Want some inspiration??? Check out this kid on a bike! That's PASSSION, Dedication and HARDWORK!! Amazing story!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z19zFlPah-o
http://www.dannymacaskill.co.uk/videos.php -click on videos!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Ducks quack, Eagles soar
Not sure of the author, but still a great story!!
No one can make you serve customers well. That's because great service is a choice. My friend Harvey Mackay, tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this
point.
He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped outand rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey.
He handed my friend a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.'
Taken aback, Harvey read the card.
It said: Wally's Mission Statement:
"To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment."
This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!
As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.'
My friend said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.'
Wally smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice.'
Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke.'
Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.'
As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card, 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.' And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him.
Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.
'Tell me, Wally,' my amazed friend asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?'
Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day. He had just written a book called "You'll See It When You Believe It". Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining!
Differentiate yourself from your competition.
Don't be a duck. Be an eagle.
Ducks quack and complain.
Eagles soar above the crowd.'
'That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally. 'Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle.
I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.'
'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said.
'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.'
Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it.
Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting.
Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like a duck and start soaring like an eagle. How about us?
A man reaps what he sows. Let us not become weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap the deserved harvest, if we do not give up!
Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar
No one can make you serve customers well. That's because great service is a choice. My friend Harvey Mackay, tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this
point.
He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped outand rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey.
He handed my friend a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.'
Taken aback, Harvey read the card.
It said: Wally's Mission Statement:
"To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment."
This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!
As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.'
My friend said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.'
Wally smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice.'
Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke.'
Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.'
As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card, 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.' And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him.
Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.
'Tell me, Wally,' my amazed friend asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?'
Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day. He had just written a book called "You'll See It When You Believe It". Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining!
Differentiate yourself from your competition.
Don't be a duck. Be an eagle.
Ducks quack and complain.
Eagles soar above the crowd.'
'That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally. 'Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle.
I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.'
'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said.
'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.'
Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it.
Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting.
Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like a duck and start soaring like an eagle. How about us?
A man reaps what he sows. Let us not become weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap the deserved harvest, if we do not give up!
Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
No Excuses!
Another great article by Chris. Enjoy!
Don’t you just hate it when people make excuses for their failures? So do I. But do you know what I hate even more? Finding myself making excuses for my failures! I have a policy that I try to live by: No excuses.
Here are some thoughts on a “No Excuses” policy.
People will respect you. When you say that there are no excuses, that you blew it, and that you take full responsibility to make the situation right, people will be astounded (since very few people make no excuses) and they will come to a greater respect of you.
You will find yourself taking greater responsibility. When you know that your policy is to have no excuses, there will be less room for error because you will be doing everything that you can to make sure the job gets done!
You will become the “go to” person. When someone wants something done, they will turn to you because they know that they can count on you to perform. And they know they won’t get any excuses! This will improve your level of success, and that is exactly what you are aiming for, right?
Practice up: “You’re right. There is no excuse for that. I will fix it immediately.” Refreshing!
Don’t you just hate it when people make excuses for their failures? So do I. But do you know what I hate even more? Finding myself making excuses for my failures! I have a policy that I try to live by: No excuses.
Here are some thoughts on a “No Excuses” policy.
People will respect you. When you say that there are no excuses, that you blew it, and that you take full responsibility to make the situation right, people will be astounded (since very few people make no excuses) and they will come to a greater respect of you.
You will find yourself taking greater responsibility. When you know that your policy is to have no excuses, there will be less room for error because you will be doing everything that you can to make sure the job gets done!
You will become the “go to” person. When someone wants something done, they will turn to you because they know that they can count on you to perform. And they know they won’t get any excuses! This will improve your level of success, and that is exactly what you are aiming for, right?
Practice up: “You’re right. There is no excuse for that. I will fix it immediately.” Refreshing!
Lessons From a Big Leaguer on Living Like a Champion
Great article by Chris Widener. Enjoy!!
I had the privilege of hosting a breakfast this morning for fifty-five executives at a local hotel. The main speaker for the morning was Jeff Nelson, a pitcher for the Seattle Mariners. It was a very enjoyable morning as I was able to eat with Jeff and get to know this fine gentleman who is a major part of the Mariners’ success this year, a year in which they are on pace to have the best season of any Major League baseball team ever.
