Conceive and Believe

Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonalds, was over fifty when he started making money. Kroc was a paper cup salesman who obtained the marketing rights to a multi-mixer invented by
Earl Prince. He criss-crossed the US for seventeen years
selling these mixers until he met up with the McDonald
brothers. Dick and Mac McDonald ordered eight of his mixers
and had them churning away all day.

Kroc was entranced by the effectiveness of the McDonald’s
operation and started thinking about building McDonald’s
restaurants all over the US. He thought he could then sell
more multi-mixers. The McDonald brothers weren’t too keen to
the idea so they franchised the restaurants to Kroc. He
ultimately bought out the McDonald brothers and as they say
- the rest is history.

Ray Kroc’s belief in himself was unshakeable, as he noted
later - “I was 52 years old. I had diabetes and incipient
arthritis. I had lost my gall bladder and most of my thyroid
gland.” Kroc didn’t allow his age or his physical condition
to hold him back.

If you have negative beliefs about yourself that are holding
you back, here’s a way to change them.

Your subconscious will always attempt to move away from pain
and towards pleasure. So start to associate massive pain to
your negative belief. Think about how it will hold you back
and stop you achieving what you’re trying to achieve. Think
about how miserable you’ll feel if you don’t even try.

Old people rarely regret what they’ve done in their life but
they do regret what they haven’t done. So think forward to
when you’re 75 or 80 years of age and imagine how you’ll
feel if you’ve never tried.

Then start to think of the pleasure you’ll receive in
fulfilling your beliefs. Think about how good you’ll feel
when you achieve what you set out to do. If when you’re
older you look back and think about things you didn’t
achieve, at least you’ll be able to say - “I tried, I gave
it my best shot and I didn’t sit on the sidelines.”

Thing Big! The level of your success will be determined by
how much you believe in yourself.
If you think small and expect small achievements - that’s
what you’ll get.
If you think big then you’re more likely to have big
successes.

Thinking big and having big expectations are often easier,
and no more difficult, than having small plans and small
expectations.

The psychologist Abraham Maslow said - “If you deliberately
plan to be less than you are capable of being; then I warn
you that you will be unhappy for the rest of your life. You
will be evading your own capabilities, your own
possibilities.”

Discover how you can generate more business without having
to cold call!
Alan Fairweather is the author of “How to get More Sales
without Selling” This book is packed with practical things
that you can do to – get customers to come to you .
Click here now
http://www.howtogetmoresales.com

Popularity: 9% [?]

Share This

A couple of weeks ago I celebrated my anniversary by taking my wife to see one of her favorite musicians - Kenny G.

Now, I have to be honest, I was dreading the event. It was a surprise and I was doing this solely as a gift to my lovely wife. I was willing to suffer and endure anything to make her happy! Okay, so I’m laying it on a little thick here, but suffice it to say, I was thinking about what it would be like to listen to two and a half hours of saxophone! I mean I was seriously considering smuggling in a radio and an earpiece so I could listen to the radio (of course I would have placed the earpiece on the side away from my wife)!

But I didn’t. I went and decided to “make the most of it.”

Now there are a couple of lessons I learned. First of all, don’t judge a book by its cover. Sure enough, we get in there and I’m looking the crowd over and thinking “Yep, this is going to be a tame crowd.” You have to understand, this concert was being promoted by a radio station that calls itself (insert deep, breathy voice here) “Smooth Jazz.” Wrong! They were whooping and hollering. It was a pretty lively crowd.

The second thing I learned was that this was completely a great concert! I thoroughly enjoyed myself and would highly recommend that you go if he is ever in your area. See, we never stop learning, do we?

Ever the person looking for success lessons, it was easy to get the first one. Kenny G is obviously an extremely talented individual who is reaping the reward of countless hours of diligent practice. That is a lesson for all of us.

But the greatest lesson I learned that night came at a moment most people probably overlooked. I call this lesson the “Success, Opportunity, Carl and Kenny G” lesson of success.

About midway through the concert Kenny G began introducing his band. He started with his piano player who has been with him since high school. Next, he introduces the keyboard player, Carl. Kenny G explains that Carl is the newest member of the band. He has been with them for only two years. Before that, for nine years, he was the guy who set up the piano and keyboards for the piano player! No one even knew that Carl could play the piano. They simply thought he was an electronics and sound wizard.

One day, after everything had been set up at a concert, the rest of the band left to get ready for the show but Kenny G stayed behind to work through some parts for that night. Suddenly he hears the piano and keyboards behind him and assumes it is his piano player so he keeps playing along. When he decides to ask a question, he turns around to find - Carl the sound guy! So Kenny G says, “You know how to play the piano?”

“Every chord of every song you do, all the way through the concert,” replies Carl.

So Kenny G auditions him right there and guess what? Carl is now a part of the band! Kenny G also noted that Carl’s pay increased 8000 percent! Officially now, Carl is my new hero!

What did I learn from that about successful people? A few things:

One, humbly perform the duties you currently have. Nine years Carl worked at a job that isn’t known for its high esteem. Thankless, long hours and low pay come to mind. But with humility, Carl did his job with pride. That is a lesson for all of us.

