Monday, June 10, 2013

Quote for the Week

“Life is not about what you accomplish, it’s about what you become in the process.”

Your development as a whole person, a complete human being is what life is all about. I talk about the 5 elements of success. You cannot achieve true success without evolving in all areas of your life.  Too much emphasis in one area means another area is being ignored or over looked. Life is about achieving balance and developing completely.

A truly successful person can look back and see just how much they changed from where they started their success journey. Becoming a confident, complete, compassionate and generous human being is all part of becoming truly successful. The more you evolve the more doors of opportunity seem to open up for you.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Quote for the Week

Work harder on yourself than on your job. – Jim Rohn

Why this quote? It's simply, powerful and to the point.

Yes, I know you work hard - long days, long hours and lots of effort. You come home and feel like putting your feet up and just relaxing a bit; maybe watching some TV to unwind. But here is where the trouble can happen – you sit down at 7:00 or 8:00 PM and next thing you know it’s 10:30 or 11:00 PM and you have not really done anything but sit (and perhaps snack).

How can you expect your life to change?  How can you expect to increase your knowledge, skills or abilities by sitting on your backside? Plain and simple – You Can’t.

You get out of life what you put into it. If you want to be more than you have to do more. You have to plan out time for learning new skills, accessing new information and putting both of these into action.

It’s not about taking away from your action at work, it’s all about increasing your action and focus when away from work.

If you simply want a paycheck keep on putting the most effort into your job BUT if you want a rich, full and truly successful life than start putting the most effort into yourself. You will be amazed at just what you can accomplish with focus, determination, commitment and follow through.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Quote for the Week

"Your thoughts are the seeds of your destiny. Cultivate them carefully."

Your day to day thoughts greatly influence where you are heading in life. If you feel the world is out to get you or that a dark cloud is always over head then that is the reality you will experience. On the other hand, if you see a world full of opportunity and full of learning opportunities than that is the reality you will experience.

I am not at all saying that you can ignore challenges and the obstacles that will pop up. I am not trying to be all “Pollyanna”, but the fact is, how you think on a daily basis will determine how you deal with the challenges you will face. We all get knocked down. The choice is to wallow in the mud and strew about it, or to get up and learn from the experience.

It is not always easy to get up. I know that. We all know that. We have all dealt with problems but with a positive mindset you can more easily accept what has happened, process it mentally, learn from it and then move forward. Every experience you go through has some thing to teach you. Whether or not you are open to the lesson is the difference between ultimately finding success or missing out on all the bounty life has to offer.

Farmers care for their fields and cultivate their seeds and crops very carefully. There livelihood and their very lives’ depend on it. Your success and your overall happiness depend upon how carefully you cultivate your thoughts on a daily basis. Weed out the negative thoughts. Weed out the anger. You will find life is much easier when you leave all the baggage behind and focus on what you have to offer the world and what the world has to offer you.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Quote for the Week

“We can let circumstances rule us, or we can take charge and rule our lives from within.” – Earl Nightingale

Achieving success requires each of us to take control of our lives to guide us to our selected destinations. Letting life happen is simply not an option – that road will lead you somewhere but certainly not where you really want to go.

You have to charge, you have to call the shots and you have to keep pushing forward. The road will not always be easy, but it is the one worth taking. No one achieves success in any facet of their life by sitting back and letting things simply happen on their own. Successful people spend time deciding what they want and then working to make their desires into reality. Everyone defines true success their own way and everyone finds true success their own way. And most assuredly, living a successful life requires you to chart your own course and to maintain your own heading, even as life’s inevitable bumps try to push you off course.

The sooner you take both responsibility for where you are currently in your life the sooner you will accept it is you that needs to step up and take control of your planning, your execution of those plans and your reactions to curveballs that are going to come your way.

Think, plan and respond, don’t’ just react.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Quote of the Week


Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time. — George Bernard Shaw

We all make mistakes and we will all continue to do so. The difference between those who find success and those who spin their wheels comes down to the fact that successful people learn from their mistakes. Successful people take the time to evaluate their mistakes and to find the lesson within each one.

You have likely seen or heard a similar quote – If you want to double your success rate, double your failure rate. Again it is in the learning from the failure that the seeds for success are found. Do not be afraid to try something new. Sure you may make a mistake (or two, or three) but if you learn from each mistake you will get better at whatever activity you are working on. Success lies just outside your comfort zone. You have to stretch and grow yourself intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. You do that and you will slowly become impossible to stop.

I wish each and every one of you that are reading this the all success you are capable of and that you deserve.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Quote for the Week

"The difference between who you are today and who you'll be in five years are the people you spend time with and the books you read." - Charles Jones

Why this quote? Charles does a nice job reminding us that time continues to move forward and that we have to make conscious choices as to what we are doing and with whom. Where you end up in the future is dependent on the choices you make today. It really is that simple.