Before I tell you about some of the things Jeff spoke about, I want to give you a little background on him to bring you up to speed. Jeff is thirty-four years old and this is his tenth year in the Majors after seven years in the minor leagues. He spent the last five years with the New York Yankees and has four World Series rings to show for it. His hope is to get his fifth with the M’s this year!
The topic I gave Jeff for the morning was “Living Like a Champion.” Here are the main points he shared with the group on how to do so (I think they are great for us to chew on too):
Don’t quit, because if you do, you may never achieve your dreams.
After seven years in minors, Jeff was brought up to the Majors but considered quitting baseball because it had been a long, hard road. After long discussions with his wife they decided that he better stick it out because they would always wonder what could have been. Imagine what he would have missed if he would have called it a career! Four World Series Championships with the Yankees – the pinnacle of any baseball players’ dreams, and the chance to do it again this year. Not to mention they pay him pretty well to do it!
Everybody is normal, no matter how high up the success ladder they get.
Jeff spoke of his wife and four little girls (all under the age of 6!) and the day-to-day life of driving them to school and Gymboree practice etc. We tend to think that everybody who is successful has chauffeurs and maids and never has any “normal” stresses. If this is why you pursue success – give up now!
When things are going great, you should focus on them getting better, not on being fearful that they may get worse.
The Mariners are now an astounding thirty-four games above .500 after just forty-eight games. When Jeff was asked during the Q and A whether or not he thought they would drop back to “normal,” he responded that actually the team was focusing on getting to forty games over .500. Now that is the mind of a champion, and a championship team. Don’t worry about what bad could happen; worry about what good will happen!
Success is relative, so be content.
Someone asked if relief pitchers (those who only pitch shortly late in the game) really wished they could be starting pitchers. Jeff replied that most accepted their role but jokingly said that many wanted to be starting pitchers only because the starters make “tons of money.” I corrected him, saying that Starters make “tons and tons” of money while relievers were relegated to simply the “Tons of Money” category! But the fact is, no matter where you get, if you aren’t content, then you will always see someone with more.
Faith in God is the foundation from which you give your hard work.
Through all of the ups and downs and the many trials that present themselves as a person pursuing their dream, Jeff worked as hard as he could but maintained a strong faith that kept him going when he wondered if his hard work would pay off. Through it all, his faith gave him the grounding he needed that kept him in his values – values that have made him a great husband, father, and pitcher.
These are thoughts we can all spend some time thinking about and to the degree that we embody them ourselves, we too can “Live Like Champions!”
I had the privilege of hosting a breakfast this morning for fifty-five executives at a local hotel. The main speaker for the morning was Jeff Nelson, a pitcher for the Seattle Mariners. It was a very enjoyable morning as I was able to eat with Jeff and get to know this fine gentleman who is a major part of the Mariners’ success this year, a year in which they are on pace to have the best season of any Major League baseball team ever.
Before I tell you about some of the things Jeff spoke about, I want to give you a little background on him to bring you up to speed. Jeff is thirty-four years old and this is his tenth year in the Majors after seven years in the minor leagues. He spent the last five years with the New York Yankees and has four World Series rings to show for it. His hope is to get his fifth with the M’s this year!
The topic I gave Jeff for the morning was “Living Like a Champion.” Here are the main points he shared with the group on how to do so (I think they are great for us to chew on too):
Don’t quit, because if you do, you may never achieve your dreams.
After seven years in minors, Jeff was brought up to the Majors but considered quitting baseball because it had been a long, hard road. After long discussions with his wife they decided that he better stick it out because they would always wonder what could have been. Imagine what he would have missed if he would have called it a career! Four World Series Championships with the Yankees – the pinnacle of any baseball players’ dreams, and the chance to do it again this year. Not to mention they pay him pretty well to do it!
Everybody is normal, no matter how high up the success ladder they get.
Jeff spoke of his wife and four little girls (all under the age of 6!) and the day-to-day life of driving them to school and Gymboree practice etc. We tend to think that everybody who is successful has chauffeurs and maids and never has any “normal” stresses. If this is why you pursue success – give up now!
When things are going great, you should focus on them getting better, not on being fearful that they may get worse.
The Mariners are now an astounding thirty-four games above .500 after just forty-eight games. When Jeff was asked during the Q and A whether or not he thought they would drop back to “normal,” he responded that actually the team was focusing on getting to forty games over .500. Now that is the mind of a champion, and a championship team. Don’t worry about what bad could happen; worry about what good will happen!
