as you are we have people driving as far as 100 miles just to be here!' Bam! Just like that you have eliminated the distance objection. You killed the giant when he was three feet tall. It will be much harder for the prospect to verbalize this objection now that you have already addressed it.
What are your common objections? Price? Distance? Color?
Figure out which objections that you seem to be getting over and over and figure out a way to weave the answer into your presentation before they can become real to the prospect.
If it is price you might say, 'The quality of this product is actually going to save you money. Because of the high quality it will last you years longer than a cheaper model and will actually save you money.' If you have the life expectancy of your product you might figure it out down to the penny how much this product will save you over its lifetime because it lasts so long.
Regardless of what your common objections are it is your responsibility to kill the giant when he is three feet tall. When he has been verbalized and grown to a nine foot tall giant you life is going to be much harder.
Get a pen and paper and start listing the objections you heard this week and let's get about killing some three feet tall giants!
Ron White
Reprinted with permission from The Ron White Ezine
March 19, 2008
The Twin Actions of Accomplishment by Chris Widener
When it comes to achieving accomplishments there are two foundational actions that must take place. When these two actions take place, and take place in the right order, you will become unstoppable. You will also enter into an elite group of people who actually do both.
You see, most people are given to only one or the other, and in doing so negate their opportunity to accomplish what it is that they want to accomplish. What are these two actions?
Intake and output.
Think about it. Do you want to have a healthy body? You must take in proper food and output vigorous exercise. Do you want to be financially fit? You must intake income and output investments.
The same is true in our personal and professional lives. But what specifically do we intake and output?
We intake information and we out put effort through the exercise of our will.
The twin actions of accomplishment then are the intake of information and the exercising of our will.
As I said, most people do one or the other. They are simply information addicts or they are action addicts. You have some who go to every seminar in the world and then never exercise their will to put it into practice. Others are simply a flurry of action but going in no specific direction.
When you only intake information you become fat! Not physically fat but personally fat. You become lethargic. You become frustrated because all of this information was supposed to change your life!
When you only exercise your will and become a tornado of activity you become spent. You become tired because you aren't achieving anything but a busy schedule!
But when you put these two together - WOW! Look out because you will turn the world upside down! So let's look at these two a little closer.
How can you intake information?
1. Choose as close friends, people who will challenge and stimulate you intellectually and personally.
2. Go back to school.
3. Buy success products and listen to them.
4. Read books.
5. Go to a seminar.
6. Get involved in an ongoing discussion group with people who want to grow.
How can you exercise the will? This is a bit simpler but not so easy.
1. You simply must act on the information.
2. Eat better foods - put down the ice cream.
3. Save more money - stop spending on superfluous items.
4. Lose weight - start walking every day.
5. Manage your time - shut off the TV.
All of these things we know what to do, but we must simply do it.
Are you a person who has all the info? Then act.
Are you a person who acts but doesn't get anywhere? Then learn.
Intake information, exercise the will. The twin actions of accomplishment.
You are Made for Success,
Chris Widener
Reprinted with permission from Your Achievement Ezine
March 18, 2008
Your Brain is the Greatest Computer Ever Created by Ron White
Have you ever walked into a room and couldn't remember what you went there for? Have you ever grasped the hand of a potential client and then when the handshake broke, the name seemed to disappear from your memory? Or have you ever left a prospect and as you drove away remembered a key point that you should have shared with them?
Of course you have... we all have. However, I have some great news for you. Your memory is nowhere near as bad as you may think it is. Recently, I was a guest at a radio station in Waco. The disc jockey wrote a 50-digit number on a sheet of paper and told his listening audience and then played a three-minute song for his audience.
As the listeners enjoyed the song I memorized the 50-digit number. When the song was over we went back live on the air and I handed him the paper. I then proceeded to say the number forwards and then I said it backwards. The disc jockey looked at me in utter disbelief and stunned he said, 'Ron... you are incredible!' I looked him straight in the eye and replied, 'You know... you are right!' I said, 'Jay, the greatest computer ever created does not come from Dell or Gateway. The greatest computer ever created does not sit on the assembly line of a computer factory. Instead, you and I are the greatest computers ever created. And yes... you are right. I am incredible... but so are you.'
The human memory has the ability to hear a 100 digit number or more once and then repeat it forwards and backwards, it has the ability to memorize a Shakespearean play word for word or memorize the stats of every baseball player for the last 100 years, and the human memory has the capability to meet 100 people in 20 minutes and recall every single name!
