Humility is Tremendous

by Charlie "Tremendous" Jones

I know no man who feels fully qualified to speak as an expert on "leadership." In fact, it seems that those who appear to be the most qualified are often the most reluctant.

Knowing that I am a student of the word, rather than an authority, I think my attitude toward what I'm about to say can best be described in the story of a young minister preparing to give his first sermon. As he read and observed, he could see so clearly everyone's mistakes, and how simple it would be to set everyone straight. He couldn't wait for the big day when he would be able to lower the boom on the congregation. Finally, the big day came, and he rose for the great occasion. After a few minutes, he realized he was in trouble and began to sense that maybe he wasn't the hope of the world. After a few more minutes, he began to wish he'd never heard of preaching, and that there was a trap door behind the pulpit that would allow him to press a button and quickly slip out of sight. Of course, there wasn't and finally, after five minutes, which seemed to be hours, he said a hasty benediction. With his head hung, he left the pulpit, discouraged, broken and beaten. As he walked to the rear, an old, white haired war-horse slipped his arm over the boy's shoulder and said, "Son, IF YOU'D HAVE GONE UP, LIKE YOU CAME DOWN - YOU COULD HAVE COME DOWN LIKE YOU WENT UP."

Humility is the quality that will enable you and others to enjoy your success.-- Charlie "Tremendous" Jones

"I claim to be a simple individual liable to err like any other fellow mortal. I own, however, that I have humility enough to confess my errors and to retrace my steps." Mahatma Gandhi

Principles That Govern My Life

by Chris Widener

The strength and durability of a building is found in its foundation. The same is true in a life. What we accomplish and the effect we have on those around us is not only in what we do, but also in who we are. In fact, what we do is driven by who we are, what we believe and value and by the principles that we live by.

Principles give us direction in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in. They are transferable to any given situation and will determine our direction. Those who do not have permanent principles will find themselves drifting along and making decisions that are personally expedient, short-term oriented and usually bad for their long-term success.

So I thought I would share with you the principles that govern my life. These are the ideas and concepts that drive my behavior, my career, and my family. I would encourage you to sit down and write out your own principles. Those that drive your life, or at least that you want to drive your life!

God first, others second, me third. Gale Sayers, the running back of the Chicago Bears wrote a book titled "I am Third." This is true. If I am to do and be what I want to do and be in this life, I recognize that I must have my priorities right. Some people think that the way to success is to put themselves first. This is short-term thinking. Yes, you may be able to accomplish much in the near-term, but long-term, the best is accomplished by those who live by the above.

Always be completely honest. You really only have your character when it comes right down to it, and honesty is the quickest way to determine your character. Live in such a way that you can be completely honest and be willing to accept the responsibility that being completely honest will bring.

Make it your goal to help others, income will come from that. Zig Ziglar is the one who got me thinking about that. If you take care of others and their needs, you will earn your income. If you simply try to earn income, people will stop responding to you and you will have defeated yourself.

You reap what you sow. This is the most common truth on earth. You put an apple seed into the ground, you get an apple tree. An orange seed produces an orange tree. If you invest, your money will grow. If you eat right and exercise you will lose weight. If you are kind to others they will be kind to you.

The true measure of a man's wealth is in the things he can afford not to buy. This is one of my favorite quotes from Ralph Waldo Emerson. Things are great to have and so is money, but true riches are the priceless things we can't buy, like our family, our integrity and the sense of a job well done. Pursue true wealth.

Work smart - and hard. Some say you should work smart, not hard. I say work smart and hard. A good day of hard work is a blessing and ought to be appreciated. Hard work is what changes the world - as long as it is smart, hard work!

Follow through on all commitments. If there is one thing I can't stand it is when someone doesn't do what they say they will. When we don't do what we say we will, we essentially say that the job wasn't important, the people we promised it to aren't important, and that we can't be trusted. This is a good way to short-circuit your success.

Challenge others to greatness. There are enough people who will hold out the low bar for people to step over. I want to be a person who holds up the high bar, causing people to have to run and jump with all their might. And when they clear that high bar, I want to be there celebrating with them!

Find ways to generously give of your resources. The old saying is true - you can't take it with you. But you can spread it around to lots of people while you are here. If we wait until we die to give money away, we don't get any satisfaction in seeing how it is used and enjoyed. Write a few good-sized checks each month!

Treat people right no matter how they treat you. You cannot control another person's behavior. It took me a long time to realize that. I can only control my behavior. And I can choose to do what is right no matter how another person treats me. If everybody retaliated every time someone treated them bad, we would have a mess on our hands. Instead, choose to act appropriately at all times.

When relationships go bad, be the first to hold out the olive branch. Life is too short to leave a relationship broken. As much as it is up to me, I will pursue reconciliation, for their sake, and for mine. I don't want to get to the end of my life and wish I tried harder in my relationships. For this reason I attempt to restore broken relationships.

