Another great article by Chris Widener!! Enjoy!!
One of the most watched television show today is Survivor. We admire those who survive! We tune in every week to see who makes it next. But even better than being a survivor is to be one who thrives!
What are the differences between someone who survives and someone who thrives? Here are a few:
A survivor gets by, a thriver gets ahead. Do you feel like you are just getting by? You don’t have to. You can actually get ahead! You can be out front! You can thrive!
A survivor is tired at the end, a thriver feels full of energy. When you are finished do you feel tired? You can thrive and be filled with energy! You can thrive!
A survivor has barely enough, a thriver has an abundance. Do you have more month left over at the end of your money? You can have more money left over at the end of your month! You can thrive financially!
A survivor is always on the edge, a thriver is on firm ground. Do you feel like you could fall over the edge at any time? You can get back on solid footing! You can feel firm about where you are. You can thrive!
So how do we shift from being a survivor to becoming a thriver? Here are a few steps to put you on your way!
First, start with some good input. Subscribe to as many good magazines and Ezines that will change your outlook and inspire you to thrive! And don’t just subscribe to them – read them. Devour them. Get great audios and videos and listen to them and watch them. The principle here is to renew your mind to become a person whose mindset is one of a person who thrives.
Second, get around people who are thriving. Join clubs and groups filled with people who are already thrivers. Develop friendships with them; take them to lunch or coffee. Pick their brains and learn from them. Mimic their habits of thriving.
As you commit to these first two, you will see the time you spend watching and listening to junk go out the door. You will see that you are spending less and less time with those kinds of people who just want to survive. This will be the launching pad for your success.
Third, make a personal evaluation of your skills. What areas do you need to grow in? Now, get to work on those skills. Skills are what take you to the top. An old quote says that the race isn’t always won by the fast or the strong, but that’s the way to bet! I’ll take the person with skills to be the one who thrives every time. It won’t work like that every time, but it will most of the time.
Fourth, make a commitment to a long-term, tenacious outlook. We have to do this in order to turn the ship around. If you are just a survivor, you can be a thriver, but it may take some time. Remember, this is for the rest of your life. There will be times of weakness. There will be times of hardship. If you are tenacious, you can, and will, thrive!
Fifth, understand that thrivers are almost always people of methodical discipline and order. They know that they have to have order in their lives and the order is what produces the ability to thrive. They thrive financially because they discipline themselves to save and invest rather than spend. They thrive physically because they are disciplined in what they eat and in how they exercise. Discipline will make you thrive!
Yes, you can THRIVE! Take the above and get to work. Make these principles a part of your life and they will create in you an ability to thrive in everything that you do. You will no longer just survive. Instead, you will thrive! And that is going to feel great!
Showing posts with label personal growth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal growth. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Take Ownership of Your Life
Another great article by Chris Weider. Enjoy!!
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!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The Only Interview Tip You'll Ever Need: Don't Pee in Your Soup
Great article by Donna Ferm. Enjoy!!
By Donna Fenn
November 3, 2010
Before last week, the last time I’d seen Larry O’Toole, he was carrying my favorite chair on his back, down a narrow staircase in a Beacon Street brownstone in Boston. I was moving. Or more accurately, O’Toole, then brawny and bearded, was moving me. That was 26 years ago, but I still remember what a pleasure he was to work with and how gently he treated my meager but precious possessions. O’Toole’s Somerville, MA-based company, Gentle Giant Moving, now racks up $25 million in revenue, and I’m betting that the thousands of customers he’s moved since I first met him have had similar experiences to mine. And that has a lot do with how O’Toole hires his staff, a subject he talked about last week at the Inc. Magazine and Winning Workplaces Leadership Conference.
“My grandfather told me that if you pee in your soup, it’s bloody hard to get it out,” says O’Toole, who frequently slips into an Irish brogue. The business lesson: if you hire the right people in the first place, you won’t have to worry about how to get rid of them later on. So O’Toole has a very unconventional, but highly effective, interview strategy. Anyone who wants a job as a mover at Gentle Giant must run the 37 sections of stands at Harvard Stadium - training exercise that the six foot six O’Toole regularly performed as a varsity rower at Northeastern University. Sure, he wants his movers to be fit, but there’s more to the stadium run than just a demonstration of physical prowess. “People reveal themselves at the stadium,” he says. Here’s what he’s looking for in job candidates:
Enthusiasm: “We tell them that after six to ten sections, your body is going to tell you to stop and that’s when you have to reach down deeper,” he says. “We don’t want quitters working for us, so it’s better to identify them there.”
Honesty: “They may try to skip a section and we’re looking for that,” says O’Toole. He wants to be sure he’s hiring movers who, for example, wouldn’t even consider keeping an envelope full of cash discovered on a moving job.
Positive attitude: “The stadium is great for identifying whiners,” says O’Toole. “When things get tough, you have to tackle it with humor, enthusiasm, and support for one another.” So while you may finish all 37 sections, if you’re a whiner, you won’t be invited to be a Gentle Giant.
O’Toole knows that his employees, who always run on a job when they’re not carrying something, are the key to differentiating his company in a commodity industry. If he spends time on recruiting, hiring, and training, then the customer service that the company is so famous for will essentially take care of itself. “We’re not just a moving company, we’re a leadership development company,” he says. “We always have people moving up so they can replace people who are leaving. We’re all about consistency.” Gentle Giant, by the way, was Winning Workplace’s Top Small Workplace in 2007.
While O’Toole certainly doesn’t recommend that every business owner put potential employees through their paces at the local stadium, he does feel strongly that all CEOs should come up with an interview challenge or test that will tease out the character traits that are most likely to lead to success on the job.
By Donna Fenn
November 3, 2010
Before last week, the last time I’d seen Larry O’Toole, he was carrying my favorite chair on his back, down a narrow staircase in a Beacon Street brownstone in Boston. I was moving. Or more accurately, O’Toole, then brawny and bearded, was moving me. That was 26 years ago, but I still remember what a pleasure he was to work with and how gently he treated my meager but precious possessions. O’Toole’s Somerville, MA-based company, Gentle Giant Moving, now racks up $25 million in revenue, and I’m betting that the thousands of customers he’s moved since I first met him have had similar experiences to mine. And that has a lot do with how O’Toole hires his staff, a subject he talked about last week at the Inc. Magazine and Winning Workplaces Leadership Conference.
“My grandfather told me that if you pee in your soup, it’s bloody hard to get it out,” says O’Toole, who frequently slips into an Irish brogue. The business lesson: if you hire the right people in the first place, you won’t have to worry about how to get rid of them later on. So O’Toole has a very unconventional, but highly effective, interview strategy. Anyone who wants a job as a mover at Gentle Giant must run the 37 sections of stands at Harvard Stadium - training exercise that the six foot six O’Toole regularly performed as a varsity rower at Northeastern University. Sure, he wants his movers to be fit, but there’s more to the stadium run than just a demonstration of physical prowess. “People reveal themselves at the stadium,” he says. Here’s what he’s looking for in job candidates:
Enthusiasm: “We tell them that after six to ten sections, your body is going to tell you to stop and that’s when you have to reach down deeper,” he says. “We don’t want quitters working for us, so it’s better to identify them there.”
Honesty: “They may try to skip a section and we’re looking for that,” says O’Toole. He wants to be sure he’s hiring movers who, for example, wouldn’t even consider keeping an envelope full of cash discovered on a moving job.
Positive attitude: “The stadium is great for identifying whiners,” says O’Toole. “When things get tough, you have to tackle it with humor, enthusiasm, and support for one another.” So while you may finish all 37 sections, if you’re a whiner, you won’t be invited to be a Gentle Giant.
O’Toole knows that his employees, who always run on a job when they’re not carrying something, are the key to differentiating his company in a commodity industry. If he spends time on recruiting, hiring, and training, then the customer service that the company is so famous for will essentially take care of itself. “We’re not just a moving company, we’re a leadership development company,” he says. “We always have people moving up so they can replace people who are leaving. We’re all about consistency.” Gentle Giant, by the way, was Winning Workplace’s Top Small Workplace in 2007.
While O’Toole certainly doesn’t recommend that every business owner put potential employees through their paces at the local stadium, he does feel strongly that all CEOs should come up with an interview challenge or test that will tease out the character traits that are most likely to lead to success on the job.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Priorities
by Rubel Shelly
Rubel Shelly is a Preacher and Professor of Religion and Philosophy located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. In addition to church and academic responsibilities, he has worked actively with such community projects as Habitat for Humanity, American Red Cross, From Nashville With Love, Metro (Nashville) Public Schools, Faith Family Medical Clinic, and Operation Andrew Ministries. To learn more about Rubel please go to: www.RubelShelly.com
Before reading the next paragraph, please answer this three-part question: What is the single most significant thing you could begin doing regularly that would: (1) Make you more effective at your work? (2) Create a better atmosphere for your family? and (3) Enrich your spiritual life?
On the assumption now that you have named three specific things that would make your life better, let me pose one more question: Can you defend your choice to omit any of these three things from your schedule this week?