Two, constantly work hard to increase your ability, even when it isn’t being rewarded. While you are going about a low level job, work hard all of the time to get better and smarter. Become more highly skilled. Work at it more than anyone else. If Carl had given up playing because he thought he was as high as he would go, he could have never stepped to the plate and hit that home run that changed his life!

Three, when your door of opportunity opens, walk boldly through it! It will happen. There will be a time when the door of opportunity swings widely open for you. The only question is whether you will be prepared and bold enough to walk through it successfully. You have to be good enough to deliver, and bold enough to try. Are you?

In review, here are the lessons I learned from Carl and Kenny G:

1. Don’t judge a book by its cover.

2. Two and a half hours of saxophone isn’t so bad.

3. People who listen to “smooth jazz” can holler too!

4. You can find success stories anywhere, even at a Kenny G concert.

5. Humbly perform the duties you currently have

6. Constantly work hard to increase your ability, even when it isn’t being rewarded.

7. When your door of opportunity opens, walk boldly through it!

About The Author:

Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of
Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn
their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and
achieve their dreams.

To see Chris “live” at the upcoming Jim Rohn Weekend Event as he speaks on
the subject of Secrets of Influence go to
http://Chris-Widener.InspiresYOU.com/ or call 800-929-0434.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Share This

A few years back, the ex-recording artist,
turned Pastor, turned recording artist again,
Mase, had a record out called “If I Had 24 hours to live…”

During the song, he, and a couple of other rappers,
stated what they would do if they had 24 hours to live.

For some reason, when I sat down to write this
newsletter, I thought of that song,
“If I Had 24 hours to live…”

What if you found out that you had 24 hours to live?

Think about it for a moment.

If you had 24 hours to live and knew for a
fact that you would be leaving this earth,
would you be happy with the life that you led?

Would you be able to say that you’ve made
the most of your life?

Would you look back on your life and say,
“I’ve lived the best life I could possibly live?”

Or would you think, “Wow, I have 24 hours to
live and I haven’t even started to live yet?”

Would you happy that you were meeting God
so you can share with Him how you used the
gifts and talents He gave to you, or would
you feel ashamed because you never used your
talents in any way to serve His people.

Or would you think, “I haven’t done nearly the
things that I know I am capable of doing. I
haven’t accomplished the things that I have
always wished to accomplish.”

My question to you is, “Why haven’t you?
What’s stopping you?”

We always have excuses as to why we haven’t
accomplished the things that we have dreamed
of accomplishing, or doing the things that
we’ve hoped to do.

You’ve heard the stories of people on their
death bed wishing they had spent more time
with their families, or wishing they had
spent less time complaining and more time living,
or wishing they had accomplished more with their life.

Life is truly a gift. Yet, most of us treat
it as if it’s nothing. We don’t give life a
second thought until we are faced with the
reality of death. For some reason, we feel
that we have all the time in the world to get
around to doing the things that we have thought
of doing with our life, but before we know it,
we look up and its over.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be
one of those folks on my death bed, thinking back
on the life I lived and regretting the fact that
I never took control of my life and started living.
I would hate to come to the realization that I
never really LIVED but merely existed for so
many years.

Most people simply drift through life,
never taking control or even knowing or
believing that they CAN take control of
their life. They simply let left push
them and pull them on through it until
one day they wake up, on their death bed,
knowing they have 24 hours to live and it
is at THAT point they decide that they
should have been more of this or did more
of that.

I beg you–Don’t be one of those people.

Life is like everything else.

If you want it to be successful,
you have to PLAN your life. You have
to make a decision about what you want
to DO with your life. You have to see
yourself doing the things that you want
to do and you have to take action. Listen
to that voice that is inside of you—your spirit—
your direct link to God.

Learn how to control your life and make it
go exactly as you wish it to go.

You can do it, you know. And the great part
about it is you can start at any given second.
All it takes is for you to make the decision.
Then draw up a plan and take action.

If you learn to live EVERY day as if it were
your last, you will see the urgency that life
brings with it. You will feel the need to
urgently accomplish things every single day.

In 1 Corinthians 9:24 Paul says, Do you not know
that in a race all the runners run, but only one
gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

So when the day comes and you discover that
you have 24 hours to live, you will simply
smile and relax and be happy about the fact
that you will be going home to meet God and
tell him how you used the gifts he had given
to you to serve others and in the process,
served yourself. You won’t regret having 24
hours to live; in fact, you will welcome it
with open arms because you can’t WAIT to share
the things that you have accomplished with
your life. You have run the race to get the prize.

ACTION POINT: Do you have a plan for your life?
Do you have a burning desire to do, be or have
something that will allow you to serve others
and make your life more meaningful? Have you
figured out your talents and gifts and a way
to use them in your life? If not, then this
is the assignment for you this week. DECIDE what
you want to do with your life. Draw up a plan.
Start with your outcome, your dream and work
your way backwards on how to accomplish that dream.
Ask God for assistant. He’ll give it to you.
Remember, ask and you shall receive. I even offer
an ecourse called Ask and You Shall Receive.
It’s free and you can get it by sending a blank
email to mailto:askandr-@sendfree.com.