Regularly try new things. This is what keeps the spice of life going! Try new foods, go to new places, and make new friends. You will be amazed at the joy you receive and are able to give when you make it a habit to try new things. Break out of the mold, do something unusual today!

Treat everyone equally. No one is better than anyone else. I know people with tens of millions of dollars and people who do not have two nickels to rub together. They are both equally valuable and worthy of being treated as such. Don't fall into the trap of treating some people better than others. It doesn't matter what color they are or how much money they have or what country they come from, treat them with the respect and dignity each human deserves.

Use any success you have to help others. What good is success that only helps you? Instead, use the money you make to help others. Use the connections you make to help someone else up. Use the knowledge you achieve to give someone else a leg up. Take what you have and give to others so that they may join you on the journey of success.

Look down the economic scale more often than up. When I look up the economic scale too often I become greedy and unsatisfied. I become selfish. Looking down at others who have less than me on a regular basis keeps me humble. It reminds me of all of the blessings I have and keeps me thankful for them.

I want to encourage you to sit down soon and write out the principles that guide your life. It is an excellent exercise that will help you refocus and keep your life going in the right direction!

Killer Secrets for Closing the Sale

by Brian Tracy

"Inherently, each one of us has the substance within to achieve whatever our goals and dreams define. What is missing from each of us is the training, education, knowledge and insight to utilize what we already have." --Mark Twain

FACT: Selling is the only profession wherein your potential earnings are beyond what 95% of the world's population could ever earn - but only if you know how to close the sale.

Selling is a wonderful profession -- but because it is oftentimes difficult to become successful at it, it is also considered one of the toughest professions in the world.

As a salesperson, you need to be thankful that making the sale is so difficult, because if it were easy, the field would be flooded with amateurs -- and the amount of money you could earn would be greatly reduced. Your job is to find ways to make the sales process easier so that you can become one of the highest paid people in your field, if not the world.

The Major Challenge in Selling

Closing the sale is perhaps the most stressful and challenging part of the sales process. This is where the rubber meets the proverbial road.

There are secrets I know that can unlock the real firepower that lies dormant in your very own selling skills, and these secrets will change the course of your sales career forever.

Here are 3 closing secrets that can easily triple your sales in the next 90 days.

Killer Closing Secret #1: The Preference Close

The first technique is the Alternative Close -- also called the Preference Close. It is based on the fact that people like to have choices. They don't like to be given what may sound like an ultimatum to either buy it or not buy it.

To apply this technique, you simply structure your close by saying, "Which of these would you prefer, A or B?"

With the alternative close, whichever one the customer selects, you would have made a sale either way. You should always try to give the customer two choices. Even if you are selling a single product, you can give him two choices with regard to payment, or delivery. For example, "Would you like this delivered to your office or to your home address?" "Will that be MasterCard or Visa?" "Would you like the ATM 26 or the ATM 30?" And so on.

Killer Closing Secret #2: The Secondary Close

The second closing technique is the Secondary Close. This is extremely popular. It is a way of helping the customer make a big decision by having him make a small decision that infers the big decision. Instead of asking the customer to go ahead with the product or service, you ask a question about a peripheral detail, the acceptance of which means that he has decided to buy the larger product.

For example, you could ask, "Would you want this shipped in a wooden crate, or would cardboard be all right?" "Would you like us to include the drapes and rods in the offer?" "Did you want the standard rims or would you like the customized racing rims on your car?"

In each case, if the customer agrees to or chooses the smaller item, he has indirectly said, "yes" to the entire offering. People often find it easier to agree to small details than they do to making a larger commitment. That's why this is sometimes called the Incremental Close, where you get commitment bit by bit to the entire offer.

Killer Closing Secret #3: The Authorization Close

The third closing technique is the Authorization Close, which is often used to conclude multimillion-dollar transactions. At the end of the sales conversation, the salesperson simply asks if the prospect has any questions or concerns that haven't been covered.

If the prospect has no further questions or concerns, the salesperson takes out the contract, opens it up to the signature page, places a check mark where the customer has to sign, and pushes it over to him saying, "Well then, if you will just authorize this, we'll get started on it right away." The word "authorize" is better than the word "sign." A check mark is better than an X. Offering to "get started right away" is better than sitting there hoping for the best.

However you do it, be prepared to ask for the order in whichever ways seem appropriate at the moment. ---Brian Tracy

I Am a Salesman

by Ron White

Do I see myself as a speaker?... Nope.
Author?… Try again.
Memory expert?… No.
World record breaker?… Nah.
Entrepreneur?... Closer, but not exactly.
Instructor?... Getting colder.
Motivator?... Wrong.
Salesman?... BINGO!!