All of us have urgent things that will have to be attended to before this day ends - phone calls, appointments, sales calls, deadlines, interruptions, etc. But some of us will also do our versions of the things you named earlier - like planning next week's big presentation or making three extra calls, telling someone "I love you" or helping children with homework, or taking time to read and pray for a few minutes.
The difference in people who tend to life's really important things and those of us who simply react to whatever happens in a day and live the scripts others write for us is called discernment. Maybe you prefer to call it setting priorities or putting first things first.
It is absurdly easy to fall into the activity trap. That's when you think that being busy is the same thing as being productive. We humans can equate having done huge amounts of unimportant things with having done something that is actually significant. They simply aren't the same.
Moving quickly and efficiently is important only if your movement is in the direction of some worthy goal. Since you took the time at the start of this piece to name three specific steps toward noble ends, why not take some time now to figure out how to include them in today's schedule for yourself?
You may need to cut out some waste and cancel some unimportant things, but you will be better for it. You will have started to practice discernment between the things in life that really matter and all the second-rate distractions we let get in the way of doing them.
You likely know the writings of Stephen Covey. His 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has sold widely and helped many people toward a clearer view of career, family, and personal life. "The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule," insists Covey, "but to schedule your priorities."
Rubel Shelly is a Preacher and Professor of Religion and Philosophy located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. In addition to church and academic responsibilities, he has worked actively with such community projects as Habitat for Humanity, American Red Cross, From Nashville With Love, Metro (Nashville) Public Schools, Faith Family Medical Clinic, and Operation Andrew Ministries. To learn more about Rubel please go to: www.RubelShelly.com
Before reading the next paragraph, please answer this three-part question: What is the single most significant thing you could begin doing regularly that would: (1) Make you more effective at your work? (2) Create a better atmosphere for your family? and (3) Enrich your spiritual life?
On the assumption now that you have named three specific things that would make your life better, let me pose one more question: Can you defend your choice to omit any of these three things from your schedule this week?
All of us have urgent things that will have to be attended to before this day ends - phone calls, appointments, sales calls, deadlines, interruptions, etc. But some of us will also do our versions of the things you named earlier - like planning next week's big presentation or making three extra calls, telling someone "I love you" or helping children with homework, or taking time to read and pray for a few minutes.
The difference in people who tend to life's really important things and those of us who simply react to whatever happens in a day and live the scripts others write for us is called discernment. Maybe you prefer to call it setting priorities or putting first things first.
It is absurdly easy to fall into the activity trap. That's when you think that being busy is the same thing as being productive. We humans can equate having done huge amounts of unimportant things with having done something that is actually significant. They simply aren't the same.
Moving quickly and efficiently is important only if your movement is in the direction of some worthy goal. Since you took the time at the start of this piece to name three specific steps toward noble ends, why not take some time now to figure out how to include them in today's schedule for yourself?
You may need to cut out some waste and cancel some unimportant things, but you will be better for it. You will have started to practice discernment between the things in life that really matter and all the second-rate distractions we let get in the way of doing them.
You likely know the writings of Stephen Covey. His 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has sold widely and helped many people toward a clearer view of career, family, and personal life. "The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule," insists Covey, "but to schedule your priorities."
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Who's Pulling You Down?
I had the pleasure of listening to Fred speak the other day and he was fantastic! I had him come and speak to all our senior staff at Congressional CC in March this year. What an incredible person and a real motivation to all of us. One who leads by example! Enjoy his article.
A Bucket of Crabs
Have you ever seen a bucket full of crabs? They pinch and pull as they struggle to climb over one another to reach the top of the bucket – to freedom. Ask any fisherman and they'll tell you that a bucket full of crabs doesn't need a lid – they simply won't escape.
Why? Well, it's not impossible for a crab to climb to the top, and really if they worked together it would be quite easy. But crabs don't work together...
Instinctively crabs pull each other down-literally.
When one crab breaks away from the pack, reaching its pinchers toward the top of the bucket, the others promptly grab onto the escapee's leg, pulling him back down. That crab is then pushed to the bottom of the pile and his dream of freedom is crushed.
People have a way of acting just like a bucket of crabs. Have you ever decided on a personal goal only to have someone in your life talk you out of it?
Do you have crabs in your life? A crab is...
• The person who discourages you from going to the gym
• The person who scoffs when you mention your goals
• The person who snickers when you choose salad over pizza
The crab mentality says "If I can't have it, then neither can you." When you decide to do something different, to reach for a goal and to improve yourself, the crabs in your life will do their best to hold you back.
Keep Crabs at Bay: When crabs come snapping, remember the following:
1. Ignore them: When someone in your life begins to pull you down with discouraging words, remember that you don't have to listen. Don't let them get into your head. Mentally tune them out or politely remove yourself from the situation. Who are they to tell you what you can or can't achieve?
2. Understand them: Ouch! Insults and put-downs hurt, especially when they come from people that we care about. So what is the deal? Why do your friends, co-workers and even your spouse turn into crabs when you decide to improve your life? Do they really hope that you don't succeed? The truth is that crabs are thinking about themselves-not about you. They see you attempting to better yourself and to change your life. Whether they realize it or not, this scares them. If you better yourself will you still like them? Or will you leave them behind?
3. You hold the power: Even the most persuasive crab doesn't hold a candle to your iron will. When you are ready to change, and you've made up your mind without an inkling of doubt, then 90% of the work is done. Your mind is the most powerful tool at your disposal-don't let a wimpy crab rob it from you.
Are you ready to make a positive change in your life? Don't wait any longer. And don't let a single crab talk you out of it!
A Bucket of Crabs
Have you ever seen a bucket full of crabs? They pinch and pull as they struggle to climb over one another to reach the top of the bucket – to freedom. Ask any fisherman and they'll tell you that a bucket full of crabs doesn't need a lid – they simply won't escape.
Why? Well, it's not impossible for a crab to climb to the top, and really if they worked together it would be quite easy. But crabs don't work together...
Instinctively crabs pull each other down-literally.
When one crab breaks away from the pack, reaching its pinchers toward the top of the bucket, the others promptly grab onto the escapee's leg, pulling him back down. That crab is then pushed to the bottom of the pile and his dream of freedom is crushed.
People have a way of acting just like a bucket of crabs. Have you ever decided on a personal goal only to have someone in your life talk you out of it?
Do you have crabs in your life? A crab is...
• The person who discourages you from going to the gym
• The person who scoffs when you mention your goals
• The person who snickers when you choose salad over pizza
The crab mentality says "If I can't have it, then neither can you." When you decide to do something different, to reach for a goal and to improve yourself, the crabs in your life will do their best to hold you back.
Keep Crabs at Bay: When crabs come snapping, remember the following:
1. Ignore them: When someone in your life begins to pull you down with discouraging words, remember that you don't have to listen. Don't let them get into your head. Mentally tune them out or politely remove yourself from the situation. Who are they to tell you what you can or can't achieve?
2. Understand them: Ouch! Insults and put-downs hurt, especially when they come from people that we care about. So what is the deal? Why do your friends, co-workers and even your spouse turn into crabs when you decide to improve your life? Do they really hope that you don't succeed? The truth is that crabs are thinking about themselves-not about you. They see you attempting to better yourself and to change your life. Whether they realize it or not, this scares them. If you better yourself will you still like them? Or will you leave them behind?
3. You hold the power: Even the most persuasive crab doesn't hold a candle to your iron will. When you are ready to change, and you've made up your mind without an inkling of doubt, then 90% of the work is done. Your mind is the most powerful tool at your disposal-don't let a wimpy crab rob it from you.
Are you ready to make a positive change in your life? Don't wait any longer. And don't let a single crab talk you out of it!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
A Carrot, an egg and a cup of coffee ......
Again not sure where this came from or who wrote it, but I like it!! Great piece. I LOVE coffee!
You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up; She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.'
'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.
May we all be COFFEE!
You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up; She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.'
'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.
May we all be COFFEE!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Eight Choices You Can Make Today that Will Change Your Life Forever
by Chris Widener
What a great article! Read carefully!!
The direction of our lives is determined by the choices we make every day. They accumulate and add up to our ultimate destiny. Here are eight choices you can make - choices that will create for you a life of abundance and prosperity in all areas of your life.
Choose to grow personally.
This sounds simple but many people only wish to grow personally. They never choose to grow by taking action, such as actually exercising, saving more money etc. Make a decision today to be a person who is on the never ending journey of personal growth.
Choose to always treat others right.
We come across all sorts of people, many of whom will treat us poorly. We can choose to treat them right, no matter how they treat us. When the lie, we will tell the truth. When the cheat, we will play by the rules. We may get the short end of the stick some times, but in the long-run we will win. And most importantly, we will be able to sleep at night.
Choose to break a bad habit.
Take the biggie first. Tackle it head on. If you don’t know what it is, ask a friend. Then spend every effort you can to break that habit. Forget about the others, as you will get to them later. Stop smoking, get out of debt, lose your excess weight. Exercise the power to choose!
Choose to work smarter.