Success is relative, so be content.
Someone asked if relief pitchers (those who only pitch shortly late in the game) really wished they could be starting pitchers. Jeff replied that most accepted their role but jokingly said that many wanted to be starting pitchers only because the starters make “tons of money.” I corrected him, saying that Starters make “tons and tons” of money while relievers were relegated to simply the “Tons of Money” category! But the fact is, no matter where you get, if you aren’t content, then you will always see someone with more.
Faith in God is the foundation from which you give your hard work.
Through all of the ups and downs and the many trials that present themselves as a person pursuing their dream, Jeff worked as hard as he could but maintained a strong faith that kept him going when he wondered if his hard work would pay off. Through it all, his faith gave him the grounding he needed that kept him in his values – values that have made him a great husband, father, and pitcher.
These are thoughts we can all spend some time thinking about and to the degree that we embody them ourselves, we too can “Live Like Champions!”
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Exercise is Medicine
Good article. Sometimes we forget!!!
By Lara Price, Professional Fitness Trainer at Cooper Fitness Center at Craig Ranch.
Behavior is the number one factor we can control that influences our health and longevity. Each of us must make a decision to be active. Dr. Kenneth Cooper says that physical inactivity has become the greatest public health problem of the 21st century.
The benefits of exercise are unprecedented. Exercise helps to prevent diabetes, hypertension, cancer (particularly, breast and colon cancer), depression, osteoporosis, dementia, chronic disease, and premature death. It helps control your weight, which can contribute to a list of other diseases and issues that are preventable.
If there was one medication available that could cure all chronic diseases and the cause of obesity, chances are there would be a long line of people at physician offices asking for this miracle drug. The bad news, no such pill exists. The good news, exercise done regularly, can in fact treat and prevent diseases.
Dr. Tedd Mitchell, CEO and President of Cooper Clinic, says no pill or substance can produce as many health dividends as physical activity can. Prescribing exercise as medicine is one of the easiest, cheapest, and most effective medicines around.
The idea of prescribing exercise as medicine has been practiced at Cooper Clinic for 40 years and is considered standard in preventive care. Many organizations have organized initiatives to raise awareness of this issue. For example, Dr. Bob Sallis former president of the American College of Sports Medicine is the chairman of the Exercise Is Medicine™ initiative. This program aims to encourage physicians and health care providers to include exercise when designing treatment plans for patients.
The recommended amount of exercise to stay healthy is 150 minutes a week of moderate to intense exercise. Moderate intense activities get your heart rate up and should be done continually for 10 minutes. Activities include jogging, swimming, bike riding, water aerobics, ballroom dancing, baseball, and doubles tennis.
So at your next annual exam, your physician may ask about your current exercise program. If your exercise program is less than 30 minutes a day and you have an elevated blood pressure and lipid panel, exercise may be on your list of prescribed medications.
By Lara Price, Professional Fitness Trainer at Cooper Fitness Center at Craig Ranch.
Behavior is the number one factor we can control that influences our health and longevity. Each of us must make a decision to be active. Dr. Kenneth Cooper says that physical inactivity has become the greatest public health problem of the 21st century.
The benefits of exercise are unprecedented. Exercise helps to prevent diabetes, hypertension, cancer (particularly, breast and colon cancer), depression, osteoporosis, dementia, chronic disease, and premature death. It helps control your weight, which can contribute to a list of other diseases and issues that are preventable.
If there was one medication available that could cure all chronic diseases and the cause of obesity, chances are there would be a long line of people at physician offices asking for this miracle drug. The bad news, no such pill exists. The good news, exercise done regularly, can in fact treat and prevent diseases.
Dr. Tedd Mitchell, CEO and President of Cooper Clinic, says no pill or substance can produce as many health dividends as physical activity can. Prescribing exercise as medicine is one of the easiest, cheapest, and most effective medicines around.
The idea of prescribing exercise as medicine has been practiced at Cooper Clinic for 40 years and is considered standard in preventive care. Many organizations have organized initiatives to raise awareness of this issue. For example, Dr. Bob Sallis former president of the American College of Sports Medicine is the chairman of the Exercise Is Medicine™ initiative. This program aims to encourage physicians and health care providers to include exercise when designing treatment plans for patients.