I am a salesman and very proud of that! This is how I see myself, and the question is why don't more see themselves as salespeople?

What about the talented musician who has the voice of an angel and can play a piano better than Liberace but does not think that he is a salesman? I will tell you what – he will have to rely on getting lucky in a big break or hunt for a promoter. Or maybe the dentist who has opened up his shop and waits for the customers to walk through the door. Most people will invest all their assets in marketing before they invest one hour in cold calls, yet cold calls are where it all starts.

First of all, you must get the belief through your head that we are all salespeople. Whether you think that you are or not – you are! If you participate in capitalism, you better see yourself as a salesperson or be dependent upon others for your success.

Next, abandon the idea that being a salesperson is below your dignity. Do you know what is really below your dignity? Not fulfilling your potential because you didn't want to “lower’ yourself to being a salesperson.

Realize that sales all begins with a cold call. Cold calling is not so bad. It is a great opportunity to get your foot in the door and at the very least open the prospects mind to your idea. After you do this for a few weeks, a ratio will emerge and you will begin to see how many cold calls it takes to get a sale. This is when it becomes fun and you work to improve your ratio. Make it a game!

Understand that the difference between making a living and making a fortune in sales starts with networking referrals. Brian Tracy tells us that the average person has a sphere of influence (people they see at PTA meetings, neighbors, family, friends, etc.) of 260 people. If you don't ask for referrals, you won't get them.

Close the sale! The salesperson who has a great presentation but can't close is a conversationalist and conversationalists don't get paid very well. At the end of your presentation give them an alternate choice close – “Would you like blue or red?’ That is a non-threatening close. Or simply ask, “Why don't you give it a try?’

Finally, remember that when people are sold to by a professional, they enjoy it! I spoke recently at a real estate office in San Antonio. The sales manager stood up when I finished and said, “Wow! I don't think anyone who was trying to sell us something has made us feel so good in the process!’ I yelled from the back of the room, “I am a salesman!’ He enjoyed being sold and so did his group because it was professional. When done right, the sales process should be fun!

Are you a dentist, musician, author, speaker, doctor, lawyer or anything without the title of sales? If you are, do yourself a huge favor and begin to see yourself as a salesperson! Making cold calls is not below your dignity. Not fulfilling your potential is what is below your dignity. -- Ron White

The Two Core Fears and the Fear of Success

by Lisa Jimenez, M.Ed.

Fear of commitment, fear of responsibility, fear of loss, and fear of confrontation are all symptoms of the two core fears. All of these surface fears fall into two categories which are the core fears: Fear of Failure and Fear of Success.

If you experience fear of commitment, responsibility, growing up, or change, your core fear is the fear of success. If most of your anxiety comes from fear of rejection, confrontation, or not measuring up, your core fear is the fear of failure.

Let's talk about the fear of success. The fear of succeeding and then having to maintain that success can be daunting. The fear of success is the most powerful fear over most people because it relates directly to the three inborn fears. Fear of falling, fear of loud noises, and fear of abandonment.

The fear of falling represents the belief that once you've achieved success; there's no place to go but down.

The fear of loud noises correlates to sudden change. Perhaps you've been working toward something for months, and then, overnight it seems, something comes through and suddenly you are successful.

The fear of abandonment is very real to a person on the journey of success. You might lose friends when you become successful. They might be jealous of your success, view you as arrogant, or feel that you just don't fit into the "old group" anymore. We have sayings like, "It's lonely at the top," and your inborn fear of abandonment is challenged.

These three fears are inborn and naturally reoccur from time to time. You can counter them by replacing them with truth. Discover your truth about what success means to you and live your life based on these truths. Then you will silence these inborn fears and conquer the dream busters.

Face Your Fear of Success

Have a great day!

Lisa Jimenez M.Ed.

Vitamins for the Mind

by Jim Rohn

Communication/Persuasion

Better understated than overstated. Let people be surprised that it was more than you promised and easier than you said.

For effective communication, use brevity. Jesus said, "Follow me." Now that's brief! He could be brief because of all that he was that he didn't have to say.

You cannot speak that which you do not know. You cannot share that which you do not feel. You cannot translate that which you do not have. And you cannot give that which you do not possess. To give it and to share it, and for it to be effective, you first need to have it. Good communication starts with good preparation.

The goal of effective communication should be for listeners to say, "Me, too!" verses "So what?"

Learn to express, not impress.

Be brief on the logic and reason portion of your presentation. There are probably about a thousand facts about an automobile, but you don't need them all to make a decision. About a half dozen will do.

Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what you know.

What is powerful is when what you say is just the tip of the iceberg of what you know.

It's not the matter you cover so much as it is the manner in which you cover it.