Now, the question is, are you doing these things? If not, the reason is simply that you have not been trained to. Two thousand years ago a Greek named Simonedes developed a memory method called 'Loci'. With this method, Simonedes numbered locations in his home. He started in the doorway and then logically proceeded around his home. He reviewed these items so many times mentally that if you asked him what was number 25 then he could instantly tell you what piece of furniture that number corresponded to.
These 25 objects were actually mental files for Simonedes. Then if he had a list of items he wanted to recall he would place them mentally on these objects in his home. Let's say that you are a professional who wants to give a speech without notes. Simply turn the key points into pictures and then file them to your 'house files'. When you are called upon to speak simply mentally walk through the house and give your talk without notes.
For example, recently I gave a one hour keynote in Atlanta at a home builders conference. I wrote my speech out the night before. The first thing I wanted to do was talk about the book, 'How to Win Friends and Influence People.' So I visualized the book on my front door and then mentally walked through my house and gave the one hour talk without notes! That can work for you as well. Anything that you want to recall simply turn it into a picture, place it on your house files and get ready to be amazed! YOU are the greatest computer ever created!
Reprinted with permission from Your Achievement Ezine
March 17, 2008
Rules for Success from a Motivating Taxi Driver by Zig Ziglar
One morning in Houston, Texas, I caught a taxi (to go to a breakfast meeting) and during a short ride I heard one of the finest sales talks on America and free enterprise that I ever heard. The cab driver had been a professional health care 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 to 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 wasn't 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 from Your Achievement Ezine
March 16, 2008
How Does Thinking Make a Difference? by Ed Foreman
Every one of us, at one time or another, has experienced difficulty. If you haven't, you're likely to such as the loss of a job, a business failure, an unexpected drop in stock market prices devaluing your retirement portfolio, fire, flood, divorce, the loss of a loved one, etc. How we deal with that difficult experience determines its impact upon our lives. Long term, it is not what happens to us that's so important. It is how we respond to what happens to us that makes the difference! Does that mean we can actually alter "reality" by the way we "think" about it? YES, we can.
The next likely question, then is, "I suppose you'd be happy, confident, cheerful, positive and enthusiastic if your spouse had just walked out on you or if you'd just lost your job?" Only if you desire reconciliation with your spouse, or if you want to remarry. Only if you desire to get another job equal to or better than the one you had! If you go around complaining, whining and criticizing your former spouse, telling everyone how unfair, inconsiderate, no-good, and difficult that person was, do you think they would want to marry you? If you criticize and complain loud and long enough, they'll soon understand why your spouse left you!
Do you think a prospective new employer would want to hire you if you are critical, condemning and remorseful about your previous employer? Or about how thoughtless, unappreciative and unfair they had been to you? They probably already have their quota of sourpusses!
All of us regret the loss of a loved one, young or old, and there will always be a reasonable period of mourning. However, to hang on to, and dwell upon that hollow, hurtful feeling and painful memory for an extended length of time will begin to take its toll upon you physically, mentally and emotionally. And upon your love, appreciation and feeling for those whom you still have in your life, reflect lovingly upon the positive impact that person had upon your life, review the good times you shared together and celebrate their life, instead of dwelling upon their departure! Life is uncertain, no one is here eternally. Enjoy and savor the time we have (or that we've had) together, here, now, and today.
Our life, our health, our being, becomes what we THINK. YES, our cells are always eavesdropping on our thoughts. Thoughts are real things that cause actions that develop into habits that make us happy or sad, relaxed or tense, healthy or sick, rich or poor. Life is for living not just for enduring, not for just tolerating, but to be lived, savored and enjoyed.
Make today a good day and you'll have enjoyed a GOOOD LIFE, today. Repeat the process, DAILY. It becomes a Habit!
Ed Foreman
Reprinted with permission from Your Achievement Ezine
March 15, 2008
It's Your Choice by Gary Eby
What is it you really want? Unfortunately, so many people haven't dreamed in so long they actually don't even know what they want any longer! You have got to stir up that dream inside of yourself. Your dreams and your destiny aren't determined by "CHANCE" but by "CHOICE"!
You can have anything in life you want... if you know what you want! Do you remember in Alice in Wonderland, Alice asked the cat, "Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" The cat answered, "That depends a great deal on where you want to go." Alice said, "Oh, I don't much care." He answered, "Then it really doesn't matter which way you go.