The recommended amount of exercise to stay healthy is 150 minutes a week of moderate to intense exercise. Moderate intense activities get your heart rate up and should be done continually for 10 minutes. Activities include jogging, swimming, bike riding, water aerobics, ballroom dancing, baseball, and doubles tennis.
So at your next annual exam, your physician may ask about your current exercise program. If your exercise program is less than 30 minutes a day and you have an elevated blood pressure and lipid panel, exercise may be on your list of prescribed medications.
Earl Nightingale, 1921-1989, Author and Radio Announcer
Great Quote!! Enjoy!!
"Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don't wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it's at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored."
"Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don't wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it's at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored."
Monday, August 17, 2009
Old Indian Tale ....
A wise old Indian man tells his grandson about a battle inside of him by two wolves.
"One wolf is evil and represents anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego".
"The other is good and represents joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith".
Which one wins, the boy asks?
The wise man answers; "The one I feed!"
"One wolf is evil and represents anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego".
"The other is good and represents joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith".
Which one wins, the boy asks?
The wise man answers; "The one I feed!"
Friday, August 14, 2009
Understanding Your Personal Energy Cycle
by Laura M. Stack, MBA, CSP, is “The Productivity PRO,"® helping people leave the office earlier, with less stress, and more to show for it. She presents keynotes and seminars on time management, information overload, and personal productivity. Contact her at 303-471-7401 or visit her website at www.TheProductivityPro.com.
An important piece of productivity concerns what time of day you select to work on which activities. Everyone has a natural time during the day when they are "UP" (prime time) and a natural time when they are "DOWN" (down time). During prime time, your brain is "on"; your batteries are charged and you're able to focus. During down time, your brain feels "slow"; it's difficult to muddle through your work.
First, let's chart your energy levels. Get out a piece of paper and draw a big "L" for a graph with a vertical and horizontal axis. Mark the vertical axis "0" to "100" to represent your energy level as a percentage. Mark the horizontal axis with your work hours, in one hour increments. When you arrive at work in the morning, draw a dot where energy intersects with time, to indicate how you feel in terms of your energy level. As the day progresses, draw a series of dots horizontally to show how your energy ebbs and flows. Then connect the dots and analyze your line chart.
Draw a dotted line at about the 75% energy level mark across your line drawing to represent your peak productivity zone. Write these exact time ranges out to the side of your graph. These are your "expensive" hours, compared to other times during the day, because your brain is capable of doing higher-level activities in that range. It’s important to know when you’re in prime time, because you can get so much more done.
The key is to focus on:
An important piece of productivity concerns what time of day you select to work on which activities. Everyone has a natural time during the day when they are "UP" (prime time) and a natural time when they are "DOWN" (down time). During prime time, your brain is "on"; your batteries are charged and you're able to focus. During down time, your brain feels "slow"; it's difficult to muddle through your work.
First, let's chart your energy levels. Get out a piece of paper and draw a big "L" for a graph with a vertical and horizontal axis. Mark the vertical axis "0" to "100" to represent your energy level as a percentage. Mark the horizontal axis with your work hours, in one hour increments. When you arrive at work in the morning, draw a dot where energy intersects with time, to indicate how you feel in terms of your energy level. As the day progresses, draw a series of dots horizontally to show how your energy ebbs and flows. Then connect the dots and analyze your line chart.
Draw a dotted line at about the 75% energy level mark across your line drawing to represent your peak productivity zone. Write these exact time ranges out to the side of your graph. These are your "expensive" hours, compared to other times during the day, because your brain is capable of doing higher-level activities in that range. It’s important to know when you’re in prime time, because you can get so much more done.
The key is to focus on:
- Important tasks
- Critical decisions
- Problem solving
- Complex thought
If you wait until you're in down time to work on these types of activities, it will take much, much longer and be much, much more painful. The challenge for most people is that when they're in prime time, they feel GOOD! The last thing you might feel like doing when you're "up" is working on that report, writing a proposal, or analyzing those figures. But if you wait until you're going down, you've lost the opportunity to get it done quickly. The trick here is a lot of self-discipline. Resist the urge to do “fun, easy, trivial” things during this period or talk to your friends.
I actually have two prime times: one in the morning, and one early afternoon. When I'm in prime time, I need to make my marketing calls, because I need to be "up" and on top of the conversation. Sometimes, I will purposely let my voice mail pick up my calls, when I know I'm in down time and won't be as articulate as I'd like to be with a client. I will also respond to Requests for Proposals (RFPs) sent by prospective clients in prime time. I want to write quickly and succinctly, and my prime time is the key opportunity for that work.