A Thankful Thanksgiving

by Jim Rohn

You may be wondering why I would call this article a Thankful Thanksgiving. Aren't all Thanksgivings Thankful? Unfortunately, no. As a person who has experienced over 70 Thanksgivings, I recognize that being thankful is something that we have to work at, even on Thanksgiving.

If your home is like most, your Thanksgiving Day will be very busy, with either traveling to where you want to go or preparing your home to have others over for the day. Either way, that can be very hectic and emotionally trying, which doesn't lend itself to preparing your heart to be reflective and thankful. In fact, Thanksgiving weekend is the most traveled weekend in America. Airports are full, and not always providing much room for contemplation of your good fortune.

This means all the more that if we want to be the kind of people who are characterized by thankfulness, then we must make sure that we focus on it, and not just on Thanksgiving Day, but at all times during the year.

Here are a few key words as well as some thoughts that are simple and practical to apply; something you can use right away in your quest for becoming more thankful:

Time. Set aside time regularly to be quiet, to reflect. We live in the fastest paced time ever. From the moment we awake to the moment we collapse into bed, we have the opportunity to go at full speed and never slow down. If we schedule time every day in which we can be quiet and reflect, we will free our hearts and minds up from the tyranny of the urgent and rushed.

Thought. Give thought to the many blessings that you have. Living in a consumer culture, most of us are fully aware of what we do not have and how we absolutely must have "it." But how often do we reflect upon that which we already have? Take some time each day and think of one or two things that you have that you may typically take for granted and then take a moment and give thanks for those. In fact, I make it a part of my reflection time to review a list of things that I'm thankful for.

Generosity. Be generous toward those with less and not envious of those with more. We tend to look at others who may be wealthier than ourselves and think, "I sure wish I had what he does." That kind of thinking breeds envy and jealousy rather than contentment. What can we do to break that cycle? I would suggest being generous to those who are less fortunate than yourself. Go to work at a food bank. And not just during the holidays - everybody works there then - but on a regular basis during the year. That will remind you of how good you really have it.

Ask. Ask a friend what they are thankful for. The next time you are at lunch with a friend, ask him or her what they are most thankful for. You will be amazed at the answers you receive and you will create a meaningful bond with your friends as you focus on this powerful question.

Acknowledge. Lastly, tell those you love how thankful you are for having them in your life. So many times we neglect to take the time to craft the words to express to those closest to us what their presence in our lives means to us. Take the opportunity of Thanksgiving Day to write them a note or sometime during the day put your hand on their shoulder, look them in the eyes and tell them. Let them know what they mean to you, and in return you'll begin to create the possibility of deeper, richer, more fulfilling relationships with those you love.

Of course we should do what we can to make the most of the day we call Thanksgiving, but wouldn't it be a shame if the only time we reflected on our blessings was that one Thursday in November? And the answer is, of course! So let's do our best to be aware of the many great gifts that we have each and every day of the year. As we do so we will see our hearts soar and our minds will experience more and more at peace as we regularly remember and remain aware of our good fortune.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jim Rohn

Focusing and Acting on Your Dream

by Les Brown

Whatever dream you decide to go after, whether it is a family, or a career goal, you must consciously decide that it is your life's mission. Benjamin Disraeli said, "The secret of success is constancy to purpose." You must go at it obsessively and set high standards for yourself along the way. There is no room for compromise when you are charting a course for your life or your career.

I spoke to a group of sharp young people not long ago, and when I finished, some of the fellows came up and said they were interested in becoming professional speakers. They invited me to go out with them that evening to have a good time. These fellows looked as though they knew how to have a serious good time.

I had planned to work on my delivery that night by listening to the audio of my speech. I record my speeches and listen to them later so I can study what works and what does not work with a particular audience. In effect, I listen to the audience listening to me.

I was tempted to go with these fellows, and back when I was their age I probably would have given in to that temptation and gone. But I have become more disciplined and more committed to my craft. A friend of mine, Wes Smith, wrote a humor book called Welcome to the Real World, and in it he offered advice to fresh high-school and college graduates. He had a line in the book that pertains to the situation I faced that night. It said, "Having a drink with the boys after work every night is a bad idea. Notice that the boss doesn't do it. That is why he is the boss and they are still the boys."

Wes told me that he wrote that line with one particular group of hard-partying young businessmen in mind, and five years after the book came out, he ran into one of them. The guy volunteered that he'd read that line in Wes's book and decided never to go drinking after work again. It paid off, he said. He had risen to a vice-presidency at a savings and loan.

In my drive to become a public speaker, I developed that kind of focus, too. There is not a lot of time for hard partying if you are pursuing greatness. It was not that these young fellows were not serious about their interest in professional speaking, but they were just as serious about having a good time. I don't believe they were focused on their goals. They were seeking a profession but they were not on a mission to make a dramatic difference in the world. I am. You should be too.