Dawn Fields is a motivational speaker, author and coach. She has an amazing way of reaching you with her down-to-earth style and her ability to make the impossible seem possible. Sign up for her FREE weekly newsletter by sending a blank email to dawn@dawnfields.com
with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line. Visit the web site at http://www.dawnfields.com. Be sure to tune into her weekly radio show Thursday nights at 9 p.m. at http://www.dawnfields.com/radioshow.htm

Popularity: 9% [?]

Share This

I receive many emails from people that basically ask the same question: How can I keep myself motivated long term? This seems to be quite a common dilemma for many people so I want to address it because it can be done! Here are my tips for staying motivated:

Get motivated every day.

Zig Ziglar was once confronted about being a “motivational speaker.” The guy said to him, “You guys come and get people hyped up and then you leave and the motivation goes away. It doesn’t last, and then you have to get motivated again.” Zig reminded the gentleman that baths are the same way but we think it is a good idea to take a bath every day!

It is true that motivation doesn’t last.

We have to renew it each and every day. That is okay. It doesn’t make motivation a bad thing. We simply have to realize that if we want to stay motivated over the long term, it is something we will have to apply to ourselves each and every day.

Have a vision for your life.

The root word of motivation is “motive.” The definition of motive is,
“A reason to act.” This is the cognitive or rational side of motivation. It is your vision. You have to have a vision that is big enough to motivate you. If you are making $50,000 a year, it isn’t going to motivate you to set your goal at $52,000 a year. You just won’t get motivated for that because the reward isn’t enough. Maybe $70,000 a year would work for you. Set out a vision and a strategy for getting there. Have a plan and work the plan.

Fuel your passion.

Much of motivation is emotional. I don’t know quite how it works but I do know THAT it works. Emotion is a powerful force in getting us going. Passion is an emotion, so fuel your passion. “Well, I like to work on logic,” you may say. Great, now work on your passion. Set yourself on a course to have a consuming desire for your goal, whatever it is. Do whatever you can to feel the emotion and use it to your advantage!

Work hard enough to get results.

You can build on your motivation by getting results. The harder you work, the more results you will get and the more results you get, the more you will be motivated to get more. These things all build on one another. If you want to lose weight, then lose the first few pounds. When the belt moves to the next notch you will get fired up to get it to the notch beyond that!

Put good materials into your mind.

I can’t say this enough - listen to tapes. I still listen to tapes regularly. I buy tape clubs from other speakers and I learn and grow. Their successes motivate me to get my own successes! Read good books. Read books that teach you new ideas and skills. Read books that tell the stories of successful people. Buy them, read them, and get motivated! Buy great music and listen to it. I just did a spinning class at the club today. Whenever a good song came on I was actually able to get motivated to ride faster! It gets you going and motivates you!

Ride the momentum when it comes.

Sometimes you will just be clicking and sometimes you won’t. That is okay. It is the cycle of life. When you aren’t clicking, plug away. When you are clicking, pour it on because momentum will help you get larger gains in a shorter period of time with less energy. That is the momentum Equation! When you are feeling good about how your work is going, ride the momentum and get as much out of it as you can!

These are the top six ways to stay motivated:

Get motivated every day.
Have a vision for your life.
Fuel your passion.
Work hard enough to get results.
Put good materials into your mind.
Ride the momentum when it comes.

These are simple principles, that when you put them to work regularly, will change your life by keeping you motivated all the time! Get going!

About The Author:

Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of
Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn
their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and
achieve their dreams.

To see Chris “live” at the upcoming Jim Rohn Weekend Event as he speaks on
the subject of Secrets of Influence go to
http://Chris-Widener.InspiresYOU.com/ or call 800-929-0434.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Share This

Ten tips to transform your move into a creative life transition.

1. Ask, “Who am I? What do I need to be happy?”

Sometimes you don’t realize what you love until it’s gone. My book has several exercises to help: Weekly wrap-up, Protected Witness and more!

2. Hire professional packers — or be your own pro.

When you pack, you open up the hidden places. Packing up the attic, basement or messy kitchen drawer, will force confrontation with a part of the self that has not been visited for years. Often “I have” means saying “I am.”

Professional packers do not make judgments. They do not sort through your closets, sighing over the pants that won’t fit anymore. They pack everything.

If you pack your own household, follow the example of the pros.

Pack everything. Pack fast. And don’t judge.

3. Pack an emotional first aid kit.

Packing your best intentions isn’t enough.
When you undertake a voyage into the unknown, you pack sunblock, Band-Aids, and insect repellent, as well as the basic medications for unexpected encounters with local food and water.

For your first six months, prepare an emotional first aid kit to deal with stresses you are likely to encounter.

4. Honor your new home.

As you unpack, play your favorite music and enjoy your favorite foods.

Arrange one room -or one corner of the room-to look familiar. Some people create a ritual of settling in to make the new house their own.

5. Create your own tugboat.

Think of a tugboat that guides an ocean liner out of the harbor. Ocean liners are designed to move smoothly on the high seas and they need special handling while they’re close to shore. For the first six months in your new home, create your own tugboat — a temporary identity that can be released with gratitude when you reach cruising speed on the high seas.

6. Make new friends by doing what you love.

Fill your life with activities that will be creative and fulfilling. When you nurture yourself, you communicate strength and confidence to others. If you are seen as vulnerable and needy, you will attract negative people and negative experiences.