Many people I work with feel like they are out of balance. One of the first things I do is try to find out how much time they are wasting at work, which makes them work longer, which throws the rest of their life into chaos. Getting your work done by diligently working in the time you have will free your life up extraordinarily.
Choose to see your work as a way to help others, and not a way to make money.
If you put your heart into helping others, the money will most assuredly come. Spend time helping others grow and your finances will grow with it.
Choose to become balanced spiritually, emotionally and physically.
Our lives are best when we have these three major areas in balance. Spend some time cultivating your spirituality, becoming emotionally healthy, and physically fit.
Choose to sow more than you reap.
There are many takers in this world, but our lives will be better as we become givers. The world will become better as we become givers. Give away your time, give away your money, give away your love.
Choose to get home for dinner more often.
The family is the most important group of people you will ever belong to. Make a decision today to grow in your relationship with your parents, siblings, spouse and children. This one choice you will never regret.
One of my favorite quotes:
"The history of free men is never written by chance,but by choice - their choice" - Dwight D. Eisenhower
What a great article! Read carefully!!
The direction of our lives is determined by the choices we make every day. They accumulate and add up to our ultimate destiny. Here are eight choices you can make - choices that will create for you a life of abundance and prosperity in all areas of your life.
Choose to grow personally.
This sounds simple but many people only wish to grow personally. They never choose to grow by taking action, such as actually exercising, saving more money etc. Make a decision today to be a person who is on the never ending journey of personal growth.
Choose to always treat others right.
We come across all sorts of people, many of whom will treat us poorly. We can choose to treat them right, no matter how they treat us. When the lie, we will tell the truth. When the cheat, we will play by the rules. We may get the short end of the stick some times, but in the long-run we will win. And most importantly, we will be able to sleep at night.
Choose to break a bad habit.
Take the biggie first. Tackle it head on. If you don’t know what it is, ask a friend. Then spend every effort you can to break that habit. Forget about the others, as you will get to them later. Stop smoking, get out of debt, lose your excess weight. Exercise the power to choose!
Choose to work smarter.
Many people I work with feel like they are out of balance. One of the first things I do is try to find out how much time they are wasting at work, which makes them work longer, which throws the rest of their life into chaos. Getting your work done by diligently working in the time you have will free your life up extraordinarily.
Choose to see your work as a way to help others, and not a way to make money.
If you put your heart into helping others, the money will most assuredly come. Spend time helping others grow and your finances will grow with it.
Choose to become balanced spiritually, emotionally and physically.
Our lives are best when we have these three major areas in balance. Spend some time cultivating your spirituality, becoming emotionally healthy, and physically fit.
Choose to sow more than you reap.
There are many takers in this world, but our lives will be better as we become givers. The world will become better as we become givers. Give away your time, give away your money, give away your love.
Choose to get home for dinner more often.
The family is the most important group of people you will ever belong to. Make a decision today to grow in your relationship with your parents, siblings, spouse and children. This one choice you will never regret.
One of my favorite quotes:
"The history of free men is never written by chance,but by choice - their choice" - Dwight D. Eisenhower
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Unleashing Your Force for Good
Another great article by Chris. Enjoy!!
by Chris Widener
I do not believe that there are bad people and good people. I believe that what we have are “people,” period. People then choose what they will be. People choose to do bad or do good. And we can’t fool ourselves: each person has the capacity for both.
On one hand, every person has within them the capacity for evil. G.K. Chesterton’s quote is certainly true: “Original Sin is the only philosophy empirically validated by 3500 years of human history.” Fortunately, most societies groom people with a sense of right and wrong and encourage people to respond to their own conscience so that most people live their lives self-restricting the bad things they are capable of. For those who don’t self-restrict, we have police and prisons.
On the other hand, everyone has the capacity to do great good as well. Every mind can dream of the possibilities that they can come up with to make life better for themselves and for others around them. Every person has the imprint of God and therefore the ability to do what is good, if they so choose.
So where do most people live their lives? I think most people live their lives in the middle. Most people do not live out the terrible things they are capable of. Instead, they cut ethical corners here and there. Nothing society would punish them greatly for but not as pure as the newly fallen snow either! The opposite is true as well. Most people do not live out the incredible goodness they are capable of. They will, of course, open doors for people and jump-start an old lady’s car when the battery goes dead in the Wal-Mart parking lot, but most people do not live their lives with the passionate and purposeful pursuit of goodness each and every day to live their lives. Thus, most people live not so bad, not so good lives.
But you are different! I know by the very fact that you subscribed to this Ezine that you want to be your best – and I want to help you be your best! I want to give you some thoughts that will stir your mind and heart to action. I want to give you some principles and strategies that will enable you to take your life to the next level. We live in uncertain times. The whole world is on edge and there are many wars being fought at any given time on this old earth of ours. People who choose goodness are so desperately needed!
Are you ready to take your life to the next level? Are you ready to unleash the force of good that you have within you? Then here we go!
Know your specific gifts and talent, you strengths and abilities.
Everyone has at least one and usually a few, specific talents and abilities that, if they were utilized on a regular basis, would produce for them the kind of life they would love to live as well as produce a tremendous amount of goodness in the immediate world around them. This is especially true if they surrender their gifts to be specifically used for good. Find your strengths and regularly use them.
Develop a vision of the good you can accomplish.
If you want to produce goodness, you must have in your mind what good would look like to you. Do you have a vision of what kind of good you would like to unleash upon the world around you? Do you know what good things you want to do, the good legacy you want to work for and leave behind? Get a vision for your goodness and put it to work!
Pursue your passions.
I believe that most of the time our passions tell us what we should probably be pursuing. This is not always true but generally so. Do you have a passion for helping the underprivileged? Then pour your energies into giving them your goodness in whatever form allows you to make a difference in their lives.
Develop a strategy and action plan to work on making your passions a reality.
If you don’t plan your unleashing, it will spill everywhere and may not be as powerful and effective as if you have a specific plan to focus your goodness into a specific area. The basic example would be light. Sure a bulb will give off light and be beneficial, but when that light is so focused it becomes a laser, then it can really be powerful. Don’t just say you will embody goodness, make a plan on where you will pour your good energies.
Be ruthless about living out of your priorities.
If we want to be effective, we have to know where we are going and then stick to the plan. We cannot let anything sidetrack us! You will want to, for example, volunteer one day a week to help underprivileged children learn to read. Great idea! But you won’t believe how many things will creep into your life that will want to be scheduled for that day. If you let them, they will bump your priority and destroy your unleashing of your goodness. Stick to your priorities!
Listen to your conscience.
The conscience is perhaps the greatest gift we have. It is a built in homing device that always keeps us pointed in the direction. Yet the conscience is also like a muscle in that it gets stringer when used (listened to) and weaker when not used (not listened to). If you are in a relatively good place, you conscience will tell you what is good. Listen to it and act upon it and it will help you unleash the goodness within you!
Develop and memorize a life mission statement that declares you intentions for good.
My personal mission statement is, “To use my speaking and writing gifts to help people and organizations turn their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives, and achieve their dreams.” Can you think up a life mission statement that will keep you on track? Sure you can – and you should.
You have a lot of good to give to this world. And this world needs it now more than ever. Decide today that you will unleash you goodness on the world around you. Some of you reading this have a lot of influence in the world around you and others don’t have as much, but we all have some and if we all unleash our goodness into the world around us, we will certainly make a difference!
Go get ‘em! Let them have all the goodness you can give them!
by Chris Widener
I do not believe that there are bad people and good people. I believe that what we have are “people,” period. People then choose what they will be. People choose to do bad or do good. And we can’t fool ourselves: each person has the capacity for both.
On one hand, every person has within them the capacity for evil. G.K. Chesterton’s quote is certainly true: “Original Sin is the only philosophy empirically validated by 3500 years of human history.” Fortunately, most societies groom people with a sense of right and wrong and encourage people to respond to their own conscience so that most people live their lives self-restricting the bad things they are capable of. For those who don’t self-restrict, we have police and prisons.
On the other hand, everyone has the capacity to do great good as well. Every mind can dream of the possibilities that they can come up with to make life better for themselves and for others around them. Every person has the imprint of God and therefore the ability to do what is good, if they so choose.
So where do most people live their lives? I think most people live their lives in the middle. Most people do not live out the terrible things they are capable of. Instead, they cut ethical corners here and there. Nothing society would punish them greatly for but not as pure as the newly fallen snow either! The opposite is true as well. Most people do not live out the incredible goodness they are capable of. They will, of course, open doors for people and jump-start an old lady’s car when the battery goes dead in the Wal-Mart parking lot, but most people do not live their lives with the passionate and purposeful pursuit of goodness each and every day to live their lives. Thus, most people live not so bad, not so good lives.
But you are different! I know by the very fact that you subscribed to this Ezine that you want to be your best – and I want to help you be your best! I want to give you some thoughts that will stir your mind and heart to action. I want to give you some principles and strategies that will enable you to take your life to the next level. We live in uncertain times. The whole world is on edge and there are many wars being fought at any given time on this old earth of ours. People who choose goodness are so desperately needed!