Rather than the party crowd, I prefer to seek out people with knowledge that might be useful. I like to find out what books successful and intelligent people are reading. I want access to the information that contributes to their success and intelligence.

Dreams are Magic Sparks

by Vic Johnson
(excerpted from Day by Day with James Allen)

"Dreams are the seedlings of realities." - As A Man Thinketh

Look slowly around you. All that you see at this moment was one day but someone's dream - a "seedling of the reality" it was to become. In our lifetime we have benefited greatly from the dreams of so many.

Mandela, Mother Teresa, Einstein, Gandhi, Spielberg, Disney, Gates and the list could go on and on and on -- all began with a dream. Who could forget one of the most powerful speeches of all time by Dr. Martin Luther King, "I Have a Dream". While we haven't become the color-blind society we should be, go back and read the speech and see how far we've come since Dr. King first spoke those "seedlings" into reality.

At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Celine Dion performed a song called The Power of the Dream.

"Deep within each heart,
There lies a magic spark,
That lights the fire of our imagination…

Your mind will take you far
The rest is just pure heart,
You'll find your fate is all your own creation."

Sounds a lot like James Allen, doesn't it?

So maybe you don't see yourself as a Mandela or Mother Teresa. But if you haven't already discovered it, deep inside you there is a dream. It was put there by the one who created you, as we are told in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Ralph Marston, whose Daily Motivator has brightened my day for some time now, writes, "On a regular basis, take time to imagine the very best that life can be. Step aside for a moment from the day-to-day concerns of life. Re-establish contact with your highest goals and most treasured dreams. Remind yourself of the beautiful possibilities that life holds for you. Renew your determination to bring them to fruition.

"Spend some quality time with your dreams. They are real to the extent that you value them. To the extent that you commit to them and work for them, they will come true."

The final verse of Celine's song ends with:

"There's so much strength in all of us,
Every woman, child and man,
It's the moment that you think you can't,
You'll discover that you can."

And that's worth thinking about.

The Last Word...

by Jim Rohn

The First Step for Getting Better Results

How dramatically we can change our results is largely a function of imagination. In 1960, it was a technological impossibility for man to travel into outer space. Within ten years, however, the first man stepped out onto the surface of the moon. The miraculous process of converting the dream into reality began when one voice challenged the scientific community to do whatever was necessary to see to it that America "places a man on the moon by the end of this decade." That challenge awakened the spirit of a nation by planting the seed of possible future achievement into the fertile soil of imagination. With that one bold challenge the impossible became a reality.

THE SAME PRINCIPLE APPLIES TO EVERY OTHER AREA OF OUR LIFE!

Can a poor person become wealthy? Of course! The unique combination of desire, planning, effort and perseverance will always work its magic. The question is not whether the formula for success will work, but rather whether the person will work the formula. That is the unknown variable. That is the challenge that confronts us all. We can all go from wherever we are to wherever we want to be. No dream is impossible provided we first have the courage to believe in it. -- Jim Rohn

Made for Success Quote and Commentary

James (Arthur) Baldwin
(1924-1987)

"People can cry much easier than they can change." ---James Baldwin

Chris' Commentary:

This is why they do: it is easier to cry, to lament, to wish things were better, than to change. If change were the easiest thing to do, then most people would change. Instead, most people take the easy road and lament along the way, somehow thinking that since they wish things were better, that, in and of itself, must be noble. It isn't! Taking the difficult road of change in the face of easier roads is noble! Average people cry about their situations, while successful people do something about their situations.

Action Point: What is the one thing you have the tendency to cry about or lament? Take a step today to change it! For example, if it is your weight, then go exercise and don't have seconds! Change, day by day, and your life will become what you want it to be!

Elements of Change

by Chris Widener

The key to achieving more than you currently are, no matter which area of your life or work you are focusing in on now, is change. The old saying rings true: If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you've already got. If you keep eating and exercising the way you currently are, you will weigh the same a year from now. If you continue to sell to the same people on the same schedule, you will make the same amount of money next year. In order to move forward, we must change.

As I have worked with people, both in a professional setting and on a personal basis, I have found two things to be true about change. One, it is simple. Two, it is not easy. That is, the concept of change is simple to grasp. People or organizations are quick to say, "Oh, I know we need to change." Simple.

But where the problem starts, and why most people and organizations do not change, is because it is not easy to change. But, I believe, if the process is well thought out, and if we have the guts and determination to carry it out, change can happen, and we can move on to more fulfilled lives.

With that said, let me give you what I consider the elements of change.

Discontentment with your current state. The first step in the process of change is to not want to be where you currently are. You must be discontent with it. If you are overweight, you must say, "I will not accept this anymore." If you are in debt, you must say, "I cannot tolerate this any longer." If you have broken relationships, you must say, "I will not live with this." This is a decision to change and not accept the status-quo.