7. Be your own best camp counselor.

Camp counselors, boarding school directors and drill sergeants know: If you fill the time, newcomers won’t have time to be homesick. Fill your own schedule!

8. Celebrate everyday life.

Think small.
A walk around the lake.
A perfect cup of coffee in a nearby coffee shop.
A friendly face at the local hardware store.

Listen for the moments when you say, “I could get used to this…”

9. Ask The Big Move Question: Can I still be me?

Moving interrupts identity. The secret to a successful move depends on how you answer the question, “Can I still be me?”

10. Embark on an adventure.

Believe it or not, many people love to move and describe their relocation as a great adventure! I like to compare moving to time travel. After the moving van has been loaded, you go to sleep in a bare room. The next morning, you wake up to a world of exciting possibilities.

No matter what happens, you will find at least one pocket of joy in your new life. Everyone I’ve interviewed said, “Even when I was happy to move, there was always something I hated to leave behind.

“And even when I dreaded moving, there was always something wonderful that I had never expected.”

Details of each point can be found in Making the Big Move, originally published as a trade paperback, now available for instant download.

About The Author

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com.

“Ten secrets of mastering a major life change” mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com

Contact: cathy@cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294

Popularity: 11% [?]

Share This

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 2 Corinthians 13:14, NIV

To all of you who helped me with a flamer this week, thank you! Not on this blog but on my natural pet care blog. This guy was angry that I had posted a Christian article (one of my Sunday Reflections articles) on a pet blog. A blog I pay for and share natural pet care on. He thought it was his right to not have Christianity shoved down his throat (lol) on a pet blog or website or any place he shops online or off or anywhere in the world outside of church. He also asked what does God have to do with pets, but not so nicely, LOL! Uh, God CREATED them! Interesting, because he had the choice to walk away and NOT read. I didn’t force him to read the article, he chose to read it. Christians, if we live out our lives as Christians, that becomes a part of all we are, do and say. There is no separation from our personal lives into our business lives into our social lives or whatever. We are Christians and I got a taste of Christians banding together in unity as a team this week. In fact, I’ll name the team at the end of this article. Oh and this article is going on the pet blog soon too!

From last Friday through this one, I’ve gotten one attack after another. A good friend told me that the devil ramps up his efforts the closer we get to the goal. What is really sad, is all the people who attacked me were being used of satan and probably or most likely without their knowledge. Not too sure about the flamer, because he mentioned something about satan so he probably does know he’s being used by him. He’d deny that though and go on a rant about how innate and stupid we Christians are.

This past week God really showed me how I am not an island. I cannot go it alone and hope to prevail. In fact, I can only go fully on the power of the Holy Spirit. I also read a quote that says Christians aren’t Christians alone but only as a body. It would be like trying to be only a foot and nothing else. That seems funny but it’s true. I also learned so much from how each Christian soldier said what they had to say. Each one had a different way and a different presentation and together, we addressed each comment by the flamer. He did not see it our way and proceeded to slander every single person who commented. He really has little command of the English language because he liked using lots of curse words and belittling and put downs and “shut your mouths”. Very sad but he really needs prayer and that is one thing no one can stop us from doing: praying.

God’s plan is indeed working as one supporter told me. God is also so good to show us how He is indeed in control and working to help us and reach out to those who aren’t saved.

The name of the article that so got this flamer going was “Not Upon My Convictions but Upon the Blood of Jesus”. Jesus always seems to offend, doesn’t He? I deleted this guy’s last posts and banned him because He was even attacking Jesus saying He isn’t special, He was just another carpenter in the midst of loads of carpenters in His day and an inept one, yadda yadda. He’ll get the opportunity to tell Jesus that to His face one day unless he changes and turns to the only One who can save him, Jesus.

It’s funny to me how while Jesus may have been only one in a miriad of carpenters in His day, He is the only one Who’s name I know from that era, how about you? Why is it that over 2000 years (calendars are just semantics) now and Jesus can still stir up such controversy? Well, I did learn a lot this past week and mostly how we’re a body of believers, united in Christ Jesus and that so rocks! Oh and just for those who don’t know, my dog Shadrach is named after the guy in the Bible, NOT the rock band which the flamer said according to him, was how I got my dog’s name. Funny, I’ve had my dog for 6 years now, LOL! Oh and one more thing, we’re to keep our Christianity in church where we can all babble amongst ourselves but not out in the world, ROFLOL! Go into all the world brethren. What does God have to do with the animals? Without Him creating them, they wouldn’t exist. The flamer said that animals in other parts of the world were evolved or something since they don’t know about Jesus there or some such nonsense. Believe it or not, like it or not God IS and He created ALL things, and He IS the point of it all.

God bless you all and have a Son shining day! Here is the list of brethren who leaped into the fire with me or sent words of encouragement:

Nani, Dee Kreidel -Faithminders.com, John, Dr. GW Graham -themoldlab.com, Kevin -TechnoGypsy, Douglas, William, Bob -CrosSwords, Bobbette Madonna (her real name)http://logonnewzine.com, Becky, Kim, Wayne

The link for the firestorm is Not Upon My Convictions but Upon the Blood of Jesus

About the Author:

Kim Bloomer is a natural pet care educator helping pet owners learn to care for their pets through natural, holistic means.Disease prevention is her goal to help pet owners lower their pet care costs and extend the lives of their pets. Visit her website Aspenbloom Pet Care and her dog’s blogs barkin’ about natural pet care from a canine perspective Bark ‘N’ Blog and A Dog’s View.