Are you ready to take your life to the next level? Are you ready to unleash the force of good that you have within you? Then here we go!
Know your specific gifts and talent, you strengths and abilities.
Everyone has at least one and usually a few, specific talents and abilities that, if they were utilized on a regular basis, would produce for them the kind of life they would love to live as well as produce a tremendous amount of goodness in the immediate world around them. This is especially true if they surrender their gifts to be specifically used for good. Find your strengths and regularly use them.
Develop a vision of the good you can accomplish.
If you want to produce goodness, you must have in your mind what good would look like to you. Do you have a vision of what kind of good you would like to unleash upon the world around you? Do you know what good things you want to do, the good legacy you want to work for and leave behind? Get a vision for your goodness and put it to work!
Pursue your passions.
I believe that most of the time our passions tell us what we should probably be pursuing. This is not always true but generally so. Do you have a passion for helping the underprivileged? Then pour your energies into giving them your goodness in whatever form allows you to make a difference in their lives.
Develop a strategy and action plan to work on making your passions a reality.
If you don’t plan your unleashing, it will spill everywhere and may not be as powerful and effective as if you have a specific plan to focus your goodness into a specific area. The basic example would be light. Sure a bulb will give off light and be beneficial, but when that light is so focused it becomes a laser, then it can really be powerful. Don’t just say you will embody goodness, make a plan on where you will pour your good energies.
Be ruthless about living out of your priorities.
If we want to be effective, we have to know where we are going and then stick to the plan. We cannot let anything sidetrack us! You will want to, for example, volunteer one day a week to help underprivileged children learn to read. Great idea! But you won’t believe how many things will creep into your life that will want to be scheduled for that day. If you let them, they will bump your priority and destroy your unleashing of your goodness. Stick to your priorities!
Listen to your conscience.
The conscience is perhaps the greatest gift we have. It is a built in homing device that always keeps us pointed in the direction. Yet the conscience is also like a muscle in that it gets stringer when used (listened to) and weaker when not used (not listened to). If you are in a relatively good place, you conscience will tell you what is good. Listen to it and act upon it and it will help you unleash the goodness within you!
Develop and memorize a life mission statement that declares you intentions for good.
My personal mission statement is, “To use my speaking and writing gifts to help people and organizations turn their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives, and achieve their dreams.” Can you think up a life mission statement that will keep you on track? Sure you can – and you should.
You have a lot of good to give to this world. And this world needs it now more than ever. Decide today that you will unleash you goodness on the world around you. Some of you reading this have a lot of influence in the world around you and others don’t have as much, but we all have some and if we all unleash our goodness into the world around us, we will certainly make a difference!
Go get ‘em! Let them have all the goodness you can give them!
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!”
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!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Simply The Best
by Chris Weidner
This is a great article - one I will be sure to share with Matt and Josh!! Enjoy!!
I spoke to a group of salespeople recently as they kicked off their new team. It was exciting to see them get excited about making a difference through their work. The topic they assigned me was "Simply the Best." So as I prepared, I asked myself, "What characteristics would help someone pass the "Best" test? That is, what are the characteristics of those who become the "best" at what they do?
Here are the thoughts I shared with them:
The Best are optimists.
You can't get to the top if you don't think that there is a top or if you think you can't make it. One characteristic of those who reach the peak is that they always believe that things can get better or be done better. This pushes them on to be their best.
The Best have vision.
They can see ahead of the pack. Their eyes aren't locked into the here and now. They see the bright future and what things will look like when they reach their destiny. While working hard for today, they live for the future! They do what Stephen Covey calls begin with the end in mind.
The Best relentlessly pursue excellence.
The status quo is not for them. They want to be the best and experience the best. And that means giving their best. They go the extra mile so that in everything they do, in everything they say and think, they are striving for excellence.
The Best have a life long habit of personal growth.
They don't want to stay at the level they are at. They want to grow in their work, their intellect, their spirituality, their relationships, and in every area of their life. And they discipline themselves to put themselves in situations wherein they grow. Personal growth doesn't "just happen." You choose to grow. I always suggest what Zig Ziglar does and that is to enroll in "Automobile University." Whenever you are driving around, listen to a personal or professional growth tape or CD. Over the long run you will grow. Also, read more. The old saying is true: Leaders are readers. So are those who pass the "Best" test.
The Best understand that they will be pushed by the competition - and they welcome it.
Like the lead runner in the race who has someone on his heels, the best know that the competition is right behind them. They love it though because they know that the competition keeps them from becoming lazy and resting on their laurels. Instead, the competition pushes them to go faster and to achieve more - to remain the best by forging ahead.
The Best have a quest for leadership.
Someone has to lead - it may as well be the best! Those who attain it get there because they want to. They want to lead and help make a difference. And they want to be equipped with the skills necessary to lead others on to a better place.
The Best leave a legacy.
They aren't in it just for themselves, though they will surely reap the rewards of being the best. Rather, the build things that last beyond themselves, things that can be enjoyed by others as well.
The Best are adept at the two most important pieces of time and personal management: Prioritize and execute.
Just like weight loss boils down to eat right and exercise, personal management boils down to prioritize and execute. First, prioritize your activities. The important stuff goes on the top. Then, execute: do them. The best have habits and discipline that get them to the top by doing the best things and doing them first.
The Best focus on building relationships.
Success does not come alone. Everyone who achieves much does it with the help of countless others. How do the Best get others to help them? They treat them right. They embrace them and help them. People become the best because they help other people, and people like them.
The Best make no excuses.
When they fail they admit it and move on. They get back up and do it right the next time. They let their actions speak loader than their words. They stand tall and do the right thing the next time. No excuses, just results.
The Best understand that the good is the enemy of the best.
Yes, they could say, "this is good." But that would mean they have settled for less than the best. Many people think that good is good. Good is not good. Good is the enemy because it keeps us from the best. Choose your side: the good or the best. The Best choose, you guessed it, the Best.
The Best Dare to Dream.
While others live the mundane and settle into a life they never bargained for, a rut, the Best dream of a better life. And then they take the risks necessary to achieve their dreams. They live by Teddy Roosevelt's quote: Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs though checkered by failure, then to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the grey twilit that knows neither victory nor defeat.
Want to be the best at what you do?
Take inventory on the above characteristics and then start moving to bring your life in line with the characteristics of the "best." Then when you get to the top you will know that you have passed the "Best" test.
This is a great article - one I will be sure to share with Matt and Josh!! Enjoy!!
I spoke to a group of salespeople recently as they kicked off their new team. It was exciting to see them get excited about making a difference through their work. The topic they assigned me was "Simply the Best." So as I prepared, I asked myself, "What characteristics would help someone pass the "Best" test? That is, what are the characteristics of those who become the "best" at what they do?
Here are the thoughts I shared with them:
The Best are optimists.
You can't get to the top if you don't think that there is a top or if you think you can't make it. One characteristic of those who reach the peak is that they always believe that things can get better or be done better. This pushes them on to be their best.
The Best have vision.
They can see ahead of the pack. Their eyes aren't locked into the here and now. They see the bright future and what things will look like when they reach their destiny. While working hard for today, they live for the future! They do what Stephen Covey calls begin with the end in mind.
The Best relentlessly pursue excellence.
The status quo is not for them. They want to be the best and experience the best. And that means giving their best. They go the extra mile so that in everything they do, in everything they say and think, they are striving for excellence.
The Best have a life long habit of personal growth.
They don't want to stay at the level they are at. They want to grow in their work, their intellect, their spirituality, their relationships, and in every area of their life. And they discipline themselves to put themselves in situations wherein they grow. Personal growth doesn't "just happen." You choose to grow. I always suggest what Zig Ziglar does and that is to enroll in "Automobile University." Whenever you are driving around, listen to a personal or professional growth tape or CD. Over the long run you will grow. Also, read more. The old saying is true: Leaders are readers. So are those who pass the "Best" test.
The Best understand that they will be pushed by the competition - and they welcome it.
Like the lead runner in the race who has someone on his heels, the best know that the competition is right behind them. They love it though because they know that the competition keeps them from becoming lazy and resting on their laurels. Instead, the competition pushes them to go faster and to achieve more - to remain the best by forging ahead.
The Best have a quest for leadership.
Someone has to lead - it may as well be the best! Those who attain it get there because they want to. They want to lead and help make a difference. And they want to be equipped with the skills necessary to lead others on to a better place.
The Best leave a legacy.
They aren't in it just for themselves, though they will surely reap the rewards of being the best. Rather, the build things that last beyond themselves, things that can be enjoyed by others as well.
The Best are adept at the two most important pieces of time and personal management: Prioritize and execute.
Just like weight loss boils down to eat right and exercise, personal management boils down to prioritize and execute. First, prioritize your activities. The important stuff goes on the top. Then, execute: do them. The best have habits and discipline that get them to the top by doing the best things and doing them first.
The Best focus on building relationships.
Success does not come alone. Everyone who achieves much does it with the help of countless others. How do the Best get others to help them? They treat them right. They embrace them and help them. People become the best because they help other people, and people like them.