The picture of your preferred outcome. What is it that you want to change to? It absolutely is not enough to say "I need to change." It must be: "I am going to change to..." This becomes the goal. I would encourage you to get a mental picture of it formulated in your mind. Get a real picture of it if it is that tangible. Perhaps write yourself a short essay, extolling the virtues of what life will be like when you get to the changed state.

New associations with the two states. You must begin to associate your current state you are in with pain, and the state you want to be in with pleasure. Let's take weight for example. We tend to think of ice cream, mounds of it, with pleasure. I know that I do. Especially chocolate chip mint. At a friend's house recently, we had some ice cream. Normal portions. I don't like to eat normal portions. I like huge portions of ice cream. There is an association of pleasure there. But what I did to overcome the urge to eat scoop after scoop was to associate huge portions to being overweight, not the pleasure of the taste. I also associated not eating the ice cream with feeling better about myself. Then when it comes to exercise, I work on associating the exercise and weight-lifting with the pleasure of fitting into my clothes rather than the pain my muscles feel every time I do it. This help me win the battle of the mind.

Develop a plan of short, simple steps. "I am going to lose fifty pounds in two months." "I will sell 500% more next month." These are examples of change that are good goals to have long term, but too big for the time allotted - and this is havoc on change! If your goals are too big in too short of time, you will fail and become discouraged. Then you will quit and decide change can't be accomplished. Instead, you must have short, workable, attainable goals if you are going to see real change happen and stay. "I am going to lose five pounds a month for ten months." "We are going to sell 6% more each month this year (That would double your business each year)" These are the size steps you need to take. Then you will build victory after victory.

Discipline yourself. Sorry but this is where it is up to you. At the heart of change is the ability to discipline ourselves. I cannot lose your weight. Your mom cannot go out and make sales calls for you. The only real obstacle standing between your current state and your desired outcome is you! So do everything you can to get yourself motivated to change! Force yourself to get out of bed and get to work on your goals! Discipline yourself. Choose to make the right decision.

Reward yourself when you have made the change. That's right: reward yourself. You have worked hard and exerted a lot of self-discipline to get there! You deserve it!

Chris Widener

Four Essentials for Happiness

by Brian Tracy

You may have a thousand different goals over the course of your lifetime, but they all will fall into one of four basic categories. Everything you do is an attempt to enhance the quality of your life in one or more of these areas.

The first category is your desire for happy relationships. You want to love and be loved by others. You want to have a happy, harmonious home life. You want to get along well with the people around you, and you want to earn the respect of the people you respect. Your involvement in social and community affairs results from your desire to have happy interactions with others and to make a contribution to the society you live in.

The second category is your desire for interesting and challenging work. You want to make a good living, of course, but more than that, you want to really enjoy your occupation or profession. The very best times of your life are when you are completely absorbed in your work.

The third category is your desire for financial independence. You want to be free from worries about money. You want to have enough money in the bank so that you can make decisions without counting your pennies. You want to achieve a certain financial state so that you can retire in comfort and never have to be concerned about whether or not you have enough money to support your lifestyle. Financial independence frees you from poverty and a need to depend upon others for your livelihood. If you save and invest regularly throughout your working life, you will eventually reach the point where you will never have to work again.

The fourth and final category is your desire for good health, to be free of pain and illness and to have a continuous flow of energy and feelings of well-being. In fact, your health is so central to your life that you take it for granted until something happens to disrupt it.

Peace of mind is essential for every one of these. The greater your peace of mind, the more relaxed and positive you are, the less stress you suffer, the better is your overall health.

The more peace of mind you have, the better are your relationships, the more optimistic, friendly and confident you are with everyone in your life. When you feel good about yourself on the inside, you do your work better and take more pride in it. You are a better boss and coworker. And the greater your overall peace of mind, the more likely you are to earn a good living, save regularly for the future and ultimately achieve financial independence.

Life is very much a study of attention. Whatever you dwell upon and think about grows and expands in your life. The more you pay attention to your relationships, the quality and quantity of your work, your finances and your health, the better they will become and the happier you will be.

ACTION EXERCISES

Here are three things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, take time on a regular basis to think about what would make you really happy in each of the four areas.

Second, set specific, measurable goals for improvement in your relationships, your health, your work and your finances and write them down.

Third, resolve to do something every day to increase the quality of some area of your life - and then keep your resolution.

Vitamins for the Mind

by Jim Rohn

Happiness

Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want.

Happiness is not an accident. Nor is it something you wish for. Happiness is something you design.

How sad to see a father with money and no joy. The man studied economics, but never studied happiness.

The greatest source of unhappiness comes from inside.

Happiness is the art of learning how to get joy from your substance.

Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.