To become successful or continue to be successful in any area of your life requires focus. Success does not just happen. Luck does not just happen. Those who are constantly preparing for success, constantly preparing for the future are ready and able to take full advantage of opportunities that come along.

Preparing includes gathering more knowledge and elevating your skills and your awareness to higher and higher levels. Are the books you are reading and are the people you spend the most time with challenging you? Are they urging and pushing you to become more? Are they opening your mind and your heart in new and exciting ideas?

If not, five years from now will look almost identical to today. And who wants to keep having the same experiences over and over.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Quote for the Week

“I Can” is much more important than “I.Q.” -Author Unknown

Why this quote? I love the simplicity and the accuracy of the statement.

It’s rarely about how smart you are. Achieving success in any endeavor is about your knowing deep-down inside yourself that you can make it happen. Always believe in yourself. Remember all that you have accomplished in your life and all that you a have overcome. Success can be elusive and it sometimes takes quite a lot of persistence and perseverance to find it.

The belief in yourself will help propel your forward. Even if others doubt or mock what you are trying to become and where you are trying to go. It’s your life and only you can decide what is right for you. Don’t let life just happen. Go out there and make it happen.

Remember these two simple words: I CAN. Repeat them to yourself each and every day. Keep pushing forward and you will reach your destination. 

Monday, March 18, 2013

Quote for the Week

“The most influential person you will talk to all day is you.” - Zig Ziglar

Why pick this as the Quote for the Week? Zig Ziglar was always able to boil concepts down into very simple terms. This quote reminds us that we need to maintain both an awareness and control of the voice and conversation that runs through our minds on a constant basis.

This inner voice can build you up or it can wear you down. What you have to remember is that you can and should take control of this conversation. If you start mentally beating yourself up over something you have to stop, realize what you are doing and change the narrative.

Yes you will make mistakes. We all do. I make them every single day. But I do not beat myself up over them. I ask myself what I could have done differently and what will I do differently the next time. You need to do the same. Congratulate yourself for taking ownership of a mistake and looking to learn from it.

Make sure that inner voice is pointing out the actions and decisions you made today and every day that were correct. Steer your inner conversation to your victories, to your accomplishments. The more you do that, the more you victories and accomplishments you will rack up, in both your personal and professional life.

Monday, March 11, 2013

Quote For the Week

"Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely."

Why this quote this week? It’s short and sweet and to the point.
Change is constant. Not only change within yourself but change is happening to every one and every thing around you. The way I see it is that you have three choices:

1. You can try to ignore the changes. By ignoring the changes and stifling your growth you will be left behind as people and the world itself evolve around you. You cannot succeed in life if you are not constantly growing.

2. You can allow change to take you for a ride.  You will of course end up somewhere but quite possibly not where you would like and certainly not any wiser for it.

3. You can choose constant growth. Choose to take control, plan your experiences, chart your course and grow into the best possible version of yourself. You set yourself up for success by planning and growing so that you are ready when opportunities present themselves. Preparation and growth helps open your eyes to more and more possibilities in your life. Always choose to grow. You’ll be much happier for it.

Monday, March 4, 2013

Quote for the Week

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude” – Thomas Jefferson

Yes, this is a pretty well known quote but it is still one that I like. Your attitude about life in general and your life in particular has a huge impact on your success. Your attitude is like a magnet drawing like energy towards you. If you have a negative attitude than negative people, information and situations will collect all around you. All that negatively will drain your energy slowing you down and stopping you from achieving almost any objective you may have.

Conversely, a positive attitude draws in more and more positive people, positive ideas and positive situations. This mass of positive energy will help fuel you to go after and to achieve what ever objectives you have.

Mr. Jefferson could not have been any more on target. So choose your mental attitude carefully. It is a much bigger difference maker than you might realize.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Quote of the week

Most people do only what they are required to do, but successful people do a little more.

Why do I like this quote? I like how straightforward it is. If you truly want success then you have to make it happen. Make that extra effort regardless of the area you are seeking success. Educate yourself more, physically push yourself more, make a few more sales calls each day, whatever it takes. Analyze your efforts compared to your results to determine where/what you need to change. If you don’t like your results than you better change your approach.

You are interested in success. You would not be reading this blog post if you were not. Take this week’s quote to heart and make sure you do a little bit more each and every day. You keep doing that and a few weeks, months and years from now you will be looking back and feeling proud of just how much you have accomplished and how much more of a person you have become.

Success is not only results, but it is the journey itself.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Quote for the Week

"The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence." - Eddie Robinson

Monday, February 11, 2013

Quote for the Week

If you want to know what type of person you will be a year from now listen to what you are saying today.