The Best make no excuses.
When they fail they admit it and move on. They get back up and do it right the next time. They let their actions speak loader than their words. They stand tall and do the right thing the next time. No excuses, just results.
The Best understand that the good is the enemy of the best.
Yes, they could say, "this is good." But that would mean they have settled for less than the best. Many people think that good is good. Good is not good. Good is the enemy because it keeps us from the best. Choose your side: the good or the best. The Best choose, you guessed it, the Best.
The Best Dare to Dream.
While others live the mundane and settle into a life they never bargained for, a rut, the Best dream of a better life. And then they take the risks necessary to achieve their dreams. They live by Teddy Roosevelt's quote: Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs though checkered by failure, then to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the grey twilit that knows neither victory nor defeat.
Want to be the best at what you do?
Take inventory on the above characteristics and then start moving to bring your life in line with the characteristics of the "best." Then when you get to the top you will know that you have passed the "Best" test.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
11 Powerful Ways to Expand Your Life This Year
Jim Cathcart, CSP, CPAE is founder and president of Cathcart Institute, Inc. and one of the most widely recognized professional speakers in the world. As the author of 13 books and scores of recorded programs, his students number in the hundreds of thousands.
1. Define your future.
Describe the life you'd like to live. The future you see defines the person you'll need to be. Identify the traits and qualities you'd like to acquire. Think bigger than yourself. An acorn that only thinks as an acorn will never become a mighty oak. Stretch yourself. You are undoubtedly capable of more than you ever dreamed is possible for you.
2. Become the person who would achieve your goals.
As you develop the skills, knowledge, relationships and demeanor of the 'future you,' your goals will be the natural byproduct of your growth. Spend an extra hour each day in the study of your chosen field.
3. Give more than you must.
Nothing advances until somebody does more than they are paid to do. Always deliver more value than others expect. Don't require others to acknowledge your generosity. Give with 'class.'
4. Make time for what you love.
If you don't live fully, you deny the world your potential contributions. Your 'play' sometimes contributes as much as your 'work.' What you love reveals the value you bring to the world.
5. Refine your Inner Circle.
We define ourselves through our key relationships. Explore the mix and depth of those with whom you spend most of your time. Release those who limit you and connect with those who can help you live more fully.
6. Resolve your unfinished business.
Either deal with it or discard it. Say your apologies, face your fears, pay your debts, express your gratitude and get on with living. Don't let yesterday drain value from today and tomorrow. Break out of the limited world of your past and start to grow.
7. Rethink existing habits and routines.
Describe your typical day and then reconsider every aspect of it. Change or expand the places you go, people you see, things you do, and the time you devote to each. Try new things. Learn a new language, go someplace different, do some things you'd typically pass by. Find out what your possibilities really are.
8. Lighten up.
Stop stressing over things that only matter to you emotionally. When life isn't fair to you, get over it quickly. Take your misfortunes as 'course corrections' rather than 'catastrophes.' Let go so you can grow.
9. Tighten up.
Sloppiness in life allows more variables to creep in and spoil your plans. Stay on target, increase your self-discipline, master the art of self-motivation. Sometimes details matter a lot.
10. Profile yourself.
Keep a journal of your goals, concerns, fears, and dreams. Review it at least once a year. Look for patterns that reveal your core values, natural velocity, natural intelligences and recurring situations. Realize how life ebbs and flows for you. Notice the natural cycles of life. Know yourself.
11. Invest in yourself.
Set aside a portion of each year's income to acquire new tools and teachers to increase your potential. Refine your systems, get expert coaching, attend special conferences, cultivate a study group, appoint a board of advisors. You are your only true asset. Send part of today ahead to the person you'll be in the future.
1. Define your future.
Describe the life you'd like to live. The future you see defines the person you'll need to be. Identify the traits and qualities you'd like to acquire. Think bigger than yourself. An acorn that only thinks as an acorn will never become a mighty oak. Stretch yourself. You are undoubtedly capable of more than you ever dreamed is possible for you.
2. Become the person who would achieve your goals.
As you develop the skills, knowledge, relationships and demeanor of the 'future you,' your goals will be the natural byproduct of your growth. Spend an extra hour each day in the study of your chosen field.
3. Give more than you must.
Nothing advances until somebody does more than they are paid to do. Always deliver more value than others expect. Don't require others to acknowledge your generosity. Give with 'class.'
4. Make time for what you love.
If you don't live fully, you deny the world your potential contributions. Your 'play' sometimes contributes as much as your 'work.' What you love reveals the value you bring to the world.
5. Refine your Inner Circle.
We define ourselves through our key relationships. Explore the mix and depth of those with whom you spend most of your time. Release those who limit you and connect with those who can help you live more fully.
6. Resolve your unfinished business.
Either deal with it or discard it. Say your apologies, face your fears, pay your debts, express your gratitude and get on with living. Don't let yesterday drain value from today and tomorrow. Break out of the limited world of your past and start to grow.
7. Rethink existing habits and routines.
Describe your typical day and then reconsider every aspect of it. Change or expand the places you go, people you see, things you do, and the time you devote to each. Try new things. Learn a new language, go someplace different, do some things you'd typically pass by. Find out what your possibilities really are.
8. Lighten up.
Stop stressing over things that only matter to you emotionally. When life isn't fair to you, get over it quickly. Take your misfortunes as 'course corrections' rather than 'catastrophes.' Let go so you can grow.
9. Tighten up.
Sloppiness in life allows more variables to creep in and spoil your plans. Stay on target, increase your self-discipline, master the art of self-motivation. Sometimes details matter a lot.
10. Profile yourself.
Keep a journal of your goals, concerns, fears, and dreams. Review it at least once a year. Look for patterns that reveal your core values, natural velocity, natural intelligences and recurring situations. Realize how life ebbs and flows for you. Notice the natural cycles of life. Know yourself.
11. Invest in yourself.
Set aside a portion of each year's income to acquire new tools and teachers to increase your potential. Refine your systems, get expert coaching, attend special conferences, cultivate a study group, appoint a board of advisors. You are your only true asset. Send part of today ahead to the person you'll be in the future.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Dare to Dream
by Chris Widener
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."Teddy Roosevelt
Do you remember when you were a child and no dream seemed too big? Some of us thought we would walk on the moon; some dreamed of riding with Roy Rogers; others imagined stepping to the plate in a big-league game. Every one of us, when we were young, had a common trait - we were dreamers. The world hadn't gotten to us yet to show us that we couldn't possibly achieve what our hearts longed for. And we were yet still years from realizing that in some cases we weren't built for achieving our dream (I realized about my junior year of high school that I was too short and to slow to play professional basketball. The dreamer is always the last to know).
Eventually we started to let our dreams die. People began to tell us that we couldn't do the things we wanted. It was impossible. Responsible people don't pursue their dreams. Settle down, get a job, be dependable. Take care of business, live the mundane, be content. Do you know what I say to that? Hooey!
It is time to dream again!
Why? Here are just a few reasons:
Avoiding regret. The facts are in, and someday we will all lie on our deathbed looking back through the history of our lives. We will undoubtedly think about what we wished we had done or accomplished. I for one don't want to regret what could have been, what should have been. So I am deciding today to pursue my dreams.
Making the world a better place. All of the great accomplishments that have ever happened began with a person who had a dream. Somebody rebuffed the nay-sayers and said to themselves, "This can be done, and I am the one who will do it." And in many instances they changed the world for the better. It isn't just the Martin Luther King's and the J.F.K's either. Think of all the people we have never heard of who have started things large and small that help people world-wide every day. The world needs people like you to dream of something great and then to pursue it will all of your heart. Maybe you belong to a business, school, or organization that started out with good intentions but has settled into the same ol' same ol'. Shake them up and remind them of how they could really help people if only they would dream!
Personal and family fulfillment. One of the things that happens when we stop pursuing our dreams is that a little piece of us dies and we become disheartened, if only in that area of our lives. Stepping up and pursuing your dream rekindles that passion and zeal that everyone has the capacity for and lets us experience fulfillment. Having a purpose puts the zip in our step and the zing in our emotions!
Leaving a legacy. How will your children remember you? As one who sought all that life had to offer, using your gifts and talents to their fullest extent, leading the family with a zest for life, or as an overweight couch potato who could have been? Our children need to see that we dream; that we search for something better. They in turn will do the same!
So where do we start? Here are some ideas:
Reconnect with your dream. Set aside some time to let yourself dream. What have you placed on the backburner in order to live the status quo? Settle on one or two dreams that you can and will pursue. Don't come up with too many. That will only deter you further.
Decide that you will do it. This may seem elementary but many people never decide and commit fully to their dream. They simply keep "thinking" about it.
Tell others that you are going to do it. This puts you on the record as to what you are dreaming about. It makes you accountable. It will help you do it if for no other reason than to avoid embarrassment!