Look for Kim’s dog Shadrach’s new line of beautiful, hand-tooled leather gear and journals for the Big Dog coming in August. Our joint venture partner for this is Dee Kreidel of Faithminders.com

A very Christian venture…

Popularity: 10% [?]

Share This

Hi, Jim Rohn here. This month we focus on accelerating our learning processes. How exciting! First, understand we possess the ability to improve and accelerate our learning curve. And second, this creates the potential of what we can continue to become. Wow! So let’s get started. Here is an overview of the month.

1. You are a Genius. In week one, we discuss ways to unlock and tap into the incredible powerful potential you have in your mind. We will also cover the attitudes of successful learners and show how your attitude about learning will determine how far you go in your life and career.

2. Six Stages of Learning. Next week we will talk about how to accelerate your learning and discover what your unique learning strengths and weaknesses are. We will also cover the topic of finding your particular learning style, and how to best tailor your learning to fit your unique needs.

3. Improve Your Memory. In two weeks we will talk about how the mind and memory works and how to train it to remember more. We will also cover basic speed reading techniques and show you the importance of reading and how to develop a basic reading plan.

4. Life-long Learning. In week four we will discuss the importance and benefits of being a lifetime learner. In addition, we will talk briefly about a basic plan for life-long learning and how to keep your mind tuned for success, as well as how to win the battles of thought that take place in our minds.

You Are a Genius - Unlocking the Power of the Mind

This month we focus on the learning that comes through the power of the mind. Take care to feed and stimulate your brain, and you will expand your mind. A healthy brain is central to a healthy mind. Because the two are inextricably connected, I would like to start this month by giving an overview of the astounding complexity of the brain. Many of these facts may be familiar to you, but they are important reminders of this incredible tool God gave us. We again need to see the human brain and mind with wonder, awe and inspiration.

But first, what do we mean by “learning?”

Here are how some dictionaries define it:

–the act, process, or experience of gaining knowledge or skill –knowledge or skill gained through schooling or study –behavioral modification especially through experience or conditioning –to gain knowledge, comprehension, or mastery through experience or study

Keep this in mind as we go through the month. Learning is gaining knowledge through various means.

Now, a little about the brain:

The brain is the equivalent of a human supercomputer. Your brain is more complicated than any computer mankind has ever made. Maximizing your brain’s ability is essential to becoming the success you desire to become - because it controls who you are. It is the command center involved in and controlling absolutely everything you do. Your brain determines how you think, feel, and act.

Simply put: When your brain is working at peak performance, it allows you to be your best, because it controls the rest.

Here are some facts about the brain:

It is about 2% of body weight.
It consumes about 20-30% of the body’s energy.
There are about 100 billion neurons in the brain.
Each neuron or nerve cell is connected to other nerve cells in the brain.
There are over 1,000,000,000,000,000 connections in the brain.
Each one of these neurons is a little “learning center” capable of storing knowledge.

Needless to say, most of us have barely scratched the surface when it comes to tapping into those neurons!

There are some basic influences on the brain that shape how it functions and how far it develops. Some of these include genes, health, injury, self-talk, life experiences, stress, and study (or lack of it). Notice I said that these influence the brain, but they do not determine how far you can go or what you can learn, except perhaps in the case of severe injury or mental retardation. In other words, you have the incredible opportunity to go as far as you desire!

So with such a tremendous tool at our disposal, what keeps so many from experiencing the possibilities that this tool can bring? There are some simple barriers that many people face that can have the potential to wreak havoc on our learning if we allow them to.

Barriers to Finding Your Genius

Lack of belief.
Many people do not believe that they can learn, master knowledge, or become “smart.” These are deeply held beliefs for many, and ultimately if you do not believe it, you will not achieve it.

Lack of knowledge.
What keeps some people from learning is that they choose not to access or do not have access to knowledge. Knowledge comes from experiences, books, people and other “knowledge dispensers.” We must tap into that knowledge.

Lack of desire.
Some people simply do not have the desire to learn. They may be lazy, or they may not see the positive impact that learning would have on them. They have no passion inside that drives them to learn.

Lack of hard work.
Gaining knowledge–learning–is hard work and takes a lifetime to master. It is an ongoing discipline that is never complete. I am getting on in years and I am still learning. I am still doing the hard work to expand my mind. It would be easy to give up and coast, but I love the challenge of continuing to learn.

So how do we overcome or break through these “barriers?” The key to breaking through these barriers is to do the opposite.

Let’s look at how to knock down those barriers:

Change your beliefs.
It is up to you to do the work of changing your beliefs. And when you do you will be opening up new worlds - literally! This month Chris is going to talk about winning the thought battle, which will help you keep negative beliefs out and positive beliefs and thoughts in. Feed your mind with information that will change your belief. By taking part in this One-Year Plan, you are doing just that. But also ask yourself if you are doing that with belief. The truth is that you have an amazing mind with capacity for learning that is beyond your comprehension. You must believe this. And when you do, you will be unlocking the potential of your mind!