"Start from wherever you are and with whatever you've got." Jim Rohn

Four Words that Make Life Worthwhile

by Jim Rohn
(Excerpted from the Jim Rohn Weekend Event – Excelling in the New Millennium)

Over the years as I've sought out ideas, principles and strategies to life's challenges, I've come across four simple words that can make living worthwhile.

First, life is worthwhile if you LEARN. What you don't know WILL hurt you. You have to have learning to exist, let alone succeed. Life is worthwhile if you learn from your own experiences - negative or positive. We learn to do it right by first sometimes doing it wrong. We call that a positive negative. We also learn from other people's experiences, both positive and negative. I've always said that it is too bad failures don't give seminars. Obviously, we don't want to pay them so they aren't usually touring around giving seminars. But that information would be very valuable – we would learn how someone who had it all then messed it up. Learning from other people's experiences and mistakes is valuable information because we can learn what not to do without the pain of having tried and failed ourselves.

We learn by what we see so pay attention. We learn by what we hear so be a good listener. Now I do suggest that you should be a selective listener, don't just let anybody dump into your mental factory. We learn from what we read so learn from every source; learn from lectures; learn from songs; learn from sermons; learn from conversations with people who care. Always keep learning.

Second, life is worthwhile if you TRY. You can't just learn; now you have to try something to see if you can do it. Try to make a difference, try to make some progress, try to learn a new skill, try to learn a new sport. It doesn't mean you can do everything, but there are a lot of things you can do, if you just try. Try your best. Give it every effort. Why not go all out?

Third, life is worthwhile if you STAY. You have to stay from spring until harvest. If you have signed up for the day or for the game or for the project - see it through. Sometimes calamity comes and then it is worth wrapping it up. And that's the end, but just don't end in the middle. Maybe on the next project you pass, but on this one, if you signed up, see it through.

And lastly, life is worthwhile if you CARE. If you care at all you will get some results, if you care enough you can get incredible results. Care enough to make a difference. Care enough to turn somebody around. Care enough to start a new enterprise. Care enough to change it all. Care enough to be the highest producer. Care enough to set some records. Care enough to win.

Four powerful little words: learn, try, stay and care. What difference can you make in your life today by putting these words to work?

"The man says, 'If I had a fortune, I'd take good care of it. But I only have a paycheck and I don't know where it all goes.' Wouldn't you love to have him running your company?" Jim Rohn

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

Finding Your Magic Investing Formula

by Robert Kiyosaki

People often ask me, "How do you find great investments?" My standard reply is, "You have to train your brain to see them. Great investments are all around you."

I know that's not a very satisfying answer. Most people want something more specific and concrete. But my reply is as accurate as possible. If we could've seen all the great investments just in the past decade, we'd all be multi-billionaires.

Missing Out on Millions

There have never been more opportunities to become rich than in the last 10 years. And there'll be even more opportunities in the next 10. Let me explain. Like many investors, I didn't see the power of eBay almost a decade ago. If I had, I'd be a billionaire today. Nor did I see the power of YouTube, or Google, or MySpace. Being an old guy, my brain isn't trained to see investing opportunities in cyberspace. So I missed them.

Thirty years ago, when my business career was just starting at Xerox, I was introduced to a new type of computer. I wasn't tuned into computers at the time, so little did I know that I was looking at the early version of what was to become the Macintosh. So I also missed that billion-dollar opportunity, too. How many billion-dollar opportunities have I missed? Maybe millions.

If I've missed so many million- and billion-dollar opportunities, why am I writing articles and speaking worldwide about financial independence? That's a valid question, and the answer has to do with helping you find great investments.

Perseverance Pays Off

I took my first real estate investment course in 1974 in Honolulu. The cost was $385, and I believe it was two or three days long. Toward the end of the class, the instructor said something I've never forgotten: "Now you know the difference between good real estate investments and bad real estate investments. Now you all know what to look for."

He paused and then added, "The problem is, most people will tell you such investments don't exist. Your friends will tell you so, and so will real estate agents." Truer words were never spoken. For the next few months, I went from real estate office to real estate office, looking for investments. As promised, the real estate agents told me what I was looking for didn't exist. My friends and co-workers at Xerox told me the same thing, and said I was either dreaming or smoking funny cigarettes.

Finally, in a small, obscure real estate office in downtown Waikiki, I met a scruffy little broker who said, "I have what you want." The next weekend I was on a plane to Maui, where he'd found an entire condominium development that was in foreclosure.

I purchased my first piece of investment real estate for $18,000, putting the $2,000 down payment on my credit card. The one-bedroom/one-bath condo paid me a positive cash flow, even after all the expenses and mortgage payments. My investment career had begun. More important, I was training my brain to see what most people don't see. That $385 real estate course has made me millions of dollars over the years.