Develop a step-by-step plan. This is absolutely essential. You must sit down and write out a few things:
1. A timeline. How long will it take to the end?
2. Action steps. Point-by-point what you will do and when you will do them.
3. Resources you will need to draw from. What will it take? Who will need to be involved for help or advice?
4. An evaluation tool. You need to evaluate from time to time whether you are progressing or not.
5. A celebration. Yep, when you are done you should already have planned what you will do to celebrate. Make it big!
I have found that there is no better time than now. So, set aside some time today to get started on your dream. Follow the action plan and set your sights for the top of the mountain! You will be glad you did!
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."Teddy Roosevelt
Do you remember when you were a child and no dream seemed too big? Some of us thought we would walk on the moon; some dreamed of riding with Roy Rogers; others imagined stepping to the plate in a big-league game. Every one of us, when we were young, had a common trait - we were dreamers. The world hadn't gotten to us yet to show us that we couldn't possibly achieve what our hearts longed for. And we were yet still years from realizing that in some cases we weren't built for achieving our dream (I realized about my junior year of high school that I was too short and to slow to play professional basketball. The dreamer is always the last to know).
Eventually we started to let our dreams die. People began to tell us that we couldn't do the things we wanted. It was impossible. Responsible people don't pursue their dreams. Settle down, get a job, be dependable. Take care of business, live the mundane, be content. Do you know what I say to that? Hooey!
It is time to dream again!
Why? Here are just a few reasons:
Avoiding regret. The facts are in, and someday we will all lie on our deathbed looking back through the history of our lives. We will undoubtedly think about what we wished we had done or accomplished. I for one don't want to regret what could have been, what should have been. So I am deciding today to pursue my dreams.
Making the world a better place. All of the great accomplishments that have ever happened began with a person who had a dream. Somebody rebuffed the nay-sayers and said to themselves, "This can be done, and I am the one who will do it." And in many instances they changed the world for the better. It isn't just the Martin Luther King's and the J.F.K's either. Think of all the people we have never heard of who have started things large and small that help people world-wide every day. The world needs people like you to dream of something great and then to pursue it will all of your heart. Maybe you belong to a business, school, or organization that started out with good intentions but has settled into the same ol' same ol'. Shake them up and remind them of how they could really help people if only they would dream!
Personal and family fulfillment. One of the things that happens when we stop pursuing our dreams is that a little piece of us dies and we become disheartened, if only in that area of our lives. Stepping up and pursuing your dream rekindles that passion and zeal that everyone has the capacity for and lets us experience fulfillment. Having a purpose puts the zip in our step and the zing in our emotions!
Leaving a legacy. How will your children remember you? As one who sought all that life had to offer, using your gifts and talents to their fullest extent, leading the family with a zest for life, or as an overweight couch potato who could have been? Our children need to see that we dream; that we search for something better. They in turn will do the same!
So where do we start? Here are some ideas:
Reconnect with your dream. Set aside some time to let yourself dream. What have you placed on the backburner in order to live the status quo? Settle on one or two dreams that you can and will pursue. Don't come up with too many. That will only deter you further.
Decide that you will do it. This may seem elementary but many people never decide and commit fully to their dream. They simply keep "thinking" about it.
Tell others that you are going to do it. This puts you on the record as to what you are dreaming about. It makes you accountable. It will help you do it if for no other reason than to avoid embarrassment!
Develop a step-by-step plan. This is absolutely essential. You must sit down and write out a few things:
1. A timeline. How long will it take to the end?
2. Action steps. Point-by-point what you will do and when you will do them.
3. Resources you will need to draw from. What will it take? Who will need to be involved for help or advice?
4. An evaluation tool. You need to evaluate from time to time whether you are progressing or not.
5. A celebration. Yep, when you are done you should already have planned what you will do to celebrate. Make it big!
I have found that there is no better time than now. So, set aside some time today to get started on your dream. Follow the action plan and set your sights for the top of the mountain! You will be glad you did!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Bad Luck, Bad Choices, and Bad Habits
Another great article by Chris! Enjoy!
by Chris Widener
We were at some friend’s house the other day and the wife mentioned some other acquaintances of ours. “It sure is too bad, all the bad luck they have,” She said.
My first thought was, “Bad habits, not bad luck.”
My second thought was, “Or is it bad choices?”
You see, there is a difference. What we many times call bad luck is merely bad choices.
Let me explain:
If you work hard, buy a new car, keep it up with regular maintenance and blow a tire driving down the road, that is bad luck.
However, if you drive on your tires until they are almost bald and drive at speeds higher than they are recommended for, and keep them at the wrong inflation level, and then the tire blows, that is not bad luck but bad choices. The tire blew because you chose not to buy new ones. The tire blew because you chose not to take the time to check your tire inflation level the last time you filled up the tank.
It is bad luck to leave your house on vacation and while you are away the gas line breaks and the house blows up.
It is bad habits to not tend to taking care of your house, replacing the roof, painting, etc until it is a junk pile.
It is bad luck to be let go from a company that goes into meltdown because the CEO acted unethically and the stock tanks, forcing layoffs.
It is both bad choices and bad habits to be late to work everyday, display shoddy workmanship and have a bad attitude to the point that the boss fires you.
If you choose to frequent shady parts of town or risky establishments, and you get mugged, is that bad luck or bad choices?
You get the point.
How often do we call something bad luck when it is really the result of bad habits or bad choices?
This really boils down to a matter of ownership of our lives and actions. Do we take full responsibility for our lives or not?
I know of a gentleman who was recently passed over for a job. It would have paid him $13,000 for a week’s worth of work. The person who passed him over told me why. Knowing this gentleman, I said, “It is too bad, because with a few good choices, that guy could be living in a nice house, driving nice cars, and having very few financial problems.”
What about you? Do you experience bad luck? Or bad habits? Or bad choices?
The next time you hear someone say, “He’s down on his luck,” perhaps you ought to ask, “Or is he down on his choices?”
I have found that those who have good habits and make good choices tend to experience the best luck!
So, if you want a little good luck, make some good choices and develop some good habits.
by Chris Widener
We were at some friend’s house the other day and the wife mentioned some other acquaintances of ours. “It sure is too bad, all the bad luck they have,” She said.
My first thought was, “Bad habits, not bad luck.”
My second thought was, “Or is it bad choices?”
You see, there is a difference. What we many times call bad luck is merely bad choices.
Let me explain:
If you work hard, buy a new car, keep it up with regular maintenance and blow a tire driving down the road, that is bad luck.
However, if you drive on your tires until they are almost bald and drive at speeds higher than they are recommended for, and keep them at the wrong inflation level, and then the tire blows, that is not bad luck but bad choices. The tire blew because you chose not to buy new ones. The tire blew because you chose not to take the time to check your tire inflation level the last time you filled up the tank.
It is bad luck to leave your house on vacation and while you are away the gas line breaks and the house blows up.
It is bad habits to not tend to taking care of your house, replacing the roof, painting, etc until it is a junk pile.
It is bad luck to be let go from a company that goes into meltdown because the CEO acted unethically and the stock tanks, forcing layoffs.
It is both bad choices and bad habits to be late to work everyday, display shoddy workmanship and have a bad attitude to the point that the boss fires you.
If you choose to frequent shady parts of town or risky establishments, and you get mugged, is that bad luck or bad choices?
You get the point.
How often do we call something bad luck when it is really the result of bad habits or bad choices?
This really boils down to a matter of ownership of our lives and actions. Do we take full responsibility for our lives or not?
I know of a gentleman who was recently passed over for a job. It would have paid him $13,000 for a week’s worth of work. The person who passed him over told me why. Knowing this gentleman, I said, “It is too bad, because with a few good choices, that guy could be living in a nice house, driving nice cars, and having very few financial problems.”
What about you? Do you experience bad luck? Or bad habits? Or bad choices?
The next time you hear someone say, “He’s down on his luck,” perhaps you ought to ask, “Or is he down on his choices?”
I have found that those who have good habits and make good choices tend to experience the best luck!
So, if you want a little good luck, make some good choices and develop some good habits.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Slaying your own Giants
Another great story by Chris. Live and Learn!!
by Chris Widener
I read an old story the other day. It is one that almost everyone is familiar with, and as I read it, I realized that it is filled with a strategy for successfully defeating giants. Yes, giants. We all have them in our lives: Self-doubt, bad habits, financial difficulty, bad relationships etc, can all be giants in our lives.
The story? David and Goliath. Take a journey back in time with me and see if there isn’t a great deal of truth in this story that we can apply to our own lives today.
Here are the timeless principles I see in this story of the little guy beating the giant:
Expect giants to block the way to the Promised Land:
Too many times we go for our dreams expecting that it will be like a cakewalk at the county fair. Not true! If you want to get to something as great as the promise land you imagine for your life, realize that the world isn’t just going to roll over and die. No, competitors will do anything they can to keep you out. Naysayers will stand before you and tell you it can’t be done. Giants will appear and you will have to go through them to get where you want to go. Don’t go into your journey with your eyes closed. Expect to battle a giant or two!