Which way do you want your life to go? What do you want? It's your choice! You are in control. Quit blaming others for your disappointments! Make a quality decision to get up... and get going! Life goes on!
Renew your personal commitment to "Life". Renew your dreams. Renew your vision. Don't let time, circumstance, or catastrophe keep you from turning your life around. It's your choice!
You absolutely have to have a vision! Helen Keller once said..."The only thing worse than not having sight is not having vision."
Ancient scripture says... Without a vision the people perish! In Eby English, you'll shrivel up and die without a vision! If you don't know where you are going, how will you know when you get there?
Your vision must be effective, clear, challenging, and inspiring to be valid.
Where are you going? Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." Never let anybody steal your dream or vision!
Life's results are not by chance... but, by choice!
Gary Eby
Reprinted with permission from Your Achievement Ezine
March 14, 2008
Living a Life of Meaning and Unstoppability by Cynthia Kersey
Living a life of meaning and unstoppability always involves giving. Many of the classic religious and secular texts throughout history contain some variation on "Give, and it will be given to you." Think about that for a moment. Isn't it true that the people with the most love in their lives give the most love? The people with the most friends are the most friendly?
A recent study by Stephanie L. Brown, Ph.D., of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor even showed that seniors who give aid and support to friends and neighbors actually live longer than those who simply receive it.
What you give doesn't have to be big. It might be a smile to a stranger, an offer of business advice, a financial donation to a cause you've been wanting to help, or a few volunteer hours at a community shelter. By sharing your talents, time, or money, you will become invigorated about your goal and your life because you will be making a difference in the lives of others.
TV host Larry King asked Dana Reeve, wife of the late paralyzed actor Christopher Reeve, if she ever got depressed about her husband being confined to a wheelchair. "Yes, of course," she said. "And when that happens, I immediately reach out to someone else who's hurting. Chris does the same thing when he gets down. In fact, we usually do it together. Helping others is a surefire way to help yourself."
Consider making a daily habit of giving to others. It doesn't have to take a lot of time and energy. By opening your eyes and heart, you will notice countless ways you can simply reach out to others. There is nothing more fulfilling in life than expressing your love for others. When you create a habit of giving, you are the greatest recipient.
Reprinted with permission from Your Achievement Ezine
March 13, 2008
Embracing Adversity for Achievement by Chris Widener
"Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I'll show you someone who has overcome adversity." -- Lou Holtz
Success in life depends upon being strong people with clear goals and indomitable spirits. Unfortunately most of us aren't born that way. We grow that way. And that growth can either come from us entering willfully into situations that will cause us to grow, like subscribing to this Ezine, or from the way we react when circumstances come upon us without our consent. The latter is what we call adversity.
Most of us spend our lives trying to avoid adversity, and I guess that is just as well. We shouldn't pursue adversity, but when she arrives, we should welcome her as a foe who, through our interaction with her, will make us into better people. Every contact we have with adversity gives us again the opportunity to grow personally and professionally and to forge our character into one that will achieve much later on.
With that in mind, here are some thoughts on adversity, and how it can help you to succeed in every area of your life and achieve your dreams.
Adversity brings out our resources. Horace said "Adversity reveals genius, prosperity conceals it." When everything is going well, we coast. There isn't a lot of stress, and we don't have to draw too much on the resources that reside within us. But when adversity comes we begin to draw upon each and every resource that we have in order to conquer the circumstances at hand. Adversity then, keeps us sharp. It keeps us using our personal muscle, if you will. That is a good thing because we grow through the use of our resources.
Adversity brings us together with others. Sure a team can have their problems with each other, but when they step on the court, when they experience the adversity of facing another obstacle, they pull together. One for all and all for one, as they say. The next time you experience adversity of some kind, keep your eyes open for how it can bring you together with your family, your co-workers or your team. Then when you are through it, you will find a bond that was created that wasn't there before.
Adversity makes us better people with stronger characters. Never underestimate the power of adversity to shape us inwardly. How will courage, discipline and perseverance ever flourish if we are never tested? After adversity, we come out stronger people and able then to use our character and influence in an even greater way to lead those around us and to improve their lives as well as our own.
Adversity makes life interesting. John Amatt said, "Without adversity, without change, life is boring." How true. Have you noticed that while we are in the middle of adversity we only long to get out of it, but we t | 