Similarly, I listen to my body when I'm in down time. When I feel my energy level waning, a quick glance at the clock will usually tell me why. I know I need to get up, stretch, perhaps go for a quick walk around the block, eat an energy snack, or make a cup of tea. Then I will go back and work on some different activities, not necessarily ones with low priority, but those that don't require the brain power of the prime time tasks. If I don't listen to my body's signals and respond appropriately, I will get a rip-roaring headache, preventing me from taking advantage of my second prime time.
Another consideration is when to hold meetings. If you're a manager or professional with the ability to call a meeting during a certain time, really think about when to hold them. It's often eye-opening to do this prime time graphing activity with your staff or the people normally in attendance. I think you'll find that corporate America has trained most people to be “morning people.” Our natural energy cycles cause us to be “up” or have “prime” time first thing in the morning. Unfortunately, most people insist on holding meetings at that time. *Some* meetings are good to have during prime time, like those involving brainstorming, problem solving, or strategy. But routine staff meetings, project updates, or information-only meetings should be held during lulls in productivity. If you are stuck attending these meetings with no control over when they are held, a phone call to the chair with this graph as a team-building activity might be well-received. Also send that person this article!
I think about my energy level like a dimmer switch my hubbie John recently put in our bathroom. People don't operate at "OFF" and "ON." You're not running full-tilt all day long, then sleep at night. It's not "0" and "100%" but rather various levels all day. People are more like dimmer switches. Or cats.
My kitty Emma follows the sunshine all day. She plays some, sleeps some, eats some, and pays attention to her own desires. People say things like, "I *have* to check email at (x) time of day." Why? Better to schedule times to handle email when you're in down time and stick to a self-imposed limit. Rarely to people need to be going a hundred miles an hour to handle email. Pay attention and slow down when your brain and body tell you to.
Be a cat. Be a dimmer switch. Follow your rhythms and work with your brain's and body's desires for you throughout the day. Remember, it’s costly to have key people, including yourself, tied up in routine meetings during periods of peak energy and productivity. And it's costly for you to work on things you can do in your sleep during your peak productivity zone. Once you know what that zone is, protect it for all your worth! Be self-disciplined when you're "up." And listen to yourself and rest when you're "down." Meow.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Life Rewards Action
by Chris Widener
Thinking is good, yes it is. I strongly encourage thinking. In fact, thinking plays a terrific role in success. It helps you strategize. It helps you get motivated. It tunes you into success. I am all for thinking and I do it regularly!
That being said, just thinking, no matter how good of a thinker you are, will never catapult you to success. The difference between the thinker who succeeds and the thinker who doesn’t is that the thinker who succeeds also ACTS!
Life does not reward thinking. Life rewards action. Let me clarify: Life rewards thoughtful action.
Think first, by all means… But then ACT!
Do you want to gain wealth? The save your money – ACT!
Do you want to lose weight? Then hit the treadmill – ACT!
Do you want a new job? Then quit your current one – ACT!
Do you want to write a book? Then begin to write – ACT!
Do you want a new friend? Then introduce yourself – ACT!
Anything you want to accomplish will only be done by bold and decisive action.
Wishing won’t bring it about. Neither will dreaming. Nor will hoping.
Nope, you must ACT.
What is it you want from life? Tell me. Be specific. Be clear. Think about it. Strategize. Roll it around inside that noggin of yours. Got it? Good. Now what? What will you DO to turn that non-physical electrical impulse we call a thought into a physical reality?
There is only one thing: ACTION.
Will you succeed? Will you achieve your dreams? Will you live the life that you want? Only you can make that decision because only you can decide whether or not you will act.
My friends, life rewards action. Your actions do not need to be perfect. They just need to be. And then they get rewarded with success. With achievement. Accomplishment.
You have the power within you to lead YOUR life as you see it. There is only one question you must answer for yourself:
Will I act?
Because Life Rewards Action.
Thinking is good, yes it is. I strongly encourage thinking. In fact, thinking plays a terrific role in success. It helps you strategize. It helps you get motivated. It tunes you into success. I am all for thinking and I do it regularly!