Attack your giant for a reason bigger than your own victory:
For David, his reason was to defend the honor of God, since the giant was taunting God. Yes, he heard that he would get a wife out of the deal, but his biggest reason wasn’t personal. The same is true with us. Yes, we will gain a lot from our successes but I have found that personal gain is usually fleeting in regard to long-term joy and happiness. Those things that bring a deep sense of personal satisfaction come from accomplishing something positive for an altruistic reason, or for some cause that transcends us!
Recognize your own strengths:
When asked if he thought if he could really defeat the giant, David reflected on his past successes. He thought about all those times that he was guarding his father’s sheep and had to ward off animal attackers. Surely if he had killed both a lion and a bear, this human – even if he was nine feet tall! – wouldn’t be much to do a way with. David knew his strengths. He knew what he could do, and he would do it again and again until he reached his goal.
Don’t use someone else’s armor:
Okay, the king was convinced: David could go ahead, but first, the king put his armor on David. Like a 10 year old in his father’s suit, David walked around in the armor. “No thanks,” said David. He knew what he needed and it wasn’t what worked for someone else. Yes, we need to take advice, but what works for one doesn’t always work for everyone else. There is no cookie cutter path to success. There is more than one way to skin a cat (By the way, who came up with that disgusting analogy? But I digress…). “Dance with the one that brung ya,” they say. So on your way to success, stick with what works, not someone else’s plan or strategy. David knew a slingshot would work just fine thank you.
Take five weapons, though you may only need one:
This was one of the really fascinating parts of the story. David obviously knew that he was good with a slingshot. Good enough to kill a giant, at least. So there was some assurance and self-confidence there. But he also knew that sometimes things go awry. He knew that sometimes it takes a few shots to kill the giants. So, even though eventually he only needed one smooth stone to do the job, he had four others for backup! What about you? Are you five deep in the resource pocket? If not, find a few more stones to do battle with your giant with.
Run toward the giant, not away from it:
Here was another interesting point. The story is sure to mention that David ran toward the giant. Why? To get a good shot! So many of us run away from our giants, hoping that if we do we will be able to avoid giants all together. Not true. We will just have to do battle with another giant somewhere else, and all we have chosen to do is go the circuitous route rather than the direct one. Move in close to your giant, and let him have it!
Make sure it is dead after it falls:
One shot and David’s giant took a tumble. Did David party? Nope, he went and made sure that Giant wouldn’t rise to haunt him another day. He went in close and with a big swipe of his sword, took the giant’s head off! Giants have way of coming back to life, so be sure that you have really conquered your giant before you move on!
Just like David, you CAN conquer your giants! You CAN move past them into your own promised land! Just stick with these age-old guidelines and you will be well on your way!
Here they are again;
1. Expect giants to block the way to the Promised Land.
2. Attack your giant for a reason bigger than your own victory.
3. Recognize your own strengths.
4. Don’t use someone else’s armor.
5. Take five weapons, though you may only need one.
6. Run toward the giant, not away from it.
7. Make sure it is dead after it falls.
Take up your slingshot and take a few throws at your giant today!
by Chris Widener
I read an old story the other day. It is one that almost everyone is familiar with, and as I read it, I realized that it is filled with a strategy for successfully defeating giants. Yes, giants. We all have them in our lives: Self-doubt, bad habits, financial difficulty, bad relationships etc, can all be giants in our lives.
The story? David and Goliath. Take a journey back in time with me and see if there isn’t a great deal of truth in this story that we can apply to our own lives today.
Here are the timeless principles I see in this story of the little guy beating the giant:
Expect giants to block the way to the Promised Land:
Too many times we go for our dreams expecting that it will be like a cakewalk at the county fair. Not true! If you want to get to something as great as the promise land you imagine for your life, realize that the world isn’t just going to roll over and die. No, competitors will do anything they can to keep you out. Naysayers will stand before you and tell you it can’t be done. Giants will appear and you will have to go through them to get where you want to go. Don’t go into your journey with your eyes closed. Expect to battle a giant or two!
Attack your giant for a reason bigger than your own victory:
For David, his reason was to defend the honor of God, since the giant was taunting God. Yes, he heard that he would get a wife out of the deal, but his biggest reason wasn’t personal. The same is true with us. Yes, we will gain a lot from our successes but I have found that personal gain is usually fleeting in regard to long-term joy and happiness. Those things that bring a deep sense of personal satisfaction come from accomplishing something positive for an altruistic reason, or for some cause that transcends us!
Recognize your own strengths:
When asked if he thought if he could really defeat the giant, David reflected on his past successes. He thought about all those times that he was guarding his father’s sheep and had to ward off animal attackers. Surely if he had killed both a lion and a bear, this human – even if he was nine feet tall! – wouldn’t be much to do a way with. David knew his strengths. He knew what he could do, and he would do it again and again until he reached his goal.
Don’t use someone else’s armor:
Okay, the king was convinced: David could go ahead, but first, the king put his armor on David. Like a 10 year old in his father’s suit, David walked around in the armor. “No thanks,” said David. He knew what he needed and it wasn’t what worked for someone else. Yes, we need to take advice, but what works for one doesn’t always work for everyone else. There is no cookie cutter path to success. There is more than one way to skin a cat (By the way, who came up with that disgusting analogy? But I digress…). “Dance with the one that brung ya,” they say. So on your way to success, stick with what works, not someone else’s plan or strategy. David knew a slingshot would work just fine thank you.
Take five weapons, though you may only need one:
This was one of the really fascinating parts of the story. David obviously knew that he was good with a slingshot. Good enough to kill a giant, at least. So there was some assurance and self-confidence there. But he also knew that sometimes things go awry. He knew that sometimes it takes a few shots to kill the giants. So, even though eventually he only needed one smooth stone to do the job, he had four others for backup! What about you? Are you five deep in the resource pocket? If not, find a few more stones to do battle with your giant with.
Run toward the giant, not away from it:
Here was another interesting point. The story is sure to mention that David ran toward the giant. Why? To get a good shot! So many of us run away from our giants, hoping that if we do we will be able to avoid giants all together. Not true. We will just have to do battle with another giant somewhere else, and all we have chosen to do is go the circuitous route rather than the direct one. Move in close to your giant, and let him have it!
Make sure it is dead after it falls:
One shot and David’s giant took a tumble. Did David party? Nope, he went and made sure that Giant wouldn’t rise to haunt him another day. He went in close and with a big swipe of his sword, took the giant’s head off! Giants have way of coming back to life, so be sure that you have really conquered your giant before you move on!
Just like David, you CAN conquer your giants! You CAN move past them into your own promised land! Just stick with these age-old guidelines and you will be well on your way!
Here they are again;
1. Expect giants to block the way to the Promised Land.
2. Attack your giant for a reason bigger than your own victory.
3. Recognize your own strengths.
4. Don’t use someone else’s armor.
5. Take five weapons, though you may only need one.
6. Run toward the giant, not away from it.
7. Make sure it is dead after it falls.
Take up your slingshot and take a few throws at your giant today!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
10 Things I Wish I Had Known Before I Went Into the Real World!
So how come no one told me about this before I went into the Real World!! - comment by MGL - Great article by Chris - very well done!
by Chris Widener
I must confess, I laughed when I saw that Maria Shriver has come out with a book called, “Ten Things I Wish I Had Known Before Going Into The Real World.” The real world? Come on, she grew up a Kennedy and married the biggest action movie star of all time! That aside, it got me to thinking: What are ten things I wish I would have known before going out into the real world? So, here they are…
1. Life isn’t fair. You know, your mother always told you this but as kids we never believe it. We think that somehow mom was two tacos short of a combo plate and that eventually we will go into the real world and show her how those who work hard and do right always do come out on top. Then after about five years we become disenchanted and start to smell the coffee. Life isn’t fair! Why didn’t anybody tell me that? I guess they did, didn’t they? Unfortunately, sometimes the bad guys wins. Sometimes people die early. We shouldn’t take this lightly, but we must be realists. While we accept what comes our way, we still strive to work hard, dream big, and do right.
2. People play favorites. It is true that it isn’t what you know but who you know that counts. This is because people play favorites. Sometimes it doesn’t matter that you are the best person or have the lowest bid. People will regularly cut deals with people they like or who can scratch their back in return. I guess the lesson to learn is that while we strive to achieve much and have excellent skills, we should also develop a strong network of healthy relationships.
3. People will let you down. Being a person who does what he says can be a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because I am able to look at myself in the mirror each day. It is a curse because if you are like that, you will most likely expect that from others and yet they will regularly let you down. People can be bad at keeping their word or doing what is right. I could have relieved a lot of emotional stress if I would have known this one before getting out into the real world.
4. Not everybody wants to grow personally. I just assumed that everybody loved to learn and to grow. I thought everybody wanted to get better at what they did. The reality is, however, that most people do not. That is why there is something that we call “average.” Most people want to stay where they are. That is why they do. Those who strive to go forward will always be cutting against the grain and will often be resented, even if quietly, for it.
5. The stock market goes down sometimes. Some of you older folks knew this. But us young whippersnappers, we have been riding it high on the hog for a while. This is good in a sense, but unless you have some common sense of how financial markets work, you can get quite a shock from time to time. You see, before you get into the real world, everything gets handed to you and you really don’t have to work for much. Then you do and you think that every investment will turn out grand – whoops!