Get the right knowledge.
Words–if they are not true–are meaningless. I hear children say, “I read it in a book.” But is it true? Just because someone says it or writes it, doesn’t mean it is true. As learners, we want to get the right knowledge, not just information or opinions. It is our job to seek out information and knowledge and then test it and run it through our minds to see if it is true, and if it can be rightfully applied to our lives in order to make them better and help us succeed. We need to weigh and measure what we learn in order to gain the right knowledge. And when we do, we will be unlocking the potential of our mind!

Become passionate about learning.
This will take some work, but the only way to do it is to begin learning about things that have an immediate impact in your life. When you learn about a new financial concept that helps you earn money or get out of debt, that will get you fired up. When you learn about a way to communicate that helps you sell more product, that will energize you. When you learn about how to interact with your family in a healthy way and your relationships get better, that will inspire you! Become passionate about learning. And when you do, you will be unlocking the potential of your mind!

Discipline yourself through the hard work of study.
Learning will take work. Until someone comes up with modules that can plug into your mind and give you instant access to knowledge, you are on your own, and that takes work. The process of learning is a long one. Yes, we can speed it up, but it is still a process of reading, listening, reviewing, repetition, applying the knowledge, experiencing the outcomes, readjusting, etc. Simply put, that takes time. Slowly but surely, when you discipline yourself, you gain knowledge and learn. And when you do, you will be unlocking the potential of your mind!

Learning is possible, no matter what your age. You are never too young or too old. Your mind was created to learn and has a huge capacity to do so. This week, make a commitment to unlock the potential of your mind!

Next, Chris is going to talk to you about the attitudes of successful learners.

Until next week, let’s do something remarkable!

Jim Rohn

Reproduced with permission from Jim Rohn’s Weekly E-zine.
Copyright 2005 Jim Rohn International. All rights reserved
worldwide. To subscribe to Jim Rohn’s Weekly E-zine, go to
http://Jim-Rohn.InspiresYOU.com

Popularity: 10% [?]

Share This

We’ve just gone from “the Holiday Season” to the “Goal Setting Season.” Each year, about the time we turn our calendars to a New Year, we hear a lot about goal setting (even though it is sometimes disguised as information about making your New Year’s Resolutions). While the research and polls show that most people don’t set goals, most everyone thinks about it at this time of the year.

It is a funny thing. People will say, “You really need goals.” But when you ask them what theirs are, they sheepishly reply, “I don’t have them, but everyone really should.”

There are many reasons why people don’t set goals. Some of the biggest reasons are:

• People don’t know how

• People have set them in the past but didn’t reach them

• People are afraid of failure

Of course setting goals is just an exercise that we know helps us achieve goals. So, while we all want to achieve goals, many of us don’t even set them.

The Real Objective

Think about it. Is goal setting really the objective? No. What we really want is goal achievement. Goal setting is a part of the recipe, so while we need to learn this skill, it is just part of your solution. The biggest missing ingredient in most people’s goal achievement recipe is faith, conviction, and lack of doubt. In other words, a deep seated, in the gut belief.

The fact is that most of us don’t achieve our goals (however clearly or vaguely they are set) because we don’t ultimately believe that we can reach the goal. That is why I believe the first step to successful goal achievement, regardless of your process or the steps you follow in setting your goals, is to absolutely believe that you can (will) accomplish it.

Driving a Ferrari doesn’t make you a race car driver. Having the best paints, canvas, brushes and easel doesn’t mean you will paint masterpieces. And having the best goal setting process won’t guarantee goal achievement either.

But belief will.

The Size of the Goal

Much is written about how big goals should be. They should always be big enough to stretch us – how much we should stretch depends in large part on what we can believe. If I have a total conviction that I am capable of and will reach the larger goal, then it is fine. Because without belief, you won’t hit the goal, regardless of what it is.

David Schwartz wrote in The Magic of Thinking Big, “Believe Big. The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief. Think little goals and expect little achievements. Think big goals and win big success. Remember this, too! Big ideas and big plans are often easier — certainly no more difficult — than small ideas and small plans.”

It is a known fact that our beliefs become our reality. Most of us accept this as truth, but haven’t applied it to goal setting. Beliefs lead to actions which lead to results. If you believe, you will act in accordance. If you feel your belief wavering, act as if your belief was strong and your belief will become stronger.

So rather than starting with a goal setting process; start from a state of belief. Begin by thinking about things you want to achieve, and believe you can and will achieve. Then write them down, and follow the process or format of your choice.

Start with belief – be it for your personal, family, financial, professional or business goals – and you will have taken the most important step towards achieving your goals.

Kevin is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. Kevin publishes Unleash Your Potential, a free weekly ezine designed to provide ideas, tools, techniques and inspiration to enhance your professional skills. Go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp to learn more and subscribe.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Share This

The Law of the 1st Step

A good first step in getting organized is to 3-pile everything:

pile one is for those things to throw away, pile 2 is for those things that need immediate action, pile 3 is for those things that can be taken care of later, or filed, or both.

The Law of the Past

One of the curious things that seem to hold people back from getting organized is wanting to avoid dealing with things left over from the past. Working your way through the clutter can bring you face to face with past mistakes and failures. The best thing to do is face them, learn from them, and then really put them behind you, in the past.