That being said, just thinking, no matter how good of a thinker you are, will never catapult you to success. The difference between the thinker who succeeds and the thinker who doesn’t is that the thinker who succeeds also ACTS!
Life does not reward thinking. Life rewards action. Let me clarify: Life rewards thoughtful action.
Think first, by all means… But then ACT!
Do you want to gain wealth? The save your money – ACT!
Do you want to lose weight? Then hit the treadmill – ACT!
Do you want a new job? Then quit your current one – ACT!
Do you want to write a book? Then begin to write – ACT!
Do you want a new friend? Then introduce yourself – ACT!
Anything you want to accomplish will only be done by bold and decisive action.
Wishing won’t bring it about. Neither will dreaming. Nor will hoping.
Nope, you must ACT.
What is it you want from life? Tell me. Be specific. Be clear. Think about it. Strategize. Roll it around inside that noggin of yours. Got it? Good. Now what? What will you DO to turn that non-physical electrical impulse we call a thought into a physical reality?
There is only one thing: ACTION.
Will you succeed? Will you achieve your dreams? Will you live the life that you want? Only you can make that decision because only you can decide whether or not you will act.
My friends, life rewards action. Your actions do not need to be perfect. They just need to be. And then they get rewarded with success. With achievement. Accomplishment.
You have the power within you to lead YOUR life as you see it. There is only one question you must answer for yourself:
Will I act?
Because Life Rewards Action.
Take Ownership of Your Life!
Great article by Chris Widener!!
There are lots of things we desire to own in this life, aren’t there? Many of them are fine and dandy, as the saying goes. But there is the most important thing we own that many people never think about owning, and that is their life! They spend a lot of time thinking about the next set of golf clubs, a vacation home, or a new piece of jewelry, but they never really understand that they own their life. Whenever it comes time to be responsible, they end up placing the blame somewhere else, rather than realizing that they are the owner and so they are responsible! With that in mind, here are some thoughts about the ownership your have of your life:
You only own one person – you.
You don’t own your spouse. You don’t own your boss. You don’t own your kids (with kids, you are in charge of them, given the tremendous responsibility of teaching them to own their own lives, but you don’t own them). No, there is only one person you own, and that is you. That is great news! Now you don’t have to worry about running anybody else’s life! This is a temptation for us isn’t it? We just know how everybody else should do it and with many of them we try to take ownership and run their life! Well, hands off! Take control of your own life since it is the only one you own. You wouldn’t try to drive somebody else’s car from the grocery store parking lot, so don’t try to drive their life either! You own you – so stick to you!
You get to choose what to do with only one person – you.
Once you have come to realize that you only own you, you get to get to the fun part – running your life and making it what you want it to be. Instead of choosing what other people should do, you get to focus in on choosing what you get to do. You get to begin to shape and mold your life. This is exciting! Aren’t you glad you don’t have to run everybody else’s lives anymore? I am!
Your ownership means that you can do what you want with yourself. Your life is a blank sheet of paper. You can choose whatever you want to do. You can have whatever profession you want. You can earn as much money as you desire. You can marry whoever suits your fancy (as long as you suit their fancy too by the way). Stop wishing and start choosing. I like to use the example of a person who is thirty years old and doesn’t like their income. I tell them that if the so chose, they could go back to school, get a degree, go to medical school and by age forty be in a high-income profession. Then they would have 25 years of high wages to support the lifestyle they desire. You can choose whatever you want and take whatever actions you choose to rectify any situation you are in!
Your ultimate destination in life is set by you, not somebody else.
Where will you end up? Wherever you choose to end up. You will do well to get it in your mind that someday you will be seventy years old and you will be at a certain place and the only thing that got you there was the choices you made all along the way. Imagine that. If you are thirty, you have forty years – FORTY YEARS – of choices that can put you right where you want to be at the end of your life! So you’re fifty-five? Who cares? You probably have at least twenty years left! You still have TWENTY YEARS to get yourself to whatever destination you choose. Do you know what a person can do in twenty years? ALMOST ANYTHING THEY SET THEIR HEART ON!
The responsibility for your life, and what you accomplish, is found in one person – you.
You will accomplish what you choose to accomplish. You will make and save as much money as you choose to. You will write as many books as you choose to. You will take as many vacations as you choose to. You will have the kind of relationships you choose to. What you accomplish is up to you! Take that seriously!