6. The older you get, the harder it is to lose weight. I was always a little “pudgy.” Nothing big, just not like the cover guys of Men’s Health Magazine (You know, the ones that say “Six-pack abs in 20 minutes a day.” I think that means they only eat twenty minutes a day, and it is usually stewed vegetables! But I digress…). If I would have known better, I would have worked harder when I was younger to keep the weight off so I wouldn’t have to work that much harder now!
7. Marriage is work. A good marriage is more work. When you are young you think, “I’ll find the girl of my dreams and we’ll live happily ever after.” Well, hello! You forget that your spouse is human and you are too, most of the time! To live under the same roof with someone and to work out likes and dislikes, personalities, and schedules, not to mention life goals and the like is HARD WORK! Not drudgery, just work. Yes, there will be plenty of bliss and joy, but marriage will make you work for it!
8. It takes longer to get out of debt than to get into it. I have never really had much debt. I did take out student loans to pay for school and wow, do they take a long time to get out of. Fortunately I have them paid off but for a while there, it was one of the big checks we wrote every month. Many people think credit cards are great because they can have what they want when they want it. Too bad they don’t realize that twenty minutes of shopping ecstasy will result in months or years of payments.
9. It doesn’t work to try to please others. I have always wanted people to like me. Many times, I wanted them to like me too much. That isn’t good. This doesn’t work because I realized that most of the time, people liking or disliking you has nothing to do whatsoever with rational thought. Some people will dislike you, no matter how well you have done, and others will love you, warts and all. So I do my best and let the chips fall where they may – now.
10. You need to tend to your spiritual, emotional, and physical health or you will crash hard. If you don’t take time for yourself, both inwardly and outwardly, your body will catch up with you. You can take time for yourself by choice or not. It is much more fun by choice! Life is hard and it can and will weigh you down. We need to tend the fires of spirit and mind while keeping our physical bodies tuned for success as well. If not, our bodies break down.
Bonus: In spite of the above, life is very much worth it! Some of the above may seem like bummers. They aren’t the “positive” things we like to focus on, but they are true. Being positive doesn’t mean sticking your head in the ground in order to avoid the negative of life. What it means is that we are realists who understand the negative aspects of life and choose to be optimists instead. We deal with the negative and pursue the positive. That is why I can say that life is worth living no matter how expensive or painful the lessons I have had to learn have been. Life is good and I can make it better!
So I had to learn some lessons AFTER I got into the real world. So what? At least I learned them and can live the rest of my life to the fullest from now on! I hope you can too!
by Chris Widener
I must confess, I laughed when I saw that Maria Shriver has come out with a book called, “Ten Things I Wish I Had Known Before Going Into The Real World.” The real world? Come on, she grew up a Kennedy and married the biggest action movie star of all time! That aside, it got me to thinking: What are ten things I wish I would have known before going out into the real world? So, here they are…
1. Life isn’t fair. You know, your mother always told you this but as kids we never believe it. We think that somehow mom was two tacos short of a combo plate and that eventually we will go into the real world and show her how those who work hard and do right always do come out on top. Then after about five years we become disenchanted and start to smell the coffee. Life isn’t fair! Why didn’t anybody tell me that? I guess they did, didn’t they? Unfortunately, sometimes the bad guys wins. Sometimes people die early. We shouldn’t take this lightly, but we must be realists. While we accept what comes our way, we still strive to work hard, dream big, and do right.
2. People play favorites. It is true that it isn’t what you know but who you know that counts. This is because people play favorites. Sometimes it doesn’t matter that you are the best person or have the lowest bid. People will regularly cut deals with people they like or who can scratch their back in return. I guess the lesson to learn is that while we strive to achieve much and have excellent skills, we should also develop a strong network of healthy relationships.
3. People will let you down. Being a person who does what he says can be a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because I am able to look at myself in the mirror each day. It is a curse because if you are like that, you will most likely expect that from others and yet they will regularly let you down. People can be bad at keeping their word or doing what is right. I could have relieved a lot of emotional stress if I would have known this one before getting out into the real world.
4. Not everybody wants to grow personally. I just assumed that everybody loved to learn and to grow. I thought everybody wanted to get better at what they did. The reality is, however, that most people do not. That is why there is something that we call “average.” Most people want to stay where they are. That is why they do. Those who strive to go forward will always be cutting against the grain and will often be resented, even if quietly, for it.
5. The stock market goes down sometimes. Some of you older folks knew this. But us young whippersnappers, we have been riding it high on the hog for a while. This is good in a sense, but unless you have some common sense of how financial markets work, you can get quite a shock from time to time. You see, before you get into the real world, everything gets handed to you and you really don’t have to work for much. Then you do and you think that every investment will turn out grand – whoops!
6. The older you get, the harder it is to lose weight. I was always a little “pudgy.” Nothing big, just not like the cover guys of Men’s Health Magazine (You know, the ones that say “Six-pack abs in 20 minutes a day.” I think that means they only eat twenty minutes a day, and it is usually stewed vegetables! But I digress…). If I would have known better, I would have worked harder when I was younger to keep the weight off so I wouldn’t have to work that much harder now!
7. Marriage is work. A good marriage is more work. When you are young you think, “I’ll find the girl of my dreams and we’ll live happily ever after.” Well, hello! You forget that your spouse is human and you are too, most of the time! To live under the same roof with someone and to work out likes and dislikes, personalities, and schedules, not to mention life goals and the like is HARD WORK! Not drudgery, just work. Yes, there will be plenty of bliss and joy, but marriage will make you work for it!
8. It takes longer to get out of debt than to get into it. I have never really had much debt. I did take out student loans to pay for school and wow, do they take a long time to get out of. Fortunately I have them paid off but for a while there, it was one of the big checks we wrote every month. Many people think credit cards are great because they can have what they want when they want it. Too bad they don’t realize that twenty minutes of shopping ecstasy will result in months or years of payments.
9. It doesn’t work to try to please others. I have always wanted people to like me. Many times, I wanted them to like me too much. That isn’t good. This doesn’t work because I realized that most of the time, people liking or disliking you has nothing to do whatsoever with rational thought. Some people will dislike you, no matter how well you have done, and others will love you, warts and all. So I do my best and let the chips fall where they may – now.
10. You need to tend to your spiritual, emotional, and physical health or you will crash hard. If you don’t take time for yourself, both inwardly and outwardly, your body will catch up with you. You can take time for yourself by choice or not. It is much more fun by choice! Life is hard and it can and will weigh you down. We need to tend the fires of spirit and mind while keeping our physical bodies tuned for success as well. If not, our bodies break down.
Bonus: In spite of the above, life is very much worth it! Some of the above may seem like bummers. They aren’t the “positive” things we like to focus on, but they are true. Being positive doesn’t mean sticking your head in the ground in order to avoid the negative of life. What it means is that we are realists who understand the negative aspects of life and choose to be optimists instead. We deal with the negative and pursue the positive. That is why I can say that life is worth living no matter how expensive or painful the lessons I have had to learn have been. Life is good and I can make it better!
So I had to learn some lessons AFTER I got into the real world. So what? At least I learned them and can live the rest of my life to the fullest from now on! I hope you can too!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Changes Begins With Choice
by Jim Rohn
Any day we wish; we can discipline ourselves to change it all. Any day we wish; we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish; we can start a new activity. Any day we wish; we can start the process of life change.
We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.
We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause. As Shakespeare uniquely observed, "The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves." We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today.
Those who are in search of the good life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth. They need the whole truth. And they need nothing but the truth.
We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.
And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life - If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree. You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life - and it all begins with your very own power of choice.
Any day we wish; we can discipline ourselves to change it all. Any day we wish; we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish; we can start a new activity. Any day we wish; we can start the process of life change.
We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.
We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause. As Shakespeare uniquely observed, "The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves." We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today.
Those who are in search of the good life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth. They need the whole truth. And they need nothing but the truth.
We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.
And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life - If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree. You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life - and it all begins with your very own power of choice.
Embracing Adversity
Embracing Adversity 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 Made for Success, 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, though 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 then spend a lifetime recounting it to anyone who will listen? This is because it spices life up a little. Imagine how boring life would be if everything always went well, when there was never a mountain to be climbed.
Here are some questions for you to reflect upon before I close:
Q. If you are in the middle of some adversity right now, what resources are you drawing on? Who are you drawing closer to and working with? What part of your character is being tested, and built up? What can you do to view this adversity as one who will be better for it on the other side?
"Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit." – Napoleon Hill
“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 Made for Success, 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, though 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 then spend a lifetime recounting it to anyone who will listen? This is because it spices life up a little. Imagine how boring life would be if everything always went well, when there was never a mountain to be climbed.
Here are some questions for you to reflect upon before I close:
Q. If you are in the middle of some adversity right now, what resources are you drawing on? Who are you drawing closer to and working with? What part of your character is being tested, and built up? What can you do to view this adversity as one who will be better for it on the other side?
"Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit." – Napoleon Hill
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