The Law of Time

Many people use the excuse of “I just don’t have enough time to get organized.” If you really don’t have enough time to get organized, then you desparately need to get organized! While it does take some time and energy to get organized, it also brings the gift of adding much more time to your life.

The Law of 3-D

When something comes your way, a memo, an announcement, a piece of mail, whatever, there are three and only three things you can do with it to remain organized:

1) Do it:2) Delegate it:3) Dump it: get it to the nearest trash receptacle and out of the way.

The Law of SYSTEM

Having a system, a step by step repeatable plan, for just about everything you do is simply invaluable. This is because SYSTEM stands for:

Saves-You-Some -Time-Energy-Money.

The Law of Stay

Once you get organized, do what ever it takes to stay organized. It takes a lot less time to stay organized than to get organized all over again. Trust me on this one.

The Law of Freedom

Most of us who are organizationally challenged have resisted organization because we don’t want to be controlled by anything or anyone. Quite the opposite is true, however. Getting organized allows you to experience more freedom and control than you thought possible.

The Law of Simplicity

Whatever system of organization you use, make sure you keep it simple. The more simple and easy to use, the more likely you are to use it.

The Law of “Put Your Hands On It”

You can tell you are getting organized when you need to find something and you can immediately “put your hands on it.” Saves time.

The Law of Place

Remember the old cliche “a place for everything and everything in it’s place?” The reason it became a cliche is that it works.

Thanks for reading, and keep the change

Visit SecretsofGreatRelationships.com for tips and tools for creating and growing a great relationship. You can also subscribe to our f*r*e*e 10 day e-program on how to enrich your relationship today, from relationship coach and expert Jeff Herring.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Share This

I want to focus our thoughts on each of these four elements of success. While these were originally written for a business audience, the principles can be easily translated to cover yourself or any group or organization you belong to.

Knowledge.

Before one begins down the road of success, they need knowledge. Today, even jobs that once required little working knowledge or intelligence now see the need for training as those jobs become more dependant on technology. We will cover the importance of knowledge and ways to get more for yourself and the others in your business or organization.

Opportunity.

One element that you see over and over again in our country is that we are indeed the “land of opportunity.” It is great to be able to live in a country where people can pursue their dreams, and where it is possible to reach them. But some people have a hard time seeing opportunity. We will focus on ways to find and take advantage of opportunities.

Risk.

Once a person sees opportunity, it is up to them to step through the open door and go for it. Yet many stop at the edge, unwilling to take a risk. Many times, often actually, taking advantage of opportunities requires risk. We will cover the importance of taking risks and to understand the difference between taking risks and being “risky.”

Excellence.

Businesses, organizations, and people who succeed are the ones who operate from a base of excellence. Think of Nordstrom’s as a perfect example. We’ll cover the importance of excellence and ways to raise your excellence quotient.

Knowledge

The starting point in the elements of success is Knowledge. This is becoming increasingly so as we continue deeper into the information and technology age. There simply is no turning back now. Even jobs that used to take very little knowledge require some because of automation etc. So here are some thoughts on ways to increase your knowledge and become more successful.

Become a self-learner. I have met very few successful people who were not also self-learners. They love learning. Are you a reader? Reading is one of the most enjoyable ways to learn more. Or you can join what Zig Ziglar calls “Automobile University.” All you do is go to the local library and check out some tapes on a topic of your choice and start going to school on your way to work. As you grow personally you will begin to rise above others who simply are not in the process of learning.

Job-specific training. I think everybody, regardless of his or her level in the organization, should be continually trained in their job. Someone once said that it is more expensive to not train employees and let them stay on the job than to train them. How true. What kind of ongoing job-training are you taking. If you aren’t the boss, then go to your boss and ask him what kind of training he or she would like you to have and then tell them that you would be glad to go get it. If you are the boss, then what kind of training should you give to each of your employees? Maybe it is time to revisit the budget for employee training. Chances are, your competitor is.

Advanced education. Many of the local schools, both undergraduate and graduate, are increasingly tailoring programs for those who are working full-time jobs. Maybe it is time to go back to school. They have programs that are one night a week or one week every four to six months. They even have programs where you go to the campus for six weeks a year. Maybe one of these is appropriate for you right now.

Is this possible or even reasonable? It sure is. I know many people who are actively involved in all three of the above.
Increasing you knowledge will not only help you perform better on the job, it will help you become a better person.

Opportunity

In the summer of 1996 I was able to tour a country that is not democratic. While I loved the people and the cultures, I was struck again by a deep appreciation for the fact that we are free here in the U.S. We are indeed the “Land of Opportunity.” And that is the second element of success. Not so much having opportunity, as that is rather inherent to our American system, but that we see opportunity, and then take advantage of opportunity.

The successful people who I have met and worked with are people who have an eye for opportunity. Is that something they are born with? Absolutely not!

If anything, being able to see opportunity is an attitude. Yes, wisdom is an important part, but if you believe there is nothing good under the sun, that there is no opportunity, then you won’t achieve much.

Instead, it is an attitude that does not see any circumstance as a problem, but sees it as, you guessed it, an opportunity. A great achiever said, “There is never a money problem, only an idea problem.” He saw opportunity, not a lack of funds, and he simply needed to find the way to take advantage of the opportunity!