Focus on your values and live them out, regardless of what other people do. This is key. We do not live our lives in a vacuum. We need to be very thoughtful about what we believe, about what our values are, and what our morality is. These things will all shape how we go about exerting ownership of our lives. But once we have come to understand these things for ourselves, the power to live our lives increases tremendously. Now it doesn’t matter what anybody else does. It doesn’t matter what the circumstances are. We live out of our morality, values and beliefs. These are the principles that transcend everything else and enable us to set our course!
I know this seems like a lot of responsibility, but I consider it a freedom and a privilege! We get one life to live and we get to shape it however we want. That is one job I want to take seriously and not mess up! With diligence, hard work, and a lot of right decisions, I’ll get to the end of my life deeply fulfilled. I hope you will to!
There are lots of things we desire to own in this life, aren’t there? Many of them are fine and dandy, as the saying goes. But there is the most important thing we own that many people never think about owning, and that is their life! They spend a lot of time thinking about the next set of golf clubs, a vacation home, or a new piece of jewelry, but they never really understand that they own their life. Whenever it comes time to be responsible, they end up placing the blame somewhere else, rather than realizing that they are the owner and so they are responsible! With that in mind, here are some thoughts about the ownership your have of your life:
You only own one person – you.
You don’t own your spouse. You don’t own your boss. You don’t own your kids (with kids, you are in charge of them, given the tremendous responsibility of teaching them to own their own lives, but you don’t own them). No, there is only one person you own, and that is you. That is great news! Now you don’t have to worry about running anybody else’s life! This is a temptation for us isn’t it? We just know how everybody else should do it and with many of them we try to take ownership and run their life! Well, hands off! Take control of your own life since it is the only one you own. You wouldn’t try to drive somebody else’s car from the grocery store parking lot, so don’t try to drive their life either! You own you – so stick to you!
You get to choose what to do with only one person – you.
Once you have come to realize that you only own you, you get to get to the fun part – running your life and making it what you want it to be. Instead of choosing what other people should do, you get to focus in on choosing what you get to do. You get to begin to shape and mold your life. This is exciting! Aren’t you glad you don’t have to run everybody else’s lives anymore? I am!
Your ownership means that you can do what you want with yourself. Your life is a blank sheet of paper. You can choose whatever you want to do. You can have whatever profession you want. You can earn as much money as you desire. You can marry whoever suits your fancy (as long as you suit their fancy too by the way). Stop wishing and start choosing. I like to use the example of a person who is thirty years old and doesn’t like their income. I tell them that if the so chose, they could go back to school, get a degree, go to medical school and by age forty be in a high-income profession. Then they would have 25 years of high wages to support the lifestyle they desire. You can choose whatever you want and take whatever actions you choose to rectify any situation you are in!
Your ultimate destination in life is set by you, not somebody else.
Where will you end up? Wherever you choose to end up. You will do well to get it in your mind that someday you will be seventy years old and you will be at a certain place and the only thing that got you there was the choices you made all along the way. Imagine that. If you are thirty, you have forty years – FORTY YEARS – of choices that can put you right where you want to be at the end of your life! So you’re fifty-five? Who cares? You probably have at least twenty years left! You still have TWENTY YEARS to get yourself to whatever destination you choose. Do you know what a person can do in twenty years? ALMOST ANYTHING THEY SET THEIR HEART ON!
The responsibility for your life, and what you accomplish, is found in one person – you.
You will accomplish what you choose to accomplish. You will make and save as much money as you choose to. You will write as many books as you choose to. You will take as many vacations as you choose to. You will have the kind of relationships you choose to. What you accomplish is up to you! Take that seriously!
Focus on your values and live them out, regardless of what other people do. This is key. We do not live our lives in a vacuum. We need to be very thoughtful about what we believe, about what our values are, and what our morality is. These things will all shape how we go about exerting ownership of our lives. But once we have come to understand these things for ourselves, the power to live our lives increases tremendously. Now it doesn’t matter what anybody else does. It doesn’t matter what the circumstances are. We live out of our morality, values and beliefs. These are the principles that transcend everything else and enable us to set our course!
I know this seems like a lot of responsibility, but I consider it a freedom and a privilege! We get one life to live and we get to shape it however we want. That is one job I want to take seriously and not mess up! With diligence, hard work, and a lot of right decisions, I’ll get to the end of my life deeply fulfilled. I hope you will to!
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