Keep an Open mind

Earlier this year, around tax time, I wrote an article, "Think Rich to Lower Your Taxes." It was about an investment strategy known as the "velocity of money," and how I use it to invest, make a lot of money, and then legally use the tax laws to minimize my own taxes. I suspected it would spark some controversy, and it did.

For a couple of weeks, I kept track of responses. Some of the less-complimentary comments reminded me of what those real estate agents and my friends at Xerox said to me back in 1974.

You see, our brains are either our greatest assets or our greatest liabilities. As I said, when it comes to investment opportunities in technology, my brain is a liability; I just don't get it. When it comes to investment opportunities in real estate, gold, oil, and silver I'm above average, but not great. And that's because I've trained my brain to see opportunities in those areas.

So, instead of criticizing the readers who were close-minded (or even mean-spirited) about my advice, I encourage them to keep an open mind and find their own way of seeing investments most people miss. That's how you get rich. People who refuse to open their minds to new strategies seldom become rich -- which I guess is why there are more critics in the world than rich people.

Finding Your Magic Formula

One of the most important things my rich dad taught me was to never say, "I can't do it" or "I can't afford it." Those thoughts are self-limiting, and it's hard to find great investments when you're basing your behavior on limitations. In today's world, there are more investing opportunities than ever before. Why would anyone want limited financial results in an unlimited world?

One of the reasons I write about financial independence is so I can put forth ideas that challenge the way people think about investing. If you want the same old financial-planning dogma of "work hard, save money, live below your means, get out of debt, and invest in a well-diversified portfolio of mutual funds," then my philosophies are obviously not for you.

My job is to stimulate your thinking, inform you about why rich people get richer, and encourage you to find the magic financial formula that works for you. I found mine, and I want you to find yours. - Robert Kiyosaki

Mentally Tough

by Ron White

One of the least talked about factors of success is being mentally tough. Mental toughness will allow you to endure adversity, hardship, setbacks and ultimately achieve success.

The next question is – What does it mean to be mentally tough?

• It means when trouble and heartaches head your way – you are not permanently knocked off the bicycle of life.
• It means when your plan is not going exactly the way you planned – you press on.
• It means when others criticize you – you refuse to allow someone else to dictate your thoughts or direction.
• It means you know who you are.
• It means you accept 100% responsibility for every action you have ever committed.

Now, if being mentally tough is so crucial to success – how do you become mentally tough?

Some of the most mentally tough people I have ever known are ones that I have served next to in the military. They are mentally tough because the military forces, and I mean forces you, to adopt three behaviors. In the military you will never be allowed to blame someone else, you will be required to be physically fit and you will be given daily goals and you will accomplish them!

1. The first key to being mentally tough is refusing to be a victim and accepting 100% responsibility for your actions. It is not your parents' fault, your boss's fault, the fault of the government or someone you knew when you were a teenager. How in the world can you be mentally tough when you blame others for your lot in life? It is empowering to accept responsibility for your fate.

When you consciously or subconsciously blame another (government, economy, family, etc.) for the outcome of your life, you are significantly reducing the chances of a happy life. This is true because you have given someone else the power to control your thoughts and actions.

2. Next, become mentally tough by becoming physically tough. Yes, there is a confidence that you will have when your muscles are toned and a walk on the beach does not exhaust you. Now, when I am 85 years old, do I expect to bench 225 pounds and run 4 miles a day? Absolutely not! However, I do expect myself to put forth the maximum effort all the time so when I am 35, 45, 55 or 85 I am in the best possible shape for a 35-, 45-, 55- or 85-year-old.

The confidence that comes from being fit is one that can't be found anywhere else. Watch what you eat and exercise. It is crucial in being mentally tough.

3. Set goals and then accomplish them! How many times do people make New Years resolutions only to break them by January 20th? This is a much bigger deal than you may think. It is a big deal because subconsciously you are telling your mind, "I can't even keep a New Years resolution!" When you tell yourself this subconsciously, you then begin to lose confidence in yourself and every aspect of your life is affected. When someone compliments you – it makes you feel awkward because deep down you think, "Gee, if they only knew that I can't even keep a New Years resolution."

Conversely, if you set a small goal of reading a book a month and you accomplish it, your self-confidence begins to build. Subconsciously you are telling yourself, “I am valuable – I am worth it – I can hit my goals – I am successful.’ When you see yourself this way, you are well on the way to becoming mentally tough. In military boot camp, you are given a daily goal of folding your underwear in a set pattern and making your bed in a prescribed way. When you accomplish this goal day after day, even though it is so small, it is making a mental deposit into your self-esteem bank account that says you can accomplish goals and are valuable.

Being mentally tough is often the last piece of the puzzle to focus on for success. Yet, I know very few successful people who are not mentally tough. It is easier to get there than you think. Become responsible for your life, stay in shape and set and accomplish your goals. When you do, you will exit your own personal boot camp with a confidence to rival that of a Navy SEAL!