So where do you begin? Right where you are. Take inventory of who you are, as an individual, a business, or an organization. Then ask the following questions. When you get the answers, it is simply a matter of follow through. That comes next when we talk about risk.

What opportunities do we have to get better? This is the growth question. When you look for how you can grow, and then pursue it, you’re on your way!

What strengths do you have? What skills, talents, or personalities are your strong points? How can those be seen as an opportunity to grow? When you operate out of your strengths, you have a much better chance of seizing opportunity and being successful.

What does your market need? This is a perfect question to ask. If you can answer this, you will have enough opportunity to last for the rest of your life! Can you, with your strengths, meet any of the needs of the population you are trying to reach or serve? Their needs are your opportunities!

What is currently working? This is the “ride the wave” point. Take advantage of momentum. Don’t settle for the good that you are experiencing. Ask if you can stretch further. Don’t look at what ought to be successful, but go further with what is successful!

Risk

“A naval aviator told me that many pilots have died because they stayed with disabled aircraft. They preferred the familiarity of the cockpit to the unfamiliarity of the parachute, even though the cockpit was a deathtrap. Many people have seen their careers crash because they preferred the familiar but deadly old ways to the risky but rewarding new ways.” So says Nido Qubein in Stairway to Success.

It is true that many people who have knowledge and the opportunity to see success, never do, simply because they are unwilling to take risks. As young people we are usually long on risk-taking but short on knowledge and opportunity. This is probably why you don’t see many successful teens driving their own BMW’s.

But by the time we are able to do something with our knowledge and opportunity, most of us are in relatively comfortable situations and decide that to pursue our dreams would be to simply risk too much. So we put off what lies in our hearts.
Yet most successful people achieve what they do because somewhere along the line they stepped out in faith and took a risk. Yes, many fail at this point, but at least they attempted greatness. And while many fail, many succeed tremendously and receive the reward, often helping many others as well.

Here are some thoughts to help you take risks and see great achievement in your life.

Count the cost of not risking. Most of us think of what we might lose if we risk, but what will we lose if we don’t risk?
Realistically understand the worst case scenario. It usually isn’t nearly as bad as we might assume, making it all the more worthwhile to risk. Most risks don’t end up at the worst.

Calculate your risk. Since the risk isn’t as much as we usually think it is, it helps to lie out the strategy beforehand. Then you know what you’re up against and have a plan of action.
Prepare fully. What most often keeps us from risk is fear. One of the best ways to fight fear is to be fully prepared. This helps our minds to be rooted in fact rather than swayed by emotion.
Follow your dreams. They did a study and asked elderly people what their biggest regrets were. One of the top ones? That they didn’t take more risks to follow their dreams. Go for it now!

Richard Bach says this in A Gift of Wings: “Remember the high board at the swimming pool? After days of looking up at it, you finally climbed the wet steps to the platform. From there it was higher than ever. There were only two ways down: the steps to defeat or the dive to victory. You stood on the edge, shivering in the hot sun, deathly afraid. At last you leaned too far forward, it was too late for retreat, and you dived. The high board was conquered, and you spent the rest of the day diving. Climbing a thousand high boards, we demolish fear, and turn into human beings.”

Excellence

Most people, if they have the drive and know where to look, can get knowledge. Everyone can take advantage of opportunity. A select few, relatively speaking, will take the risk needed to launch out to succeed. But what really sets the successful apart from the unsuccessful, or even just the average, is excellence.

In his book Raving Fans, Ken Blanchard says that many businesses have a false sense of security, thinking that they are successful, when in reality their customers don’t view them as excellent, but rather as merely “no worse than the rest.”

I would agree. Many of us settle for average, while a few choose excellence, in all areas, and go on to succeed far more that the rest of the crowd.

So what are some ideas to have excellence be you shining mark? Here are a few:

First, cultivate an attitude of excellence. Excellence must be your stated goal. Everyone in your business, school, or organization should know that excellence is the benchmark. You should desire it.

Second, define excellence. What does excellence look like for you or your group? This then, is the goal.

Here are some areas to begin looking at:

My personal life. Do I strive for excellence in my personal life? Do I know what areas I can improve upon, and do I try to achieve excellence in those areas? What about these specific areas: Financial, spiritual, physical, emotional, intellectual?

Customer service. Excellence is defined here not in how we think we are doing, but in how the customer thinks we are doing. Have you asked lately how you are doing in this area? Ask for suggestions on how to excel. Then you can work on achieving it.

Employee satisfaction. You will more likely achieve excellence if you have deeply satisfied employees.
How can you make it an excellent place to work?

Product. Is your product excellent? Is your whole line? Perhaps you may want to sell fewer, but much better, items. It’s great to be associated with excellent products.

Atmosphere. What does your home, store or office look, sound, and smell like? Is it a help or hindrance?

I encourage you to think about these things, and even brainstorm with your family or staff. The results could be excellence!

About The Author:

Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of
Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn
their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and
achieve their dreams.

To see Chris “live” at the upcoming Jim Rohn Weekend Event as he speaks on
the subject of Secrets of Influence go to
http://Chris-Widener.InspiresYOU.com/ or call 800-929-0434.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Share This