Monday, February 4, 2013

Quote for the Week

It's not what happens to you that determines how far you will go in life; it is how you handle what happens to you.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Quote for the Week

"Keep your mind on the things you want and off the things you don't want." - Hannah Whitall Smith

Monday, January 21, 2013

Quote for the Week

"You will never be happier than you expect. To change your happiness, change your expectation." -- Bette Davis

Monday, January 14, 2013

Quote for the Week

Success is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning and focused effort.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Bigger Questions Grow Your Life

I have mentioned before that should be asking yourself “how can I..?” instead of “why can’t I..?” Every question you ask yourself sets off a chain reaction in your subconscious. Your mind immediately begins to work on finding an answer or validating the belief behind the question. It is this validation sequence that makes the “why can’t I..?” question so damaging. Your mind immediately begins to seek out and identify everything that validates the negative thought pattern and, of course by doing so, reinforces the negative and downward attitude. The questions we ask ourselves need to be phrased in a positive and forward moving manner. The “how can I..? questions also get your mind seeking answers but with questions phrased in the positive your mind begins to seek solutions. In order to answer the question you subconsciously and then consciously begin to find the steps needed in order to move forward and achieve the goal.

But the really amazing thing to keep in mind is that the enormity of the solution grows in direct proportion to the enormity and complexity of the questions asked. In simpler terms: Ask bigger questions and you’ll get bigger answers. Simple questions get simple answers.  If you are trying to grow, if you are trying to stretch yourself and your abilities, simple questions just won’t get the job done. You need to ask bigger questions. What will it take to make “x” happen? How can I accomplish “x”? Don’t be afraid to make the “x” as big as you can think of. Ask the question and let your brain go to work on the solution. You are capable of more than you know. 

Many of the people putting dents into the universe today, or who have done so in the past, came from very humble beginnings. But they did not let their past or their current conditions dictate what their future would become. They were not afraid of asking bigger questions; questions of themselves and of the world around. They sought solutions and then tried to put them into action. Many ideas fell short, many times their plans did not work out as envisioned but they did not stop. They kept asking those big questions and seeking those bigger answers until they found the ones that worked for them and allowed them to achieve what they were striving for. Abraham Lincoln comes to mind. You could not start from a more humble beginning yet he rose up to become president of this country and led us through a very dark and tumultuous period of our history. Your local library is full of biographies of very successful people who started their journeys from very modest beginnings. But one of the common denominators amongst all those biographies is that each and every person was not afraid to ask bigger and bigger questions. And, probably more importantly, not afraid to follow through with the answer.

What is it that you want to accomplish? What dent would you like to put into the universe? Start asking yourself the “How can I…?” and keep asking until the answer is crystal clear in your mind. Turn that answer into action and take action. You are more than you thing you are. You have deeper resources than you think you do. Never underestimate what you can accomplish.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Quote for the Week

The whole point of being alive is to evolve into the complete person you were intended to be. - Oprah Winfrey

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Time to set your 2013 goals

2013 has arrived. Where did 2012 go? Time picks up speed year after year doesn’t it? That is the exact reason why you need to spend some time thinking about and writing out specific goals for the next year. You need specifics to focus and work on or you will end up 12 months from now in the same spot you are now. That is just not acceptable.  Not acceptable for you and not acceptable for those around you. Life is about growth and development – regardless of the activity. The better you get the more enjoyment you will have whatever the endeavor.

Start with a blank sheet of paper and make four horizontal lines so that the sheet ends up with five separate sections. Label each of the five sections with one of the five elements of True Success: Head, Heart, Health, Wealth and World.

Fill in each section with at least two goals to achieve over the next 12 months. Take your time and come back to this on several different days. It is both too important to rush through and too complicated to think about every element at once. And remember – these are your goals. Just as no two people have the same life experiences, no two people will have the same goals.

Think stretch goal – A good goal should take effort on your part and ideally be something that you are not 100% sure how or if you can do it. Yes, you want to succeed but if you already can see it accomplished than where does the growth and development come in.

Imagine a conversation in January 2014 with a parent, grandparent, or one of your children. What would you be proud to tell them about? What skills and abilities have you learned or taken to a whole new level? What relationships have you made stronger? What have you done to improve your overall health and well-being? What have you accomplished in the financial arena to secure a better economic future for you or your family? What and how have you contributed back to the world at large?

This blog entry rings a bell in the back of your mind because you have either read or thought about goal setting before. And you also know that written goals are very powerful. Hear the bell and take action. Schedule some time right now when you are going to sit with your paper and pen and start the process of putting your goals to paper. Feel the inner pride of taking a step toward a more successful future for you and everyone you care about.